2/20 Bachelor 16: Hometowns **West Coast Spoilers**

[Fanny Mare]

I like Ben. Just as much this season as last season. I don't consider him overly confident or blase. He strikes me as being very much in touch with who he is - good and bad. He speaks and acts accordingly.

He has a purety about him that way.

I'm not a Courtney fan, but if he chooses her in the end, I'd be ok with it. He knows what works for him and what doesn't. It may not be to viewers' tastes, but as long as he is honest about things, I'm completely ok with all of it.

I think Ben is the most honest and together bachelor they've ever had.

Well said!

[Baby's Breath]

To me a person who is honest is a person who doesn't lie. And my definition of lying includes lying by omission. He went skinny dipping and conveniently omitted to tell any of the other girls.

[Ellen]

To me a person who is honest is a person who doesn't lie. And my definition of lying includes lying by omission. He went skinny dipping and conveniently omitted to tell any of the other girls.

I'm not a Ben fan, but...
didn't the other women see them skinny dipping when they were looking out the window? (Or was that just creative editing?) Anyway, if I were in that position, I wouldn't have volunteered that info — "Heeeyyyy! I just skinny dipped with The Model! Who's next? Line forms here!"
But if someone asked me directly, yeah, of course I'd 'fess up. —
"Did I swim nekkid with The Model? Yup! You next?"

[Fanny Mare]

I'm not a Ben fan, but...
didn't the other women see them skinny dipping when they were looking out the window? (Or was that just creative editing?) Anyway, if I were in that position, I wouldn't have volunteered that info — "Heeeyyyy! I just skinny dipped with The Model! Who's next? Line forms here!"
But if someone asked me directly, yeah, of course I'd 'fess up. —
"Did I swim nekkid with The Model? Yup! You next?"

Bingo!

[Ellen]

I'd still like to see what would happen if the bachelor/b'ette were allowed to see some of what goes on in the house as it unfolds. Of course you could only do this for one season, but damn that would be fun!

Geezaloo, that would be funny!

[Midol]

I think Ben is cold and uncaring. There is nothing warm about this guy that I can see, and I had a feeling he would act like the empty suit that he is. Courtney is similar and so they are well suited.

I doubt that things are edited to make Ben appear so callous ... I just think he is. I was disturbed by the way he reacted to Ashley's rejection. He was not upset that she said no and wanting her (someone he supposedly loved) to be happy, but was really angry. I'm convinced it's because she humiliated him. No class. Ben and Courtney are both totally self-wound and so seem to fit.

Totally agree that it was not that he was upset she didn't pick him ... he must have been aware that was a possibility, particularly, as apparently the men knew she was partial to JP...but that he seemed ticked off that he was humilated in front of everyone. It is also the reason he will probably dump Courtney first chance he gets because she is humiliating him in front of everyone way more than Ashley ever did. At least with Ashley he knew he was one of many fighting for her, but Courtney is supposed to be fighting for him...and she is, but to win over the other women, rather than specifically because she loves him. Not to mention, she is making him look like a fool and her behaviour does not reflect well on him.

In Ben's defense he said he was blindsided by Chris bringing Casey to his room and was not prepared. He though he could have done better, too. He did say, the heart wants what the heart wants and that was a way of saying it was okay, he understood.

This is true, but I think that somewhat aplology was in response to the negative reaction his behaviour envoked in the viewing public and not necessarily a true reaction. It is not just once that he has had this cold type response, it has been multiple times this season (Emily several times, Casey's sacrifice by CH and the producers, his dismissal of Kacie), and Ashley at the end of last season. He seems fine as long as everything is going his way but if things are not going so well, or he feels he is disrespected, the cold, negative Ben comes out...Sort of reminds me of Jake in this matter.

I realise it is not a normal circumstance and they are throwing things at him, not to mention the editing. But he has never really showed us any warmth. He always has the same blank stare at people when they are pouring their hearts out to him and was down right rude to Emily. Kind, warm people just have a way about them and Ben is clearly not one of them.

[ilja]

I'm not a Ben fan, but...
didn't the other women see them skinny dipping when they were looking out the window? (Or was that just creative editing?) Anyway, if I were in that position, I wouldn't have volunteered that info — "Heeeyyyy! I just skinny dipped with The Model! Who's next? Line forms here!"
But if someone asked me directly, yeah, of course I'd 'fess up. —
"Did I swim nekkid with The Model? Yup! You next?"

No, the other women did not see them skinny dipping. Yes, it was creative editing for the previews.

[ilja]

I'd still like to see what would happen if the bachelor/b'ette were allowed to see some of what goes on in the house as it unfolds. Of course you could only do this for one season, but damn that would be fun!

I love that idea. I hope Fleiss reads this.

[Fanny Mare]

I love that idea. I hope Fleiss reads this.

We should email it to him.

[Pandora2]

I guess the challenge of my off-the-wall behind-the-scenes idea is that it could change things beyond the one-season experiment. (yikes... 5 hyphens in one sentence... sorry)

The following season, everyone would play to the camera assuming the bachelor/b'ette was watching, so we wouldn't get the fun little cat fights and such. Could be pretty bland.

So I guess MF is just way smarter than I am.