Love Island and The Bachelor are two of the biggest dating show franchises in the world, and that sort of popularity breeds inevitable comparisons. Both have grappled with controversy, and, like most reality TV, neither are entirely perfect. And given all the different seasons, spin-offs, and localizations both shows have had, it's not easy to definitively choose one over the other.
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However, that hasn't stopped fans from taking to Reddit to argue about which show does what better. There's certainly plenty to love about Love Island — it's newer, fresher, and presents a much more realistic view of the dating process than The Bachelor. But many Reddit users have argued that The Bachelor still reigns supreme, and they're more than happy to say why.
10 Is Less Melodramatic
A now-deleted Reddit user's list of "pros" for the two shows made plenty of good points about things Bachelor in Paradise could learn from Love Island, such as adding more drama, while also keeping things authentic enough to not appear engineered.
However, they praised Bachelor in Paradise for being "less intrusive and melodramatic" in the editing room — an important difference. To some viewers, this makes the Bachelor franchise seem boring, but to others, it makes it seem more tasteful and subdued than the all-out abrasiveness of Love Island.
9 Is Less "Trashy"
Reddit user buttercuprosies, responding to the list of comparisons between Love Island and Bachelor in Paradise, claimed that the main reason they couldn't get into Love Island was that it was too "trashy". The cast members reminded them of competitors on MTV's Jersey Shore, and not in a good way. They also added that, while there are plenty of "Instagram influencers" in the Bachelor cast, "some do have legit careers."
On the flip side, one user was quick to point out that "Love Island is actually more successful in love stories than [Bachelor in Paradise]", while another responded "[Love Island] is a bit trashier... but I kind of love that."
8 Has Shorter Seasons
Love Island's lengthy seasons are a bit of a novelty in the world of reality television, and for some viewers, there's just too much show to keep track of. For comparison, The Bachelor has around 12 episodes per season, while the most recent series of Love Island took up 49 episodes.
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A now-deleted Reddit user vented on r/BachelorNation that they "really want to get into [Love Island] but ... just cannot get on board with how many episodes a season there are." Replies to this comment suggested solutions to the issue, such as taking breaks between binge-watching episodes and fast-forwarding through recap episodes.
7 Is Less Boring
Even fans that are fine with committing to the average Love Island season's massive runtime (such as SomePlatypus6370) admit the show tends to get dull at points. The Bachelor may be more "staged", but having certain scenarios planned out in advance can work in its favor — it guarantees there'll never be a wasted moment.
But with Love Island's current format, Bachelor fans are having a hard time plowing through it. As user eliaofdorne98 put it, "It felt like the episodes dragged on without much happening."
6 Has More Mature Contestants
Considering which audiences the two franchises are marketed to, it's no surprise that Love Island's contestants are generally younger on average than The Bachelor's. Fans looking for more sincere, adult connections between cast members might view this as a liability.
However, age isn't the only advantage Bachelor contestants have over their Love Island counterparts. User MalletSwinging specifically opined that Bachelor in Paradise's couples, having already appeared on previous iterations of The Bachelor, are much more "mature" and well-versed in their series' format than Love Island contestants. Love Island has yet to host an "all-star" season.
5 Is More Idealistic
Reddit user hsandusky believes one reason The Bachelor might have a chance at holding out against Love Island's popularity is that "it is idealistic", presenting the idea that finding true love is as simple as picking and choosing from pre-selected candidates.
It views dating through rose-tinted glasses, but that unbroken fantasy could be the secret to its longevity. One downside to Love Island's way of being "more akin to how dating is in the real world" is that it takes away some of the innocent charm of a standard dating show.
4 Is More Organized
Over on r/LoveIslandTV, user tchsf questioned why Love Island seems to have "run its course" despite being a fairly new addition to the dating show lineup. They specifically mentioned The Bachelor as an example of a show that "always has the same format every year but is still successful and entertaining for viewers."
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User kawhinotmofos claimed in response that not changing significantly over the years is exactly why shows like The Bachelor and Big Brother achieve success. "Love Island is just not as organized or structured", and despite being more predictable, The Bachelor does exactly what it says on the tin.
3 Has Better Dates
It's no secret that Love Island's dates aren't the show's strongest suit. In fact, it's a running gag behind-the-scenes of Love Island that narrator Iain Stirling will find as much to make fun of about the dates as possible — even when it's not entirely warranted. But that being said, Reddit fans of both Love Island and The Bachelor agree the latter show has much more interesting dates.
In fact, Reddit user MyNamesChakkaoofka made an entire post suggesting how Love Island could improve its dates, using examples from The Bachelor. The gist of it is that "each islander gets to pick a personally meaningful date to go on" to test their compatibility and let the audience "get to know [them] better."
2 Is Unforgettable
In one user's eyes, the biggest reason for The Bachelor's enduring popularity is how memorable it is (particularly when it comes to contestants). Reddit user carlysaurus noted that users on r/thebachelor "remember and seriously discuss people from 10+ years ago." Comparatively, they themself will "watch a season of Love Island or The Circle and completely forget about it and everyone on it soon after."
And that's what's at the heart of many discussions about The Bachelor's perceived superiority — it has its ups and downs, but "Bachelor Nation" will always remember the ups. The Bachelor might need to reinvent itself and change how things are run backstage, but it's perfected a brilliantly simple format over the years to create unforgettable television.
1 Offers More Protection For Contestants
Love Island is packed to the brim with drama, and like many dating shows, it thrives on secrecy and disconnect, often achieved by exploiting contestants' emotions. Thanks to its live format, it also has a far more active fanbase than The Bachelor, giving trolls an easy opportunity to mix in.
It could be argued that both shows manipulate their contestants, and neither does a good job of protecting them from unkind fans. But as Reddit user merzickel sees it, Love Island's commitment to unfiltered reality causes far more serious problems for its couples than ABC's "selective editing" of The Bachelor. While the Bachelor crew has plenty of issues, merzickel believes "they protect contestants in a lot of ways that these 'let's show everything' franchises don't."
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About The AuthorIzak Bulten(180 Articles Published)Izak Bulten is an amateur film historian and Wikipedia addict who spends hours ingesting random facts in the hope he'll be able to use them in conversation at some point. He's written for Listverse, ScreenRant, CBR, TheTalko, TheGamer, and The Art Of Puzzles. In his free time, he enjoys animating, playing board games, and grappling with the occasional existential crisis.
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