‘I Didn’t Realize How Much of a Machine It Is’
To be a fan of The Bachelor is to accept a set of contradictions. It professes to help people find true love, but via artificial means. Contestants will say they’re on the show “for the right reasons,” but later admit to non-romantic motives or bristle at the thought of getting engaged. It implies that love is universal by casting a wide net for suitors, but it didn’t feature a Black lead until Matt James became the Bachelor this year. It promises contestants a rose-laden fantasy, yet uses controversial tactics to deliver drama to the millions who tune in.
So when The Bachelor came under fire by critics again, in its 25th season, nonviewers might have dismissed the turmoil as typical. In reality, the ABC ratings giant was undergoing a transformation—its biggest since premiering nearly 20 years ago. The trouble began when Reddit users uncovered social-media evidence that a white contestant, Rachael Kirkconnell—who ultimately won James’s season—had attended an antebellum-plantation-themed college party in 2018. The Bachelor host, Chris Harrison, defended Kirkconnell in a much-discussed interview with the first Black Bachelorette, Rachel Lindsay (now a correspondent for Extra), and drew immediate backlash. Many fans called for the host to be fired. Some questioned whether the show knew of Kirkconnell’s online history before filming and hoped it’d lead to onscreen tension with James.
Within days, Harrison issued an apology for “excusing historical racism” and said he’d be stepping aside. Though continued to air as though nothing had happened,—a huge drop from last season’s finale and far from the show’s peak of for an episode.
