The World Just Got Its First Gray-Haired Bachelor — But What Does It Mean?

Benjamin Franklin once said that nothing in life is certain except death and taxes, but clearly the guy forgot something: gray hair. It doesn't matter if you're Charlize Theron, Tracee Ellis Ross, or even Kendall Jenner — your head is likely destined for flecks of silver at some point. So it's a wonder, then, why it's taken The Bachelor franchise 22 seasons to cast its very first gray-haired suitor in Arie Luyendyk.

Not that you'd know his true (salt-and-pepper) colors by the show's promo images: ABC made the announcement with Luyendyk's old contestant photo from 2012, in which his hair is as dark and fluffy as the cloud over our heads the night Emily Maynard dumped him. Maybe producers noticed that the 35-year-old was looking a hell of a lot like a present-day Eric McCormack. Maybe they were inspired by the massive trumpet call The Bachelorette alum Peter Kraus received for his silver fox status. Whatever the reason, one thing is for sure: People are definitely taking note.

Of course, as reality TV Twitter storms tend to go, not everyone is happy with the choice — in fact, the "who is he?" memes are just as sweeping as the excited ones.

But, considering how the show is trying (slowly) to move past its Barbie and Ken contestant stereotypes of yore — we see it as a sign of progress. Change, you see, is yet another inevitable. (We're not sure how Franklin missed that one either.)

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