Ben Higgins is the next "The Bachelorette." The Internet could not cope with Kaitlyn Bristowe's latest bad call, since Ben was deemed "perfect," and now E! News and Reality Steve have confirmed that Ben is "The Bachelor" for 2016. ABC will announce the news when they feel like it.

Is this good news? If you genuinely like Ben, then no, not really. This is where the adage "If you love someone, set them free" comes into play.

"The Bachelor" franchise has a long history of casting leads that fans initially love, only to see those same fans quickly turn on the leads when they start handing out roses. We are a fickle, fickle fandom. We giveth, and we taketh away at the first sign of bad behavior/a bad decision/boredom. Almost no one has ever emerged unscathed -- even someone like Sean Lowe, who actually found lasting love, got a few kicks during his season. For most leads, it gets worse. Look at Kaitlyn right now as "The Bachelorette." She was very popular going into this season, especially when it comes to Kaitlyn vs. Britt. Fans strongly supported Kaitlyn at first, then things took a dive. That will happen at some point with Ben, that's just how it works. There was another Ben that fans liked after his "Bachelorette" season ended, Ben Flajnik, and look how things went for him.

Ben H. seems like a nice guy, if a bit on the dull side, in terms of reality TV watchability. His personality (as much as we've seen) doesn't seem like it'll really pop on screen. That's not a bad thing on a human level, it's just kind of like Desiree Hartsock as "The Bachelorette." She was a sweetheart, and her "journey" did have a happily ever after, but it was mostly a snooze along the way. Then again, the producers might amp up the crazy when it comes to the women cast opposite Ben H., to balance out his less than demonstrative personality. Maybe that's a good thing -- more Ashley S. lunacy alongside maybe one or two actually sane women. Or it could just leave fans frustrated.

Since there aren't really any better options among Kaitlyn's guys, Ben H. is probably a good choice. At least it's not Nick. (Unless they change their minds!) And Ben H. could buck the trend and be the first 100 percent beloved Bachelor, with no Jason Mesnick, Brad Womack, Jake Pavelka, Juan Pablo Galavis bashing. (Remember how much fans campaigned for Juan Pablo to be the Bachelor? Yikes!) But the more fans like someone, the more disappointed they get when that person does not turn out to be perfect in every way.

Do you like the idea of Ben H. as the next Bachelor? Will you still support him if it emerges that he is, like the rest of us, a flawed human being?

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