S25.E01: Week 1

[Crashcourse]

I was impressed with Matt for getting rid of the ballerina so fast.  She probably thought she had him intrigued. 

[seacliffsal]

And yet she did not bother to tray and talk to him during the cocktail party.

[RealHousewife]

23 hours ago, saber5055 said:

*raises hand* Same here. Not so much Urkel but he's ugh no thanks one minute then oh, so he's pretty good looking the next. Like Seinfeld's Bizarro World Two Faced Woman.

Really odd that this season for the first time ever they are bringing in religion and Matt is totally dwelling on race. It's like TPTB are expecting tons of newbie viewers who have no idea how this "process" works and it all needs to be laid out for them.

Not that we Wrong Reasons Viewers need any explanations though, right? Let's CHEERS to that!

I think Matt is consistently good-looking, but perhaps I haven't watched him super closely. A couple of the ladies mentioned him being better looking in person, so maybe he's very handsome not the most photogenic/videogenic? 

[Arkay]

1 hour ago, Koalagirl said:

Opera girl is Sharlene Joynt who had lots of gigs before going on the Bachelor and is hugely loved and respected in the Bachelor franchise. 

I like Sharleen, I do read her blogs and appreciate her writing style and fashion insights, but it is a fact that she's made a lucrative career from being a Bachelor insider. Also, though I'm sure she was a respected singer in the opera world, being on the Bachelor definitely raised her profile. She may be higher-class, but she's benefited as much as any Bachelor Nation influencer. 

[After7Only]

10 hours ago, watchingtvaddict said:

Can we take a shot every time he mentions his ethnic background/ being a POC/ race relations in America? I'm here for some light hearted entertainment I don't want to think about serious things... 

I’m pretty sure this show emphasizes all of its firsts, the first single dad, Juan Pablo the first POC bachelor,  first virgin bachelor etc.   Many of the  other leads have discussed their culture or background, issues that were important to them.   I don’t expect anything different from this season.   

I also don’t think we saw more than  5 minutes of content related to his race out of 120.  And it really wasn’t that heavy.   

 

 

 

[RealHousewife]

23 hours ago, Mu Shu said:

Ick. Why do they let them do this shit? Sexual harassment. 

Still going through all the posts, so not sure if this has been discussed already. But imagine if a man were that crude to a woman he just met? I can't stand "locker room talk," and it's not cute when women talk like that to men either. No, we may not be physically threatening to a big, tall man, but we can still make the poor guy extremely uncomfortable. Matt may laugh at vibrator jokes, but a lot of guys wouldn't like it.

[Crashcourse]

39 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

And yet she did not bother to tray and talk to him during the cocktail party.

Yeah, she might have thought she didn't have to because of her impressive ballet show, lol.  

[Bluesky]

7 hours ago, Dehumidifier said:

Bachelorette veteran Rachel's parents fit your criteria.  

This past season was the first Bachelorette I have watched.  I just cringe when the show pats itself on the back for making “history” like it’s 1952.  

[Just Carol]

Kit looks like Anne Hathaway.

Matt looks like Kobe Bryant, maybe?  He is a nice guy, I guess, but he is not attractive IMO.  His face is off kilter.  Nice muscles, but his nipples are too large.  And he is too tall for most of these ladies.  Is that 5'2" chick going to carry that step stool forever?

Do we think that was a real red carpet?  Terrible choice for the limo exit.  The women to walk a half-mile of stairs!

 

[RealHousewife]

23 hours ago, tinkerbell said:

I HATE the shows where they have to box, wrestle, mud wrestle, do martial arts moves, or any kind of fighting. What does it have to do with choosing a partner?  Some people (me) are averse to participating in any kind of violence.  And there's almost always an injury. I dont get it.

I know. Give me basic dates all day. I'd rather not strip, eat anything disgusting, or risk getting physically hurt. I don't think that's too much to ask. 

[Alexander Pope]

38 minutes ago, Arkay said:

I like Sharleen, I do read her blogs and appreciate her writing style and fashion insights, but it is a fact that she's made a lucrative career from being a Bachelor insider. Also, though I'm sure she was a respected singer in the opera world, being on the Bachelor definitely raised her profile. She may be higher-class, but she's benefited as much as any Bachelor Nation influencer. 

this is 100% accurate.  I think her recaps are extremely thoughtful and smart, and I like her too.  But she is an influencer, marketing fashion and cosmetics, and making a pretty penny.  And yes, she is still a little smug and superior.

[Starlight925]

Matt seems like a nice enough guy, but he just doesn't strike me as someone looking for a wife, kids, the whole future.  

He says he's run from every past relationship, and he's still processing childhood mom & dad divorce trauma.  

That's the one thing a Bachelor should want:  a wife, kids, the whole package.  Matt could end up being another Brad (who, to this day, never has married.  He has a girlfriend, but no ring).

Edited January 6, 2021 by Starlight925

[Stats Queen]

2 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

I agree, I watch and snark on the contestants while the season is on and then I forget about them.  I'm always so impressed with posters who remember so and so from many seasons ago.  I barely remember the leads.

I had to look at Wikipedia to see the chronological list of the bachelors (and I only started watching in Chris, the Farmer’s, season). I found out the last one was Peter, so not surprising I couldn’t remember anything about it 🤣. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sheikh Yerbouti]

On 1/4/2021 at 8:52 PM, Adeejay said:

I hope Matt told them he has a preference, because with all due respect, where are the white girls?

With all due respect, fully half the cast is white. We're just not used to seeing a cast that deviates much from 20 blondes and three token black women who will all be gone by the third rose ceremony.

I was intrigued enough by the intros to take notes and divide the cast into interesting, basic, and indifferent.

Of the seven I found most interesting, only Alicia didn't get a rose. I was enjoying the ballet and didn't even realize she never actually got speaking screen time. My other top picks were Abigail (who received the first impression rose), Magi the Ethiopian pharmacist, Pieper the grad student who won't have to change her last name, Chelsea for being bald and beautiful and bold to wear a dress held in place by magic, Khaylah with two unnecessary Hs who rolled in from North Carolina with a manual pickup truck, and shorty Serene with her step stool and chess game. 

Of the 12 on my basic-and-not-in-a-good-way list, TEN of them received roses. For the producer-driven drama, of course. I am really really not looking forward to Queen Victoria and Princess Kit Bentley catfight for half the season. They, along with Anna the caffeinated copywriter, receive my worst impression rose. Speaking of Anna, how embarrassing that she had the same dress as Alana (also on my basic list), they had to stand near each other during the rose ceremony, and their names sound so much alike with Matt's mumbling that there was a moment that the wrong red dress might have tried to accept the rose. Suspense alleviated when both received roses.

I was indifferent to 13 women (some we barely even got to see step out the limo), and 8 of them received roses.

I wasn't sure about this season when I first saw the preview. I'm not sure why producers think we want to see women being screechy and ridiculous. I'm not entertained, I'm just embarrassed for them. The first hour of this episode changed my mind and drew me into the season. Hot and sweet bachelor, gorgeous location, diverse women with interesting backgrounds. The promise of extreme drama and ugly crying to come tossed me right back into thinking that this season won't be much fun. But I'll be here for it anyway, just like y'all.

[TomGirl]

1 hour ago, Sheikh Yerbouti said:

They, along with Anna the caffeinated copywriter, receive my worst impression rose.

I think that should be incorporated into the show!

[RealHousewife]

3 hours ago, Starlight925 said:

Matt seems like a nice enough guy, but he just doesn't strike me as someone looking for a wife, kids, the whole future.  

He says he's run from every past relationship, and he's still processing childhood mom & dad divorce trauma.  

That's the one thing a Bachelor should want:  a wife, kids, the whole package.  Matt could end up being another Brad (who, to this day, never has married.  He has a girlfriend, but no ring).

I can't think of one good-looking guy I know who got married prior to well into their 30's who's remained a happily married family man. I'm a fairly young person, so heck, time will tell how long any of the people I know who got married younger will last. Men know they can become fathers older. Handsome ones know they will attract women who are older than them, their own age, and younger. It's harder for them to want to stop playing around. This makes it trickier for younger women who have no interest in hookup culture and are totally ready to be wives and mothers. I wasn't one of those, but I know many are. They oftentimes have to marry men slightly older who are more mature.

All this affects women who are a little older too. A lot of the options past age 30 are divorced men who have kids, which doesn't always sound appealing to those of us who are childfree and want our own families, men who aren't attractive, men who only have looks, or the ones who are very attractive and successful and enjoy the single life. An attractive guy with a good job past age 30 who's never been married or had kids and truly wants to settle down is kind of like a unicorn. Pray for me y'all! 

[nlkm9]

So does anyone know who the past contests That show up are ? The blonde girl looks slightly familiar but i simply cannot recall who she is .

[mamadrama]

9 hours ago, Just Carol said:

Kit looks like Anne Hathaway.

Matt looks like Kobe Bryant, maybe?  He is a nice guy, I guess, but he is not attractive IMO.  His face is off kilter.  Nice muscles, but his nipples are too large.  And he is too tall for most of these ladies.  Is that 5'2" chick going to carry that step stool forever?

 

 

I'm 4'10", my husband is 6'2". We make it work. I've never been interested in someone but held back because he was taller than me. Since that would, you know, literally be everyone...

Edited January 6, 2021 by mamadrama

[sioux21]

Did anyone notice two women had the same red dress on? I didn't pick up on it until they were standing one in front of the other at the rose ceremony and when the first one got a rose, they didn't know which of the two he called. Anna and Elena, or something like that. One of them hadn't talked to him all night and was nervous, but they both got the rose.

 

Two ‘Bachelor’ contestants wore the same red dress on the 2021 premiere

[watchingtvaddict]

2 hours ago, mamadrama said:

I'm 4'10", my husband is 6'2". We make it work. I've never been interested in someone but held back because he was taller than me. Since that would, you know, literally be everyone...

Another 4'10"/6'2" couple calling in... TBH I don't even notice the height difference most of the time. 

[deSchenke]

4 hours ago, nlkm9 said:

So does anyone know who the past contests That show up are ? The blonde girl looks slightly familiar but i simply cannot recall who she is .

That was Heather from Colton's season.  She was the one who, "never been kissed".

[nlkm9]

Ohhhhhh blech . Thanks!!

[LuvMyShows]

On 1/4/2021 at 8:50 PM, GracieK said:

Chelsea’s dress looks like she rolled up satin sheets and carefully draped them over her nipples and around her waist. 

What was surprising, especially considering that she is a model, is how awkward/uncomfortable she looked while actually wearing the dress...I guess that is because she is more used to modeling it on a runway or for a photographer, than actually wearing it and sitting on a couch in it.

On 1/4/2021 at 8:52 PM, Adeejay said:

I hope Matt told them he has a preference, because with all due respect, where are the white girls?

IIRC, there was a throwaway sentence that he said about wanting someone who had familiarity with his situation (having some black in his racial make-up), because I remember thinking after he said it that it would disqualify the vast majority of outwardly white girls.  Does anyone else remember anything like this?

On 1/4/2021 at 10:39 PM, Jaclyn88 said:

Still wondering how the lead remembers the contestants names during the first few rose ceremonies . I’m guessing they have a microphone in their ear and it’s given to them ? 

What I wondered about was how he remembered specifics of what the girls said in their entrances...IIRC, he did that for more than one woman.

On 1/4/2021 at 8:30 PM, TheFinalRose said:

This Nemacolin resort is where JoJo went with her cast so we've been here before.

On 1/4/2021 at 8:34 PM, alexa said:

This place is so much better and has tons of activities at the resort.  

Nemacolin has changed a lot over the years.  I was there 7 years ago, and it was very nice, but not like the luxury that it appears to be now.  What I really liked was how many cool activities there were.  I'm sure that was a factor in choosing where they would film. 

[After7Only]

3 minutes ago, LuvMyShows said:

.

IIRC, there was a throwaway sentence that he said about wanting someone who had familiarity with his situation (having some black in his racial make-up), because I remember thinking after he said it that it would disqualify the vast majority of outwardly white girls.  Does anyone else remember anything like this?

 

I took it to mean, he wanted to date someone who was comfortable dating a Black man and understood what comes with dating a Black man.   Not necessarily that he was looking only for a woman of color.   I don't think he would do the show if his dating preferences were that narrow.   

[LuvMyShows]

13 hours ago, Starlight925 said:

He says he's run from every past relationship, and he's still processing childhood mom & dad divorce trauma.  

UO, but every time he mentioned that, it sounded to me like he was reaching, and was overplaying the trauma because it's the storyline for him.

16 hours ago, Koalagirl said:

That’s too bad because she is anything but pretentious. In comparison to some of the other contestants that season she was more dignified. Maybe that could have been perceived as pretentious.  But if you listen to her appearances on various podcasts and read some of the articles she has written for Flare magazine, as well as her recaps on her All the Pretty Pandas blog,  you might change your mind. 

14 hours ago, Alexander Pope said:

And yes, she is still a little smug and superior.

15 hours ago, Arkay said:

I like Sharleen, I do read her blogs and appreciate her writing style and fashion insights, but it is a fact that she's made a lucrative career from being a Bachelor insider. Also, though I'm sure she was a respected singer in the opera world, being on the Bachelor definitely raised her profile. She may be higher-class, but she's benefited as much as any Bachelor Nation influencer. 

I follow zero people on any SM, so I am not a target for anything.  But if you watch the Bachelor/B'ette and enjoy thinking about it at all (like we obviously do here!), then I strongly encourage you to read Sharleen's blog and/or her Flare write-up.  She provides very thoughtful detailed analysis, and has the extra of her behind-the-scenes knowledge from having done it herself.  I am not a fashionista by any sense, but I also love the breakdown of what the lead and contestants were wearing.   Yes, she does come across as a little smug and superior...I take it with a grain of salt.  And just because she has benefitted financially from her BN association, doesn't detract from her insight.   

 

[nlkm9]

I just have to say i loved that girl Anna who was “ telegraphing” her desire to get a rose . It cracked me up!!

[Mu Shu]

20 hours ago, Just Carol said:

Kit looks like Anne Hathaway.

Matt looks like Kobe Bryant, maybe?  He is a nice guy, I guess, but he is not attractive IMO.  His face is off kilter.  Nice muscles, but his nipples are too large.  And he is too tall for most of these ladies.  Is that 5'2" chick going to carry that step stool forever?

Do we think that was a real red carpet?  Terrible choice for the limo exit.  The women to walk a half-mile of stairs!

 

Lol! You noticed his nipples? And he does look like a sort of dweeby Kobe. Seems like a nice guy, probably too earnest for this shit. 
 

I think I’ve aged out. I’m over all the uptalk and meticulously made up masks and fake hair with those stupid beach waves. Shocked that he picked the girl with the buzz cut. The rest all seemed to have the same carefully contrived Instagram hair. 

[adore]

My parents have a huge height difference and they find people who make comments about it insufferable.  These girls don't seem to mind. 

Edited January 6, 2021 by adore

[Just Carol]

I'm 5'0 and personally prefer guys who are 5'6 or 5'7.   When I go walking with tall guys, they have to bend down to hear what I am saying.  That makes me uncomfortable.  I guess this is not a problem for other short women.

[RealHousewife]

8 hours ago, After7Only said:

I took it to mean, he wanted to date someone who was comfortable dating a Black man and understood what comes with dating a Black man.   Not necessarily that he was looking only for a woman of color.   I don't think he would do the show if his dating preferences were that narrow.   

That makes sense. I date men of all colors, but my thing is I only date those who are open to interracial dating, no matter what color they are. I don't care if you're more attracted to some racers than others, or if you relate to people of a similar culture more. That's all good and well. I wouldn't date my polar opposite either. Dealing with a language barrier, different customs and traditions can be difficult. But the folks who are super against interracial dating, no thank you. Like someone could have grown up in the same town, same religion, same politics, and the fact that individual is a different color is a dealbreaker for you, that's racist to me. I know some disagree, especially older people, but racism is one of my top turn-offs. 

[Bluesky]

4 hours ago, Mu Shu said:

Lol! You noticed his nipples? And he does look like a sort of dweeby Kobe. Seems like a nice guy, probably too earnest for this shit. 
 

I think I’ve aged out. I’m over all the uptalk and meticulously made up masks and fake hair with those stupid beach waves. Shocked that he picked the girl with the buzz cut. The rest all seemed to have the same carefully contrived Instagram hair. 

I think it’s burn out, not aged out.  All the same.  Smiley girls with fake hair who love God and family equally.  Family is, like, everything to them.   The bachelor is overly polite and politically correct.    I would hate to see it like those old shows Rock of Love or anything, but somewhere in the middle would be nice. 

[Back Atcha]

5 hours ago, adore said:

 These girls don't seem to mind. 

These girls don't seem to mind ANYTHING involving The Bachelor.  They NEED screen time.  They NEED exposure for their ka-reeeerrrrss.   Facial hair?  Cool.  Back hair?  Cool.  B.O.?  Cool.   Flirting with other girls on the show?  Not cool.

[Back Atcha]

On 1/5/2021 at 9:48 PM, Sheikh Yerbouti said:

On 1/4/2021 at 6:52 PM, Adeejay said:

I hope Matt told them he has a preference, because with all due respect, where are the white girls?

With all due respect, fully half the cast is white.

And, "with all due respect," perhaps we need some statistics.  Haven't there been ENOUGH white girls on all the past seasons of The Bachelor? Surely, all "women of color" think so.

[adore]

17 minutes ago, Back Atcha said:

These girls don't seem to mind ANYTHING involving The Bachelor.  They NEED screen time.  They NEED exposure for their ka-reeeerrrrss.   Facial hair?  Cool.  Back hair?  Cool.  B.O.?  Cool.   Flirting with other girls on the show?  Not cool.

Unfortuately, it goes without saying that the majority of the women apply because they have an irrepressible need for attention and/or validation.  I would like to think there a few sincere ones who show up to find a future husband and are focused on things like compatibility, aligned ideology/religion/philosophy, etc in addition to attraction.  Maybe they are a bit misguided (delusional?), but it's nice to root for someone.

[Andromeda]

On 1/4/2021 at 6:20 PM, Crashcourse said:

Dildo girl reminds me of Vanessa Bayer from Saturday Night Live.

I totally saw Queen Victoria as her. So much so, she has to play her on SNL! And no way did he want to keep her. 

Matt seems like a nice guy. The prayer would have me self-eliminating. As a humanist/agnostic/atheist, public prayer groups make me deeply uncomfortable. 

9 hours ago, Just Carol said:

I'm 5'0 and personally prefer guys who are 5'6 or 5'7.   When I go walking with tall guys, they have to bend down to hear what I am saying.  That makes me uncomfortable.  I guess this is not a problem for other short women.

It is! It makes me feel like a child. My 6-foot hubby manages to hear me without doing that.

Edited January 7, 2021 by Andromeda

[Mu Shu]

8 hours ago, Bluesky said:

I think it’s burn out, not aged out.  All the same.  Smiley girls with fake hair who love God and family equally.  Family is, like, everything to them.   The bachelor is overly polite and politically correct.    I would hate to see it like those old shows Rock of Love or anything, but somewhere in the middle would be nice. 

Oh man, rock of love was where is was at. Trash in all it’s glory. The blondtourage and cooter shots. I like my trash tv to be trashy. 

[hyacinth]

I'm bored so far with Long Tall Matty.  I appreciated the dildo for bringing a spark of life to the first hours of his season.  I think they should take the dildo with them on all the group dates.  They could hit each other with it instead of boxing.  

I'm going to continue to watch to see Cynthia Rowley's daughter's fashion choices.   I loved the dress she wore this episode.    

And yes, Mu Shu, I, too, miss Rock of Love.   And reality TV before the age of Instagram.   

Edited January 7, 2021 by hyacinth

[Bobcatkitten]

I'm late to the game but I wanted to say that Matt's group of women are so beautiful. So many stunning women - best crop in a while. I find Matt very attractive but in a boy next door kind of way, not model kind of way. Except the body is a model lol. 

I noticed a lot of green dresses and enjoyed them much. A few women I really am excited for. And the location looks cool. So are the women sharing rooms but not one big suite?

 

[Back Atcha]

12 hours ago, Andromeda said:

And no way did he want to keep her.

Did you see lyin' thru his smilin' eyes on Jimmy Kimmel?  Kimmel even posted a question about Queen Victoria that involved "producers." 

[JenE4]

On 1/6/2021 at 10:45 PM, Bluesky said:

I think it’s burn out, not aged out.  All the same.  Smiley girls with fake hair who love God and family equally.  Family is, like, everything to them.   The bachelor is overly polite and politically correct.    I would hate to see it like those old shows Rock of Love or anything, but somewhere in the middle would be nice. 

 

15 hours ago, Mu Shu said:

Oh man, rock of love was where is was at. Trash in all it’s glory. The blondtourage and cooter shots. I like my trash tv to be trashy. 

If I found a genie in a bottle, one of my three wishes would be for VH-1 to bring back their old programming. Rock of Love, Flavor of Love, and all of the countless spin-offs was the heyday of reality TV. Last month or so they had a marathon and brand-new reunion show for I Love New York. Big takeaways were that Tiffany has a whole new face nowadays, and she was pissed that Chance wasn’t there. Seems like she’s still hung up on him all these years later and only didn’t choose him because of her mother hating him.

Oh, um, to keep it somewhat on topic..  Queen Victoria and the dildo girl for sure would be cast on “Charm School” back in the day.

Edited January 8, 2021 by JenE4

[Lamb18]

My top two pre-season picks for Matt sure bombed out: Alicia and Katie. I wish Alicia would have made more effort to speak to Matt, she still might be here. Unfortunately Katie still is, primed to do a statue of liberty pose with her dildo. That was gross, especially when she touched other people with it.

Kit's real name is Gigi Clementine. Cynthia Rowley's been on Project Runway and America's Next Top Model as a judge. I thought I'd seen her before.

I like a lot of the women. Queen Victoria, I didn't mind at first. It was just a gag and she was running with it. She did encourage other women to go talk to Matt. But she got obnoxious later. I think Kit will be more of a villain later. She gives me Demi vibes.

Time to work!

 

[deSchenke]

2 hours ago, Lamb18 said:

Cynthia Rowley's been on Project Runway and America's Next Top Model as a judge. I thought I'd seen her before.

She also was a judge on HGTV's Design Star.

[leocadia]

11 hours ago, Lamb18 said:

I like a lot of the women. Queen Victoria, I didn't mind at first. It was just a gag and she was running with it. She did encourage other women to go talk to Matt. But she got obnoxious later. I think Kit will be more of a villain later.

Agreed, both Kaite and Victoria (I refuse to call her by her royal moniker) just seemed like they were there for the screen time, but the mean girl vibes were coming off Kit in waves.  She may think of herself as a "CEO", "President" or whatever, but that scene between her crew and Victoria was pure Queen Bee. I guess it's no surprise since she's the real world incarnation of Blair Waldorf.

[Quickbeam]

I’m all in for Chelsea ( if I got the name right) with the short, natural hair. I’m only an occasional watcher but I get so tired of the hair show....overdone styles, wigs, weaves, extensions on all the women. She looks so beautiful and it works for her. 

[Starlight925]

On 1/8/2021 at 8:03 AM, Lamb18 said:

I like a lot of the women. Queen Victoria, I didn't mind at first. It was just a gag and she was running with it. She did encourage other women to go talk to Matt. But she got obnoxious later. I think Kit will be more of a villain later. She gives me Demi vibes.

 

18 hours ago, leocadia said:

Victoria was pure Queen Bee. I guess it's no surprise since she's the real world incarnation of Blair Waldorf.

Except that she's nowhere near as attractive as either Demi or Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester).

She seems to think she is, though.  

Can't wait for the week that Matt will be "allowed" to forgo her rose.

[CouchPotato]

On 1/6/2021 at 11:40 AM, LuvMyShows said:

UO, but every time he mentioned that, it sounded to me like he was reaching, and was overplaying the trauma because it's the storyline for him.

I think so too. I listened to a podcast interview that Matt did a year or so ago. While he did say that he has run from commitment, he said he wasn’t a good boyfriend in the past & he wanted to make sure that he was ready for commitment so he didn’t hurt someone. He genuinely came across as a thoughtful, introspective guy.

[waving feather]

Matt just seems very inexperienced with love/serious relationships. He's not exactly young at 29 but he acts like he's in his early twenties. And his nervous laughter may get old quick.

[woodscommaelle]

The Queen looks like a cross between Anna Duggar and the Crazy Ex-girlfriend meme girl.

[Chicago Redshirt]

On 1/5/2021 at 9:11 AM, watchingtvaddict said:

Can we take a shot every time he mentions his ethnic background/ being a POC/ race relations in America? I'm here for some light hearted entertainment I don't want to think about serious things... 

 

On 1/5/2021 at 10:30 AM, TVMovieBuff said:

I want it to be a brainless dating show. I don't need a racial/ethnic seminar with everything I watch. 

It is going to be a fine line that they are going to have to walk. On the one hand, there are going to be viewers like you two who don't want to hear about race every episode, or even viewers that want the show to be as colorblind as possible.

Then there are going to be viewers like me. Never watched an episode of the Bachelor before. Probably won't be watching again after this season. But I am curious how they treat issues around race both internally and beyond the fourth wall. 

There are going to be viewers who will be upset if he ends up with a white girl, period. There are going to be issues with some of these women relating to Matt as a black man and the implications of that. 

I'm guessing that the cast of bachelorettes is more diverse than usual.