Love the podcast. Very entertaining especially the Nick Peterson ep. The thing that I’m loving about the podcasts is that I’ve gotten good feedback on all the guests. The Possessionista, Juliet, Nick, and Kacie last week. Different people like different things. I so wish a lot of these people weren’t so scared by producers and realize coming on my show isn’t really going to piss them off that much. I’d basically put anyone on from the franchise. Well, anyone who is remotely relevant. I don’t really have much need in grabbing a night one eliminate from 7 seasons ago.
So on this Nick V season, I don’t understand why they didn’t choose more age appropriate girls for Nick. I feel like he’s having conversations with a bunch of high schoolers and the fact that Nick is just playing a part and going through the motions seems even more evident. Why do you think they didn’t choose older girls? Because they never do. They skew the “Bachelor” girls to be in the mid 20’s range. Probably because girls that age are impressionable, easily manipulated, will drink silly, and know what being on the show entails.
And is it just me or does Danielle look like Andi?
Thanks!
Comment: She does a little. I’m assuming you’re talking about Danielle L. Danielle M. looks like Tea Leoni.
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Hi Steve,
Heard you’re low on questions.
I think previously you have said that Jojo probably has the most star potential out of all the bachelorettes. But looking at her now, I feel like she’s a bit more private (not promoting too many things) than like Amanda or Jade. She is definitely not inactive but she is not exactly cashing on her “fame” as she could have. Thoughts? Yeah, we haven’t seen much yet except for a couple Diff Eyewear sunglasses promotions and pics with Jordan. I have no idea what she’s doing or what’s on her plate, but, it certainly won’t be flipping houses again. Please. Like she was ever gonna go back to that.
I LOVE Alexis, I think she’s definitely this year’s twins, maybe even more likeable.
Also interesting how not many people were fans of Rachel before 1-on-1 and like you said that would probably change. So yeah, I definitely warmed up to her more, but I do think Raven has more “Kaitlyn and Jojo” personality. But we’ll know about that when we know, right? Yep. Still early. And Rachel has a big advantage of being on the WTA, whereas Raven doesn’t.
You said that you think Olivia will go on BIP this season, why do you think she changed her mind? I thought since she was the villain she was very self-aware about how the bachelor world works so I think it’s pretty surprising she would want to go back after she got so much hate on the last season. It’s just what I’m hearing. We’ll see.
Anyways, podcasts are my favourite thing right now!
Comment: Thanks. Glad you like them. I really do hope yesterday’s podcast guest that cancelled will come on at some point. I don’t even know what to set the odds to right now, because it’s tough to get a read.
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Hey Steve!
I’m glad this Corrine/Taylor drama is almost over; personally, I think both of them were in the wrong, though it’s clear Corrine came off worse. We all know Corrine is narcissistic, not very self aware, and incredibly spoiled. None of that is news to us, and this confrontation just drove that point home. That being said, Taylor definitely came across as condescending; there’s nothing wrong with being smart and proud of your intelligence, but trying to define emotional intelligence the way she did came across as her talking down to Corrine and would have raised my hackles had I been in her place. Taylor could have just said, hey, I don’t think you’re mature enough emotionally or otherwise to be his wife, and left it at that. Trying to give a textbook definition to a drunk girl who couldn’t care less is only going to frustrate you and her and lead to further animosity. She might have a Master’s degree, but it’s clear that she doesn’t have any field experience because she would have handled the situation differently; there’s a difference between studying to become a mental health counselor and actually practicing being one. Had she had any field experience she would have handled it delicately, tried to speak to her on whatever level it is Corrine is on, and then taken the high road instead of stopping further into Corrine’s madness. There’s no reason for Corrine to resort to the name calling, especially since it further proves that she’s not emotionally mature. She made Taylor’s point for her. However, I do recall Taylor calling Corrine a bitch, and I think some other names, which doesn’t exactly make her any better than Corrine. The level of cruelness they allowed Corrine to spew was ridiculous, and I honestly feel bad for her because she’s so incredibly ignorant to how ridiculous she looks and that perception isn’t going away any time soon, especially when she does Paradise. Yeah, I believe Taylor called her a manipulative b**ch. Once. Corinne was non stop and thought saying it over and over was funny. That was the issue I had. Not that a woman called another woman a b**ch on this show. That’ll happen every season this show is in existence. It was the amount and the meaning behind it. Totally unnecessary.
As far as the next Bachelorette goes, I can honestly say that I like both options for the lead role. Raven is sweet, sassy, and funny and I think she would have a good season, though her saying she loves Nick so soon raises some flags. Rachel is smart, quirky, and fun and I think she would have a good season. I don’t really have a preference, though I think I’d like to see Rachel’s season a little more since she’s older and more established in her career; seeing her priorities in choosing men would be interesting. Here’s the issue I might have with Rachel. Lets be honest, to be the lead, you kinda have to, well, be very open, make out with a bunc of guys, and put yourself out there. Rachel being in the position she’s in for her career, I feel like something will always be holding her back from really showing a fun, flirty side with a bunch of different men. She might surprise us. Who knows? Not like I think if it’s Raven she’s gonna go slut it up on the show. But yeah, her personality seems to lean more towards someone they’d cast in the role.
Finally, what’s your take on Super Bowl 51? Who do you think is gonna win the game and who do you think wins game MVP? What about MVP for the overall season? I know Matt Ryan is favored for the MVP this weekend since he gave a consistently great performance, but I think a case could be made for Aaron Rodgers. Half his team was out with injuries by the time they played Atlanta but he kept his team moving forward; trade Ryan to Green Bay and tell me how the playoffs go? Is Ryan really a good enough QB to play with a depleted team? Brady is out for the season MVP, I think, simply because of his suspension. I think the Pats want it more, strange as that sounds, because I think they really want to say F you to Goodell for Deflategate. Thanks for turning me on to Bill Simmons! I love his site and his podcast!
Thanks!
Comment: I’ve not given this game much thought in terms of analyzing. Then it becomes paralysis by analysis. Everyone has the same information available to them when breaking down these two teams. For me, I just think New England wins, and handily. Like 34 -17. Or 37-20. Something like that. Brady gets the MVP, and he certainly is up for argument as greatest QB ever.
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Hi, Steve!
I hope you are doing okay regarding Maddie. I understand why you won’t get another dog. I want a dog but purposely won’t get one, because I know how attached I would get, and that I would eventually end up heartbroken. So I can understand why you may not want to try again. Plus, if you lost a child, someone wouldn’t say, “Well are you going to get another child?” At least I hope they wouldn’t. 🙁 Hang in there!
I always want to write in, but I am a little afraid of what you’ll say back… 🙂 I am going to take the chance…
I do NOT have any love for Corrine. I am NOT a fan of hers. Her antics in all of the past episodes were starting to get old for me, too, and I can’t wait until she is gone simply because she has been utterly ridiculous. However, I didn’t have the same strong reaction to her use of the word B*tch as you did even though I am a woman. I certainly don’t agree with, nor condone, her use of the word B*tch. Is it a detriment to her character that she used it so much? Sure! But if some girl called me a B*tch, I would be like “Right back at ya!” or I would be like “Yes, sometimes I can be!” and move on. It wouldn’t make me feel like I was “lacking” in any way. I mean, I feel like most honest women could admit we act like a B*tch sometimes. And didn’t she just use the word in her ITM? I don’t remember Corrine actually calling Taylor that to her face, at least not until after Taylor said she lacked emotional intelligence. One could argue that what Taylor said to Corrine’s face is worse. I mean, if someone said I lacked “emotional intelligence”, whether it was true or not, I would have a lot more trouble with that, as I feel like most women would, because it is an attack on you personally and indicates that you are lacking an important quality that you should have. And I would think that someone like Taylor who’s a counselor would be less likely to insult someone that way. Yes, I know Corrine said she wanted the girls to say something to her if they had a problem, but Taylor could have just said, “I don’t feel like you are here for the right reasons.” or specifically pointed out what Corrine did, like “It upset me that you took away my time with Nick.” But she chose to point out a personal flaw of Corrine’s by saying, “I wonder if you have the emotional intelligence to get married”. Taylor could have taken the high road, but instead she was condescending and insulting, and I can understand why an Corrine might now have it out for Taylor. Could Corrine have handled it better? Of course! But I feel like Taylor sort of asked for what she got, especially if she thought Corrine lacks emotional intelligence. She should have expected the kind of response she got from her, especially being that she is a counselor. I don’t like Corrine or Taylor any more than the other, so I feel like I can be equally objective about the two of them. I think they are both equally unlikable for all the reasons mentioned above. I have to admit, that when Corrine managed to manipulate the “emotionally intelligent” Taylor, I had to give her props…Say what you want about Corrine, but she certainly doesn’t lack street smarts, that’s for sure. I thought it was the perfect pair to have on this two-on-one for entertainment purposes. And now they can both go!
Side note: Since when is being emotionally intelligent a requirement for marriage anyway? I think we can go back and forth on this one for hours. Yes, Taylor absolutely did things wrong. And yes, even called her a manipulative b**ch. Once. Taylor trying to reason with a drunk, privileged spoiled brat was never gonna go well for her. Someone like Corinne doesn’t want to hear how she acts or how she comes across. She doesn’t care. She will at some point in her life look back on how embarrassing she portrayed herself, but right now in the moment, not a chance. So yeah, no matter what Taylor said, no matter how she said it, and no matter what tone it was in, Corinne wasn’t gonna listen. Period. So she walked into a lion’s den and got eaten alive. But that still doesn’t excuse Corinne’s behavior. She specifically asked for girls to come to say things to her face, and when they did, she didn’t like it. But she b-bombed Taylor all day long on ITM’s. I just can’t see any argument supporting Corinne that I buy.
Now, onto the rose ceremony. I know you have told us all about how late they have to stay up, how long the ceremony is, and you also mentioned how cold it is sometimes during it. But they have been pretty good about editing it in the past so it isn’t that obvious to us viewers. Did you notice this time that the girls actually LOOKED like they couldn’t keep their eyes open? They were blinking really slowly and some looked like they were having trouble standing up. I’ve never noticed that before! And the breath that puffed out of all of their mouths every time they spoke showed how cold it must have been! I am surprised that the show didn’t hide that better! One other freezing rose ceremony recently that comes to mind was when the guys were in NY at Citi Field on Kaitlyn’s season. They were freezing just as much. It rarely happens, since obviously the show can’t control the weather, but yeah, that looked quite uncomfortable this past Monday.
I love reading your spoilers and am enjoying your Podcasts! I have been reading your posts since Desiree’s season! Wish I’d known about it before then! Thank you for the distraction from real life! 🙂
Comment: Oooooohhhhh Desiree’s season. Not my finest moment to say the least.
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Hey Steve,
Just wanted to say first of all, THANK YOU for confirming how I felt about Corinne bullying Taylor. I’ve mostly thought of her as annoying-yet-entertaining, but after last night I have major Corinne fatigue. I’m over it. Taylor is clearly an intelligent girl who picked a bad fight, but girl is 23. I hope this doesn’t ruin her career. I’ve gotten to the point where I’m fast forwarding through the Corinne crap.
Also, after last night, my opinion is that they are skimming over Rachel. It felt like she got way less meaningful airtime than Raven did. So we will see. Obviously Raven isn’t a bad choice either, but I’m going to root for Rachel the whole way. Also, shallow comment: I love her teeth. They aren’t perfect, and sure she could be more commercially attractive if she got them fixed, but they make her unique and make her seem more real. Interesting take. Definitely does make her unique. Some see it that way, and some see it as distracting.
On another appearances note, you probably didn’t notice (sorry, but I know my BF didn’t) but what is up with the greasy hair on all these girls this year?! Corinne is the worst for looking like she never showers, but others are pretty bad too. Never caught my eye.
Finally, this is less about the Bachelor, (might be a little Dr Reality Steve-y), but after last Podcasts Dr Reality Steve question, it got me thinking. I (self-loathingly) read Andi’s book and she talked about how she wanted that super exciting, all-consuming, always-passionate love. I see that a lot on social media, too, people posting stuff that they won’t “settle”. It seems that was the case for the Dr Reality Steve caller’s fiance, as well. What’s your personal feeling about whether that’s real and possible? In my (limited) experience, that stuff is fun for the short term, but long-term it’s about finding someone who doesn’t want to make you gouge your eyes out with a chicken bone.
Comment: I couldn’t agree more. People get too invested in this “soulmate” stuff, and they were “meant” to be together. Quit living in fantasy land. You meet someone that you like, share interests, have a good time together, and don’t want to rip each other’s heads off. Savor that person because they don’t come around too often. Everyone is going to have fights, disagreements, differing opinions, etc during a relationship. And if you don’t, there’s something wrong. As for that Dr. Reality Steve caller, I haven’t gotten an update, but I’ll be interested to hear if she ever gets a solid reason why from him.
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Hi Steve,
On Unreal, there was a contestant who was an undercover reporter, I can’t remember her name now. Could that ever happen on the bachelor/bachelorette? Aren’t there papers they sign for confidentiality? Thanks!!
Comment: Yeah, that could never happen on this show for exactly what you said. The whole point of having that contestant on UnREAL was to expose the show. They can do that because it’s a TV show. While the “Bachelor” is also a TV show, you’re dealing with real contracts and real people, not actors. So yeah, they aren’t gonna get swindled by someone who is out to expose them. Impossible.
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Hey Steve,
Sorry about the late email but I do have a few questions for you:
1. Do you think the lead usually has a good idea of who the villain is because it definitely seems that way with Nick? Yes.
2. Just like in the very first episode of UnREAL, do you know if the lead has ever cut someone the first night who producers thought was going to be a crucial part of the season? Tough to remember back all the seasons, but my guess would be no.
3. Has there ever been a lead that has been (deliberately or not) rebellious towards producers in their decision making throughout their season? Are there any contestants that have been like this? If so, do producers try to get them cut? I’m pretty sure Juan Pablo was. He was clueless to how the process worked.
4. Was Todd Snyder the producer that got JoJo on the show and played a small part in her getting the Bachelorette gig because I came across his IMDB page and it had Ready for Love on it? No, wasn’t him. It was Louis Caric.
5. Do you think ABC was mad when Jake Pavelka made that appearance on Burning Love, or do you think they were fine with it because it was just a fun, silly parody? I doubt they cared.
6. Kind of just a comment, but Ashley Iaconetti confirmed that Jorge won’t be on Paradise 4 because of prior obligations to his company. It won’t be the same without Jorge, but I’m crossing my fingers in hopes that Chris Bukowski can serve as bartender. Funny, because didn’t someone mention in an earlier email that he would be making an appearance?
7. Kind of random, but why was Melissa Rycroft co-hosting Bachelor Pad 1? She was trying to break into TV at that point and I guess someone figured they’d give her a shot.
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This was powerful! Wow, so true. And so scary.
I heard something very interesting the other day that I thought I’d share. It was also very frightening as well given the climate that we’re in. There are no facts anymore. It’s just everyone’s own individual self-truths. It’s what people want to believe in their head is now what each person’s own “facts” are. And that’s a scary, scary thing.
And to comment on the Vanessa thing, I can absolutely see why girls may not be in to her. She does come off a little too I’m-better-than-you vibe.
Comment: It’s absolutely true. So many examples of just things I’ve said this season that people will not accept as a fact, even though it is. Because in their mind, it didn’t or couldn’t happen, so therefore it’s not a fact to them. And they’d be wrong. But you can’t reason with idiocy like that. However, this kind of thinking isn’t going away anytime soon. People are too close minded now and are almost living in their own bubble. It’s 100 times worse in the political world. Hence the reason I can’t stand talking politics and never will. Pointless to have a political discussion with anyone who isn’t on the same side of an issue as you. You might as well take a hammer, bang it forcefully on your skull for 30 minutes, then stop. Would be less painful than trying to talk to someone who doesn’t agree with you politically. It’s definitely scary.
I don’t know if I get that vibe from Vanessa per se. But again, it’s a fact that she wasn’t the most well liked girl in the house. Just because the show is choosing not to air it didn’t mean it didn’t happen.
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After this week’s episode, Corinne has become this franchise’s worst female villain, in my opinion. And the tipping point can be just one thing: when she told Taylor, “I can’t even believe that you’re a mental health counselor. It really blows my mind that people take advice from you.” That was just absurdly cruel. I think Corinne may not realize that the way she talks to Taylor is abusive, but I don’t think that’s a valid excuse. The ironic part is the reason it blows her mind that Taylor is a counselor is that Corinne is out of touch with reality. The way she projects all of her insecurities onto Taylor–attributing every criticism she hears about herself and fears about herself onto Taylor–it’s mesmerizing and hard to believe. She is an adult “I’m rubber, and you’re glue.” She can’t accept criticism, so the criticizer must be the bad guy. She needs evidence for this claim, so a simple “She didn’t say hi to me when she came in my room this morning!” will do. Taylor isn’t just “stupid” and wrong with her criticism–she’s “disgusting,” “a b**ch,” and “a monster.” If you demonize someone, it makes it that harder to listen to them. I don’t blame Taylor for psychoanalyzing her. Corinne needs help, and I think Taylor believes so, too, and simply wanted to tell her that. Telling somebody who you believe has a legitimate mental problem, especially when you’ve got the education to be better able to recognize it, that you think they have a problem is not mean, and it’s not condescending. She’s 24 and still believes that sleeping with a guy will make him like you. And that if he doesn’t accept your advance that he doesn’t like you.
Comment: And reading the pre-release for what she’s gonna say on “Ellen” today, we’re not gonna learn anything new about her that we didn’t already know. Won’t take responsibility for anything, I’m sure Ellen won’t call her out for her treatment of Taylor, and just having her on that show is only feeding the beast. When was the last time this franchise let a contestant on a show while that contestant was still on the show? Very few, if any. She’s their cash cow this season and being given preferential treatment. Happened all season.
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Two things.
1) I have to say, at first, I did not think that Rachel was Bachelorette material. I found her so enticing the first episode (which I guess they needed to do since she got the first impression rose) but then after that I found her to be dull. They did not edit her in a way that I found intriguing. I felt as though there was no personality to her and I wondered how on earth she could become The Bachelorette. But after tonight’s episode, the editors certainly changed my mind! I feel like they finally shined on her personality. You were right (which you probably love hearing), but each 1-on-1 date they edit to make you either change or verify your opinion on these women and last night’s episode did it for me. I wouldn’t mind have Rachel as The Bachelorette now. I’m pulling for her. I think after the first episode you thought that about her because she wasn’t shown. She was barely in any scenes, so of course people forget. I knew the tide would turn at least a little after Monday. You just look at social media and there’s plenty of love for her now because of the 1-on-1 date.
2) I remember with Nick’s conversation with Vanessa, the one where she called him out on all of the Corinne crap, that Nick said something along the lines of “you have to be patient with me.” Not only do I feel like the lead says something like that every season to his frontrunner, but I feel as though Nick was trying to tell Vanessa that she has nothing to worry about with Corinne and she was still there for other reasons (which, because of you, we know that Nick now has a producer mentality). This isn’t really relevant, just something I picked up on. It could be read that way, sure.
Have a great one!
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Send all links and emails to: steve@realitysteve.com. To follow me on Twitter, it’s: www.twitter.com/RealitySteve. Instagram name is “RealitySteve,” or join my Reality Steve Facebook Fan Page. Talk to you tomorrow.
