The Golden Bachelorette star Mark Anderson may be cast in The Golden Bachelor, and if he is, I believe Mark might be a "producer plant" who was brought onto the series to try and improve its reputation. Right now, Gerry Turner's being called out, after his stint on the show ended in disaster i.e. divorce. If Gerry was cast to try and clean up the show's reputation, producers could prompt him to do things that don't come straight from the heart. For example, he might be pushed to marry before he's really ready.
Gerry seemed like the ultimate Romeo - an aging Prince Charming straight out of a fairytale. It seemed like he would do anything for his true love. If there was a "golden years" Ken doll, giving Barbie the best of his love, it would probably look just like Gerry Turner. But Gerry's no romantic hero. In the end, he wouldn't even leave Indiana for Theresa Nist.
After their split, he taunted his ex by wearing an "Indiana... it's not so bad!" t-shirt. This about-face made it all too easy to be cynical about the series.
Is Mark Anderson Prince Charming?
Will Producers Let Him Be Himself?
What's enticing about a real Prince Charming, such as the Cinderella version, is truthfulness. Cinderella's true love didn't fake his emotions to get Instagram followers. Nor did he ever, ever, ever let her down. People want to believe in something!
I'm a Pisces and some astrologers think that the Pisces motto is:
"I believe."
However, even for the bleeding heart Pisces, lost in a proverbial purple haze, faith is easily lost. Trust has to be earned and the priceless thing that is trust is as fragile as a Ming vase - it can always be broken. While dreamy fairytale princes aren't exactly a bumper crop, there's got to be a man out there who has Prince Charming's honor and goodness... a man whose thoughts and actions align. People who watch the show probably want sincerity...real romance, no matter what their zodiac signs are.
The Golden Bachelor isn't like Love Island . It's not Too Hot To Handle , either. Its stars are mature people and the expectations are different. The kind of entertainment provided is a little different too. At least, I think so. There's more richness and character.., the backstories are extensive and heartfelt, and show so many aspects of life, including the circle of life. Birth, death, spiritual rebirth... these things are real and powerful and many The Golden Bachelor cast members understand that. So does Joan Vassos.
There's more depth because the cast members have really lived. Sometimes, they've been widowed, losing the loves of their lives. The backlash against Gerry proved that people expected more from this series than the usual attention-seeking antics. A three-month marriage, as Gerry and Theresa had, wasn't the ending that Disney would have written, and it wasn't the ending that people wanted. Gerry and Theresa were supposed to:
- ride off into the sunset
- love each other forever
In my opinion, what people wanted was to see something genuine, and they tried to believe in Gerry. When things fell apart, he got the brunt of the blame, which I don't think was completely fair. After all, Theresa wouldn't move to Indiana for Gerry. However, so many of us, fundamentally brainwashed by Disney content as children, wanted to see true love onscreen. We wanted to see a man act like Prince Charming without it being an act.
If Mark can provide this, fans will reward him. If he fails because producers nudged him in the wrong direction, or scared him off, or for some other reason, he'll be turned into a Disney villain.
Romeo from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet died for his love. Disney's cookie-cutter handsome Prince Charmings are wholly devoted to their princesses - there's no wandering eyes, clout chasing, or wishy-washy uncertainty. What The Golden Bachelor really needs is a true Prince Charming. He doesn't need to meet a tragic end for love, but he does need to be sincere, and truly present for his partner. Is Mark this kind of precious jewel? He has the raw materials, but his past may stop him from giving everything to someone new.
Mark seems like goodness personified. He lost his wife Denise Anderson to breast cancer and that was so harrowing and heartbreaking. Then, he had to parent five children alone. Instead of giving up, he gave his children so much love. Working and looking after his family must have been exhausting, but as his devoted daughter Kelsey Anderson (who brought him into Bachelor Nation) has said, Mark did an amazing job. She thinks the world of him.
Producers know that Mark was endearing during Kelsey's hometown date with Joey Graziadei in The Bachelor season 28. That's the main reason why he might be a producer plant.
Mark's got what it takes to find love, but producers need to get out of the way. They need to let love bloom organically. Pushing and pulling Mark won't make an iota of difference. He is a Taurus and they are stubborn people. In fact, if producers nudge Mark too much, he might rebel, or just become disillusioned with the process. Love is mystical - it can actually develop on a reality show, but that's rare. It remains to be seen if producer interference would ruin an upcoming The Golden Bachelor season starring Mark - however, it could definitely happen.
