In today’s modern (and I say that with a smirk) world, people are waiting longer and longer to get married. Well, people who are not contestants on The Bachelor, that is. Watching this season, I was really struck by just how much older I am than most of the contestants. I used to imagine what it would be like to be on The Bachelor and get proposed to by the hunky main man, and now, here I sit, 28 years old, dreaming that I could have given birth to the contestants (that’s hyperbole, but still). It got me thinking — who is the youngest Bachelor in the show’s history?
Unsurprisingly, it’s the man of the hour — Warsaw, Indiana born software salesman Ben Higgins. According to ABC.com, Ben’s birthday is March 23, 1988, which makes him 27 years old at the time of filming (and only 26 when he was on Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season of The Bachelorette). That, my friends, makes him the youngest (chronologically, at least — I can’t talk about maturity) Bachelor of all time.
Late singer Aaliyah once crooned, “age ain’t nothing but a number,” but I don’t totally buy that. To each their own, but I’m of the mind that you should know yourself and know what you want in a relationship to really be ready to get married, and I truly think that Ben’s young-ish age had an influence on his season (which is nearly over). Here’s why.
Ben May Lack Emotional Maturity
One of the things that always bothers me on The Bachelor is that a contestant can’t have an inkling of doubt about the relationship with the Bachelor. Every time a contestants (Jubilee, Caila, Becca, etc.) showed any sort of misgivings about her relationship with Ben, Ben would get all panicked and defensive and think that this woman couldn’t be the one. To Ben, thought is too much — everything must be OK, all time. But the world doesn’t work like that. Even people in the best relationships have moments of, “what is going on here?” I think that Ben doesn’t have enough of a relationship history to see that, and this fear of honesty would likely lessen with more time and experience.
Most Of Ben’s Contestants Are Really Young
Because Ben is lacking in year, it’s not really surprising that the women chosen be on the show are also pretty young, too. Some of them, like twins Emily and Haley, are barely out of college. People typically change wildly from graduation to age 30 (and even from freshman year to senior year), so I’m not sure how any of them could be ready to get engaged in six weeks. Because of that, the drama on this season seemed more immature than in seasons past. Contestants actively crying because Ben was talking to someone else? Building a dollhouse during a date? Going back to high school chemistry class? It felt like the show was playing up the youth on the show, for better and for worse.
Ben Always Strives For A Silver Lining
Not everything is great all the time, you know? In a real relationship, you really have to take the ups with the downs. You have to be there for each other, even if it means doing something you don’t want to do. Throughout his season, Ben has constantly tried to make sad or fearful or angry contestants happy. You could think this is a good thing, but what I see is a denial of the feelings these contestants are showing. Sometimes, you want to be angry. You want to scream and cry, and Ben needs to hear them. Didn’t Inside Out teach you anything, Ben? You need the sad to feel the happy.
Images: Kelsey McNeal/ABC; Giphy (3)
