I tell myself it's to make my wife happy, so she doesn't get embarrassed when she's yelling at the TV to no one in particular. I definitely don't watch it for the romantic aspect, not there there's anything wrong with a guy liking romance. But these shows, in my eyes, aren't romantic. No matter how hard they push the lovey-dovey -- from the sappy music to the exotic, borderline gratuitous dates -- there's nothing remotely real about the contrived set-up, and everyone knows the shows have a pretty abysmal track record for creating actual lasting romance.

My wife Christy, to be honest, claims she doesn't watch it for these reasons either, although the other night, when current 'Bachelorette' Ali finished a cinema-worthy date with the charming Roberto, Christy quietly cooed, "I hope he's a nice guy."

Yet the 'Bachelor' and 'Bachelorette' brands are still about romantic fantasy, and I don't see that changing any time soon. That's quite a marketing accomplishment, considering all the tabloid gossip and on-show drama that goes down each season. That stuff actually is more interesting than the romance, and frankly, it's a major reason why millions of people watch, or at least like to talk about these shows. All that cutthroat competition, it's like boxing guys, with scheming subbing for punches, and roses replacing title belts.

The most memorable moment in either show's history wasn't when some couple was swooning, or even one of the several proposals. No, the all-time most memorable moment is still when 'Bachelor' Jason Mesnick broke up with fiancee Melissa Rycroft on TV, only to ask runner-up Molly Malaney out a few minutes later. Yes, it all ended happily, with Mesnick and Malaney married and Rycroft starring on several TV shows, including 'Dancing With The Stars,' but none of that compares to the horrifying wow factor of Mesnick's very public dumping.

It doesn't matter what gender you are, or whether you watched the show or not, that was some compelling TV, and the moment the franchise may live to be most remembered for. My main reason for watching the shows lately is to see some villains in action, like wannabe country star Wes Hayden, the much-loathed Vienna Girardi, and this season it seems, pro wrestler Justin "Rated R" Rego -- people whose main motivation for being on the show, in Hayden's case certainly, has been for fame. (Can you believe someone would actually go on a dating show to get famous instead of for love? What nerve!)

It's been fascinating to see a reality show actually acknowledge that rolling cameras impact self-serving motivation and behavior, and to see our fearless bachelors/bachelorettes wrestle with that. Even if those villains aren't in it for love, I love to hate them. And even though I don't love these shows, it's for reasons like these that I'll keep watching, and that guys like me may enjoy watching them too. You know, because their wives made them.