Mother Maria: The True Winner of This Season's Bachelor
The bachelor this year is 28-year-old Joey Graziadei, who started his bachelor-nation stardom on season 20 of The Bachelorette, where Charity ended up choosing another man over Joey.
Tensions quickly escalated between the women fighting for Joey's heart this season, but one woman in particular was quick to blame: Maria Georges.
Image Courtesy: The Bachelor / ABC Network
Maria is the classic it-girl. Gorgeous, funny, and never lacking self-confidence, Maria caused quite a stir among the other women on the show this season. I won't give all the nitty gritty details for the sake of time, but here's basically where it started:
Madina, one of the other contestants on the show, had insecurities about being the oldest woman in the house. In a separate conversation, she heard Maria say, "She's not even that old," which caused Madina to tell Joey that she felt "bullied."
Later on, Sydney also expressed that she felt she was being bullied; however, she mentioned Maria by her name to Joey. She also said that Maria "told Lea to shut the f*ck up," which was false.
There was then a two-on-one date with Maria, Sydney, and Joey, at the end of which Joey gave the rose to Maria after much contemplation and private chats with each of the girls. Many of the women back at the house were shocked to hear this, and when Maria returned, no one said anything to her except for Madina, who said, "You look really pretty."
Lea later pulled Madina aside, questioning why she was being "supportive" of Maria and criticizing her for being friends with someone whom she called a "bully."
Basically, Maria was singled out, called a bully, and had false rumors spread about her. Sydney almost tries to sabotage Maria and Joey's connection by telling Joey lies about Maria and claiming that she feels mentally drained around Maria.
While Joey may have picked Maria over Sydney, her time on the show didn't last much longer, as she was sent home at the end of episode 8, after hometowns. Joey said he "wants someone who wants him."
Image Courtesy: The Bachelor / ABC Network
Seeing Maria not get the final rose at the end of episode 8 shattered Bachelor Nation fans' hearts everywhere. Joey and Maria had a fun, playful relationship that everyone seemed to rally behind.
It was never a secret that Maria had high standards. She knows her worth, and she knows what she deserves. After her hometown episode, we got more insight into the strong bond she has with her father, possibly fueling those emotions of self-confidence and security she's always carried.
I've touched on this subject before…confident women will end up lonely. The other women on the show clearly did not like the amount of confidence and spark that Maria presented, which in turn caused them to gang up on her and try to sabotage her connection with Joey.
Even when Joey and Maria had a chat before she was sent home, she didn't waste time to cry or beg for an understanding. The message was clear: Joey no longer wanted her there, and she fully accepted that. Later, on an Instagram post, Maria wrote, "You won't be everyone's cup of tea, but you'll be someone's shot of tequila."
Needless to say, the hate Maria generated from the girls in the house and from fans stems from a place of insecurity and jealousy. Maria never once wavered who she was through the entire season; even while under attack from the other girls, she told the truth and was never afraid to stick up for herself.
At the women-tell-all, Maria even acted as the bigger person. At the very start, Lea left the stage crying for a brief moment. When she came back, clearly trying to gather herself, Maria got out of her chair to walk over to Lea and hug her, saying, "It's going to be okay; we're going to make up."
Maria also extended the same feelings to Sydney, who explained that her use of the word "bullying" was not the right way to express how she felt. While Maria was in the hot seat, she got up and walked over to both girls to give them a hug, saying she just wanted to "get past all of this."
Some of the girls, like Edwina and Lauren, had Maria's back. Edwina stated that "Sydney never liked Maria" and that it was "never about Madina's age." Lauren also confessed to being the one who told Lea to "shut the f*ck up."
While the show is, in fact, reality TV, we can't deny the very real demonizing and isolating tactics used to pit women against each other in real life. Some may say that Maria is a b*tch; I say she's a boss who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to speak her mind. Jealousy and insecurity are just some of the reasons why Maria rubs people the wrong way, but one thing about Maria is that she will always be her unapologetic self, making her the true winner of this season.
Strike Out,
Haley Dockendorff
Boca Raton
Haley Dockendorff is a Content Writer for Strike Magazine Boca. Loud and proud, this Virgo loves writing just about anything that will cause a bit of commotion. If you can't find her, she's probably somewhere on a beach with a camera in hand. You can reach her at haleydockendorff143@gmail.com
