There are lots of theories about Corinne Olympios, the villain on this season of “The Bachelor.” Maybe she’s a preteen girl trapped in an adult body, a la “Big” or “13 Going on 30.” Maybe she’s an actor who’s in on the joke.
Here’s another to add to the mix: Olympios is channeling Donald Trump, himself a master of reality television and a connoisseur of the dramatic rose ceremony.
Just as the media underestimated Trump’s mass appeal during the 2016 presidential election, Olympios actually might win it all. She comes across as an immature bully, but remains popular with the only voter who matters in this thing: Bachelor Nick Viall. Let’s review what Olympios and the nation’s 45th president have in common.
– Olympios got her start in the business world by working at her father’s company.
She loves to mention that she runs a “multimillion-dollar company,” ArmorGarage, which is owned by James Olympios and manufactures “epoxy coatings and floor products.” When I called ArmorGarage, a receptionist confirmed that Olympios does indeed help run the company and that she oversees some of its contracts with the U.S. military. But she didn’t start that company on her own — she was ushered in by family, just as Trump’s early success was not entirely self-made. He also got his start in the business world (real estate) with a lot of help from his father.
– The other women in the house think Olympios lacks the maturity to be Viall’s wife.
Most women in the house openly have questioned whether Olympios — who’s 24, calls herself a kid and has a nanny (for herself!) — is mature enough to be with a 36-year-old man. As Kristina Schulman asks: “If she were to make it to the end and has this kind of lifestyle, can she handle it? … Can she be there for Nick when times get tough?” The key points of contention are Olympios’ constant making out with Viall and her frequent naps. The criticism of Olympios’ behavior and maturity sounds similar to the politicians and the majority of Americans who’ve doubted that Trump has the temperament to be president.
– She compares herself to a former president.
During the Great Napping Controversy of Bachelor Season 21, Olympios defended the fact that she’d slept through a rose ceremony by saying: “Michael Jordan took naps. Abraham Lincoln took naps. And I’m in trouble for napping?” Now, Trump’s presidential icon isn’t Lincoln, but Andrew Jackson. Still, Olympios sees herself — and her habits — as presidential. And that is a departure from normal “Bachelor” conversation.
– She uses made-up words and loves catchphrases.
Among other quotable phrases, Olympios says she’s not good at “planned dancing” (does she mean “choreography”?); thinks “intelligency” is a word (it’s not); and, in Monday night’s episode, it seems we’re finally going to hear her utter “My heart is gold, but my vagine is platinum,” a line that has been teased in promos all season. Olympios’ vocabulary is reminiscent of Trump’s made-up vernacular. And in the episode featuring Olympios’ two-on-one date, which she “won,” she even implored Viall to “Make America Corinne Again.”
– She doesn’t like swamps.
On that dramatic two-on-one date, Olympios uttered this gem: “This butt doesn’t belong in no swamp.” As we all know, our president also despises swamps (aka official Washington).
– She fires back at anyone who insults her intelligence.
“I’m smarter than I look,” Olympios says, confronting the perception that others think she’s “this bubbly little dumbo, but I’m not.” She’s divisive in the house, and tries to manage that by giving pep talks to the other women about how “we’re all in this together.” Similarly, Trump fires back at his critics — especially against any insinuation that his intelligence is subpar.
Lisa Bonos, The Washington Post
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