“The Bachelor” franchise is not any stranger to controversy, and after being embroiled in race-related scandals lately, the ABC relationship present addressed a contestant controversy head-on in its newest episode.
Greer Blitzer is a contestant on the present season of “The Bachelor,” starring Zach Shallcross. Earlier than the season premiered, Reddit customers found earlier tweets from 2016 the place Blitzer defended carrying blackface. The fact star apologized on her personal social media in January for the racially insensitive tweets, however the present hadn’t addressed the controversy till now.
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On Tuesday’s episode of “The Bachelor: Girls Inform All,” host Jesse Palmer put Blitzer within the scorching seat, asking her the backlash concerning her “disturbing” and “disturbing” posts, in entrance of a studio viewers.
“The reality is, as a franchise, we have achieved a very dangerous job prior to now of tackling severe matters head-on, and we’re not going to overlook that chance right here tonight,” Palmer mentioned.
“I needed to deal with this. I do not wish to sweep it below the rug,” Blitzer instructed Palmer. “What occurred was racist. It is not in regards to the intent; it is in regards to the influence.”
The scandal surrounding Blitzer surfaced final yr when the forged of “The Bachelor” season 27 was introduced. In her previous tweets, Blitzer defended a highschool scholar for carrying blackface, reportedly tweeting in 2016: “The scholars concerned did not even know what blackface was, so my level precisely. It was not an intentional racist act.” One other alleged tweet learn: “This earlier incident was silly and never racist? She did not paint herself black as a result of she felt superior to black individuals. And in one other, Blitzer is claimed to have written, “Placing white powder in your face is not okay both.” That did not make the information, did it?”
On Tuesday evening’s episode, Blitzer defined, “This acquaintance of mine that I knew carried out blackface was racist, me defending it was racist, my ignorance was racist and I am simply so embarrassed.”
“I’m deeply sorry for hurting the black group,” she mentioned. ‘I can not return in time. All I can do is attempt to do higher now and do higher sooner or later.”
Blitzer mentioned she educated herself, attended lectures and labored with Dr. Kira Banks, a professor and advisor on variety, fairness and inclusion. Dr. Banks was within the viewers at “Girls Inform All” and talked in regards to the greater situation, speaking about actual motion versus performative phrases.
“I actually needed to dive deep into the historical past of blackface and perceive why it was improper, why it was offensive. The analysis I used to be capable of do realized it was symbolic of dehumanizing the black group,” Blitzer mentioned. “What I mentioned was improper,” she added. “Defending that lady was racist. I wish to take that duty, I do not wish to apologize.
This actually is not “The Bachelor”‘s first confrontation with controversial contestants with troubled pasts. Over time, viewers have questioned the franchise’s background examine course of, particularly within the age of social media.
On the newest season of “The Bachelorette,” which aired final yr, winner Erich Schwer was on the heart of controversy for sporting a blackface himself when a photograph of him from his highschool yearbook surfaced on-line. He apologized on social media for what he known as an “insensitive picture.” In an interview with Selection“The Bachelorette” star Gabby Windey (who’s not in a relationship with Schwer) mentioned, “He apologized, however on the finish of the day there’s actually no excuse for this habits.”
Season 25 of ‘The Bachelor’, starring Matt James and airing in 2021, noticed an explosive scandal involving profitable contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, ultimately ensuing within the departure of veteran host Chris Harrison (who was then changed by Palmer). James was the long-running present’s first-ever black star, and he fell in love with Kirkconnell, who ended up being on the heart of a racially insensitive controversy. In the course of the season, pictures from 2018 surfaced on social media displaying her at a pre-war plantation-themed fraternity assembly. Harrison defended Kirkconnell in a now-infamous TV interview performed by former “Bachelorette” Rachel Lindsay, the franchise’s first black feminine star, the place he used the time period “woke police.” He apologized for “misspeaking in a means that perpetuates racism”, however the messy state of affairs by no means died down and Harrison ultimately left the franchise. (At the moment, James and Kirkconnell are nonetheless fortunately collectively.)
And in 2017, when Lindsay’s historic season aired through which she was the first-ever black lead in “The Bachelor” franchise, certainly one of her contestants had racist and sexist tweets on social media.
Blitzer bought Shallcross’ first impression throughout the season which means she was an early entrance runner. She was despatched house in final week’s episode and so is not within the competitors. She appeared on “Girls Inform All,” through which the forged members collect to debate (and bicker) in regards to the season’s drama.
Instantly after the dialog with Blitzer aired, many social media customers praised Blitzer and “The Bachelor” for his or her heartfelt apologies and for not dancing the dialog. Others criticized the contestant for having to talk to a DEI counselor to grasp that defending blackface is racist.
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