What Has Happened to Dating Shows?

What has happened to dating shows? It used to just be "The Bachelor," which seemed to be a legitimate attempt to find a life partner, yet not one bachelor has married the finalist from the show.

It wasn't long before "Joe Millionaire" rocked everyone's boats with the $50 million lie and then a $1 million surprise gift to the couple in the end. The "slurping" in the woods and bondage videos that came out of runner-up Sarah Kozer might as well have been church bells ringing out that dating shows were taking a trashy turn.

"Flavor of Love" was the first to really approach the dating trashiness full-on. VH1 knew they hit success the moment Brooke "Pumkin" Thompson spat in Tiffany "New York" Pollard's face. From that incident came the inspiration for two spin-offs, "I Love New York" and "Charm School." VH1 is now the authority on trashy dating shows, with "Rock of Love," "Daisy of Love," and "Megan Wants a Millionaire," just to name a few.

Where did the legitimacy to dating shows go? Apparently, love doesn't boost ratings. Characters like Flavor Flav and Bret Michaels can catch viewers, but can't catch a catch. Both had three seasons to find love, but have come out empty handed.

Through all the craziness, ABC's "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" have attempted to keep up the show's integrity by aiming to find spouses for their contestants. The last bachelor, Jason Mesnick, sure had a trashy spin when Mesnick broke off his engagement on the "After the Final Rose" episode only to leave his fiancee for the runner-up!

This season's "The Bachelorette" has flirted with trashy when Wes Hayden revealed he had a girlfriend back home. With the season finale just around the corner and shocking change of heart from one of the men, myself and hopeless romantics everywhere hope that someone does find true love. The old man in the eHarmony commercials has promised me it exists and I'm ready for TV to finally deliver. "The Bachelorette" Season 5 finale will air Monday.