Nashville Bachelorettes: A New Must-See Documentary
Hilarious comedian and wanna-be journalist Ben Oddo dives into the polarizing world of Nashville bachelorettes in his new documentary. Follow along as Ben shares some staggering statistics, hopeful takeaways, and details on the next round of the film's screenings in Nashville.
While most people were learning to knit, solving puzzles, or cooking extravagant pies during lockdown, Nashville journalist and comedian Ben Oddo was Zoom interviewing dozens of bachelorettes across the country. All of these women had one thing in common: They were Nashville-bound, baby!
Somewhere between 4,000 to 5,000 bachelorette groups come through Nashville in any given MONTH, and Ben went behind the scenes of Nashville’s bachelorette culture. He aimed to determine whether they’re the worst thing to happen to Music City … or the best.
With the help of planning service, BachToBasic, Ben selected one lucky group from Las Vegas to tag along with throughout their celebratory weekend. He also got the tea from Nashville’s top business leaders like Butch Spyridon (president of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp), Tom Morales (founder of Tomkats Hospitality), and Sheri Lynn and Brenda Kay (owners and guides of NashTrash Tours). Here’s the documentary’s official trailer.
Ben takes a “60 Minutes” meets “The Daily Show” approach in this hilarious, tongue-in-cheek documentary that premiered a few weeks ago to sold-out audiences at The Belcourt Theatre. We’re the first publication to sit down with Ben since the premiere, so we got deep with Ben about his takeaways, and what it’s done for Nashville locals who’ve seen it.
How did you pick the topic of Nashville Bachelorettes?
Like everyone else in Nashville, I saw the bachelorettes and thought, “Well, what’s going on here?” I thought they were a fascinating topic to explore. There hadn’t been a long-form video piece that had dived into this world yet. And I’m a comedian in Nashville! I’m looking for fodder and content, and I love unscripted interviews with folks. What better thing to discuss than the bachelorettes?
Also, everyone has an opinion on them, and I noticed it was really absolute and one-sided. But I wanted to challenge that. Do they really stink as much as everyone thinks they do? Are they really the problem?
What are some of the most bewildering statistics you uncovered in this research?
The bachelorettes make up less than 1% of overall tourists to Nashville. If it’s 53,000 on the low end all the way up to 200,000 individual bachelorettes, that’s still just 0.5 to 1.5% of the 16.1 million tourists who come here annually. That leads to a lot of debate. On one hand, you can argue the hype is bigger than the reality. Others say, “Yeah, but they’re the loudest 1%, and perception is reality.”
I was also really shocked by the average cost of a trip, which is $908 before flights. That’s a lot to spend on a weekend. It’s an $11.3 billion industry that touches so many sectors: hospitality, wellness, short-term rentals, hotels, and retail stores love them. “Transportainment” businesses either love them and invite them in, or they hate them and tell them to stay away.
What was the most fun part of your bachelorette guest experience?
I was just happy we were doing it. There’s a part in the documentary where I’m hanging out at the house with the girls just laughing and chatting and a “butler” shows up. And it wasn’t really that risqué, but he’s got a microphone taped to his bare chest and I’m just grilling him about how he found this job. That was all very fun for me.
And what was the weirdest part?
We did an astrology session that didn’t make it into the final cut. I didn’t know anything about horoscopes. The girls are wearing shirts that say “Libra,” and I was not getting it. At one point, the astrologist was talking about my “houses” — like my sign’s houses — and I thought she was talking about my future real estate. I wasn’t trying to be funny.
And the worst?
We shot this last June over a weekend, but then we did some pick-up shots of girls out on Broadway at night misbehaving. Those experiences underscored for me how much I like the bachelorettes and how much I dislike other drunk tourists (guys). The women were generally so friendly and lovely, and then an idiot would jump in front of the camera and make stupid noises and faces.
What are some common misconceptions Nashvillians have about bachelorettes? Do you feel you debunked them?
There were two. One is that the bachelorettes are the problem. I would say they are a symptom of the problem. Let’s stop making them the scapegoat.
The next has more to do with Nashville as a city that appeals to tourists. Bachelorettes come here from different places and have different jobs and varied interests, yet they all do the same four or five things while they’re here. I went into this documentary thinking that’s terrible. We don’t want that. We want to be a dynamic city, right? We don’t want to just be the town where you throw on a cowboy hat and pose in front of the wings mural.
But I came to understand a little more — and I don’t necessarily like it, but I get it — that a city can have a brand. People know exactly what they’re going to get here. You’ve removed almost all variables, and that irritates locals. But to tourists, the word is out, and it’s an easy sell.
Since the premiere, what have been the big takeaways for the future of Nashville’s bachelorette scene?
Nashville is at an inflection point with lots of growth and change. Is it going to meet the change or become a runaway train? Are we going to retain the soul of the city? The question to me, now, is not “How can Nashvillians rise up and take back our city?” It’s “How can these two cities coexist?” Broadway isn’t going back. Can we retain our “flavor” elsewhere? I think we can.
Where can we watch this documentary?
We are working on getting a deal with a streaming service so that it will be viewable online. Until then, we have two screenings this Saturday at Third Coast Comedy Club (1310 Clinton St. #121, Nashville, TN 37203). Tickets can be purchased here for $10.
- Saturday, October 8 at 5:30 p.m.
- Saturday, October 8 at 10:30 p.m.
Stay in the loop with Ben and his documentary @nashbachfilm on Instagram and at NashBachFilm.com.
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Zoe Yarborough
Zoe is a StyleBlueprint freelance writer, Charlotte native, Washington & Lee graduate, and Nashville transplant since 2012. She teaches Pilates, helps manage recording artists, and likes to "research" Germantown's food scene.
