Welcome to the waves, Slate's podcast about gender, feminism and older women sleeping in bunk beds performing in talent shows

and putting on silly costumes for cheesy photo shoots all in the hopes of

finding their final true love on TV. Yes, we're talking the Golden

Bachelor and whether this more mature version of the long-running franchise is a

boon or a bust for representing daters in the second half of life.

Every episode you get a new pair of feminists to talk about the thing we can't get off our

minds and today you've got me Laura Stasi. I'm the host of the

podcast Dating Wall Gray. I'm also co-host of Slade's Golden Bachelor Recap

podcast. I'll be joined soon by Volcher staff writer Catherine Van Arundoc.

I remember when I first heard The Bachelor was planning a grown-up spin-off.

It was in February of 2020.

The producers put out a casting call,

looking for quote, active and outgoing

single men and women age 65 and up

for a new exciting dating show. I was only 59 men too young to apply, but I was

intrigued and also skeptical. When that casting notice came out I was launching the

first season of

dating while gray. At that point, I'd spent two years talking to people 50 and

older about how they were finding a new romantic partner for the later years of

life.

I'm Laura Stasi.

For many of us who are looking for romance again

...