Auditioning for #BachelorNation
It’s the most wonderful time of the year again!!! The season premiere of THE BACHELOR is finally here!!!! I’ve been watching this show for as long as I can remember and although it has changed so much over the years, I can’t help but forever be a part of #bachelornation and am the most excited to have my Monday nights made better again with lots of sweet red wine, unnecessary tears, and petty rose handouts.
Even though the contestant roster is already out, Reality Steve has already laid down the spoilers, and the windmill jokes have already gotten old, I’m still anxiously awaiting the funny, cute, witty, and beyond awkward limo entrances! And although I could have been one of those girls, I’m am just as happy to be sitting on my couch judging from afar…
Yes, you read that right… COULD HAVE! I actually low key auditioned for the show back in July, but don’t freak out too much. I didn’t make it past the open casting - all 15 mins of it, LOL! It was an experience I didn’t feel comfortable sharing prior in hopes of potentially making it or being judged for trying out, but I feel the premiere is the perfect time to bring it back to the forefront. For those that have been even slightly curious as to how the process unfolds, I am here to set the scene for you below:
Every year, aside from producers recruiting girls via DM on social media or contestants being nominated by friends and family, the show hosts casting calls throughout the nation to find potential girls and guys for the upcoming season. Two years ago, I went to the open casting in NYC but quickly got too intimidated by the the size of the line and left before I could even show face. This past year, I happened to be joking with my friend that I wanted to try again and that she would make a great wing woman… well, before I knew it, we were on that same line I was too intimidated by, anxiously waiting to audition.
Before I go any further, I need to make a point that that line I was intimidated by had SO. MANY. GIRLS. All dolled up, trying way too hard to give their very best first impressions to anyone who is willing to pay attention. I, on the other hand, didn’t get the memo to dress like I was entering the mansion on night one and showed up dripping sweat in a dress that could have looked cute if I wasn’t experiencing a wardrobe malfunction and my bra wasn’t showing to everyone who walked by. That line alone had me feeing so out of place, but instead of leaving like a coward like I did the year before, I decided to own it and joke about my appearance to everyone there. I kept saying, “Don’t mind my gross hair, sweaty face, and exposed bra… its been a day!” I mean, truthfully, it was a joke because I didn’t look that bad, but in my mind, it made me take the pressure off and not take the process so seriously.
Anyways, my friend, her sister and I waited for a little over an hour outside before being able to enter the building. When we walked in, we went through security at the door, up an escalator, and flowed into another line right outside the audition room. Not even 20 minutes later, the three of us entered a holding room right outside the audition area to submit the full written application as well as take a couple of pictures for the casting directors with a sign that read our name and phone number.
The process continued as I entered a room labeled “the journey continues”, where about 10 different cameras were set up all over the room, alongside an interviewer assigned to each one. As soon as a seat was open, I got pulled to sit in the empty chair. Finally, the moment I had waited for! I was sitting face-to-face in front of a producer. Before I even started talking, he had me write my name and phone number on another board and smile in front of the camera with it so they would know who I was in case they wanted to call me back. Side note, as I wrote my name down, the guy told me my name suited me well and I looked like a Dana… Anyways, he started asking me questions about my job, where I live, my hobbies, my dating life, why I wanted to be on the show, etc. Once I finished talking he thanked me for my time and said they would be in touch, all before he realized I was never mic’ed!! I had to do it ALL OVER AGAIN. OY! For a sec, I freaked inside because who would want to feel that kind of pressure all over again? but then, I realized it would give me another chance to give him even better answers than before. So, I bent down, grabbed the mic, attached it to my dis-functioning dress and repeated the answers I had given before, with a little bit of a twist in hopes that would make all the difference. Once I finished (again) he thanked me for a second time, apologized for the inconvenience, and wished me the best.
