The Bachelor in the Media

[phlebas]

6 hours ago, MsTree said:

Unfortunately, that's not who they hired. I heard Harrison is totally gone, and they hired a black football player to take his place. Not exactly sure what a football player knows about Bachelor Nation. Supposedly, he was hired for his stance on race relations (promoting his new book). IMO, this is a knee jerk reaction to what happened and not necessarily focusing on qualifications for hosting a competitive reality show.

Emmanuel Acho is not just some rando ex-jock.  Let's see how he does before we critique him.

In my experience, you don't need post-doc work in social anthropology to figure out The Bachelor. Bu then. Emmanuel won't bring the experience hosting Mall Masters that Chris has.

Edited March 1, 2021 by phlebas

[rebel2u]

2 hours ago, phlebas said:

Emmanuel Acho is not just some rando ex-jock.  Let's see how he does before we critique him.

In my experience, you don't need post-doc work in social anthropology to figure out The Bachelor. Bu then. Emmanuel won't bring the experience hosting Mall Masters that Chris has.

No, but he is someone outside The Bachelor universe. So he has no experience there.  His background is football.  He does, I understand, a weekly web series called Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man.  So I'm assuming at some point in the show he'll talk about race. If so, since TPTB have decided against anyone with experience with the show, I would prefer someone who has educational qualifications  (maybe in sociology, psychology, social anthropology) to facilitate a discussion on a sensitive topic.     

[phlebas]

1 hour ago, rebel2u said:

No, but he is someone outside The Bachelor universe. So he has no experience there.  His background is football.  He does, I understand, a weekly web series called Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man.  So I'm assuming at some point in the show he'll talk about race. If so, since TPTB have decided against anyone with experience with the show, I would prefer someone who has educational qualifications  (maybe in sociology, psychology, social anthropology) to facilitate a discussion on a sensitive topic.     

I guess we'll see how he does.  RS did say they delayed taping for a couple of days so he could prepare.  I don't know what sort of prep he'll do.  (Do we know if he watches the show or not?)

With everything going on, I think someone from outside the show's production will be refreshing -- part of the issue is with production itself, so having someone on the inside would be a little self-serving.

Apart from Rachel Lindsey herself -- and it sounds like she gave a hard no early on -- I can't think of a contestant who would manage this.

[tinkerbell]

23 hours ago, TVMovieBuff said:

I don't hope that The Bachelor franchise will start to focus more on race. I want to watch couples, a little machinations (thought not the sniping and bitching that takes up so much time) and some romance. The show is artificial as it is, it can ignore race, and still be artificial! It never was a bastion of reality, despite being a reality show!

But if everyone else thinks it should be about race, I say "okay".

 

well, nobody thinks the Bachelor franchise should be all about race.  But in some communities, and certainly in some families, dating outside your race is a HUGE issue.  So I do think that conversations about the issue need to be had, and shown.  The way the show has been, it's like when people try to say they "don't see race"  in order to ignore the issue.  OR people who want to date outside their race because "biracial babies are so cute", or even people who date outside their race in order to try to prove something to others.  Bringing up the issue on one-on-one dates, sharing real feelings about race, would be much more authentic than having a whole season ignore the issue, and then bring it up in the after-shows.  

I'm not talking about it being a FOCUS of an entire season.  But, when hometown visits, or visits with parents are looming, a conversation about family's views on race is important. 

[Bluesky]

12 hours ago, MsTree said:

Unfortunately, that's not who they hired. I heard Harrison is totally gone, and they hired a black football player to take his place. Not exactly sure what a football player knows about Bachelor Nation. Supposedly, he was hired for his stance on race relations (promoting his new book). IMO, this is a knee jerk reaction to what happened and not necessarily focusing on qualifications for hosting a competitive reality show.

They are obsessed with football players.  I think this show has jumped the shark, is the expression?

[Bluesky]

On 2/16/2021 at 2:02 PM, TVMovieBuff said:

It just seems a shame to me that Chris Harrison has to lose his job over something someone else did. Not something HE DID, but what he said, or didn't say, about something someone else did. 

Sure, is seems pretty dumb to go to an antebellum party in 2018. That's on Rachael. I am not a racist. I am less a racist than anyone I know. It is really scary to think I can be accused of something racist when I know I am not. 

I wonder if this was their chance to get rid of him and put in younger new blood.  The show is really stale.  They needed a shake up and opportunity struck. 

[deSchenke]

15 hours ago, MsTree said:

Unfortunately, that's not who they hired. I heard Harrison is totally gone, and they hired a black football player to take his place. Not exactly sure what a football player knows about Bachelor Nation. Supposedly, he was hired for his stance on race relations (promoting his new book). IMO, this is a knee jerk reaction to what happened and not necessarily focusing on qualifications for hosting a competitive reality show.

Where did you hear/read this? Last I heard, he was stepping back and would not be on ATFR. His Instagram post from February 13 states, "I have consulted with Warner Bros. and ABC and will be stepping aside for a period of time and will not join for the After the Final Rose special."

Has something else been said indicating that he's gone for good?

[rebel2u]

On 2/28/2021 at 2:53 PM, chocolatine said:

I don't think it should be *about* race, but it definitely needs to get over its blind spots regarding race. Race and ethnic/cultural background is almost always discussed when people are dating interracially, so the show should reflect that. They should also do a better job of vetting prospective contestants' social media presence and avoid casting unrepentant racists. That's not too much to ask, IMO.

5 hours ago, tinkerbell said:

well, nobody thinks the Bachelor franchise should be all about race.  But in some communities, and certainly in some families, dating outside your race is a HUGE issue.  So I do think that conversations about the issue need to be had, and shown.  The way the show has been, it's like when people try to say they "don't see race"  in order to ignore the issue.  OR people who want to date outside their race because "biracial babies are so cute", or even people who date outside their race in order to try to prove something to others.  Bringing up the issue on one-on-one dates, sharing real feelings about race, would be much more authentic than having a whole season ignore the issue, and then bring it up in the after-shows.  

I'm not talking about it being a FOCUS of an entire season.  But, when hometown visits, or visits with parents are looming, a conversation about family's views on race is important. 

Yes, race needs to be discussed, as does religion, salaries, spending habits, where to live etc.  But these conversations are not usually shown.  Didn't Tayshia eliminate one of her guys, maybe Ivan? because of religious differences?  They obviously talked about religion, just not on camera.  If there is an interracial couple on The Bachelor/ette, I'm sure they discuss race.  It's just a personal conversation, just as money, religion, salaries etc are.  

And yes, TPTB think that the Bachelor franchise currently should be all about race.  

[Irlandesa]

I will say this about the choice of Emmanuel Acho, I think it's far easier for someone to catch up on a season of The Bachelor in a few days in order to host a show about that season than it is to find someone who can catch up with racial issues enough in order to lead a discussion about race over the span of a few days. 

He doesn't need to know "bachelor nation" to host this show.  He only needs to know this season because ATFR usually only focuses on this season.

 

Edited March 2, 2021 by Irlandesa

[rebel2u]

3 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I will say this about the choice of Emmanuel Acho, I think it's far easier for someone to catch up on a season of The Bachelor in a few days in order to host a show about that season than it is to find someone who can catch up with racial issues enough in order to lead a discussion about race over the span of a few days. 

He doesn't need to know "bachelor nation" to host this show.  He only needs to know this season because ATFR usually only focuses on this season.

That's why I think they need a professional--someone who is trained to facilitate a discussion about race.  I'm sure there are a multitude of universities they could turn to for guidance.

[MsTree]

18 hours ago, JenE4 said:

What kind of “qualifications” does one need to do Harrison’s job?

Broadcasting. Harrison also hosts/moderates "Men/women tell all" and also "After the final rose".

Many folks tend to forget that one of Harrison's first jobs on TV was as the on-screen host/announcer for "House Hunters".

Edited March 2, 2021 by MsTree

[MsTree]

8 hours ago, deSchenke said:

Where did you hear/read this? Last I heard, he was stepping back and would not be on ATFR. His Instagram post from February 13 states, "I have consulted with Warner Bros. and ABC and will be stepping aside for a period of time and will not join for the After the Final Rose special."

Has something else been said indicating that he's gone for good?

Apparently, my local ABC station might be misinformed🤷‍♀️

[DEL901]

18 hours ago, deSchenke said:

Where did you hear/read this? Last I heard, he was stepping back and would not be on ATFR. His Instagram post from February 13 states, "I have consulted with Warner Bros. and ABC and will be stepping aside for a period of time and will not join for the After the Final Rose special."

Has something else been said indicating that he's gone for good?

 

9 hours ago, MsTree said:

Apparently, my local ABC station might be misinformed🤷‍♀️

My guess there is no final decision about Chris and won’t be until after ATFR and ABC surveys the fall out and overall attitudes.  

[LakeGal]

I saw Serena P on Daily Pop today.  They got her to admit she doesn't like Matt's beard.  They asked her if she would be willing to go on Bachelor in Paradise or be the Bachelorette.  She said she would.  She talked about knowing she was not as into Matt as the other 3 final women.  They also talked about Chris Harrison.  

[scenicbyway]

What a mess!  I  wonder if there won't be a complete overhaul of the show.  I think it was a good idea to bring in Acho, since he's written a book on race relations and lived the experience.  He's also who Rachel had recommended.

I don't think Chris should lose the host job over this, but I also don't know how he comes back?  Generally it takes a long time for apologies to be accepted and there's consequences (which, not hosting the finale probably isn't enough)  But learning that they've now recast the Bachelorette again, they need to stop production and figure out the show they want/should to be.

[chocolatine]

Taylor Nolan (contestant from Nick Viall's season), who has been one of the most vocal critics of Rachael Kirkconnell and Chris Harrison (advocating for his firing), apparently has her own prolific history of extremely vile racist, antisemitic, transphobic, fat-shaming, and many other kinds of offensive social media activity.

She has made a half-assed apology and asked for "grace."  The hypocrisy is jaw-dropping.

[EllenB]

14 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

Taylor Nolan (contestant from Nick Viall's season), who has been one of the most vocal critics of Rachael Kirkconnell and Chris Harrison (advocating for his firing), apparently has her own prolific history of extremely vile racist, antisemitic, transphobic, fat-shaming, and many other kinds of offensive social media activity.

She has made a half-assed apology and asked for "grace."  The hypocrisy is jaw-dropping.

I don't remember her.  She'd have done better to stay unmemorable.  It's almost hilarious that she'd use the word "grace."  Maybe she and Rachael can be roomies. 🙄

[chocolatine]

6 minutes ago, EllenB said:

I don't remember her.  She'd have done better to stay unmemorable.

She's the one with a master's degree in clinical psychology from Johns Hopkins. She was condescending to Corinne about Corinne's lack of emotional intelligence. She also happens to be biracial, which makes her past tweets all the more vile.

[dizzyd]

1 hour ago, chocolatine said:

Taylor Nolan (contestant from Nick Viall's season), who has been one of the most vocal critics of Rachael Kirkconnell and Chris Harrison (advocating for his firing), apparently has her own prolific history of extremely vile racist, antisemitic, transphobic, fat-shaming, and many other kinds of offensive social media activity.

She has made a half-assed apology and asked for "grace."  The hypocrisy is jaw-dropping.

Another reason I’m happy Derek escaped that mess. 

[TiredMe]

1 hour ago, chocolatine said:

Taylor Nolan (contestant from Nick Viall's season), who has been one of the most vocal critics of Rachael Kirkconnell and Chris Harrison (advocating for his firing), apparently has her own prolific history of extremely vile racist, antisemitic, transphobic, fat-shaming, and many other kinds of offensive social media activity.

She has made a half-assed apology and asked for "grace."  The hypocrisy is jaw-dropping.

She has been spouting about Chris and Rachel saying they don’t deserve grace for their racial issues. Yet the first thing she asked for was grace. Hypocrite level= 10. 

[Crashcourse]

1 hour ago, chocolatine said:

She's the one with a master's degree in clinical psychology from Johns Hopkins. She was condescending to Corinne about Corinne's lack of emotional intelligence. She also happens to be biracial, which makes her past tweets all the more vile.

I googled her and saw her picture, so now I remember her.  She was so condescending and acted like she was smarter than everyone else.  

[dbell1]

On 3/1/2021 at 2:15 AM, MsTree said:

Unfortunately, that's not who they hired. I heard Harrison is totally gone, and they hired a black football player to take his place. Not exactly sure what a football player knows about Bachelor Nation. Supposedly, he was hired for his stance on race relations (promoting his new book). IMO, this is a knee jerk reaction to what happened and not necessarily focusing on qualifications for hosting a competitive reality show.

Fortunately the “black football player” is a published author, a tv host, well educated, and a fabulous choice. He works for ABC. I don’t think it’s a knee jerk reaction to bring on someone who is well versed in racial issues when a front runner for the first black bachelor likes racist posts and goes to old south parties. Sorry if that upsets fans of the current white host who swore 5 million people went to those old south plantations parties and believes it’s okay to shout down an interviewer while rambling about the “woke police” and giving a 24 year old “grace”. 

[LakeGal]

Chris Harrison is set to make an appearance on Good Morning America.

ET confirms that the Bachelor host will be interviewed by Michael Strahan on Thursday's GMA. This will mark Harrison's first interview since stepping aside from the Bachelor franchise following his recent controversy.

[watchingtvaddict]

On 3/1/2021 at 4:15 PM, MsTree said:

Unfortunately, that's not who they hired. I heard Harrison is totally gone, and they hired a black football player to take his place. Not exactly sure what a football player knows about Bachelor Nation. Supposedly, he was hired for his stance on race relations (promoting his new book). IMO, this is a knee jerk reaction to what happened and not necessarily focusing on qualifications for hosting a competitive reality show.

After watching The Women Tell All, anyone can host After the Final Rose. Chris really didn't bring anything to table, it just seemed like he was phoning it in and reading cue cards. 

I'm hoping Emmanuel Acho brings some personality to the franchise. 

[Irlandesa]

On 3/1/2021 at 10:56 PM, rebel2u said:

That's why I think they need a professional--someone who is trained to facilitate a discussion about race.  I'm sure there are a multitude of universities they could turn to for guidance.

He has a series of YouTube videos where he talks with famous people and non-famous people about race.  I think he'll do just fine from what I've seen. Sometimes a degree is good but lived experience with self study can also get you there.

He does have a Master's in psychology, BTW. Okay, it's sports psychology but still, when a lot of players don't always graduate from college, I think it says something about him that he went back for a grad degree. 

What I do find interesting is that ABC wanted him for The Bachelorette twice. He turned them down.

Edited March 3, 2021 by Irlandesa

[MsTree]

6 hours ago, dbell1 said:

Fortunately the “black football player” is a published author, a tv host, well educated, and a fabulous choice. He works for ABC. I don’t think it’s a knee jerk reaction to bring on someone who is well versed in racial issues when a front runner for the first black bachelor likes racist posts and goes to old south parties. Sorry if that upsets fans of the current white host who swore 5 million people went to those old south plantations parties and believes it’s okay to shout down an interviewer while rambling about the “woke police” and giving a 24 year old “grace”. 

That's all well and good, but IMO it's still a knee jerk reaction to the current events. IOW, anyone ABC hires (IF they make a change) to replace Harrison presumably will be the host of Bachelor Nation for as long as the franchise is on the air.

Speaking for myself, I'm not upset that the "current white host" has stepped aside. I just would like ABC to give ANY future host some serious thought as this franchise just might be on its last legs anyway.

[chocolatine]

59 minutes ago, MsTree said:

That's all well and good, but IMO it's still a knee jerk reaction to the current events. IOW, anyone ABC hires (IF they make a change) to replace Harrison presumably will be the host of Bachelor Nation for as long as the franchise is on the air.

Emmanuel Acho was only hired to host this season's ATFR, an hour-long show (according to my DVR). Nobody has said anything about replacing CH permanently. Since CH is scheduled to appear on GMA, I assume this is ABC's way to "redeem" him so they can have him go back to hosting next season.

[alexa]

On 3/2/2021 at 2:13 AM, MsTree said:

Broadcasting. Harrison also hosts/moderates "Men/women tell all" and also "After the final rose".

Many folks tend to forget that one of Harrison's first jobs on TV was as the on-screen host/announcer for "House Hunters".

Didn’t he do Designers Challenge?  I don’t remember him as House Hunters unless he had a stint before Suzanne Wang?  I think that is what her name was.  

[Back Atcha]

14 hours ago, watchingtvaddict said:

it just seemed like he was phoning it in and reading cue cards. 

More and more he brings the smarm.

[TVMovieBuff]

I read that Rachel said CH should step down until the show "figures it all out". I was around to hear about the assassination of Dr King in 1968. It is now 2021. We still haven't got it all figured out, I guess. 

[MsTree]

9 hours ago, TVMovieBuff said:

I read that Rachel said CH should step down until the show "figures it all out". I was around to hear about the assassination of Dr King in 1968. It is now 2021. We still haven't got it all figured out, I guess. 

Exactly! Sometimes Rachel acts as if someone died and left her/her opinions as gospel. If it weren't for the Bachelor franchise, she wouldn't even have the platform to put her opinions out there.

[phlebas]

So, Chris on GMA:  Not impressed. Seemed like he was reading prepared talking points.

Between Chris and Taylor Nolan, Rachael Kirkconnell may get off comparatively light.

[Jax7917]

Eh , I think Chris is like a lot of the world who thinks this is all being blown out of control , but he’s in a no win situation . I don’t blame him for basically reading cue cards . Look what Sharing his unscripted opinion got him last time he did it . 

[LakeGal]

It was obvious that Chris was looking down and reading off a script.  It was also not live so they could edit it.  I think a live sit down interview that was not with ABC might have been harder for him.  This was the easier way out.  

[Adeejay]

All this distraction is making it hard to enjoy one of my favorite shows.  

Edited March 4, 2021 by Adeejay

[alexa]

1 hour ago, Adeejay said:

All this distraction is making it hard to enjoy one of my favorite shows.  

I agree.  I want the fluff back like it used to be, and this isn’t to minimize the need for people to say and do the right thing.  It reminds me of how almost all of my women’s magazines I used to love all decided they had to go from being fun and fluffy to having a magazine devoted to featuring women doing serious important things.  Again, that is all well and good, but I read those magazines for the fun, not to study up on individual women.  So I gradually ended all of my subscriptions and I miss reading them as they were.

[TVMovieBuff]

1 hour ago, Adeejay said:

All this distraction is making it hard to enjoy one of my favorite shows.  

I am not going to watch the few episodes left in this season. The fun has been drained away. I'll see how things are when the next Bachelorette airs. One more scandal and I'm done. When they discuss these serious topics I feel guilty, like I did something wrong. 

I watch for the fun and fluff too. If I want to watch serious stuff there are news programs I can find 24/7. 

[MsTree]

13 hours ago, Jax7917 said:

I don’t blame him for basically reading cue cards . Look what Sharing his unscripted opinion got him last time he did it . 

Exactly. I honestly don't know what some folks expected. Did they want him to cry? He gave his heartfelt apologies, admitted he's a flawed person with lots to learn, and stood up/apologized to Rachel Lindsay again. 

[TVMovieBuff]

8 hours ago, MsTree said:

Exactly. I honestly don't know what some folks expected. Did they want him to cry? He gave his heartfelt apologies, admitted he's a flawed person with lots to learn, and stood up/apologized to Rachel Lindsay again. 

The whole thing is surreal. We are all flawed human beings, we all have lots to learn because no one on the planet knows everything there is to know about race relations. Not even Rachel Lindsay. All for a situation that CH didn't create.

[DEL901]

https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/bachelors-heather-seemingly-confirms-women-tell-all-attendance/

Heather was there....no explanation though as to why she was edited out.  

[Stats Queen]

3 hours ago, TVMovieBuff said:

The whole thing is surreal. We are all flawed human beings, we all have lots to learn because no one on the planet knows everything there is to know about race relations. Not even Rachel Lindsay. All for a situation that CH didn't create.

Well said.

[leighdear]

13 hours ago, MsTree said:

Exactly. I honestly don't know what some folks expected. Did they want him to cry? He gave his heartfelt apologies, admitted he's a flawed person with lots to learn, and stood up/apologized to Rachel Lindsay again. 

But he hasn't Done.The.Work yet.  He's just apologized.  Until he's Done.The.Work, we can't trust him about anything.  Because the world now knows that if you haven't Done.The.Work, you're just a lying liar who lies and will probably never Do.The.Work for reals, but just pretend and say that you'll Do.The.Work so people will get off your damn back.   

Now if everybody here would Do.The.Work, we might be able to get back to our pretty show about pretty people going pretty places & doing pretty things.  That's what I signed up for 30 some-odd seasons ago.  I DID.THE.WORK!       /rampant snark

Edited March 5, 2021 by leighdear

[Irlandesa]

Appearing to read a written statement is going to undercut the feeling of sincerity in the apology.  Here's the tricky thing.  He tends to be "neutral" and robotic in the best of times.  But when he was defending Rachael K against the people who were criticizing her?  I don't think I've ever believed in his belief more or seen him as passionate.

The contrast is hard to shake.  Yes, he got himself in trouble when he went off script but it was a very believable/revealing trouble that his standard operating procedure isn't going to easily wipe away. 

I hope I'm wrong and he does see that he needs to do some exploration even if he doesn't fully understand it right now. Recognizing racism in what feels "normal" and "neutral" often takes some effort which is why I don't think he's there yet. 

 

Edited March 5, 2021 by Irlandesa

[MsTree]

11 hours ago, leighdear said:

But he hasn't Done.The.Work yet.  He's just apologized.  Until he's Done.The.Work, we can't trust him about anything.  Because the world now knows that if you haven't Done.The.Work, you're just a lying liar who lies and will probably never Do.The.Work for reals, but just pretend and say that you'll Do.The.Work so people will get off your damn back.   

Now if everybody here would Do.The.Work, we might be able to get back to our pretty show about pretty people going pretty places & doing pretty things.  That's what I signed up for 30 some-odd seasons ago.  I DID.THE.WORK!       /rampant snark

Fine...but give him a chance to DO the work! And if you want to trust that he's doing the work, it's going to take time. One does not go from zer0 to sixty overnight. 

Chris was on ET tonight along with a black author who wrote a book about racism (sorry, forgot his name). They are currently working together as Chris learns what needs to be done. The author vouched for him...no lies there.

[Just Carol]

I think maybe CH felt like his show was being attacked (for not vetting against racist behavior) and that is why he rose so passionately to its defense.  The show is his baby.  He said some really stupid things in defense of his baby.

[leighdear]

9 hours ago, MsTree said:

Fine...but give him a chance to DO the work! And if you want to trust that he's doing the work, it's going to take time. One does not go from zer0 to sixty overnight. 

Chris was on ET tonight along with a black author who wrote a book about racism (sorry, forgot his name). They are currently working together as Chris learns what needs to be done. The author vouched for him...no lies there.

I hope you realize that my sarcastic post was because I know these things don't happen instantly.  And I was mocking the masses that do think the process is instant and that using all these buzzy phrases to describe what he needs to do is ridiculous.  

I don't personally care what Chris Harrison does.  My disdain is for all the wannabe pop psychologists out there who've "analyzed" and prescribed a "therapy" program for somebody they will never know.  

Again, my entire post was tongue-in-cheek.  

[Bluesky]

12 hours ago, MsTree said:

Fine...but give him a chance to DO the work! And if you want to trust that he's doing the work, it's going to take time. One does not go from zer0 to sixty overnight. 

Chris was on ET tonight along with a black author who wrote a book about racism (sorry, forgot his name). They are currently working together as Chris learns what needs to be done. The author vouched for him...no lies there.

She was being funny.  

So, he’s “working” with a black author to learn what needs to be done.   What does that even mean?   

[leighdear]

4 hours ago, Bluesky said:

She was being funny.  

So, he’s “working” with a black author to learn what needs to be done.   What does that even mean?   

I'm pretty sure there are going to be tests.  Maybe even a paper....

[DEL901]

1 hour ago, leighdear said:

I'm pretty sure there are going to be tests.  Maybe even a paper....

And don’t forget the end of term oral exam.   

[chocolatine]

1 hour ago, leighdear said:

I'm pretty sure there are going to be tests.  Maybe even a paper....

 

12 minutes ago, DEL901 said:

And don’t forget the end of term oral exam.   

Given the gravity of the situation, nothing less than a PhD thesis and defense will do.