'The Bachelor’s’ chance to break its diversity stalemate
There’s no denying that ABC’s Bachelor franchise has found a winning formula. After 14 years, we can’t stop talking and tweeting about it every Monday night. And if we’re being honest, Tuesday through Sunday.
But there is one part of that formula that has been questionable for years. In the 20 seasons of The Bachelor and 11 seasons of The Bachelorette, there has been one non-white star of the show. And to add insult to injury, that star has been considered one of the worst of all time, thanks to his anti-gay comments and disregard for the show’s unspoken but number one rule: be there for the “right reasons.”
Why show runners have ignored critics, viewer outrage and lawsuits has never fully been explained. Though ABC Entertainment Group's president Paul Lee and executive producer Mike Fleiss have said this summer’s season of The Bachelorette may begin to change all of that. The next Bachelorette is always drawn from the “farm,” or contestants from the last season, and more often than not announced during the penultimate Women Tell All episode, which is airing Monday night. The rumblings seem to be confirmed by recent trailers and the reappearance of two women with different ethnicities.
Caila Quinn was the third runner up, a notorious feeder spot. Her name has been floating around the blogosphere for weeks as a front-runner. While she would make a fine choice -- many would relate to her adorable multiracial family that owns a toy factory in Ohio -- we're more interested in a contestant who grabbed our jaded attentions before being sent home (way too) early.
The case for Jubilee
There were whole drinking games dedicated to the number of times Jubilee was referred to as “complicated” by Bachelor Ben Higgins, the other lady-testants and by the contestant herself. In Bachelor parlance this is not necessarily a good thing. Ben seemed genuinely torn between the easy-go-lucky, bubbly Laurens of the show and the reserved Jubilee, who when she did let her guard down, made him laugh and showed a beautiful vulnerability.
She made it further into the season than almost any other black contestant. Yet, the problem with a show that is based on a courtship in overdrive is that contestants that do not move fast are often cut. There’s no time for those who don't have a borderline obnoxious confidence to make an impression.
Ben ultimately sent Jubilee home citing her difficulties opening up. But the complexity that was at once her most interesting asset and subsequent downfall may make for a great Bachelorette.
Jubilee is a Haitian-born war veteran with a tragic past. In those elements alone she is more compelling than most who have been cast. If the Bachelor crew puts her through a solid bootcamp and gets her self-esteem and one-liners up, she could be a hilarious star with plenty of storylines to pursue.
The show has been hyping Jubilee’s return to the camera, a cue that they have either decided on her or are testing her popularity with viewers.
We’re calling this one for Jubilee, and hoping it’s the season for all girls who are a little more “complex.”
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