1Reagan – TCS – 1×1 (1) copy

How Long Should A Woman Wait For A Ring Before Walking Away?

Dating

Entertainment

Reagan Conrad

Relationships

Television

The Bachelor

TikTok

Woke Culture

Colton Underwood, the former lead of &#8220;The Bachelor&#8221; who later came out as gay, laughed with his husband on their podcast about how their newborn son &#8220;doesn&#8217;t have a mother.&#8221;
Underwood is married to Democratic strategist Jordan Brown. The pair adopted a baby boy a month ago using an egg donor and a surrogate, and they <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@coltonunderwood/video/7431651810730937642?_r=1&amp;_t=8r0on7DUFZf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">talk</a> about that process and parenthood on their &#8220;Daddyhood&#8221; podcast, which says it is &#8220;humanizing the fertility journey.&#8221;
&#8220;He&#8217;s our son and he doesn&#8217;t have a mother,&#8221; Brown said as Underwood finished the sentence with him and the two laughed.
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@coltonunderwood/video/7431651810730937642" data-video-id="7431651810730937642">
<section><a title="@coltonunderwood" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@coltonunderwood?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@coltonunderwood</a> He has two dads 🥰 @Daddyhood Podcast <a title="♬ original sound - Colton Underwood" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7431651776719309610?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ original sound &#8211; Colton Underwood</a></section>
</blockquote>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
&#8220;I think that is something, if I could scream it from the rooftop, I would,&#8221; Underwood said. &#8220;Our child has two dads, and he does not have a mother.&#8221;
Brown held the one-month-old and fed him a bottle as they went on to discuss comments people make about the baby.
&#8220;Sometimes it&#8217;s rude and disrespectful and again, other times it isn&#8217;t. Some people don&#8217;t know,&#8221; Brown said. &#8220;There are comments sometimes of, this child was ripped away its mom.&#8221;
&#8220;Not the truth,&#8221; Underwood said.
&#8220;Not at all,&#8221; Brown continued. &#8220;We made Bishop because there was an egg donor who is a separate person from the incredible woman who carried him who was our surrogate, and by the way, neither of them feels in their heart like he&#8217;s their child.&#8221;
&#8220;The term we use is he has an egg donor,&#8221; Underwoods said. &#8220;He doesn&#8217;t have a biological mom. He had an egg donor, and he had a surrogate that brought him into this world.&#8221;
Most of the podcast&#8217;s episodes get a few hundred, sometimes a few thousand views.
Underwood was previously accused of stalking his ex-girlfriend from The Bachelor, who claimed he planted a tracking device on her car. She filed a restraining order against him.
Surrogacy has become a highly controversial practice in recent years.
Critics argue that surrogacy is unethical since it creates a pregnancy with the intention of separating the child from its mother immediately upon birth. Many celebrities including Kim and Khloe Kardashian and Paris Hilton have used surrogates to carry their children.
Critics also argue that surrogacy exploits low-income women who may agree to carry a child for the money, which can be $100,000 or more. Surrogacy is also loosely regulated in some areas, which critics say leaves women and children vulnerable.

Baby2Baby 10-Year Gala Presented By Paul Mitchell – Cocktails

Former ‘Bachelor’ Laughs With Husband That Newborn Son ‘Doesn’t Have A Mother’

Former 'Bachelor' Laughs With Husband That Newborn Son 'Doesn't Have A Mother'

Hollywood

LGBT

LGBTQ

Surrogacy

Former “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/the-bachelor">Bachelor</a>” star Clayton Echard is discussing his feelings about winning a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lawsuit">paternity case</a> brought about by a previously unidentified woman, who is now known to be Laura Owens. 
Owens claimed the 31-year-old reality star fathered her twins during a one-night stand, which he denied. 
“At the end of the day, I don&#8217;t want her to do this ever again to anybody else&#8230; I think she&#8217;s shown no signs of stopping,” Echard told <a href="https://people.com/former-bachelor-clayton-echard-speaks-out-after-winning-paternity-case-exclusive-8665799">People</a>. “I mean, I was victim number four that we know of, and so we felt that especially when somebody commits a crime, they should have to face legal repercussions for doing so.”
“Accountability needs to be had,” he said. “It felt odd that this has been going on for a year and just now it&#8217;s I guess ended. It was very exciting though, and I was excited to go talk to the other victims and let them know as well.”
Court documents obtained by the outlet confirmed that Arizona Judge Julia Ann Mata found Owens “knowingly presented a false claim, knowingly violated a court order compelling disclosure or discovery.”
“[Owens] acted unreasonably when she initiated litigation without basis or merit,” the documents continued. “Without an authentic ultrasound, sonogram, physical examination, and in conjunction with a belief she passed tissue in July 2023, the Court finds the underlying Petition premature at best. At worst, however, fraudulent and made to incite communication, a relationship, or both, with the [Echard].”
Owens had been accused of similar behavior in the past. The court “determined that Laura Owens has a pattern of similar, if not identical behavior, and court involvement.&#8221;
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Owens claimed Echard got her pregnant after they had a one-night stand, but Echard told <a href="https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/9120018/bachelor-clayton-echard-ex-paternity-test-pregnant-twins/">The Sun</a> they never had sexual intercourse. The plaintiff further claimed Echard was refusing to take a paternity test. The reality star shared photos of receipts last year which appeared to indicate he had taken the test. 
Echard noted that he had the support of his family throughout the process.
“I mean, in a weird way, this has been the last year of my life — and not that I wanted to ever go through this — but it almost became a part of my identity for all the wrong reasons and not what I ever wanted it to be. But it&#8217;s weird to navigate forward now and say, ‘Okay, I&#8217;ll just put this behind me,’” he said, per People. 
“Of course that&#8217;s what I want to do, but it feels like so many emotions are wrapped up,” Echard continued. “And I think now I just have to be able to take the time to finally break this down in my own head and come to terms with all that&#8217;s occurred.”

Clayton Echard

Former ‘Bachelor’ Star Speaks Out After Winning Paternity Lawsuit

'The Bachelor' Star Speaks Out After Winning Paternity Lawsuit

Celebrities

Reality TV

U.S.

Chris Harrison, the former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/television">host</a> of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/the-bachelor">The Bachelor</a>,” said that leaving the show ultimately had a positive impact on his life.
The 52-year-old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">celeb</a> referred to his tenure on the long-running dating reality show as both a “blessing and a curse” during an appearance on the “Trading Secrets” <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/chris-harrison-pt-2-bts-of-life-during-after-hosting/id1556286270?i=1000639649048">podcast</a>, which is hosted by “The Bachelorette” contestant Jason Tartick. 
 Harrison parted ways with “The Bachelor” after 19 years of hosting the series following a controversy stemming from his defense of a contestant against accusations of racism. 
&#8220;I still look at this as a blessing in my life. It was hard at first, obviously, it wasn&#8217;t immediate where I felt great about everything because what I went through was tumultuous. I don’t wish it on anybody,&#8221; Harrison said, mentioning how the backlash to the controversy was &#8220;horrifying on a lot of levels&#8221; and &#8220;something that I pray to God my worst enemy never goes through.&#8221;
“But, with that said, I knew I had to remove myself from what became a very toxic situation, and I did, and that was a very difficult situation,&#8221; he added. 
&#8220;I&#8217;m proud of that decision. I’m proud that I handled it the way I did and I still look at it as a blessing because it changed my life on so many levels,&#8221; he told Tartick. &#8220;Financially, of course. It changed my life. It changed my kids&#8217; lives.&#8221;
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&#8220;It was a blessing. It changed my life, but at the same time, I can also be grateful that I’m gone. That’s a relationship I don’t need to be in anymore because it wasn’t healthy,&#8221; Harrison said, asserting that he would “never” return to “The Bachelor.”
Harrison was attacked for defending Season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell when she was facing backlash for attending an Antebellum-themed party in her past. 
“The picture was from 2018 at an Old South Antebellum party. That’s not a good look,” former contestant Rachel Lindsay told Harrison during an interview with “Extra” in February 2021.
“Is it [not] a good look in 2018, or is it not a good look in 2021?” Harrison replied.
He said that the audience should “have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion” for Kirkconnell attending a party in 2018 when social etiquette was very different. These comments led to extreme backlash and eventually to Harrison resigning as the show’s host and issuing a formal apology.

Chris Harrison

Chris Harrison Said He’s ‘Grateful’ To Have Left ‘The Bachelor’: ‘Had To Remove Myself’ From ‘Toxic Situation’

Chris Harrison Said He's 'Grateful' To Have Left 'The Bachelor': 'Had To Remove Myself' From 'Toxic Situation'

Former “Bachelor” host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities">Chris Harrison</a> is reflecting on his exit from the long-running ABC reality show.
The TV personality was a staple on “The Bachelor” from the show’s start in 2002 until his alleged <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/racism">racist</a> remarks forced him to resign from his position in June 2021. Harrison discussed the aftermath during a Monday <a href="http://go.nypost.com/?id=93051X1547088&amp;isjs=1&amp;jv=15.3.0-stackpath&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fnypost.com%2F2023%2F01%2F09%2Fchris-harrison-i-had-deteriorated-was-stalked-after-bachelor-exit%2F&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fpodcasts.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fthe-most-dramatic-podcast-ever-with-chris-harrison%2Fid1660482287&amp;xs=1&amp;xtz=300&amp;xuuid=91fc70fdef1e45ddf4cff2652881e682&amp;xcust=xid%3Afr1673366390517fcj&amp;xjsf=other_click__contextmenu%20%5B2%5D">episode</a> of his new podcast, “The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever.” 
“I lost 20 pounds. I didn’t sleep, I didn’t eat,” the 51-year-old TV star said of that time in his life. “It was just one gut-punch after the other, and mentally and physically I deteriorated pretty bad.”
Harrison was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bachelor-host-apologizes-for-perpetuating-racism-after-asking-for-grace-for-embattled-contestant">eviscerated</a> for defending Season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell when she was facing backlash for attending an Antebellum-themed party in her past. 
“The picture was from 2018 at an Old South Antebellum party. That’s not a good look,” former contestant Rachel Lindsay told Harrison during an interview with “Extra” in February 2021.
“Is it [not] a good look in 2018, or is it not a good look in 2021?” Harrison replied.
He said that the audience should “have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion” for Kirkconnell attending a party in 2018 when social etiquette was very different. But those opinions were enough to inspire calls for his firing and eventually led Harrison to resign and issue a formal apology. His reputation never recovered.
“I was heartbroken. I was gutted,” he explained on the podcast episode. “I was embarrassed. I was mad at myself. I was disappointed in myself. The last thing in the world I ever wanted to do was be an agent of anything negative — whether it had to do with race or anything.”
The former “Bachelor” host said people were following him around and parking outside his house for weeks after the remarks. “I would sneak down the hill of my house through my neighbor’s backyard and my buddy would pick me up,” Harrison recalled.
He also noted that his apology didn’t seem to make any difference in public perception. 
“My name became synonymous with this political, lightning-in-a-bottle moment,” he said, noting how both left-learning and right-leaning individuals commented on the situation.
Harrison said his formal apology was “warranted,” yet ineffective. 
“I had no problem putting out that first apology,” he said. “But there was just so much noise at the time, it just didn’t matter. Apologies didn’t matter.”
“Even after that apology, we were still at ground zero,&#8221; Harrison continued. &#8220;It was confusing and it was scary.”
While the longtime host said he hasn’t been tuning in to “The Bachelor” since his exit, he swears there are no hard feelings on his end. 
“I will forever be grateful,” he says of his career-making hosting gig.

ABC Television’s Winter Press Tour 2020 – Arrivals

Chris Harrison Details How Life ‘Deteriorated’ After Leaving ‘The Bachelor’ For Alleged Racist Remark

Chris Harrison Details How Life 'Deteriorated' After Leaving 'The Bachelor' For Alleged Racist Remark

Racism

I will confess, I have never watched an episode of The Bachelor. Perhaps that’s why, when friends described to me the events that took place on the popular ABC dating show earlier this month and the debate that followed, I wondered at the levels of degradation our culture has sunk to over the decades that we believe there’s something to legitimately argue over.
The details, sordid and tawdry, are thus: This season’s man-on-a-romantic-mission, Clayton Echard, had sex with all three women he invited on “fantasy suite” dates to Iceland. He also claimed to be “in love” with each of them. (This is a man who takes the Stephen Stills lyrics “love the one you’re with” far too much to heart.)
To Echard’s annoyance, one of the women, Susie Evans, objected to this state of, ahem, affairs. When she voiced her complaints, he promptly kicked her to the curb.
A bit of online digging revealed that the discussion that followed among the largely female fan base known as “Bachelor Nation” wasn’t over how big a cad Echard was to sleep with multiple women. Instead, it was about whether Evans should have informed him up front that she had some bizarre hang up over sharing her body with someone who’d already been sharing his body with two other bodies.
Former Bachelor contestant and Bachelorette star Kaitlyn Bristowe brushed the issue off as a matter of trying people on, as one tries on a pair of shoes, to see if they’re comfortable.
“When you’re in that position,” she said about the episode on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kaitlynbristowe/">Instagram</a>, “you are making a life-altering decision. You genuinely fall in love with more [than one] person, so why would you not be intimate with more than one person and when you’re trying to find the person to spend the rest of your life with? Why do we judge so hard on this?”
For the male analysis, former Bachelor star Jesse Palmer (who has since become a Bachelor host since Chris Harrison was fired for insufficient wokeness) also went with the Cinderella slipper defense on Echard’s behalf, telling <a href="https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/the-bachelor-jesse-palmerclayton-susie-fantasy-suite-breakup-1235202489/">Variety</a> that there have been “multiple Bachelors and Bachelorettes who have slept with three people on their seasons.”
Oh, well. That’s all fine then.
Palmer went on to say, “In general, sexual compatibility in any relationship is extremely important. And in a situation like this when the stakes are so high and there’s an expectation that someone is going to be getting down on one knee and you’re going to be living with one person the rest of your life, you do have to explore and discover that.”
Because what girl doesn’t want to hear that a man needed to sleep with multiple other women to confirm that she was the one for him?
The most debasing part of this episode is that, of course, Echard was not in love with any of the women. Such language is the fig leaf those who know nothing of authentic attachment cling to in a bid to cover their vapid inability to understand deeper emotions. And on some level, Evans — who, it in an epic plot twist, debased herself by contacting Echard again and landing him in the end — must know it.
While there were cases of specific, legitimate abuse, much of the unspoken fury that came out of the MeToo movement seemed to stem more from a society that shamed women for expecting some measure of exclusivity and relationship with sex.  The Cosmo era of Second Wave feminism that insisted women could and should freely fornicate with no expectations of relationship or caring unleashed the rage that has reverberated over the last few years.
This kind of feminism, which rejects innate sex differences, ultimately devalues women because it teaches men that they don’t have any unique obligation to act as their protectors. Indeed, they are invited to act as predators. As Echard did.
While the free love plays out on TV, in the real world, many young women are increasingly waking up to the bad bargain this kind of empowerment has offered them.
As one Gen Z’er named Katie told <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/madeleineholden/gen-z-sex-positivity">Buzzfeed</a> last year:
<blockquote>“It feels like we were tricked into exploiting ourselves [and] tricked into thinking it was our idea. I would say I gathered this mostly from media, Sex and the City, Girls — HBO somehow did a number on me — books, social media… You read a lot about [sex positivity] on Tumblr, you read a lot about it on Twitter when you were in high school, [and] it gets really ingrained in your brain that you need to be comfortable having sex with someone you’re not committed to. I think in my feeble 18-year-old mind, it was probably not what I needed to hear.”</blockquote>
Katie finished by saying that the “sex positivity” movement now strikes her as a cross between a “male conspiracy and a cynical marketing ploy.”
“I really think it’s overlord men, somehow,” she told the outlet. “There’s always a Don Draper behind it.”
She&#8217;s right. And in this case, for the millions of young women who make Bachelor Nation, the Don Draper is ABC.
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Bachelor

The Bachelor’s Menage A Trois Reveals The Wages Of Feminism

Readers Pass

Former “Bachelor” star Colton Underwood just announced he’s getting married. The 30-year-old reality star shared news of his engagement to boyfriend, political strategist Jordan C. Brown, exclusively to <a href="https://people.com/tv/colton-underwood-engaged-to-jordan-c-brown/">People</a> on Monday.
The “Bachelor” alum came out as gay in April 2021.
&#8220;After my birthday, Jordan and I went to Big Sur for a weekend getaway to decompress and relax in nature,&#8221; Underwood told People in the interview. &#8220;I couldn&#8217;t have pictured a more beautiful place to celebrate an amazing milestone in my life and relationship.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m extremely happy! 2021 was the most transformative year of my life,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Starting 2022 off with my best friend, teammate and now fiancé is something I never thought was going to be possible.&#8221;
Underwood and Brown both shared news of their engagement on their social media pages.
&#8220;The only time in my life I&#8217;m ok with wasting a bottle of champagne. I love you babe,&#8221; Brown wrote alongside an image of the couple spraying a champagne bottle in celebration.
The “Bachelor” star documented his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-have-white-privilege-bachelor-alum-colton-underwood-addresses-backlash-against-new-series-coming-out-colton">coming out story</a> in the Netflix series “Coming Out Colton” in December. Later, he issued an apology for allegedly exhibiting “white privilege” by being part of the project.
“I see the criticism,” Underwood said during an interview on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. “I know that people are upset that I have white privilege and I got a series after coming out.”
The “Bachelor” star admitted that his status may have affected how the public received his big announcement. 
“I couldn’t imagine what it’s like to be someone from an underprivileged area to have to come out, and not only risk losing their football [career] but risk losing a house and food and money,” Underwood said. “I never wanted to compare my trauma to anybody else. I just wanted to get my side out there and my story out there, to say, ‘Hey, this is what I’ve been through.&#8217;”
Meanwhile, critics saw “Coming Out Colton” as a ruthless money grab that just capitalized on the star’s popularity. 
“It’s all so calculated,” Esquire writer Justin Kirkland said while reviewing the series. “[The series] moves too fast, refuses to get deep, and breezes over the fact that no actual drama unfolds—which, by the way, is a good thing for real lives.”
He also mentioned that “Coming Out Colton” could be a feeble attempt to rehabilitate Underwood’s image, which suffered after &#8220;Bachelor&#8221; filming concluded. The former professional football player picked Cassie Randolph to receive the final rose during the “Bachelor” finale in 2019. Then in September 2020, Randolph filed a restraining order against Underwood, claiming he had put a tracking device on her car.
“He has used this journey for personal gain, quick wealth, and celebrity,” the writer concluded. Underwood said he’s known he was gay for a long time, including during his time on “The Bachelor,” and was just too scared to tell anyone. 
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‘Bachelor’ Alum Colton Underwood Announces Engagement To Jordan C. Brown

Each season of “The Bachelor” is dramatic, but usually it’s the contestants fighting amongst themselves. That’s what makes the newest season unique as main man Clayton Echard is facing a whole new challenge: Multiple women aren’t interested in him.
The first episode aired Monday and showed two women drop out of the contest. First, contestant Salley Carson shared that she had previously been engaged and wasn’t sure if she was emotionally ready to seek a new relationship. To make matters worse, “The Bachelor” filming dates happened to coincide with her canceled wedding.
&#8220;It was supposed to be my wedding day,&#8221; Salley said, <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/new-bachelor-off-to-rough-start-as-one-contestant-denies-his-rose-and-another-hated-him-065627233.html">according to</a> Yahoo News. &#8220;I didn&#8217;t know it&#8217;d be so hard to be here today. Like, I just want to be with my family. The reality of it is, ever since I&#8217;ve been here, I&#8217;ve been an emotional wreck, and it sucks. Like, I want to be excited. I&#8217;m sure all the girls here are excited. But it&#8217;s hard to get in that mindset of like, hey, I can do this. So I need to talk to Clayton, and that&#8217;s scary because he doesn&#8217;t know I&#8217;m coming.”
Clayton accepted Salley’s admission and said he was still interested in keeping her around. The “Bachelor” star even offered to give the former fiancee the first rose of the season to help convince her to stay. 
But that move would become Clayton’s first rejection of the evening. Ultimately, Salley decided to quit her quest for the football star’s heart before it even began. She said, &#8220;Here&#8217;s the thing. I know we both felt that connection. And I really like you. I want to accept that rose. But my heart is just not in the place where I can. And I feel so bad about that. My heart&#8217;s just not ready. I&#8217;m so sorry.”
Next, the “Bachelor” star admitted that he didn’t handle rejection well. 
&#8220;That was tough,” he said. “The first rose that I have given out as the Bachelor was rejected. One of my biggest fears is being rejected, and it&#8217;s important for me to understand that love is a two-way street. Even though I&#8217;m the Bachelor, I still have to win the hearts over of these women. I&#8217;m just hoping that what I give I can receive back. So I&#8217;m scared that this is how it&#8217;s gonna be. This is not the way that I was hoping to start my journey to find love.&#8221;
The hits kept coming for Clayton as the night went on. Next, contestant Claire Heilig decided to leave when she realized the leading man was a bit too nice for her. 
&#8220;It was a catastrophe,&#8221; Claire explained during the interview. &#8220;I beat his a** in cornhole and then the girl walked up and was like, &#8216;Hey can I steal you?&#8217; And I was like, &#8216;Go. He sucks.'&#8221;
She continued, &#8220;I can&#8217;t be with, like, America&#8217;s sweetheart. I hated him.&#8221;
And they aren’t the only ones who took issue with Clayton. Many Bachelor Nation fans were disappointed that producers picked him as the next Bachelor rather than making the show more diverse, which they’d been striving toward in previous seasons. 
“There have been these moments of relief and surprise that made it seem like things were really going to change for the better,” Bachelor Nation fan Myah Genung told the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2021-12-21/the-bachelorette-2021-finale-michelle-young-clayton-echard">LA Times</a> after learning they&#8217;d picked a white man and not a black man. “But that has been immediately followed by disappointment and a reversal to the status quo, where there are glaring signs that they’re privileging white men.”
With record low viewership numbers on the last season of “The Bachelorette,” it would make sense for producers to ramp up the drama and inspire more fans to tune in. That could lead to more rejection for Clayton, especially now that he admitted how difficult it is for him.

2022 Rose Parade

‘I Hated Him’: New ‘Bachelor’ Clayton Echard Faces Rejection By Two Contestants On The First Night

The end of Michelle Young’s season of “The Bachelorette” is still fresh in everyone’s minds, but fans have already moved on to discussing the next season of the “Bachelor” franchise, which will debut in January. Some viewers, however, are not thrilled that producers chose Clayton Echard as the leading man. 
Young’s season was unique for a few reasons. The most recent installment of “The Bachelorette” was the first season without Chris Harrison as host. The long-time “Bachelor” mainstay got booted from the ABC show after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bachelor-host-chris-harrison-bashes-cancel-culture">defending</a> contestant Rachael Kirkconnell for having attended an Antebellum-themed party in college. Despite a gushing apology, Harrison was replaced by former contestants Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe for Young’s season.
And in the end, Young, who is black, got engaged to Texas sales executive Nayte Olukoya, who is also black. There have been black leads in the past (Rachel Lindsay, Tayisha Adams, and Matt James), but ultimately they always selected white contestants for the final rose. 
The franchise has been stepping up their efforts for diversity after a lot of external pressure. But some fans are saying their efforts are not enough. Because Young’s top finalists were all black, they’re claiming the next Bachelor should be black, too. Echard was eliminated from the competition back in episode 6. 
&#8220;There have been these moments of relief and surprise that made it seem like things were really going to change for the better,” Bachelor Nation fan Myah Genung told the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2021-12-21/the-bachelorette-2021-finale-michelle-young-clayton-echard">LA Times</a>. “But that has been immediately followed by disappointment and a reversal to the status quo, where there are glaring signs that they’re privileging white men.”
“There were these fantastic Black men at the end for Michelle, but it’s as clear as day that producers don’t want this to be known as ‘the Black show,’” Genung continued. “All of the energy that we as a Black fan base have put in wanting this show to change and be better has been for naught. Michelle’s season has been wonderful to watch, but I’m definitely not going to watch Clayton’s season.”
The publication also spoke with Diane Castro, a corporate communications executive who had similar sentiments. She said, “After what happened with Matt’s season, the Black Lives Matter movement and the pledges for change, to revert to the old formula is very disappointing. It’s infuriating that the ‘Bachelor’ house still looks like Barbie’s beach house circa 1975.”
And fans pointed to “The Bachelorette” having its lowest premiere ever with 3 million viewers during Young’s season as being a likely culprit for not casting another black lead. One fan said not all Bachelor Nation fans are interested in “diverse love stories.” That lack of viewership is seen as a reason to stop focusing on diversity. “I don’t see them returning to a Black lead like Michelle or Matt for a very long time,” longtime fan Ashley Tabron told the Times.
Beyond just having a black lead and contestants, Young’s season of “The Bachelorette” had a heavy focus on issues relating to racial equality.
Season 26 of “The Bachelor” with Clayton Echard premieres on ABC January 3.

102.7 KIIS FM’s Jingle Ball 2021 Presented By Capital One – Arrivals

‘Bachelor’ Fans Say It’s ‘Infuriating’ That The Next Bachelor Isn’t Black — ‘They’re Privileging White Men’

Bachelorette

Not everyone is thrilled with the new Netflix series “Coming Out Colton,” which premiered on the streaming service earlier in December. While some fans are excited to learn more about Underwood’s post-&#8220;Bachelor&#8221; life, especially after going public with boyfriend Jordan C. Brown, others say the new series only seeks to exploit the reality star’s popularity and highlights his “white privilege.”
“I see the criticism,” Underwood said during an interview on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. “I know that people are upset that I have white privilege and I got a series after coming out.”
The 29-year-old originally became popular as a contestant on Becca Kufrin’s season of “The Bachelorette.” After coming in fourth place, Underwood was offered his own season of “The Bachelor.” The former professional football player chose Cassie Randolph in the “Bachelor” finale in 2019. In September 2020, Randolph filed a restraining order against Underwood, claiming he had put a tracking device on her car. 
And then in April, Underwood came out publicly during a segment on Good Morning America, citing the restraining order as a “huge wake-up call.”
He described making the decision to come out, telling <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/pictures/colton-underwood-responds-to-criticism-of-his-netflix-show/">US Weekly</a>, “I’m sad that it even got to that point to where that had to be my wake-up call and me affecting other people in my life was sort of the moment that I realized I had to come out. Obviously, I wish I would have had the courage to come out without having to be pushed.”
The “Bachelor” star also recalls being worried about being found out as gay. &#8220;I was very, very concerned and very worried,&#8221; Underwood said. &#8220;I did hear a rumor that one of the producers ended up finding out that I did hook up with a man, but kept it secret or took care of it, I don&#8217;t know. I can&#8217;t verify that. Obviously, that was terrifying too.&#8221;
He went on to explain that even though he found some of the show’s producers “attractive,” he never acted on feelings. &#8220;I was so good at compartmentalizing my life,&#8221; Underwood explained
Later, the “Bachelor” star confessed that his status may have affected how the public received his big announcement. 
&#8220;I couldn&#8217;t imagine what it&#8217;s like to be someone from an underprivileged area to have to come out, and not only risk losing their football [career] but risk losing a house and food and money,&#8221; Underwood said. &#8220;I never wanted to compare my trauma to anybody else. I just wanted to get my side out there and my story out there, to say, &#8216;Hey, this is what I&#8217;ve been through.'&#8221;
Meanwhile, “Coming Out Colton” has been criticized as being a farce that only seeks to make money. 
“It&#8217;s all so calculated,” Esquire writer Justin Kirkland <a href="https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a38392229/netflix-colton-underwood-coming-out-review/">said</a> of the series. “[The series] moves too fast, refuses to get deep, and breezes over the fact that no actual drama unfolds—which, by the way, is a good thing for real lives.”
Kirkland also accuses Underwood of using his experience of coming out to both rehabilitate his reputation in the wake of the stalking allegations and stay relevant in the quick-changing realm of reality TV.
“He has used this journey for personal gain, quick wealth, and celebrity,” the writer said.

Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Sports 2019 – Red Carpet

‘I Have White Privilege’: Bachelor Alum Colton Underwood Addresses Backlash Against New Series ‘Coming Out Colton’

Rachael Kirkconnell, the Bachelor contestant who launched a woke controversy that eventually resulted in the ousting of long-time host Chris Harrison, has given her first post-show interview about the photo that started it all.
During her time on the series, critics slammed Kirkconnell for an Instagram post that showed her at an antebellum-themed fraternity party three years before, claiming it was proof of racism. When Harrison tried to defend Kirkconnell, saying standards were different in 2018 and asking viewers to give her grace, he, too, came under fire.
Former-Bachelorette-turned-entertainment correspondent Rachel Lindsey then <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/reality-tv-can-serve-a-purpose-but-last-week-it-failed">accused</a> Harrison of racial insensitivity and, despite his several apologies, said ABC made the right decision in replacing him as host.
Now, in her first interview since the show ended and Harrison exited, Kirkconnell says she agrees that her decision to take a photo dressed as a Southern belle was racist and she’s “ashamed” to have participated.
&#8220;I saw the full antebellum-themed plantation party, everyone dressed as Confederate soldiers, the parades and when [my friend] was telling me, &#8216;Oh, this is how it is at some schools,&#8217; I&#8217;m like so ashamed that I basically participated in that unknowingly because I&#8217;m sitting here in my own little privileged, selfish world just thinking, &#8216;Oh, we just put dresses on to go take a photo op,’&#8221; she told hosts Michelle Saahene and Melissa DePino on an Instagram Live for their channel “From Privilege to Progress.”
Later, Kirkconnell claimed that she didn’t actually attend the “Old South” party, but simply took a photo for it, saying, &#8220;It was nothing more than an Instagram opportunity and how terrible is that?&#8221;
Using terminology popularized by the left-wing professor Ibram X. Kendi, Kirkconnell also said that the criticism has taught her the difference between being “not racist” and being “anti-racist.”
<blockquote>I guess that&#8217;s the first time my eyes opened about &#8216;OK, there&#8217;s a difference between being not racist and anti-racist, because back then if you would have asked me, &#8216;Are you a racist person,&#8217; I would be like, &#8216;Of course, I&#8217;m not,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I would never, ever, ever judge someone by their skin color or be prejudiced towards them or racist towards them like that.&#8221; 
You can obviously be overtly, openly racist, but you can also be or have implicit bias and these racial tendencies within you that you don&#8217;t even know about, or you can be racially ignorant, and that&#8217;s probably the first time I had realized that and I think the peak for me was last summer during the movements after George Floyd – that&#8217;s when I realized, &#8216;OK, I need to do more than just not be racist.’</blockquote>
At the time of the controversy, people also criticized Kirkconnell’s parents for allegedly supporting former President Donald Trump. So it was significant that she finished the interview by revealing that she no longer speaks to &#8220;certain family members anymore because that was probably the first time in my life I realized I need to stop standing aside and I need to speak up and do something.&#8221;
Kirkconnell did not identify who the family members are or offer any further context for why she has chosen to disassociate from them.

2021 ESPY Awards – Arrivals

Rachael Kirkconnell Insists Her Bachelor Cancellation Was Warranted, Says She No Longer Speaks To ‘Certain Family Members’

Cancel Culture

Ratings for the first full season of a “Bachelor” show without canceled host Chris Harrison are in, and they’re some of the lowest in franchise history.
According to <a href="https://deadline.com/2021/06/abc-tops-monday-chris-harrison-the-bachelorette-premiere-the-good-doctor-finale-1234771413/">Deadline</a>, the first episode of this year’s “Bachelorette” run premiered to record-low viewership for the franchise. “Although the Season 17 premiere bowed to 3.59M viewers and a 0.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic, per early Nielsen Live+Same Day numbers,” the outlet reported, “it marked the lowest premiere in the series’ history.” By contrast, the October 2020 premiere of the 16th season of “The Bachelorette” drew 4.76 million viewers.
And things have only gotten worse from there.
Episode two of the once-dominant reality dating show dropped to 3.2 million viewers, <a href="https://tvline.com/2021/06/15/tv-ratings-celebrity-dating-game-republic-of-sarah/">coming in</a> second to a rerun of the CBS sitcom “Neighborhood.” Overall, this season is down more than 20% in total viewership and 30% in the younger demographic bracket most coveted among advertisers. Yet the only significant change is the host. In Harrison’s absence, “Bachelorette” alums Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe have shared the gig.
As The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-bachelors-chris-harrison-still-cancelled-wont-be-hosting-summer-series">reported</a>, left-wing critics attacked Harrison after he suggested that fans should reconsider canceling a contestant for a past that included attending an antebellum-themed fraternity party, once wearing a Native American-style outfit to a costume party and &#8220;liking&#8221; a friend’s Instagram selfie with an easy-to-miss Confederate flag in the background.
“We all need to have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion. Because I have seen some stuff online — this judge, jury, executioner thing where people are just tearing this girl’s life apart and diving into, like, her parents, her parents’ voting record. It’s unbelievably alarming to watch this,” Harrison said in February of contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, adding that he is not the &#8220;woke police.&#8221;
These mild remarks, which Harrison later <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chris-harrison-ive-been-working-with-a-race-educator-since-leaving-the-bachelor">apologized</a> for, landed his head on the chopping block. A social media mob, fueled in part by outrage from former-participant-turned-entertainment-reporter Rachael Lindsay (who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bachelorette-star-bashes-host-for-refusing-to-jump-in-on-cancel-culture-says-she-cant-accept-apology-yet">said</a> she was glad to see Harrison off the show), demanded his ouster.
“Chris has stepped aside, which I think is the right decision because, like he said, he needs to take time to get educated and on a profound and productive level to use his word,” Lindsay said at the time. “And I think he needs to understand what was done, what was wrong, and what he said in that interview, and he needs time. He’s stepped away to do that.”
When it became clear that ABC was never going to reinstate him to his previous role, Harrison left the show with a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-chris-harrison-booted-from-bachelor-hosting-gig">reported</a> eight-figure payout.
On the day his departure was announced, the 49-year-old Dallas native released a statement to Instagram, saying, “I&#8217;ve had a truly incredible run as host of The Bachelor franchise and now I&#8217;m excited to start a new chapter. I&#8217;m so grateful to Bachelor Nation for all of the memories we&#8217;ve made together. While my two-decade journey is wrapping up, the friendships I&#8217;ve made will last a lifetime.”
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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