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Worst TV Show of the Week Brought to you by the Parents Television Council	Share |
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The Bachelor on ABC

While the nation eagerly awaits the Supreme Court’s ruling on the FCC’s power to police indecency regulations, the January 30^th episode of The Bachelor (Mondays, 8:00 p.m. ET) reminded viewers what is at stake. No fewer than eight incidents of blurred nudity have occurred already this season on broadcast television in prime time, and no incident was more highly publicized than the skinny-dipping scene in The Bachelor. For exposing viewers to nudity, The Bachelor has been named Worst TV Show of the Week.

Since the season started, The Bachelor has been promoting a skinny-dipping scene in commercials and previews, with prominent black bars covering the exposed parts. On Monday, January 30^th, the much-anticipated episode finally aired. Gone were the black bars; instead, more revealing flesh-colored blurs had been used. It was a moment this season’s villainess Courtney had been hoping for – nay, planning for – ever since she landed in Puerto Rico with the eleven other female contestants. Courtney has frequently reminded viewers, her competition, and “Bachelor” Ben alike that she’s a model, so it should come as no surprise that she was eager to show off her most cherished assets.

After successfully winning a baseball game for a group date on the beach with Ben, Courtney pulls Ben aside and tells him: “It’ll just be nice to, like, spend some time with you and, like, alone, like, not in this setting, like, that’s what I need at this point. Like, just you and me, like, you know, I went swimming the other night in the ocean, and it was, like, all I could think about was you, and, like, it’s romantic here…ideally, it would be you and me with a bottle of wine and skinny dipping and, like, getting, you know, a little crazy and having fun. A secret rendezvous or something.”

Like, totally.

Ben, however, first goes on a one-on-one date with Elyse – a personal trainer, who incidentally doesn’t constantly remind us of that fact. Unfortunately for her, the date ends with plenty of pain and absolutely no gain as Ben sends her packing. Courtney seizes the opportunity as she coyly says to the camera, “Now, I’ve got something planned for him. I’m gonna make good on my promise…I don’t know if he’s ever skinny-dipped with a model before.” Not content with reminding the audience - yet again - that she’s pretty, she offers Elyse a parting dig: “I’m hoping I’m a vision after a long day for him…I hope I’m a sight for sore eyes because after the date with Elyse, his eyes were probably pretty sore.”

When Ben returns to his room, Courtney is waiting for him on the staircase in a robe. She suggests they head toward the beach. She says to the camera, narrating the scene, “He’s so cute. No wonder I was trying to get naked.” They undress as the cameras roll. They fling their underwear toward the pile of clothes and head into the water. She hops into his arms as the waves crash around them and they begin to make out.

Should the Court rule against the FCC, this scene – and all offensive content for that matter - could theoretically be aired completely uncensored. In its oral argument, the networks claimed that they would never violate the public’s trust by airing content that is too risqué. Yet, in the same session, they contended that broadcast networks aren’t “uniquely pervasive,” facing stiff competition from cable and online programming. Should the FCC be rendered powerless, it’s a safe bet that Hollywood will not be in a race to see who can clean up the airwaves the fastest. Boundaries will be pushed further and further. Perhaps a day could soon come where we’re no longer counting how many shows have nudity in them, but how many don’t.

For much-hyped, well-publicized, blatant nudity, The Bachelor has earned the title of Worst TV Show of the Week.