I'm really excited to recap this season. There has been so much hype about Chris. Will he remain "Prince Farming" or will he have an epic fall from grace à la Juan Pablo? Will he be as nice now that HE is in charge of the process? Will we still love his family? So many questions!
If you can't wait until Monday, here's an interview with Chris (click here)
Things I learned from this video:
1) Chris says it's "not an option" to move from Iowa permanently
2) He was stressed about the taping being during the harvest
3) It took Chris until Week 3 to learn all the women's names
4) Chris considers himself to be a "shy guy"
5) He was close with Dylan, coach Brian, and Marcus from Andi's season, and
6) He's a crier on the current season.
Contestant Preview in Broad Strokes
The contestants seem to be the usual crop of teeth-whitened, thin, sparkly-dressed women in very high heels. Looking at ABC's website, the Bachelor covers its usual ground in the following categories:
Contestant Names: We've got the requisite minimum number of two Ashleys. There are also original name spellings, such as Juelia and Reegan. And at least one name I've never heard of before - anyone else know a "Tandra"?
Occupations: On almost every season we see a bartender, nanny, flight attendant, hair stylist, grade-school teacher, and waitress. This season is no exception. All these professions are often pretty intense in terms of work hours, but they keep coming up each season. Are these the kinds of jobs where you can easily get a leave or quit and get rehired? Readers who have these professions: what do you think?
There are also some dubious professions, including a "WWE diva-in-training" and "sport fishing enthusiast." Hmmm, I thought these were just imaginary job titles you give to your Barbies.
Age: Everyone is Chris's age (33) or younger, ranging from 21 to 33 (many are 24 to 28). Out of 30 women, only 3 are in their thirties! The message: Men should date women about 5 to 10 years younger than them. We don't want any ticking biological clocks on this show! And it's VERY important that the women pass the bikini test. This is what we sign on for by watching, but it's okay if you also find this to be somewhat sexist and depressing.
Diversity: This season gets below average points for diversity. The majority are blondes, and I can only identify one woman of colour in the line-up, although I am not sure about everyone's race or nationality. Religion doesn't get talked about much on this show. Both Andi and Josh are half-Jewish, for example, but this was never mentioned on the show.
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| There is more diversity in this tray of pastries, than there is on this show |
The producers allowed a plus-size model this year. Unheard of on The Bachelor! I guess it's okay to be more than a size 0 if you are a MODEL. If you weigh more than 115 pounds and you are NOT a model - automatic disqualification. To be fair, we don't know why the diversity on Season 19 remains so terrible. It could be a lack of diversity in contestants, the fault of the producers, and/or Chris's preference (although it's a Bachelor pattern so it's hard to blame Chris).
There Will Be Drama
In an interview on People.com (see it here), We hear that hair stylist Ashely S. (24, from Brooklyn) is the most talked about and creates DRAMA. Her ABC bio says she can't live without lip gloss and sunshine and her favourite fictional character is Thumbelina. Perhaps something a 10-year old would write but it seems innocuous enough. The previews show lots of crying ahead!
I went through the bios on ABC.com, and it's pretty boring. Don't bother. Instead, I suggest you watch this video (click here) from Jimmy Kimmel where he goes through the contestants and we have to guess whether their biggest date fear is: a) silence or b) diarrhea.
That's all for now, Bachelor Nation! I hope you enjoy the first episode and check back for the recap on Tuesday January 6th!
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