Unlike The Bachelor, ABC's The Proposal isn't able to hide its icky premise

Slate

"Season after season," says Willa Paskin, "The Bachelor has gotten away with proffering a harem of women to one man by framing it as a quest for true love—even though dozens of seasons in, we all know true love is hardly ever found. The show obscures its icky premise with mood (romantic tropical locations, the soulless model homes that pass for fancy on reality TV), promises (host Chris Harrison’s assurances that love is truly in the air), emotions (the good-faith efforts of the participants—or at least the production team coaching and editing them—to state and restate their commitment to being there for 'the right reasons,' while feeling all their feelings on camera), and, of course, drama. But The Proposal, unlike The Bachelor, does not take place over a period of weeks. It has no ambiance, no emotional connections. It has a premise, not promises. And it has no dramatic throughline. The Proposal trying to manufacture romance is like a chef trying to make a meal out of half a Rice Krispies Treat."

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