Can the hugely popular TV show “The Golden Bachelor” make hearing aids cool?
When the spinoff of ABC’s “The Bachelor” premiered on September 28, the audience saw Gerry Turner, 72, a handsome widower from Indiana, getting ready for his big night, putting on his tuxedo – and his hearing aids.
In an interview with USA Today, he talked about the deliberate choice to make the hearing aids visible. “I don’t want anyone to be even a little bit embarrassed if they show the symptoms of being 70 years old,” he said. “I don’t care if people notice that I have a hearing aid. It’s something I need. I’m happy to display it without any trepidation… Just because you’re of a certain age doesn’t mean that you’ve lost your vigor, your energy, or your optimistic life outlook.”
Hearing aids also played a role in one of the sweetest moments of the show (Episode 2). After the first group date, Jerry and a 64-year-old fitness instructor named Leslie Fihma found themselves alone.
“There’s one more thing I need to clarify,” Leslie said, tucking her hair behind her ear, revealing that she too wears hearing aids. “If you ever want to whisper sweet nothings in my ear, I will be able to hear you.”
“Oh my god! So if I whisper softly…” Gerry says.
“Now I can hear you!” she answers.
Will Gerry end up with Leslie? It’s not over till it’s over. The last episode is November 30.
“The Golden Bachelor” may be the best antidote to hearing-aid stigma ever.
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For more about hearing loss, read my books: “Shouting Won’t Help,” “Living Better with Hearing Loss,”and “Smart Hearing,” available at Amazon.com.
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Katherine Bouton: Smart Hearing 
If they dance til dawn they will need to change the batteries. They can do it at the table – put that on the show!
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Funny. Thank you. But most hearing aid batteries, if they’re not rechargeable, work for about a week. Rechargeable just a day I guess.
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You have the best articles….I’ve always enjoyed them.. on my hearing aids they could not pair them with my phone ..(they only know hearing aids. No phones). my next step is calling into our computer club and I know they will help me..
Thankyou Dorothy Carlson..
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Thanks. I’m having trouble getting my devices connected to my iPhone right now. It’s very frustrating.
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Thanks. I was having trouble getting my devices (Advanced Bionics cochlear implant and Phonak hearing aid) connected to my app. An audiologist at AB walked me through connecting and now it’s working fine.
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My dad has a cochlear implant and uses an app or some program that gives him speech-to-text on his phone. He talks and the replies come in typed out for him to read. He hadn’t been able to use the phone for years, and now conducts business again over the phone.
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He is probably using Innocaption. It’s a free app and it allows you to both hear (if your hearing device is paired with your phone) and read captions at the same time. It’s very accurate. Like your father I didn’t talk on the phone for years, but now I do it all the time.
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Like the Golden Bachelor I have no issues with people noticing my hearing aids. I wear my hair short so it’s obvious to all. A few weeks ago, I attended a fund raiser and the woman sitting next to me, also with short hair, had hearing aids. Just the other night I attended a meeting and the woman sitting across from me had them too! I felt elated because we, like the Golden Bachelor, have declared it’s something we need!
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What a great attitude! My cochlear implant is purple. Wish my hearing aid matched.
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