I have a guilty pleasure.
For more seasons than I care to admit, I have shamelessly indulged in "The Bachelor"and "The Bachelorette." I just can't seem to get enough of the first kisses, the flirting/fighting or the couple of crazies each season who continually claim their arch nemeses are "here for the wrong reasons!"
For those of us dedicated fans who watch the show religiously, we know that guessing and waiting to find out who will be chosen as the next lead for "The Bachelor" or "The Bachelorette" is half the fun! So, it came as a bit of a shock when ABC chose to do an early reveal of their next bachelorette -- Rachel!
So, who is Rachel Lindsay? Rachel is a bubbly, fun-loving, down to earth, highly-educated, graceful and beautiful woman. She is a 31-year-old lawyer (who passed the bar exam on her first attempt!!) from Texas with strong family values and a real zest for life. Oh, and she will be the first ever black Bachelorette!
I am overjoyed that The Bachelor has finally chosen a black woman as the next lead for The Bachelorette.
For seasons I have appreciated the diversity of the men and women that have been cast as the contestants vying for the love of the lead including African-American, Russian, French, Irish, Filipino and Persian.
By showing America these incredible individuals of different cultures and races and ethnicities dating people from different backgrounds, "The Bachelor" is helping to break down the antiquated idea of only marrying a partner with the same background as you have.
I feel blessed to have been raised in South Florida where I have grown up around people from almost every cultural background. In other places in America, however, it is less common to see so many different cultures living in the same community. Seeing these people coming together on screen helps to normalize the idea of interracial and intercultural couples for those who may never have experienced this before.
So, I commend "The Bachelor" for making Rachel the next lead for "The Bachelorette," not only because she is one of the most beautiful, eloquent and well-rounded contestants currently on "The Bachelor," but also because she will continue to promote the idea that love has no boundaries when it comes to race or ethnicity.
The one thing, however, that frustrates me with ABC's decision, is their decision to announce the next Bachelorette before she had even been eliminated from Nick Viall's current season of "The Bachelor."
It is my guess that ABC just wanted to boost the buzz (and the views) of their show by announcing that Rachel will be the next Bachelorette just before the hometown dates, where the men (and all of America) meet the women's families and see where they grew up. Now, people who cared very little about Nick's season will be inclined to watch the next episode of "The Bachelor" to meet Rachel's family and see her hometown.
The problem for the show's fans?
Hello, she's still on the show!!
Talk about a huge **Spoiler Alert** and from ABC themselves! Guessing who will be the next lead and watching his or her big reveal is a huge part of the fun!
I would have appreciated if they had given Rachel the same respect they have shown every other lead by allowing her a surprise reveal. This also seems disrespectful to Nick, as it takes the attention away from him just before the finale of his own season.
Though I don't necessarily agree with their way of going about it, I still commend ABC for choosing their first ever black Bachelorette.
My true-love, magic, and fairytale-believing self could not be more excited for the 13th season of "The Bachelorette"!
