The UGLY Truth

Okay, so I know all you really want to hear about is bad guy Bentley....and I do have some mind blowing thoughts on that, but the other guys do deserve a little of our time, so we'll get to them first.

So Chris shows up with the date card and Ryan in his fuchsia shirt opens it and announces that the first one on one date is for Ben C the lawyer. Ashley arrives for the date in a fuchsia (is it the color this season?) off one shoulder baggy shirt and white jeans. And now I know why she chose that straight-from-Flashdance outfit... cuz she's creating her own Flashdance romance by teaching him some moves for a big flashmob, a very... err... romantic? idea. I guess. The catch is he isn't privy to the fact that there's going to be a flashmob. So later while they're sitting in a very public spot, she tells him to stand up and start doing their new moves. The dread is obvious on his face. But after a few shaky moves he seems to channel his inner dancer and ignores the stares of the people around him.... so much that it takes him a while to even notice the hundred other people dancing behind him. Once he does notice, he seems thrilled. Someone please tell him that one, he doesn't have a whole lot of rhythm and two, singing the words while you dance is a dancing faux pa (just ask the judges from SYTYCD). He thought the whole thing "was incredible" and then some random band starts to perform, where he thinks it's okay to get his freak on while everyone simply sways to the music behind them. After some cheers of encouragement from their audience they go in for a quick first kiss. After their "over the top" "ridiculous" day they clean up for a dinner (no more Flashdance outfits). Ben tells her about his desire to live in a bubble of blissful love and asks for a second date. She gives him a rose and I actually think they'd be a good match. Both kinda dorky.

Quick shot back to the guys pad where Bentley starts digging his "reality TV" grave by saying (or being totally edited to look like he's saying) "I'm hoping my name is on the date card. I'm ready to get out of the house, to have some fun, not necessarily to see what's going to happen with Ashley."And his name is on the card, along with Constantine, Ames, Blake, Jeff, Nick, Ryan, Willam, Lucas and Ben F.

As Ashley's car pulls up, the background organ blares as we see The Phantom posing for the cameras up on the balcony. He's rambling about how he's about to reveal himself before the date. She arrives in black leggings, heels, and a blue oversized buttoned down shirt. Her blue eyeshadow matches perfectly. The Phantom quickly pulls her aside for his moment. After revealing himself he looked, well like himself without a mask, plus maskhead hair. Very anti climatic. Well off they went, all crammed into a stretch limo escalade until they pull up to a comedy club, where Jeff (no longer The Phantom) is pretty excited because this is "right up [his] alley". And the theme of their comedy routines? The Bachelor's are going to roast.... Ashley!!! Seriously? Seriously. Who thinks this is a good idea? Let's make fun of a girl who is totally insecure. Heck this would be a bad idea for a very secure woman. ABC producers, this PROVES you don't care about anything except good ratings. Awful. (this date situation actually solidified some theories I have about the Bentley situation... more to come)

Well, poor Plastic Head guy is sick about the idea of performing in front of a sold out crowd because he doesn't think he's funny at all. Ryan is smart and is going to avoid poking fun at her. But William, who we learn does have some ambitions past selling cell phones, wants to be a comedian, and begins writing as fast and furious as he can. Most guys played it safe and just roasted each other, always including the masked man...easy target. I thought Blake was the funniest. The ones who were stupidest (I DO know that's not a word) decided to actually roast Ashley, which mostly included jokes about how flat chested she was and how she was the 3rd runner up with Brad Womack. But then William stands up and totally makes a fool of himself by SLAMMING the Bachelorette, saying things like he was hoping it was going to be Emily or Shawntel. Ashley held back the tears until the show was over and then dashed off stage and sobbed into a dark corner. Bentley swooped in to be the nice comforting guy. And even though he wasn't being honest, his words were nice and made her feel better.

Afterward, Ashley came out (in a boxy, stiff leather jacket) and told the guys that her biggest insecurity about coming on the show was that they would be disappointed that it was her. William pulled her aside to apologize and through tears summed it up "roasting you was the dumbest thing we could've done tonight" and then he sent her away to talk to the other guys who could cheer her up. Then he left to wander the streets of LA.

But devastated Ashley couldn't focus on any of the other guys cuz she was thinking about William leaving, so she missed important facts like Jeff has a 3 legged abused dog. Ryan scored big, by grabbing her hands and sincerely telling her that she was who he wanted here, then telling her she looked gorgeous. SCORE! And he gets the kiss... and my guess is he'll get the rose too. Then she gets some alone time with Bentley, where she tells him about Michelle Money's texts. To be honest, I think he just side stepped it all, and she happily ate it all up. When a girl is falling for someone, you just don't see those big red flags. Well in the end the Rose goes to Ryan! Yahoo! And Bentley decides it's time to go home.

Okay, now this is where things got ugly... for everyone. UGLY for Bentley: Bentley says, and is edited to say (lots of splicing and dicing that even I could point out) lots of hurtful things. Basically in a nutshell, he's not interested in her, he wants to go home, he thinks this whole show is a load of bunk and doesn't care to show it. He packs his bags, goes over to Ashley's house and uses the excuse of missing his daughter to head home and not have to say hurtful things to Ashley's face... though he seems okay to say them behind her back. Should he have said those things and acted that way... no. Do I think he is the worlds most awful man? Not even close. Why, do you ask? Because...here's my next ugly. UGLY for the show: Okay, here's where I'm a little ticked. The show is one big pile of hypocrisy. They were NOT out to protect their Bachelorette. They didn't care about protecting her from a guy they KNEW wasn't into her. What they did know was that Bentley was gold. He would score them ratings and make them money. I always knew that reality shows were good at editing people into the character they wanted. They need characters to sell a show. I thought about how totally boring this season would be without Bentley. It'd be a flop. They NEEDED Bentley, and I'm pretty darn positive they did EVERYTHING they could to make him as controversial as possible... even if that included splicing up things he said, keeping him there even though they knew he didn't like her, heck I bet they even purposely asked him questions that the answers would be perfect to put into other contexts. Why do think he has been their main headliner to promote the show? Word on the street is that they have him come back in a few episodes. Again, not protecting Ashley, just protecting themselves. I think they owe Ashley AND Bentley a big apology. And to the final ugly. UGLY for Ashley: she's the one I feel the worst for. I was imagining her watching the show last night. Poor girl. She REALLY liked him, and was ready to follow him Salt Lake City when this thing was done (doesn't she know UT is totally saturated with dentists?). She never saw it coming. But again, I hope she's just as mad at the producers as she is at Bentley. She was warned, she chose to ignore it... and even continued to ignore it after he left (JUST LIKE MICHELLE SAID HE WOULD). I really hope she's able to get over it and go on with the leftovers.

Which brings me to the last One on one date, which goes to JP. Poor JP is gonna get the heart broken, puffy-eyed Ashley. Things are subdued during their at home date. They had dinner in front of Ashley's fireplace and JP said all the right things. I really think he's sincere and totally into her. Something she needs desperately right now. After dinner they got in their jammies, Ashley donned her glasses and showed him the real her. His kindness scores him the rose and some kissing. "I'm flyin' It was an absolute fabulous date." JP exclaims and Ashley even brightens up enough to say that "JP wins over Bentley in the kiss department." That away girl. Just move on.

The Rose ceremony starts like any other, she's in her glittery dress and jewels which made her look like she should be working in a Vegas casino, and she's staring at the Bachelor's framed pictures. Chris Harrison has a talk with Ashley and together they decide to cancel the cocktail party and go straight to the rose ceremony. And the roses go to Constantine, West, Mickey, Ben F, Blake, Nick, Ames, Lucas, William. Goodbye Jeff (guess she didn't like what was under that mask) and Chris D. So who thinks Ashley will actually move on? Does she have a chance at finding love now?