As someone who was ON The Bachelor, I want Chris Harrison back!
I know he has left permanently, however, I think this is BEYOND unfair.
Rachael Kirkconnell, the one who went to the old south Antebellum Party, the one who Chris Harrison "Defended," yeah, she is doing WELL!
Rachael was able to go all the after shows after she won The Bachelor. She got ALL the press. Her Instagram profile grew. She is now verified on the platform, and has 723,000 followers. Rachael has firmly positioned herself as an influencer, and I'm almost positive she is profiting from her now found fame...as she should.
Oh, and for the coup de grâs, Rachael got her man BACK! Yes, if you didn't know, Matt James and Rachael has rekindled their romance. Racheal is winning, on ALL fronts!
Now let's talk Chris Harrison...
Let me be clear, I do NOT support his stance on Rachael's past behavior. I don't. I think he overtalked Rachel Lindsay in their interview. To me, Chris seemed more offended by what he referred to as "Cancel Culture," than he was by Rachael Kirkconnell's prior behavior.
However...
This should NOT have cost him his career. Yes, there were apparent opportunities for growth. Some of the angles he took in that exchange were upsetting to hear. Let's take emotion out of it for a moment, was what he said THAT grievous?
Just ask yourself, is it just for Rachael to escape, not only unscathed, but better off, much better off, than she was before this racist scandal? Is it just that Chris Harrison would bear the brunt, if not all, of the fall out? Is this right? How does any of this help propel us forward? How does this help heal any of the racial issues this entire situation brought up? Are we any better off?
Now, I'm not calling for Rachael Kirkconnell to be hauled off, dragged and canceled. She is doing well, and my word, she was all of 18 when she went to the old south Antebellum Party. I do NOT like that she went to that party and what it represents. I'm not excusing the behavior or calling it okay. Rachael is okay, and quite frankly, I'm happy that she has recovered is growing, and continually evolving.
Having been on The Bachelor in season 12, and placing in the top six...it's safe to say I worked closely with Chris Harrison. He was a good person. If you haven't realized by now, I'm black. This isn't a tan. Being black and coming up through that franchise wasn't always easy, however, Chris was good to me. The producers were good to me.
Yet, the thing most people don't realize about Chris, he is funny! There were times on the set, his humor got me through some TOUGH moments. He was a welcome sight, even during dreaded rose ceremonies.
The Bachelor has attained iconic pop culture status, and yes, Chris Harrison, in my estimation, is essential to the legacy of The Bachelor. He will be missed. Chris, I'm rooting for you, remain steadfast. The best is yet to come!
This seems incredibly tone deaf. The crux of the issue was that he was not willing to learn from his mistakes. He seemed fixated on calling out “woke” culture and baiting to his white leaning fan base for sympathy. He even blamed Michael Strathan for people not accepting his apology, which did not come off as sincere. the fan is $8M richer, he was paid $5M per season. He will be fine