Another great recap...

I was shocked at first when Bettina made the cut, but then I thought back to the conversation Brad had with Sheena in the hot tub... when she asked him if her mom was too much, he avoided eye contact when replying. True sign of a lie.

Jenni is cracking me up with her "I'm so embarrassed, here let me dance some more." I was amazed when Jenni stopped talking in her squeeky cheerleader voice and actually said something intelligent.

Final two: Jenni and Deanna. Deanna takes all (until 2 weeks after the Final Rose, then it's over anyway.)

Well, HG, it sounds like you were on Bettina's family's side with this one, but I disagree.
I like Brad, and I think he handled himself well when it came to her family.

So he doesn't have a college degree. That's hardly the worst thing in the world. I also don't have one, and while I'm not Bill Gates, I happen to think I'm doing fairly well.

And as far as meeting someone this way - big deal! Who's to say that this couldn't work? There are actually a few couples from this show that are still together. It just so happens that most of the bachelors and bachelorettes have been flighty and in it for the wrong reasons. Maybe Brad is different. Maybe he'll be the next Trista and Ryan, or Mary and Byron. Who knows? But like with other things in life, you never know unless you try.

Her family totally sucked! I understand that they're entitled to their opinions, but he was a guest in their home, and deserved to be treated accordingly.

I think the only reason he kept her was because Sheena's Mom was completely nut. You couple with the fact that they just didn't have the chemistry that he has with a couple of the other girls, and it just wasn't meant to be.

Bettina is gone next though. As they say, you marry someone, you also marry their family...and who wants hers? UGH!

That leaves DeAnna and Jenni. He seems to be completely smitten with Jenni, but the distance could be a problem for him.
And DeAnna? Well, I would've been rooting for her, but her true bitchy colors really showed a few weeks ago. That did it for me.

Whatever...Bettina is G-O-N-E!

One last thing...as I write this, I'm watching a Suns game. Any chance they'll show Jenni?

As always, thanks for the recap! :)

Brad is definitely not good enough for Bettina....the realtor.

Ha ha ha! You guys are totally right. Brad is plenty good enough for dingy little Bettina. In fact, he could do much better. (And I think he will.)

I think I just liked that her family didn't seem intimidated by the situation and the cameras and they didn't play along and pretend they thought Brad was the greatest thing ever. And yes, her dad should take a look at Bettina's brain before jumping all over Brad's. Good call.

I'm still glad they kind of made a scene, though. It gave Chris Harrison something to announce in all the previews and mixed things up a little for the Hometown Dates episode.

Thanks for your comments! Love hearing from you.

-HG :)

Great recap, Honey Gangsta!

I don't know - maybe this is a mean thing to say, but I think Brad chose Bettina in defiance because of what her family said about him. He was pretty pissed off, and he probably said "Ill pick Bettina & string her along because I CAN." Yes, Sheena's mom was kooky, but at least she liked Brad.

Im still going with Jenni in the end - maybe if they start off with a long distance relationship, the saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder" will come into play.

I would have to disagree with you on this one Honey Gangster. Being judges is a families job to be protective. But I think one should judge a person's character, heart, personality instead of a stupid degree! What if a jack ass came along with a bachelor's degree and daddy approves. Then what?!

Brad is sweet and very well mannered. That is the only thing that should count, not your education.
How 1960's!

I would have to disagree with you here HG. Even though you are right that a family should judge for protection, but judge on his character and personality instead of education. My goodness, it's not the "proper" ages anymore.
WHat happens if a guy has a bachelors degree and is a total jackass. Doesn't matter the education, should matter how Brad IS as a person, and he is well mannered, and polite, and very NICE. I do not like people who judge on education.

I agree with Honey Gangsta all the way. Not having an education IS a reflection of one's personality and character.

Having gone through college and making the effort to learn a little knowledge shows that you can follow through on a commitment and that you are bettering yourself. So he owns a bar or two. How does that make him special? So he's nice, there are a ton of nice people who are nice AND have drive and motivation to be better in life and to not ONLY make a living and be 'doing fairly well' but also have options and choices.

The bottom line is, if he falls in love with JenEye, he can't go and be with her in Phoenix because he has to watch the cash transactions at his bar. And so SHE will have to give up her life to be with him. THAT my friends is 1960s!

Bettina's father is an architect as well as a professor of architecture. He apparently got his degree from Yale. In Wednesday's Washington Post, he was interviewed and was much nicer about Brad. I can't post the URL here, though.

To see his official site, go to robert bell architects dot com.

ThisShowRocks!:

And as far as meeting someone this way - big deal! Who's to say that this couldn't work?

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, that is awesome.

How about the fact that only ONE of the couples are still together (not married). And the point is to get married. The other one was the Bachelorette - which I would enjoy so much more. Women know how to pick a man, men (excluding Brad) seem to be picking clones of themselves. Mayo is case in point - making them do mini-tri-athalons as dates.

ThisShowRocks! - thanks for that, I will be laughing all day.

gnomecorp:
"I agree with Honey Gangsta all the way. Not having an education IS a reflection of one's personality and character."

I disagree. As I stated before, I don't have a college degree. Does this make me less of a person? You don't know me, nor do you know what I have to offer.
Since when did it become more important to have a degree, then to treat others with dignity and respect?
If I brought a guy home to meet my family members (all of whom have degrees), I can guarantee you they'll care more about how he'd treat me, then which degree he has next to his name.

As for meeting someone on this show - Mary and Byron aren't married, but they're still engaged and together, right?
And that O'Connell guy and his woman just recently broke up. Yes, they ended things, but in the grand scheme of things, their relationship lasted a good long time. Not every person you date in life is going to be "the one," and I can pretty much guarantee that you've had relationships with people that lasted a much shorter time... and you didn't even meet them on TV!

Such is life.

Not everything is perfect, and not every relationship lasts. Perhaps this one will be different.

If I brought home a guy who was as sweet as pie, but dumb as a rock my parents would die.

Treating the girl nice and all that should be a GIVEN, not the deciding factor. There shouldn't even be a question of whether the guy is sweet to me and respectful. I wouldn't be bringing him home if he weren't.

When deciding on whether to build a life with someone, THAT'S when practical questions come into play
like education, location, options, etc.

So parents of course are going to question those things because they are not blinded by the romance
unless it's Sheena's mom.

You know there was a time when a man would take pride in taking care of his family and provide security. I'm just not that impressed with someone who can't finish college, and give him and his future family options.

Having a piece of paper with your name on it doesn't necessarily make you a smarter person.
How many athletes are running around with a degree, but they're dumb beyond belief? It's just an example. I'm not saying ALL athletes are dumb.

Not having a degree hasn't hurt me in the long run....I consider myself to be successful, and well spoken. AND, I've been in my career of choice for 13 years. I think that shows I can make a committment. I didn't need school to tell me that.

How can anyone make assumptions about someone because they have/don't have a degree? It is like driving through a fancy, well-to-do neighborhood and assuming life beyond those walls are perfect. You don't know that. For all you know, the husband is beating his wife or abusing his children...perhaps someone is about to take his/her life because they are so far in debt they see no other way out...but by all means, they have 3 fancy cars sitting in the driveway! They must be successful.

It is foolish to make assumptions. As the saying goes, "You can't judge a book by its cover." Oh, and there's one more..."making assumptions makes an ___ out of you and me."

Her parents were acting like fools. They have every right to their opinions, and I'm sure Bettina welcomed what they had to say...but to be outright rude to someone because you perceive them to be "not good enough" is just wrong.

How can you say being less smart than you could have been isn't hurting you?

Who said I'm "less smart?"
Have I written anything here that would lead you to believe I'm "dumber-than-a-box-of-rocks, uneducated in life, or uninformed?

We can go around and around with this and still walk away with our original viewpoints.
I don't have a problem with those who decide to go to school, and I'm not saying anything disparaging about school and diplomas.

I respect that you have your opinions where school is concerned. I have mine.

And, like I said, I respect her parents having their opinions.

I had a problem with the way they treated him.

But this argument is old, and I'm sure others reading this blog aren't interested in what we have to say.

It's been nice "chatting" with you though.

I would like to add this though...

How is my lack of a degree not hurting me?

I love my life - everything about it.

I have a great career (not job...career) that I love. It's what I've always wanted to do. I make good money, I have a nice home (that I provided for myself), I have food on the table, clothes on my back, and a car to get me where I need to go.
I have the best family and friends any person could ever ask for.
I have a positive outlook on life. I could never ask for anything more.
To me, these are the most important things in life.
I'm proud of what I've accomplished.

If anyone ever looks at me as less of a person because I didn't finish college, then so be it. That's their problem.

Well, I think that Bettina's moms were awesome in what they said. They were being protective of her and pointed out some truths about the show.

Dad, on the other hand, is a boob. If he is so great, what is the deal with his hair? If I saw someone with hair like that coming to court my daughter...lol. That just shows the kind of mindset he has--to judge someone that quickly and on one aspect.

Many, MANY people who have college degrees went there on mommy and daddy's dime and used the time to party and screw around before they got jobs. I got a college degree when I was 40, and I can guarantee that I am no smarter than I was before. Nor am I more qualified for employment (options).

Education is great but it's no indication of intelligence or future success. I work at a place where many people have graduate degrees and let me tell you, a lot of them are losers.

We should be judged on the content of our character (didn't Martin Luther King say that?) and our accomplishments. Brad has been self-supporting all of his adult life, owns a business, and has great family ties. He also seems to be a kind, sincere person.

(Oh, and if we are judging people by "education," I could easily pick apart any of "gnome's" postings for grammatical errors. But I could understand what she (and everyone else in this thread) was saying, so who cares?

Well, I think that Bettina's moms were awesome in what they said. They were being protective of her and pointed out some truths about the show.

Dad, on the other hand, is a boob. If he is so great, what is the deal with his hair? If I saw someone with hair like that coming to court my daughter...lol. That just shows the kind of mindset he has--to judge someone that quickly and on one aspect.

Many, MANY people who have college degrees went there on mommy and daddy's dime and used the time to party and screw around before they got jobs. I got a college degree when I was 40, and I can guarantee that I am no smarter than I was before. Nor am I more qualified for employment (options).

Education is great but it's no indication of intelligence or future success. I work at a place where many people have graduate degrees and let me tell you, a lot of them are losers.

We should be judged on the content of our character (didn't Martin Luther King say that?) and our accomplishments. Brad has been self-supporting all of his adult life, owns a business, and has great family ties. He also seems to be a kind, sincere person.

[Oh, and if we are judging people by "education," I could easily pick apart any of "gnome's" postings for grammatical errors. But I could understand what she (and everyone else in this thread) was saying, so who cares?]

Anyway, Brad is gracious and shows a lot more breeding and class that Professor Obnoxious.

Sorry about my multiple posts. This is my first time posting on this site. That just goes to show you a college degree is no indication of intelligence or competence!

ugh....defensive much?

Thanks, Pixielated...It's always great to get another point of view.

Somehow, I missed most of what Bettina's Moms had to say. Maybe I was more focused on her Dad.

I've said this before, but I really do like Brad. For once, I haven't been turned off by the bachelor. He seems like a good guy.

my oh my. it is sad when people determine someone's worth by what's written on a piece of paper. i have a hard time believing every person who chose not to go to college or couldn't afford it is 'dumb as rocks' so coined by the education spouting gnome. education is valued, to be sure, but so is common sense and good values. I wonder if you learned those or are so very insecure as to judge others that aren't college educated because you know what you lack.

You guys are so funny - explicitly judging people who judge and thinking you are not exactly the same.

Wow, I can't believe no one is talking about what a complete whack job Sheen's mother is. Bettina's family looked down right normal.

People, people, people. Can't we get past the education thing and focus on what really matters: Th

at Brad is better looking than Bettina's family, and therefore HE is obviously the better person!!

great recap yet again, HG. as i was watching this episode, the part with Sheena's mom in particular, all i could think about was how you'd cover it for us! that woman is truly insane.

i agree that a degree doesn't necessarily make someone better or smarter etc etc than someone without. perhaps it makes one more traditionally educated, but that's all. there are many different ways to enrich one's life and to learn - post secondary schooling is just one.

i have a "why not" attitude towards people meeting on this show as well. i think most of them are incredibly naive (to be kind we could say optimistic, i guess). several years ago most people scoffed at meeting your significant other online, and that's become mainstream now. my husband and i met online and married quickly, and are happily married 5 years later with two kids. you never know!

anyways, thanks again, HG. always a pleasure to read what you have to say!!

Sheena's Mom was a complete coconut!!! Too funny. And, HG, I thought the same thing about Sheena's lack of concern with what a nutbag her mother was. Clearly, this is "normal" behavior for her mother (or should I say "paranormal").

I think Jenny's family seemed pretty trailor-trashy. I've never been fond of Jenny anyway. She has the most ANNOYING constant giggle/guffaw habit. She's unattractive and not a very fashionable dresser either.

DeAnna, overall and comparativley speaking, seems the most normal of the bunch (though I use the term "normal" loosely. Being on the show AT ALL indicates you've got to have several screws loose). DeAnna seemed to have the most normal and nicest family too.

Finally, as to the whole education debate. After high school, I went to college, and dropped out after completing just 1.5 years. At age 35, I went back. Got 2 BAs (w/ honors) and went on to get my MBA. Am I a "better" person? No. Am I "smarter" than I was prior to getting all the degrees? No. (but I do know how to apply my smarts more effectively and my critical thinking is far improved. also, I am much better at Jeopardy!) Am I happier? No. Frankly, ThisShowRocks sounds much happier than me. Having a college education is a tremendous thing. But judging someone on that singular criteria is foolish.

I agree with you, Farrell...DeAnna's family seemed the most "normal."

And, as silly as it may seem, I liked the stroll down memory lane when she took out the photo album. I think it let him see a little more into her life, especially since her Mom has passed.
Certainly, it was a nicer touch than doing a little dance!

Well, gnome, judging people on their behavior is a little different--actually, a lot different--than judging them on whether they have a college degree. A highly educated person like yourself should know that.

Yeah, Sheena's mom was a kook, but harmless. It would be like having Shirley MacLaine for a mom-in-law.

Choosing to not get a formal education is a behavior.

I am enjoying your personal stabs at me though; it showcases your inability to debate logically.

Bottom line for me is – a father has a lot more right to judge his potential son-in-law than you have to judge someone you got a 5 minute edited version of on television. Yet you feel entitled; try to imagine how he felt.

Peace, love and understanding

Choosing to not get a formal education is a behavior.

I am enjoying your personal stabs at me though; it showcases your inability to debate logically.

Bottom line for me is – a father has a lot more right to judge his potential son-in-law than you have to judge someone you got a 5 minute edited version of on television. Yet you feel entitled; try to imagine how he felt.

Peace, love and understanding

And I chose to get a college education. I guess that just shows that having a college education doesn't make you a good person, or a good debater, at any rate.

I think what it boils down to for me is, why is this father making judgments and decisions for his adult daughter? If he had his way, she'd still be with her first husband, who was well-educated and a paragon, as far as the father is concerned. Of course, it must have been Bettina's fault that the marriage ended (I'm sure she gets that all the time, along with, "Why didn't you get a college degree, Bettina?"). You can tell by Bettina's pathetic remark: "I don't look good on paper, either."

Hey, gnome, peace. I just thought that you were insulting some of the other posters on this thread by saying they'd be smarter (and maybe even better people, definitely better spouses) if they'd gone to college. Isn't that judging?

Hey, as long as I'm being judgmental: Dad's hair looks stupid AND Brad could probably buy and sell him.

Well... I thought Bettina's family were a bunch of A-holes.
I can understand being cautious.
But they were just downright rude and were totally looking down their noses at him.
They brought up great concerns, but damn.. at least try to FAKE being nice to someone.

As for Bettina though.. I can't stand her. She's so.. I dunno.. fake or something.
Hell... all of the girls cept for the one that went home seem totally fake to me.

Jenni- Just looking for her 15mins...
Deanna- Bitch bitch bitchy bitch bitch in disguise.
Bettina- Bitch in a not so great disguise.

Ok, I haven't finished reading the recap (I'm on Bettina's hometown) or anyone's comments, but I had to write this before I forget:

1. Bettina's damaged hair obviously runs in the family, as evidenced by Mom No Name's (ha!) brittle brush hair.

2. Sheena has the type of mother that shouldn't be introduced to the new boyfriend until after the preacher pronounces the lovely couple "man and wife."

Brad's expression while Sheena's mom was talking was PRICELESS (thanks, Honey Gangsta for that fab screenshot).

I'm actually into astrology (and was interested/shocked to learn Brad is a Scorpio. I totally didn't call that one) and even I was weirded out by Sheena's Mom's drunken "the stars are all aligned" speech. I was literally cringing for Brad and Sheena. Btw, Sheena is so lying about not knowing anything about astrology. With that astrology-obsessed mom? Yea right. So how does Little Miss Ignorant know she's an Aries? Sell it to someone else, sister.

3. I still think Brad is extremely sexually attracted to Jenni, but will pick Deanna if he's *truly* looking for wifey material as he's claimed about 1,468 times so far this season. Jenni is obviously into herself and her "dancing" career A LOT. She also strikes me as being in love with the fantasy/dream of being picked as the Bachelor's #1 more than she's in love with Brad, the man.

4. I actually liked Deanna this episode. Amazing. Brad looked to me to be most comfortable with DeAnna's family (dreams of playing out a real-life "Big Fat Greek Wedding" was playing in Brad's head, I'm sure).

Ok, that's all for now. :)

And great recap so far, HG!

I'm done reading and now...

Wow @ your strong defense of Bettina's family, Honey G. I think it was good of them to be concerned with Brad's lack of education (but only if Bettina has a degree) and lifestyle (working very late nights doesn't exactly spell "ready for a family" as Brad claims), but they're acting as if he's a bad person because of those things when Brad seems like a genuinely nice, honorable guy. "Looking good on paper" is code for "We want to be able to brag about you to our friends & family". Funny that Daddy Bettina still loves her ex, but obviously the ex wasn't good enough to make his marriage work out. Bettina and Daddy Bettina must not think that much alike because they sure didn't agree on whether her ex is a keeper. lol Bettina's snobby dad gives college professors a bad name.

Bettina's family was very rude, with all of the awkward silences (on purpose, I might add) and the moms interrupting their conversation with Brad to take the dog out. Hello? They basically said the dog is more important than the Brad. So sad.

And Bettina sure is good on a man's ego with her "I don't look good on paper, either." comment. That's right, honey, restore Brad's ego by telling him you're settling because you don't think you can do any better (as voiced by your very personable daddy). I can't wait until next week when she's booted the hell out of the rental mansion.

Boo to the Bettina rose, but at least Brad is attracted to Bettina. There are no sparks whatsoever between him and Sheena. Sheena has Chad to thank for staying in the game this long.

Ok, gnomecorp, you had me until you wrote:

"If I brought home a guy who was as sweet as pie, but dumb as a rock my parents would die."

I have two degrees (B.S. in Business, Marketing and a Master's in Psychology) and I must say that a degree is not a measure of one's intelligence. I have sat next to many "degree'd dummmies" - people who can recite theory to you all day, but can't apply any of it in real life - in class.

I love Brad's line, "I'm smart enough to know not to judge people." Ha! Did you see Bettina's head rear back on that one? This show is a behavioral psychology thesis waiting to happen.

This Show Rocks:

You should've stopped while you were ahead in your argument with Gnomecorp.

You wrote: "How is my lack of a degree not hurting me?"

Well, for starters, higher education would've possibly shown you that your above question is asking how your lack of degree ISN'T hurting you when I think you mean to ask the opposite, "How is my lack of a degree hurting me?" You're making gnomecorp's point for him/her.

LOL! @ Pegster:
"People, people, people. Can't we get past the education thing and focus on what really matters: That Brad is better looking than Bettina's family, and therefore HE is obviously the better person!!"

Amen! I say more looks-based prejudice and less education-based prejudice. Let's keep our priorities straight here. This is The Bachelor, after all.

You know what? After reading all of the comments here and going over the episode again in my mind, I realize now why Bettina acts so stand-offish and cautious. She has a very judgmental family and probably second-guesses every decision she makes now. As much as Daddy Bettina loves the ex, you just KNOW she has to hear how much of a mistake she made all of the time. Daddy B even said "She will never find someone as good as him again". Wow. Imagine that coming from her father, of all people - who supposedly thinks like Bettina. Aren't fathers supposed to think no one is good enough for their little girls, and not the other way around? *cough* @$$hole! *cough

Two more things (because that's how my mind works):

1. I disagree with Honey Gangsta and Farrell100 that Sheena's reaction to her mom's speech wasn't embarrassed enough. She looked pretty embarrassed/mortified to me. What is she supposed to do? Call even more attention to her loony mom by being outraged?

2. Did anyone notice that Jenni said her parents' house is "too small" for them to use as the meeting place with Brad? Heeeee! I was laughing hysterically at the image of Jenni's family living in a double-wide trailer home. No wonder they weren't as judgmental of Brad as Bettina's family. Jenni's need to show-off and achieve her goal of a "dancing" "career" is starting to make more sense with every passing episode.

Ok, I lied. One more observation...

Am I the only one who noticed Brad's underarm sweat stains when he was meeting Jenni and DeAnna's families? They were pretty obvious (even in the white shirt). I *really* believed him when he said he was nervous. :) I wonder if those stains were digitally enhanced?

pixielated:

(Are you supposed to put your user name at the beginning of your post, with a colon after it? It kind of looks like the comment is addressed to me, instead of written by me. OK, when in Rome.)

I learned a LOOONG time ago not to be embarrassed by my family. Sheena's an adult, and fully separate from her mother, presumably, so why should this reflect on her? Almost everyone has a relative who gets drunk and acts weird or stupid. Hey, some of them don't even get drunk! (Look at Bettina's family.) Sure, it's natural to be a little embarrassed, but she loves her mom and is probably used to her at this point. I'd rather marry into that family than Bettina's passive-aggressive, psychologically bullying clan. (Sheena's dad was cool.)

I think it was Sheena's lack of "chemistry" with Brad that did her in, not her mom. And if you took away the glamorous makeup and hairstyle, she was a little plain. (Not that there's anything wrong with that!)

It was Bettina that wasn't embarrassed enough (or outraged enough), but she's probably been her father's whipping boy for most of her life.

pixielated:

Hey, maybe the two moms know that the dog has a small bladder! If you don't let him out NOW, you're asking for it. lol