The Bachelor is embroiled in another racism controversy because it's "a racist television program"

Vulture

"Off the top of my head, here’s a bunch of racist stuff that’s happened in the Bachelor Cinematic Universe," says Ali Barthwell. "The casting of racist contestants; the casting of racist contestants on seasons with leads of color; going 24 seasons before having a Black man as the Bachelor; going 12 seasons before having a Black woman as the Bachelorette; casting entire seasons of both shows without contestants of color; casting token contestants of color; pitting contestants of color against racist contestants and encouraging drama between them; sending a racist on a two-on-one date with a Black man in the f*cking woods; letting white contestants use racist language to describe contestants of color they didn’t like; painting the racist actions of racist contestants as 'personality conflicts'; the host of the show saying things like 'woke police' on television where people could see him; not protecting or standing behind contestants or leads of color when they were being targeted for racist harassment online; painting the life experiences of contestants of color as exotic, calamitous, or ungraspable; relying on stereotypes about people of color as part of their storytelling. Did I forget anything?" Barthwell points out The Bachelor has responded to the latest controversy by doing what it always does: making "performative gestures of solidarity, increasing the number of people of color on the show without supporting them, and prioritizing the feelings and safety of their white contestants...I’m sure Rachael (Kirkconnell) didn’t intend to do something racist (over and over), and I’m sure Chris Harrison didn’t intend to mansplain and whitesplain racism to Rachel Lindsay. I’m sure the producers didn’t intend to create a racist television program. Who does? I’m sure even the people who made all of those racist terrorist stereotypes on 24 were trying to have fun and get those residual checks. But when you do something racist, your intention doesn’t matter, your impact does. And the impact of all these actions is that The Bachelor is a racist television program. You could make the argument, Well, what television show isn’t? They don’t have nearly enough characters of color on Girls, Sex and the City, or Friends despite being set in New York City, Earth. But when you make a racist television program, you have to be accountable for the impact of putting something racist out into the world. So far, Chris Harrison and Rachael have put out a few anemic iPhone Notes-app statements that barely acknowledge the problem, let alone lay out a path for accountability. Chris Harrison has committed to 'stepping back,' but what does that mean? For how long? What is he doing to confront his racism? What is Rachael doing to educate her family and friends so that if she ends up with Matt, he won’t be walking into a racist environment?"

ALSO:

• Chris Harrison stepping away temporarily won't fix The Bachelor franchise's racism woes: "Unlike (Survivor's) Jeff Probst, Chris Harrison is not actually responsible for the contents of the shows he hosts," says Andy Dehnart. "But even more than Probst and hosts of other shows, he’s constantly defending it. Whether he’s a self-appointed guardian or has been assigned the role of protector by Warner Bros. and ABC, he has taken on that role. Firing him will not solve the show’s problems—and just replacing him as host for a reunion is the equivalent of doing nothing. It makes headlines, but results in no real change."
• Harrison shouldn't lose his job for this one incident -- he should exit The Bachelor franchise because he's become out of step with the culture: "I don’t think Harrison should be removed from his position of 20 years because of his Kirkconnell racism coddling," says Maria Sherman. "But I think it can serve as a catalyst: the franchise has been struggling to keep up with the culture—how is it that it took two decades to get the first black Bachelor?—and Harrison’s unique position as spectacle hype-man and 'guide' to contestants doesn’t work like it used to. He can’t comment on race, he stumbles through issues of gender, and just how many more seasons can go by with him promising 'the most dramatic season ever'? He’s meant to be a romance subject matter expert, but quite often, comes across as a man just trying to get the next great sound bite, the next meme-able moment... an antagonizer meant to look like a peacekeeper. As Willa Paskin put it in a 2018 Slate piece: 'Chris Harrison [is] an emotional succubus posing as an empath.' If the show wants to continue to offer a fantastical take on straight love, it could do so by hiring someone who understands the nuances of our current moment. Harrison has already stepped down; remove him from the ride entirely."
• The Bachelor franchise seems to be facing some sort of tipping point after excuses, defensiveness and underwhelming commitments to change: "With fans and popular contestants demanding accountability, even Harrison, the longtime face of the Bachelor brand, is no longer untouchable, and casting a lead of color is no longer enough to satisfy critics," write Emma Gray and Claire Fallon. "As cast members, alums and outside critics demand that production reckon with the show’s deep race problem, the question that remains is whether the franchise will actually heed them. Though the show has faced criticism over its handling of race for many years, one notable difference in the outcry following the Extra interview has been the wave of statements from current, recent and high-profile cast members."
• Bachelorette alum Mike Johnson says "it's time" for Harrison to leave the franchise: Johnson says he doesn't want to see Harrison canceled. "Once they've been educated and learn in a public forum in comparison to riding the waves with millions of dollars and just never to be heard from again… I don't want to cancel the individual, I want the individual to speak up, speak to their audience, and curb their mindset," he told Rachel Lindsay on Extra. "Let me speak direct — should the individual be removed from The Bachelor franchise? I think it's time for that.  Should that individual be removed completely? No, because I think that individual has such a beautiful platform, it's such a beautiful privilege that we have to use it for good."
• Former Bachelor Ben Higgins calls on the show to address the Harrison controversy "head on" during the show: "I think it's going to be weird for the show," Higgins says. "I think — you know, I don't know how much the fan of The Bachelor pays attention to what's going on in the news. I don't know that, I don't know how to decide that. So I'm sure some people have no clue that this is happening right now. ... I think it's going to be weird for the fan. I think it's going to be confusing."
• Rachel Lindsay thinks The Bachelorette producers cast Lee Garrett, despite his racist tweets, to "add controversy" to her season
• Who could replace Harrison: Rachel Lindsay? JoJo Fletcher? Wells Adams?
• If Harrison's exit is permanent, The Bachelor franchise would have to find a new host quickly because The Bachelorette will begin filming after Matt James' season is over