Well folks, it happened. Becca gave out her final rose on The Bachelorette last night, and I have to keep it real here — I am devastated. I'll never be able to forget the vision of runner-up Blake Horstmann weeping into a towel with the most broken of broken hearts I've ever seen on primetime TV! I'll never recover! But like Horstmann, we all have to try to move on and forget about what could have been by instead, taking a look at Becca and Garrett's body language after The Bachelorette finale, as they go on their post-show press tour. Sigh.
Since clearly I have no chance of being remotely objective — and because I am not an expert on the subject — I reached out to two people who are. Body language expert Blanca Cobb, and Traci Brown, body language expert and author of Persuasion Point: Body Language and Speech for Influence, gave us serious insight into the potential lasting power of this newly engaged couple. Based off their body language during the proposal (that I was crying through too hard to actually, ya know, see) and their first public appearances on the press circuit, here's what they see.
For a couple to make it, there has to be attraction, and Cobb says that their chemistry and attraction is palpable in this photo. Taken right as they got engaged on the season finale of The Bachelorette, Cobb points to the position of their bodies as evidence that they're seriously in love.
“Look at what’s super close to touching,” she says, adding, that that's what she calls their "pleasure zones. That’s wicked hot!” She is also struck by the couple's intense eye contact, saying, “Becca and Garrett can’t take their eyes and hands off of each other.” Considering the stunning background, that tells you everything about how they're feeling right then and there. As Cobb says, “This moment is all about them!”
In addition to a couple that's really feeling the sexual chemistry, Cobb sees two people who are on the same page and are in-sync. You can see this, she explains, in the way their body language is mirroring and matching one another.
“They’re mirror images of each other from head to toe,” says Cobb. “Both are looking down with rounded shoulders, walking with the right foot leading.” What this means, she says, is that “when you’re emotionally connected to your partner, your bodies subconsciously mimic one another.” So, at least for that moment, the two seem to be off to a good start.
When the couple got to be out in public for the first time on Jimmy Kimmel Live! (immediately following ABC's After The Final Rose special), they were all smiles. And Brown can tell that their excitement to be together isn’t just for show.
“They're both really happy together, totally matching each other's level of joy,” says Brown. This is especially true of Becca, whose body language repeatedly shows how excited she is to be with Garrett, and how infatuated she is with him.
“She's wanting to connect with him a little more — putting her hand on his knee, and covering the back of his hand with hers when they hold hands,” Brown notes, adding, “when they first sat down on the couch she spread her arms out wide, awkwardly right in front of him so it's clear that she does want the attention.”
While Becca may be more outwardly affectionate, Cobb sees that they are still in sync and working to be on the same team. She points out how “even though they’re being interviewed by Jimmy Kimmel, Becca and Garrett make sure to stay connected to each other while playing the game.” She also notes that they “looked at each other when they were both certain and uncertain of their answers.” This is significant, Cobb says, because “You want to see a couple turn to each other during both the good and unsure times.”
The experts see some small signs that they're either still finding their comfort level in the relationship, or that they may be feeling some of the pressure of the spotlight in this final video, though they're definitely both enjoying the attention. Brown notes how Becca led Garrett out of the tunnel, and believes it appeared that Garrett would have liked to be the one to lead, saying, “I think he wanted to — because the back of his hand is facing forward. I think they both want the spotlight, but he's going to have to get used to the fact that she's going to want to outshine him. That's hard in show business.”
But despite that small moment of disconnect, Cobb sees a couple that's still actively working on getting closer. She notes how “Becca made sure to stay connected to her man as they made their way to the seats on set.” And while she also noticed how Becca took the lead, she was happy to see that she “made sure to turn around to look at him and grab his hand.” In that way, she is reinforcing their connection through physical touch.
So, what does all this mean for Becca and Garrett in the long term? On that, the experts are somewhat split. Cobb sees a couple that appears to be off to a great start, and says, “If they can keep an emotional connection along with their physical connection, then they have a good chance to last the test of time.”
While Brown agrees that they are happy together for the moment, she believes they have some issues to overcome if they're going to stay together long term. She points first to how “in all the clips, he gets uncomfortable and looks down when the other guys he competed against come up.”
No doubt it can be a bit, ahem, awkward to watch the person you love date several other people at the same time. But that issue aside, Brown’s prediction for the couple is positive, saying, “Overall I think these two will have their issues as any couple does... but [they] have a good shot at making it.” Good for them. I wish this couple nothing but love and happiness — and for Garrett to stay off Instagram forever. Because, WTF. Just sayin’.
