Are you able to consider that only a week in the past I used to be over right here considering that this season of The Bachelor’s greatest racism downside was a couple of fragile white ladies bullying the opposite contestants? I imply wow, issues positive did escalate shortly, as a result of now we’ve got a frontrunner with a social media rap sheet of conduct that ranges from “ought to have identified higher” to “overtly racist”. And if that wasn’t sufficient, we even have a bunch (Chris Harrison) who went on tv to defend her, in response to which there’s now a change.org petition with over 10,000 signatures calling for him to be fired. Harrison has since apologized, however there’s a lot to unpack right here, so for these of you that don’t observe Bachelor Franchise controversy prefer it’s a poisonous ex that you just nonetheless have emotions for, let me break it down for you.
Rachael Kirkconnell’s Problematic Social Media Historical past Emerges
Piecing collectively a Bachelor contestant’s persona, political opinions, and any problematic skeletons primarily based on their social media historical past is right now’s model of the sport Clue, and I’m able to open the envelope on Rachael displaying a historical past of racism. TikToker feministmama has summarized all the proof that’s on the market on the web that ABC couldn’t appear to search out (or simply didn’t care to). I encourage you to look at the movies, however right here’s the TL;DR model. Amongst different issues, Rachael:
– Appreciated insensitive photographs on social media (similar to one with a Accomplice flag displayed, and other people carrying culturally insensitive costumes)
– Culturally appropriated indigenous tradition at a number of costume events
– Re-shared QAnon conspiracy theories, and most notably:
– Attended an “Previous South” plantation-themed ball in 2018
Look, a lot to my mother and father’ disappointment, I’m not a lawyer. However I feel we will all agree that the proof factors to this being a really unhealthy and fairly racist look. And these tales have been circulating for a couple of weeks now, so if any of it was false you’d suppose that Rachael would have stated so by now. I do know ABC has quite a lot of management over when contestants can converse publicly and what they will say, but when Rachael might confidently say “these footage are Photoshopped,” then I feel they’d have let her.
What Does Matt James Suppose?
I’ve been watching Matt because the Bachelor for over six weeks now, and I nonetheless couldn’t let you know something about him aside from: he’s tall, he likes to work out, and he’s actually into Jesus. In order a lead who hasn’t had a lot to say all season, it’s not shocking that he hasn’t had a lot to say about this. Particularly because it appears fairly possible he chooses her and perhaps they’re engaged?
In response to questions in regards to the allegations in opposition to Rachael throughout an interview with Leisure Tonight on February 2, he stated, “Rumors are darkish and nasty and might break individuals’s lives. So I’d give individuals the good thing about the doubt, and hopefully she may have her time to talk on that.”
To begin with, an precise picture of her at an Previous South themed occasion will not be a rumor, second of all, this assertion has “vetted and accredited by Bachelor manufacturing” written throughout it, and third of all, this response has massive “Garrett getting uncovered for liking problematic memes” power. Judging by this response alone, it looks as if Rachael goes fairly far within the present, if she doesn’t find yourself successful.
And Now A Phrase From Chris Harrison
In contrast to Matt, Chris Harrison (sadly) had lots to say on the matter, sharing near 15 minutes of his ideas on Rachael, what he likes to name the “woke police” and for some cause, a bonus point out of racist video games he performed as a child rising up in Texas (actually, why?), throughout an interview with Rachel Lindsay, the franchise’s first Black lead, on ExtraTV. Though he later apologized (extra on this later), his phrases had been fairly on-brand for Harrison and Bachelor manufacturing, and by “on-brand” I imply, he made excuses for racist conduct and as a substitute put the blame on these calling for accountability aka the aforementioned “woke police’’.
Throughout the chat, Chris Harrison principally claimed that again in 2018 (three years in the past, for these of you counting) when Rachael attended the Previous South ball, she couldn’t presumably have identified that romanticizing slavery was unhealthy, that she deserves “grace, understanding, and compassion”, and that we should always give her time to replicate and wait patiently for when she is able to converse. To me it felt like Harrison was defending Rachael like he has his personal Antebellum plantation-themed marriage ceremony deliberate for the spring and he doesn’t wish to get sh*t for it. And if you happen to, like Chris and Matt, nonetheless wish to give Rachael the good thing about the doubt, right here are some things that occurred previous to Rachael attending that racist-ass ball in 2018:
– The Kappa Alpha nationwide workplace (the fraternity that hosted the ball) had formally banned these occasions for being “culturally insensitive” in 2016
– Rachel Lindsay’s 2017 season of The Bachelorette aired, the place a contestant’s racist tweets had been kinda a massive deal
– The BLM Motion was based (2013) in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s assassin and gained traction from numerous different comparable conditions
Bachelor Nation (Kind Of) Entered The Chat
It appears to be like like I’m not alone in being infuriated by what comes out of Chris Harrison’s mouth once you let him say greater than “women, that is the ultimate rose tonight”. A petition calling for him to be fired has hundreds of signatures. Bachelor alumni had been additionally incensed, and took to social media to share their ideas.
Former Bachelor contestant and outspoken critic of the franchise, Ashley Spivey, was vocal on her Instagram tales and shared quite a lot of tweets criticizing the interview:
We will depart grace and house for studying whereas nonetheless demanding accountability. I really feel like @chrisbharrison expresses extra empathy for individuals who romanticize the confederacy than people who find themselves harmed by white supremacy on this clip. So disappointing. https://t.co/Lw2BabkLpb
— Emma Grey (@emmaladyrose) February 10, 2021
Rachel Lindsay responded to the identical thread with, “my days are numbered,” maybe alluding to the truth that this can be the ultimate straw in her relationship with the franchise (she hosts the Bachelor Comfortable Hour podcast with Becca Kufrin).
My days are numbered
— Rachel Lindsay (@TheRachLindsay) February 10, 2021
And Taylor Nolan, a contestant on Nick Vial’s season of The Bachelor and season 4 of Bachelor in Paradise, known as Harrison out on Instagram:
Whereas there have been a couple of others who tweeted or in any other case shared criticism of Harrison’s interview (Jubilee Sharpe, Olivia Caridi), nonetheless notably silent within the group chat? Just about everybody else related to the franchise.
Adopted By, An Apology From Chris Harrison
Roughly 24 hours and one million Twitter call-outs later, Chris issued an apology:
Look, I’m glad he stated one thing—I’ve to confess, I didn’t anticipate it. However is it simply me, or did this apology one way or the other handle to sidestep any precise condemnation of racism? He ends his apology with a “promise to do higher”, and I can’t wait to see what “higher” means.
Photographs: ABC/Craig Sjodin; emmaladyrose, therachlindsay / Twitter; taymocha, chrisbharrison / Instagram