As If Dating Weren't Sport Enough

By Michele Orecklin

Will it be the soulful rodeo cowboy on The Bachelorette or the scheming banker on Joe Millionaire? No doubt some new celebrities will emerge from among the unknown contestants who appeared on the two reality dating shows that debuted last week, both of which put a twist on the formula of last season's The Bachelor. On Joe Millionaire, 20 women convened at a chateau in France to compete for Evan Marriott, a tree trunk of a man who has inherited $50 million--or so the women were told. In truth, he's a construction worker earning $19,000 a year. On The Bachelorette, 25 men gathered in Los Angeles to vie for Trista Rehn, a blond Miami Heat dancer-physical therapist-also-ran from the first season of The Bachelor. Did the shows cleverly highlight the differences between what men want in a woman and what women want in a man? In fact, they proved that what both genders seek is remarkably similar: the ultimate trophy mate. Women want a guy who's loaded; men want a woman other men want. That said, some differences of approach did emerge. --By Michele Orecklin