The Bachelorhas struggled in recent seasons, but at this point,I’m struggling to understand how theBachelorfranchise can move forward without a complete overhaulafter what they’ve done to their recent leads and contestants. WhileThe Bacheloris one of the longest-runningreality TV dating franchises on the air, they’ve been dealing with some major backlash from viewers in recent seasons for how they’ve treated cast members. Meant to help singles find a long-lasting relationship through deep connection and fairytale romance,The Bachelorand its spin-offs,The Bachelorette, The Golden Bachelor,andThe Golden Bachelorettehave all struggled.
While some spin-offs, likeBachelor In Paradise,are created to bring cast members together and create drama alongside sometimes successful couples, others are meant to turn the fantasy of a fairytale romance into reality.The Golden Bachelorseason 1looked at mature relationships through the lens ofThe Bachelorfranchise. After production chose to position lead Gerry Turner in a certain light to make him more palatable, it was uncovered that his backstory was mostly fictional. WhileBachelorproducers have ignored other scandals, withtragic new information about Gerry’s health issues coming to light, they need to face their mistakes.
Bachelor Producers Set Gerry Turner Up For Failure
He Was Meant To Take The Fall For The Golden Bachelor Scandal
AlthoughThe Golden Bachelorwas a fascinating look into a more mature version of the standardBachelorstory,the series was meant to have a shinyBacheloroverlay to ensure that nothing on screen was ever too serious. WithGerry chosen as the leadafter a nationwide casting search,Bachelorproducers packaged the widower with aBachelor-ized story to make him seem like the perfect person. Though Gerry had been in relationships after his wife passed tragically in 2017, the series made it clear in his talking points that they wanted Gerry to appear unfailingly loyal until the show’s start.
When it came out thatGerry’s relationship history wasn’t exactly as squeaky clean as he’d saidduring hisBachelor-sanctioned press tour, the media came after the Indiana native instead of looking to the show, who’d likely developed his media strategy. Gerry was personally eviscerated by the press throughout the majority of 2024. When he spoke up abouthis tragic cancer diagnosis late in the year, it became clear that he hadn’t been the person behind building his persona onThe Golden Bachelor. Instead,Bachelorproducers set Gerry up to take the fall should anything difficult or problematic happen to him.
Bachelor Producers Have Been Dealing With Other Major Scandals
The Bachelorette & The Golden Bachelorette Casts Have Been Problematic
Although Gerry’s scandal has been one of the most confusing, there have been other issues with the most recent seasons of the franchise shows.The Bacheloretteseason 21was meant to celebrate the lead, Jenn Tran, and her heritage. As the first-ever Asian AmericanBachelorette,Jenn’s background was used as part of the introduction package for the season, but her journey quickly deteriorated after that.Jenn’s cast was curated for anotherBachelorettecandidate. It was clear that many of the men weren’t interested in her, including her eventual winner pick, Devin Strader, who was revealed to have a violent past.
20 Best Reality TV Shows Right Now
Reality TV is more popular than ever. With so many to choose from, here are some of the best reality TV shows to stream or watch right now.
While Jenn’s cast was curated for another lead,The Golden Bacheloretteseason 1 cast didn’t suffer from the same issue. However, the issues with Jenn’s winner pick, Devin, were prevalent throughout Joan Vassos’ cast. WhileDevin had a restraining orderfrom the past citing some violent behavior,two of the men on Joan’s cast were called out duringThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1 for having restraining ordersin the past. Though one of the guys, Gil Ramirez, was an early elimination for Joan, the other man with a restraining order in his past, Guy Gansert, was one of Joan’s finalists.
The Series Doesn’t Seem To Be Making Strides Forward
The Producers Have Not Answered Questions Surrounding Equality Or Change
Although there have been issues in past seasons of the shows, like the racial insensitivity shown throughout the franchise’s run,The Bachelorproducers haven’t answered for their problemsor shown any accountability for them. While the producers have publicly been asked about what they plan to do to ensure that there are changes set in place to make the series more diverse and equitable,The Bachelorproducers haven’t spoken up about their plans or seemed to make any changes to move forward. Instead,the franchise continues to make massive blunders that prove they aren’t in touchwith their viewers’ realities.
I Don’t Think Bachelor Nation Is Safe For Cast Members
They Aren’t Protecting The Leads Or Stars
WhileThe Bachelorseason 29is set to be released in the new year with Grant Ellis as the lead,I don’t think the franchise is a safe space for its cast members or leadsanymore. The series shouldn’t be continuing after throwing its leads to the wolves and allowing cast members with dangerous pasts onto the shows. While there could be things happening behind the scenes to improve the series and make it a safer space, I don’t thinkThe Bachelorproducers are doing anything to make changes in their production timelines or processes to improve cast safety.
Source:The Golden Bachelor/Instagram
The Bachelor
A captivating reality TV franchise, The Bachelor and its spin-offs follow a single man or woman as they date multiple people over several weeks, eliminating contestants along the way. The goal is to find true love, culminating in a dramatic final rose ceremony where they propose to their chosen one, blending romance and high-stakes drama.
