The Bachelor presenter Chris Harrison (right) with current series leader Matt James.
ABC
Not everything is giving roses to Chris Harrison. The longtime host of ABC’s Bachelor franchise continues to face reaction after apologizing for the comments on photos showing a current competitor of The Bachelor attending a pre-war themed plantation party.
The controversial photos evoke a painful period in American history before the Civil War ended slavery and generated a serious and profound discussion between bachelor’s and former contestants about race, representation and responsibility. A Change.org petition asking for Harrison’s removal as host of the popular dating reality show and its aftermath obtained more than 37,000 signatures on Saturday morning. And Rachel Lindsay, the first Black Bachelorette star, says she ended the franchise.
Here is all the confusion, divided.
What did Chris Harrison say (or not say)?
During an Extra interview this week with former Bachelorette star and current TV presenter Rachel Lindsay, Lindsay addressed the photos that emerged of Rachael Kirkconnell, a competitor in the 25th season of The Bachelor, which is now airing. The images show her participating in a university fraternity party with the theme of pre-war plantations in 2018.
The photos generated a strong reaction on social networks, as they evoke the racist history of the South before the Civil War. Current season star Matt James is the show’s first Black protagonist, and Kirkconnell, a 24-year-old graphic designer from Cumming, Georgia, is known to be the one he chose to marry / date / appear on the cover of The Magazine People after eliminating their field of love interests. Kirkconnell has also been accused of liking racist social media posts, including some that show Confederate flags.
Rachael Kirkconnell, shown on a date with Matt James in The Bachelor, is reportedly his vanguard.
ABC
“We all need to have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion,” said Harrison, 49, during the interview with Lindsay. “Because I saw some things online – this judge, jury and executioner thing where people are destroying this girl’s life and immersing themselves in, like, their parents, their parents’ vote history. It’s incredibly alarming to watch that. I haven’t heard it yet. Rachael talk about it. Until I really hear this woman get a chance to speak, who am I to say this? I saw a picture of her at a frat party five years ago and that’s it.
Harrison, host of The Bachelor since 2002, said that while he is not defending the party, people would not have examined an Old South party “under the same lens” in 2018 as they would in 2021, given the heightened awareness of racial inequality in middle to Black Lives Matter Movement. Lindsay, an outspoken advocate of diversity in the franchise, disagreed.
“It never looks good,” said Lindsay, emphasizing the implicit connection of the photos to slavery and degradation. “She is celebrating the old South. If I went to that party, what would it represent?” Lindsay – who hosts a Bachelor Nation podcast and sometimes makes guest appearances on the show – has since said she will not renew her franchise contract when it ends. “I’m exhausted. I really had enough,” said Lindsay in Friday’s episode of her Spotify Original Podcast Higher Learning.
How did the public react to Rachel Lindsay’s interview?
Harrison has loyal supporters who are after him criticizing the “awake police” and “cancel the culture”: “Guys, relax a little,” wrote a Twitter supporter. Another wrote: “I’m sorry that you have to apologize. I can’t believe that everyone has become so sensitive.” Still, criticism continued to grow, including on Twitter and the singles subreddit, where discussion of the controversy overshadowed all other rumors of singles for days.
Chris Harrison said we shouldn’t be judging her for going to a themed plantation party because “we weren’t as awake then as now”. Pic is from 2018.
I graduated in 2009. If I find out that one of my friends went to a party like this, I’m slapping them in the face.
– Diggy Moreland (@diggymoreland) February 11, 2021
Several high-profile competitors, including Mike Johnson, Taylor Nolan and former Bachelorette stars Tayshia Adams, Kaitlyn Bristowe and Jillian Harris, expressed disappointment with Harrison and his choice of words and asked series producers to examine the contestants more carefully . Matt James, the star of this season’s show, expressed his gratitude to Lindsay on Friday for continuing to highlight the representation and responsibility in the franchise, which fans criticized for their lack of diversity.
“I’m very grateful to have Rachel mentored me this season,” wrote James on Instagram. “Your defense of the BIPOC staff in the franchise is invaluable, I am with you and the rest of the women who advocate change and responsibility.”
The day before, almost all The Bachelor Season 25 participants, including Kirkconnell, posted the same message on social media denouncing any “advocacy of racism”.
“Any defense of racist behavior denies the lived and continued experiences of BIPOC individuals,” says the statement. “These experiences should not be explored or symbolized.”
“Rachel Lindsay continues to ‘grace’ defend individuals who identify themselves as BIPOC within this franchise,” concludes the statement. “Just because she is speaking louder does not mean that she is alone. We support her, listen to her and advocate for change alongside her.”
The 16th season men of The Bachelorette – which preceded Matt James’ season of The Bachelor and featured two consecutive protagonists, including Adams, who is black – also released a statement “denouncing racist behavior and any defense against him.”
“We had the opportunity to be part of one of the most diverse casts in the franchise’s history,” says the statement. “The addition of more people who identify themselves as BIPOC opened the debate about race, community and who we are as people. A conversation that was already very necessary.”
Did Chris Harrison apologize?
He has. On Wednesday, he posted an apology on social media.
“For my Bachelor Nation family – I will always recognize a mistake when I make one, so I’m here to apologize sincerely,” he said. “I have this incredible platform to talk about love, and yesterday I took a position on topics that I should be better informed of.”
“Although I don’t speak for Rachael Kirkconnell, my intentions were simply to ask for grace in offering her an opportunity to speak on her own behalf,” he continued. “What I now realize I did was cause harm by speaking incorrectly in a way that perpetuates racism, and for that I deeply apologize. I also apologize to my friend Rachel Lindsay for not hearing her better about a subject she has to understand first. and humbly thank the Bachelor Nation members who came to me to take responsibility. I promise to do better. “
Bachelor Nation, for those who don’t follow the reality show franchise, refers to fans and former participants in the old romance program. You do not need a visa to visit the single nation, just a TV or computer. Bachelor Nation is known for his vocal presence on social media, where weekly episodes trigger a fun series of memes and jokes that can receive thousands of likes and comments. Reactions to the show’s drama and fast-paced relationships are often funny and sarcastic, and that tone has infiltrated Harrison’s public treatment this week. Most of the discussion has a dark tone, however.
Kirkconnell, for his part, presented his own apology, saying that “I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist. I am sorry to the communities and individuals that my actions have harmed and offended. I am ashamed of my lack of education, but it is not nobody’s responsibility to educate me. “
“I deserve to be held responsible for my actions,” she concluded. “I will never grow up unless I acknowledge that what I did is wrong. I don’t think an apology means I deserve your forgiveness, but I hope I can deserve it through my future actions.”