Movies

Grant Ellis starts his search for love as the second Black lead of ‘The Bachelor’

BBG News

I, much like Grant Ellis, am taking this opportunity as the second Black lead on “The Bachelor” in stride. My primary goal remains the same: to find genuine love and connection within this experience.

During a recent video chat, the ex-professional basketball player turned day trader expressed that his journey has been fantastic. He described it as a rollercoaster ride filled with intense emotions and numerous decisions to make. However, he concluded by saying that despite all the ups and downs, overall, it’s been a positive experience for him, with no regrets or complaints.

As a devoted film enthusiast, I can’t help but express my anticipation for the upcoming 29th season of the beloved ABC franchise, “The Bachelor.” However, this new season is more than just another installment; it stands as a significant test, potentially the most critical yet, given the ongoing criticisms of racism and cultural insensitivity that have persisted since its debut in 2002.

Critics and previous Black participants have consistently raised concerns about these issues. Despite promises from executive producers to rectify past mistakes, recent seasons have seen some missteps when handling racial matters, which has led many to question the sincerity of those pledges for improvement. This season, with Ellis in the limelight, carries an added weight of expectation and accountability.

The upcoming season of “The Bachelor” is a big deal because it’s been criticized for racial insensitivity in the past, and some recent seasons haven’t handled race well either. So, this season with Ellis as the lead is important because it’s being closely watched to see if they will do better.

Television

For Subscribers

‘The Bachelor’ producers acknowledge ‘vicious cycle’ of racism in the franchise

For several years, the people responsible for producing “The Bachelor” on ABC have remained quiet about the racial concerns that have been surrounding their reality series. However, they’ve recently decided to address these matters.

Four years following the turbulent season featuring Matt James, the initial Black Bachelor, the series encountered its most chaotic period. This turbulence was sparked by controversial photos of contestant Rachael Kirkconnell at an event themed around the antebellum South. The uproar intensified when then-host Chris Harrison defended Kirkconnell in a confrontational interview with Rachel Lindsay, a former “Bachelorette” star who was also an “Extra” correspondent at the time. This defense fueled the controversy even more and ultimately resulted in Harrison’s departure from the franchise after almost 20 years. Now, as he pursues love by dating 25 women vying to become his wife, our protagonist is embarking on a journey that follows closely in the footsteps of this tumultuous past.

Later on, James accused the all-white production team of breaking their pledge to portray him as a successful Black individual who had triumphantly surmounted numerous personal and professional hurdles. In an interview with The Times last year, executive producer Bennett Graebner admitted that the show “disappointed” Matt and acknowledged that during James’ season, resources were not yet available which later led to numerous issues.

Ellis sidestepped questions about the past struggles of the franchise and James’ season.

He did a commendable job, Matt, but the main point I want to emphasize is about my own season. It ended up being fantastic, and I’m thrilled about it. I wish him all the best in his endeavors, and I’m confident he’ll achieve great success.

On January 16th, it was announced that James and Kirkconnell, who were together following their exit from the show, have parted ways.

When asked about his response to James’ grievances, Ellis remained silent and reserved. “I followed the season closely,” he said, “but I didn’t delve into all the drama. I focused on the developing love story instead. As for any other matters, I don’t have much to add.

Graebner and fellow showrunner Claire Freeland were not available for comment.

Although “The Bachelor” and its spinoff, “The Bachelorette,” have made efforts to increase diversity among their casts, these shows haven’t entirely moved past their problematic history. Issues persist, such as instances of bullying towards contestants of color by fans within the Bachelor Nation community, allegations that producers didn’t adequately shield stars from harassment, and concerns about inadequate background checks that led to racially insensitive contestants joining the show due to past offensive social media posts.

Television

Before a scandal disrupted his season, Matt James had found the whole situation ‘annoying’ or ‘irritating.’ The writing of his memoir, titled ‘First Impressions,’ stemmed from this experience.

During the latest edition of “The Bachelorette,” featuring Jenn Tran as the main character, the criticism intensified, marking this as the first time an Asian woman was in charge of the show.

Although Graebner and Freeland praised Tran’s successful casting as a significant achievement, they noted that the progress made could have been more substantial if there had been more Asian buyers involved in the process.

The live finale suffered another setback when Tran, visibly upset, announced that Devin Strader, the man she had planned to marry, had called off their engagement a month prior to the broadcast. Strater appeared on stage shortly after, and Tran cried as clips of her happy proposal to him were replayed. Many viewers felt the show was heartless for making Tran relive her pain live on air.

It became known after the final episode that Strader was taken into custody in 2017, under allegations of breaking into his former girlfriend’s home. However, during his interview for the program, he failed to disclose this arrest.

Graebner and Freeland chose not to explain the reasons behind Strader’s arrest not being detected during the vetting process, as well as why Jodi Baskerville, who was appointed as the first Black executive producer for the franchise in 2021 following the racism scandal that affected James’ season, left during Tran’s season. They opted against providing comments on these matters.

Read More

2025-01-27 14:32

Previous post Lottie Moss Stuns in Pink Lace Ahead of ‘Celebrity Bear Hunt’ Debut
Next post Bradley Walsh’s Major Money Move: Turning The Chase into a Massive Tourist Attraction!