![]() “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 added. “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 have been these moments of relief and surprise that made it seem like things were really going to change for the better,” said Myah Genung, who has been watching the “Bachelor” franchise since she was a teenager. But multiple fans told The Times they interpreted Echard’s selection as a pointed departure from the prevailing tradition. Warner Bros., which produces the series, pointed out that several leads - including James Young’s predecessor, Katie Thurston and Juan Pablo Galavis, the first Latino Bachelor - have come from outside the pool of finalists. Television ‘The Bachelor’ franchise has an ‘identity crisis.’ Why this season could solve itįor the first time, a franchise rocked by charges of racism will have a Black lead, co-host and executive producer. Fans claim that the all-Black field of finalists from Young’s season were passed over by producers in favor of the Missouri-based Echard, a medical sales rep who was eliminated by Young in Episode 6, before seven other suitors. Instead of a happy ending, though, loyal members of Bachelor Nation are disappointed enough to threaten a boycott of the franchise.Īt issue is the selection of former football player Clayton Echard as the star of the landmark 20th anniversary season of “The Bachelor,” which premieres Jan. Such developments might have produced optimism that producers had moved beyond the racially charged scandal that clouded the most recent season of “The Bachelor,” which starred James as the flagship’s first Black male lead and ended with the departure of host Chris Harrison. Another defining moment came later in the season when the four finalists competing for Young’s affections were all Black. For the first time, a season featured a Black lead, a Black co-host - Adams - and a Black executive producer, Jodi Baskerville. This season was already a milestone for the “Bachelor” franchise.
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