Entertainment

Rachel + Penguins = Love On 'The Bachelorette'

by Hannah Shapiro
ABC/Paul Hebert

There is nothing more magical than the start of summer. Birds sing, puppies frolic, the air picks up a warm breeze and, most importantly, The Bachelorette returns. It feels like just yesterday that sweet, confident lawyer Rachel Lindsay went on Jimmy Kimmel to announce that she was the new Bachelorette. Now, a group of eclectic men will fight for her heart, Instagram followers, and a place on Bachelor In Paradise. This season a man enters in a full on penguin suit, claiming he knows Bachelorette Rachel loves penguins. But is that even true? Sure enough, she's sported her penguin love before.

The limo entrances have increased in wackiness over The Bachelorette seasons: men dance, skateboard, backflip, and now penguin walk out of the limo. The man who will waddle his way into Rachel's heart (or try, at least) is Matthew Munson. Matt tells Rachel that penguins mate for life. Matt also continues a trend of animal costumes that may be a callback to Alexis Waters's "dolphin" costume (it was a shark). It is also a reference to Rachel's love of penguins. But where is he getting this information about her favorite animal? Matt is likely basing his entrance off of a penguin onesie Rachel wore on Nick Viall's Bachelor season. Her pajamas became internet famous and probably inspired his very goofy entrance.

If you fast forward to the 1:26 mark in the video below, you are treated to a full grown adult getting out of a limo in a penguin costume. His penguin feet even squeak as he waddles. My favorite thing about the evolution of The Bachelor and Bachelorette is that the franchise seems to have developed a sense of humor. The contestants going on the show understand that entertainment is the name of the game. Of course true love is thrown into the mix, but it isn't always the focus of the early parts of a season. Here, a man who saw Rachel had penguins on her pajamas, puts himself out there in the name of love and making us laugh.

Rachel's penguin onesie pajamas, which she wore on her overnight date with Nick, became so popular that she got asked about it in her exit press. Rachel spoke to Glamour after The Bachelor where she was asked if she picked her pajamas or if they were chosen by producers. Rachel had this to say:

"Yes, I really did pack it! And I’m mad I didn’t make the joke [that we're] penguins, right? 'Oh, Nick, it’s symbolic of us! It’s black and white!' [Laughs.] I forgot to say that. That onesie couldn’t be more me. Chill, laid-back, it’s whatever! I don’t know how to be anything other than myself. I really don’t."

Rachel enjoyed the silliness of her penguin pajamas so chances are Rachel will find Matt's penguin costume silly and fun. I for one don't want to see Matt waddling out of the mansion night one. There would be nothing sadder than a heartbroken man in a penguin costume.