Snacks. Drinks. A room full of people huddled around heckling the flat screen TV in the middle of the living room. It got loud on several occasions. We weren't watching a sporting event.

It was The Bachelor premiere.

And no, I wasn't the only guy. Of the 18 people watching the show in our friend's apartment, seven were guys. All husbands, like me, scoring brownie points with our wives.

For many of us guys in the room, this wasn't our first rodeo. In fact, I believe one of us probably won the evening's game of "Bachelor Bingo."

Yeah. I'm a dude. I watch the Bachelor. And I'm okay with that.

Do I like The Bachelor? Like is a strong word. But I do watch it.

Do I enjoy watching it?

No, not really. At least not at first. On my own terms, if I was just at home sitting by myself, I would probably just be watching reruns of Archer or The West Wing on Netflix.

But I got married. I went from being a bachelor to watching one on TV.

At first, I really did sit through it out of obligation. It was painful at first. I played many games of Angry Birds as I patiently waited for the episode to be over with. Then I started to overhear bits and pieces of the show. I got into it. I can't remember which season it happened but I eventually started keeping up with the "plot."

Now, I can keep up with most any female (that watches the Bachelor) on what's going on in the current season.

It's like a train wreck. You don't really want to keep watching. But you can't not watch it after a certain breaking point. It sucks you in and you can't stop. On the plus side, it will (hopefully) make you feel a lot better about your own life choices.

Fortunately, I've had other husbands in the same boat as me. We support each other in a way. We own it. A few other guys are joining us this season for the first time. They have no idea what they're getting into.

What about this season?

Chris (the bachelor) is a farmer from Iowa and seems like a good guy. He at least appeared to be last season. I think ABC is trying to compensate for the overall d-baggery that was Juan Pablo (nobody liked Juan Pablo...not even the host). It also seems like a ploy to increase the show's reach with a middle America audience using a farmer from the midwest.

The host Chris Harrison still comes across as a creepy/charmer type to me. I sometimes get the impression that he's the kind of guy who would slip something into someone's drink by the end of the night...but it's that level of host that makes the show work. Seriously, if you're looking for a show with a strong moral compass, watching one where one person simultaneously dates 20+ different people and proposes to one of them after a few weeks isn't the one for you.

Also, I'm convinced the first set of roses have to be picked by the producers.

First off, there's no way any bachelor could remember all of those names for the first rose ceremony.

Throw that on top of some of the crazy contestants that somehow get picked week after week and keep the show entertaining. For example, some of those limo entrances and first impressions we saw tonight included:

• Awkwardly long hugs followed by more conversations specifically about hugs
• Brining a heart in a small cooler
• Wearing a pig snout
• Singing in a pink karaoke machine

Most intentional first impressions like these would throw up a red flag to a normal person in most social situations.

But this is no normal social situation. This is a wine-fueled group date. This is The Bachelor.

A huge weight has been lifted

I've always wanted to open up more and be more transparent on this blog. I feel like I've finally done it. A huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I can say it out loud.

I watch The Bachelor.

I know there are other guys out there just like me. Don't worry. We're all in this together.

Until next week...