Re: Update on the *Possible* F1/F2 - Thread #2

[Hotmomma]

My mind is wide open - I'm not invested in anyone being F1 (this season is such a sham I don't know how she picks anyone), I'm continuing to watch the edits.

Me too..I am just trying to enjoy the show..But that is a feat in it self this season..

[nutty1]

I agree that RS has brought some of the desire for schadenfreude on himself by acting so condescending in the past towards anyone who questions him. That said, I totally respect that his information is correct more often than it's not (anyone arguing this point isn't doing the math, or letting their dislike of him cloud their memory), and he does appear to be developing just a touch more humility in his public persona lately, probably as a result of having to retract some information. Steve Carbone also may be a very nice guy in his personal life, and nowhere near as arrogant and dersisive of women as his alter ego, Reality Steve.

It's so hard for many of us to watch this show and remain objective enough about all the participants so that it doesn't affect our "gut" instincts about what is really going on, or the way we interpret the edit. I learned this about myself in subsequent seasons of the Bachelorette, when I went from finding it hard to believe that Jill didn't pick my favorite Reid when their connection was "so obvious", to watching others finding it hard to believe that Ali didn't pick their fave, Chris, while I, as someone who slightly preferred Roberto, had no problem seeing their connection, and accepting that Chris was never more than a friend to Ali. After being wrong again with Brad's season by believing the Chantal spoiler, I realized that even if we have no real "favorite", we allow our preconceived notions of what a relationship should be and how couples should interact and express affection, influence our opinions of which connection is the "real" one.

What I tried to do here this season, while wanting to believe the JP spoiler (since I related to him from the first episode and also found his chemistry with Ashley to be adorable and reflective of the kind of love story that appeals to me), is remain open minded and dispassionate, and respect the opinions of people who chose to believe Ben had to be F1, whether their reasons stemmed from just liking him better, wanting RS to be wrong, wholly believing fijiman, being convinced JP had a clear F2 edit or was too obvious, or even imagining there was undeniable chemistry between Ben and Ashley in the few minutes they shared on screen. I found it harder to do this on the rare occasion that a comment reeked with condescension, or the attitude that the author knew something the rest of us didn't (that sounds an awful lot like the old RS, doesn't it?).

Thanks to everyone who brought, and continues to bring, possible information/spoilers to the board and deliver[ed] them politely and objectively. What we all do with the info, and how we respond to others based on it, is our own responsibility.

Great post!!! Love the second paragraph!!
So. if you are trying to be objective...what are you seeing?

[anders]

My mind is wide open - I'm not invested in anyone being F1 (this season is such a sham I don't know how she picks anyone), I'm continuing to watch the edits.

Me too..I am just trying to enjoy the show..But that is a feat in it self this season..

I'm right there with ya - I haven't been this disinterested since Prince Lorenzo.

[ironcat]

I agree that RS has brought some of the desire for schadenfreude on himself by acting so condescending in the past towards anyone who questions him. That said, I totally respect that his information is correct more often than it's not (anyone arguing this point isn't doing the math, or letting their dislike of him cloud their memory), and he does appear to be developing just a touch more humility in his public persona lately, probably as a result of having to retract some information. Steve Carbone also may be a very nice guy in his personal life, and nowhere near as arrogant and dersisive of women as his alter ego, Reality Steve.

It's so hard for many of us to watch this show and remain objective enough about all the participants so that it doesn't affect our "gut" instincts about what is really going on, or the way we interpret the edit. I learned this about myself in subsequent seasons of the Bachelorette, when I went from finding it hard to believe that Jill didn't pick my favorite Reid when their connection was "so obvious", to watching others finding it hard to believe that Ali didn't pick their fave, Chris, while I, as someone who slightly preferred Roberto, had no problem seeing their connection, and accepting that Chris was never more than a friend to Ali. After being wrong again with Brad's season by believing the Chantal spoiler, I realized that even if we have no real "favorite", we allow our preconceived notions of what a relationship should be and how couples should interact and express affection, influence our opinions of which connection is the "real" one.

What I tried to do here this season, while wanting to believe the JP spoiler (since I related to him from the first episode and also found his chemistry with Ashley to be adorable and reflective of the kind of love story that appeals to me), is remain open minded and dispassionate, and respect the opinions of people who chose to believe Ben had to be F1, whether their reasons stemmed from just liking him better, wanting RS to be wrong, wholly believing fijiman, being convinced JP had a clear F2 edit or was too obvious, or even imagining there was undeniable chemistry between Ben and Ashley in the few minutes they shared on screen. I found it harder to do this on the rare occasion that a comment reeked with condescension, or the attitude that the author knew something the rest of us didn't (that sounds an awful lot like the old RS, doesn't it?).

Thanks to everyone who brought, and continues to bring, possible information/spoilers to the board and deliver[ed] them politely and objectively. What we all do with the info, and how we respond to others based on it, is our own responsibility.

Great post!!! Love the second paragraph!!
So. if you are trying to be objective...what are you seeing?

So far, the only way I can imagine it to be Ben is if Ashley really was not able to recoup from Bentley, and just picked a nice guy where neither one was that invested in the other. The season is still young, though, and it's possible my opinion may change if we really see some major connection between Ashley and Ben over the next few episodes, when they will finally have a few dates. But if this is the case, I think the editors overshot, because the average viewer isn't going to buy that love story one bit. As of right now, the only one that I see a connection with is JP.

[Admin]

Welcome hooked4!! It's so great to see you.

[Starshine_16]

My mind is wide open - I'm not invested in anyone being F1 (this season is such a sham I don't know how she picks anyone), I'm continuing to watch the edits.

Me too..I am just trying to enjoy the show..But that is a feat in it self this season..

I'm right there with ya - I haven't been this disinterested since Prince Lorenzo.

Gawd that was the most boring season ever.

[Love_Me]

hooked4! Glad you joined this site!

[proudmommy50810]

This doesn't really have anything to do with the F1/F2 (except I hope JP really is the F1...LOVE him and Ashley together!...but I just wanted to say how happy I am to have found this site! I was so upset when I found out FORT wasn't doing sleuthing and spoilers this year. Pretty sure my husband thought I was crazy when I couldn't stop talking about how excited I was. Thank you for starting this site!! :waytoohappy:

[CarrieA]

proudmommy!!!! Glad you found us just in time for tonight's episode!

[Admin]

This doesn't really have anything to do with the F1/F2 (except I hope JP really is the F1...LOVE him and Ashley together!...but I just wanted to say how happy I am to have found this site! I was so upset when I found out FORT wasn't doing sleuthing and spoilers this year. Pretty sure my husband thought I was crazy when I couldn't stop talking about how excited I was. Thank you for starting this site!! :waytoohappy:

Welcome proudmommy! So glad you're here.

[Love_Me]

proudmommy!!! Glad you joined the site!

[michie671]

Welcome to the board, proudmommy! :flower:

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