The Bachelor has a Chris Harrison problem. Well, the franchise actually has a lot of issues, but Harrison, who is essentially the face of Bachelor Nation, is on the verge of imploding.
As the calls for Harrison’s resignation grew louder, Matt James, the show’s first Black Bachelor in 25 seasons, broke his silence around the controversy ahead of Monday’s new episode. James specifically mentioned Harrison’s “disturbing and painful” words that excused historical racism. Harrison apologized and announced on February 13 that he was temporarily “stepping aside” after defending the racist actions of frontrunner Rachael Kirkconnell.
“Chris’s failure to receive and understand the emotional work my friend Rachel Lindsay took on in explaining gracefully and patiently the racist history of the Antebellum South, a painful history that every American should understand well, was disturbing. and painful to watch, ”James said of Harrison’s interview AdditionalAs black people and allies immediately knew and understood, it was a clear reflection of a much bigger problem The Bachelor franchise has failed to tackle adequately for years. “
According to former Bachelor education and Bachelor in Paradise contestant Taylor Nolan, Harrison’s words are not so surprising to many in Bachelor Nation.
“I was surprised he didn’t catch himself. I was surprised that, no matter how well trained he is, he didn’t know he should probably shut up because he’s about to show himself,” the psychotherapist tells Yahoo Entertainment. . “He just brought out his truth, which many of us already know, but he has never done it so openly. At the same time, I am not amazed that he didn’t catch himself because he really believes in what he said, he really didn’t think he was saying anything wrong. He thought that was a great conversation! “
During Harrison’s conversation with Lindsay, he asked people to show Kirkconnell a little ‘grace’ after photos emerged of her attending an Antebellum party in 2018. He also said it’s not fair for people to dig into her and her parents’ voting records. . Nolan believes Harrison was “trying to defend himself in some way” in that interview. (Lindsay, who was cast as the first black lead in 2017, said something similar.)
“Who you vote for [does say something about you]’she explains.’ I think he projected on Rachael K. These are things that people in the franchise are … well aware of. That Chris is more conservative, that he is a Republican, that he is a very wealthy older white man in high position of power who has rarely, if ever, shared his power with marginalized groups of people. “
Harrison has not spoken publicly about his own political views. Yahoo reached out to its publicist for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
According to the Let’s talk about it with Taylor Nolan podcast presenter, some former non-white participants felt “a little uncomfortable with” Harrison, given his political views.
And not only because of his own personal views, or lack thereof in public, but also because he represents what the franchise represents, and the franchise does not represent the BIPOC community, does not represent the non-heteronormative community and [represents] thin beauty European standards that our mainstream culture adheres to, ”she says. Since Chris represents what the franchise represents, I think it’s part of what made this no secret to many individuals. “
A spokesperson for the Bachelor Diversity Campaign also tells Yahoo that the group was not surprised after Harrison’s comments made headlines.
“We are all fans of the show and the reason we got together is because we know it The Bachelor has a problem with race. Chris Harrison, both executive producer and face of the franchise, plays a part in this. It is sometimes coded, or in what is missing instead of what is on display, but it has always been there. Now it has only been strengthened, ‘says the group. We are also not surprised by the consequences. This has taken a long time. … as Rachel [Lindsay] said, the only thing that was surprising was Chris’s decision to speak so passionately and publicly about his rejection of racism. “
Ivan Hall, a season-long fan favorite of Tayshia Adams The bachelorette, told IS! News he won’t do it Bachelor in Paradise with Harrison as host. Former Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise star Mike Johnson believes Harrison should be “removed” from the franchise, but not canceled. Nolan believes The Bachelor franchise “can go on absolutely” without Harrison as host.
“The amount of airtime he gets, it’s not like he’s telling the whole show. I mean, before I went to the show, I’d fast forward all those conversations that people have with Chris because he wasn’t actually asking any real questions!” Nolan adds adds, but says the decision ended up with ABC and Warner Bros.
“I just think ABC and Warner Bros. should be willing to take that risk, to really change their franchise, to change the face of their franchise, to change what their franchise stands for. And it can be a tough position. its to fulfill because the very dedicated Bachelor Nation holds [Harrison]They have a very strong feeling for him. So it’s definitely a tough decision to make, but to be honest, it’s quite an easy one at the moment, ”Nolan explains.
Yahoo contacted Warner Bros. for comment on Harrison’s future, but did not receive an immediate response.
Two petitions have been filed for Change.org, one to keep Harrison and one to fire Harrison, the latter having more than double the number of signatures. But the Bachelor Diversity Campaign hopes that the important message will not get lost in ‘culture cancellation’.
“We hope you begin to understand the difference between accountability and ‘culture cancellation’, and that your apologies reflect your heartfelt remorse and openness to growth,” said a group spokesperson, speaking directly to Harrison. “If so, we encourage you to address the vast number of fans who continue to defend your defense of racism (look no further than your comments on your post!), And attack people like Rachel Lindsay, Taylor Nolan, Victoria Price and Mikayla Bartholomew from The Blckchelorettes podcast, and others, who have led these important conversations with grace.
“We hope this is a wake-up call for you. We encourage you, and The Bachelor franchise you represent, to look at the magnitude of the backlash and recognize that it wouldn’t have happened if the problem wasn’t systemic – both in your own worldview and in the way the franchise deals with race, ” says the group . ‘ We sincerely hope you do better, but it should not come at the expense of the cast, crew, staff and viewers of BIPOC, nor should you be host or executive producer within The Bachelor franchise. “
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