Steve,
I just wanted to send a big THANK YOU for the Podcasts! I’ve been a fan of the show since Season 1, and a fan of yours since your site launched. It’s so cool hearing from former contestants about their time on the show, and you’re not afraid to ask the questions that we’re all thinking. Keep up the great work and I’ll keep listening (and reading)!
Comment: It’s my favorite part of the podcasts. Most interviews any of these contestants do post-show are magazine interviews, or entertainment shows, where it’s edited. And they aren’t given free reign to talk and have a time limit. So the only time you’ll hear them is on a podcast. And a lot more are doing podcast interviews because they want to be heard. I easily could’ve talked to Courtney, Clare, Kacie, or Nick for 2-3 hours. But I know not many people have that kinda time to dedicate to podcasts. I listen to probably 4-5 podcasts a week. Once it gets to about an hour, hour and fifteen, I’m usually like, “Ok, I’m done.” So that’s the max I’m trying to go to on mine. Sure, Courtney was 90 minutes, but I really thought there wasn’t a dull moment in those 90 minutes. Neither with Clare in her 80 minutes. So each interview is different. I have my list of things that I want to talk about, but if they say something that strikes another chord or ventures into another topic, I will not hesitate to go in that direction.
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Steve,
I don’t know whether you watched season 1 of the bachelor, or when you started watching; I started I think with Andy Baldwin’s season. I’m sure you’ve become aware that season 1 is available now on ABC.com, I had no real interest in watching it when I first heard, but I was listening to one of my bachelor podcasts (I’m so glad you started one, I look forward to it every week), and they did a whole episode where, after having just watched season 1 they had a discussion about it recapping and comparing it to what the series has become. These people were also watching season 1 with fresh eyes, they had started watching the series much later on as well. The discussion sort of sparked my interest, so I started watching, and I’m midway through episode 5. There are only 6 episodes, 45 minutes a piece, so it really isn’t a big time commitment. Although the content of the show itself is really pretty boring compared to the circus it has become, it is interesting to see what it was like when it first got started. They mention that the bachelor passed a background check, the women all talk about what their friends and families think about them doing such a crazy thing as going on tv for love, etc. The women sit around on couches during the “invitation ceremony” (a/k/a rose ceremony). No one knew to expect the fantasy suite cards, so we seem to get a more genuine reaction than we do now when they know it’s coming. Some of the conversations are entertaining, like he asks one girl about her boobs – like literally says, “I want to ask you about your boobs.” His 3rd to last girl seems to actively dislike him, and a good many more seem pretty indifferent, so this must have been before the producers got their training on how to induce stockholm syndrome. Obviously everything has to move lightening fast in 6 one hour episodes, so that is also a lot different from how it is now. I haven’t gotten to the end, but I’m interested to see what the final rose ceremony (or “invitation ceremony”) is like. Anyway, these are just a few of my observations, I’d love to hear yours. I know they would be more thought provoking and interesting than mine are. I bet most of your readers are later to the game as well, and it’s definitely worth taking a few hours to watch and compare. I’d love to read your thoughts (or hear them – podcast episode topic maybe?!). Anyway just thought I’d share, thanks for all the entertainment you provide!
Comment: I never saw the first season nor do I really have plans to go back and watch. I just know it’s a completely different show now so not a whole lot of comparing that needs to be done.
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my question is Nick seems to be praising Corinne a lot lately, could he pull a Jason Mesnick and ditch Vanessa and start dating Corrine?
Comment: Ummmm, no.
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Hi Steve-
I have been meaning to email you for weeks about your Podcast and just your work in general, I look forward to my lunches on Tuesday and Wednesday and my drive home on Thursday. You are an awesome writer and an excellent interviewer. You have a way of driving the conversation, it is so captivating, I never want it to end and as soon as its over, I instantly look forward to the following Thursday and start to think of all the possibilities of the next guest.
The interviews also always change my opinion of the contestant as well. I read Courtney’s book when it came out, based on your recommendation and warmed up to her, but your interview with her just took it to the next level, it was like listening to 2 old friends and I loved her candidness, I think it could have gone on for an additional hour and a half.
Also, I didn’t really like Clare, but your interview with her totally changed my mind. When you brought up her family, your recap immediately came to mind. I remember your tweeting that night “Let mama talk” and referring to her sister as Queen c**kblock, I laughed when I read it and laughed again today when I was reminded of it and then went back and found that paragraph and re-read it and laughed again. Keep up the good work.
I also really enjoy your conversations with Dana, I so wish you had 2 podcasts per week, 1 with Dana and one with a past contestant.
As I was listening today I was thinking of guest possibilities that I personally would like to hear and I came up with the following list.
1. Andi Dorfman (top of my list) Would never do it. Not even going to ask.
2. Marquel – I would like his thoughts on Rachel being the Bachelorette, I seem to remember he was sort of pushing for the Bachelor after his season. Possibility. Never thought about him before because I really didn’t find him to be all that interesting on either season he was on.
3. Jared – I want the truth on him and Ashley I. Don’t think he would either.
4. Britt – so we can know how she really felt losing the Bachelorette gig to Kaitlyn. She’d be someone I’m interested in having on someday. Not sure she’d do it though.
5. Chris Soules – I don’t have a good reason except that it would be interesting to hear from a lead, his thoughts on Kelsey and Ashley I, and how he really felt on that 2-1 date. Don’t think he’d do it.
All these podcasts and recaps of seasons makes me want to go back and read all your recaps.
And, not sure if anyone mentioned it, but at times it is very difficult to hear the guest, like they need to have their mic closer to them or something.
Thanks for entertaining me 4 days a week, between Twitter, your Blog and the podcast, looking forward to many more spoiled seasons, your sarcasm and your wit.
Comment: I think the sound quality has gotten better. Nick’s had by far the worst quality, but that was weird because he told me he was on his phone on his couch the whole time and never moved. So who knows what happened? I’m trying to use Skype audio for all of them. Seems to work best.
One other thing I want to add is that I don’t think I will ever reveal who I asked to do the podcast, who said no, why etc because I don’t want people contacting them asking why they aren’t doing it. The podcasts will come every Thursday and whoever the guest is that week is the guest. But lets not ask, “Hey, did you ask so-and-so? What’d they say? Why won’t they do it?” I think just to be respectful to them, it’s better to never reveal who said no to the podcast. Because it doesn’t mean I hate them or think less of them. Everyone has their reasons and those will be kept private. I’ve already gotten a few people who’ve said no that I’d like to have on, but that’s life. Maybe they’ll come around eventually. I don’t know.
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Hey Steve!
I’m loving the podcasts and feel like your relationship/banter with your guests is very natural and friendly. I’m wondering about your background with them. For instance, with Courtney/Clare, have you been chatting with them consistently since their seasons?
Or was their time on the podcasts the first time you’ve talked to them (not including setting up the podcast interview of course)?
Or are they just friendly people who know the power you hold in Bachelor-land and feel comfortable opening up and don’t care about what ABC thinks anymore? Other than setting up the interview a few days/weeks before, not really anything. I mean, I met Courtney at a Michelle Money charity event 4 years ago, but it’s not like we really ever kept in touch since then. Clare was recent when I’d made my list of people that I wanted to talk to. And yeah, Courtney hasn’t been on the show for 6 years. Clare 2 or 3. What can the show do?
Mainly curious because I feel like I’ve read in your blogs that you generally can’t get a hold of contestants due to their contracts/them trying to protect themselves. Maybe I am wrong!
Thanks!
Comment: Every contestant I’ve had on is long past their contract being done. It’s usually a year from the time their finale airs. So that’s why you’re not hearing me interview any of Ben’s girls, or JoJo’s guys, or Nick’s girls because technically, all interview requests for them for that first year are supposed to go through ABC. That’s not to say that some in those seasons haven’t done interviews on their own with other outlets without asking ABC. I’m sure they have. They just can’t do like a media tour of interviews, because they’d be told to stop. And well, I’ll never email ABC asking for an interview because I already know what the answer is. So for the time being, yeah, a lot of contestants you hear will be older ones.
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Steve,
I have been a long-time follower. My first podcast was your interview with Courtney Robertson. I think she is adorable- I thought that even during her season. I just have to tell you that I so enjoyed your interview with her! You asked questions and ACTUALLY allowed her to answer. There were times that you were speaking and she would interject. You would STOP and allow her to speak! SO REFRESHING! I think some major news personalities should take a lesson. Isn’t that what an interview is about?
Comment: Thanks. One thing that I hope people understand is I’m asking these people to come on to tell their story. The interview isn’t about me, it’s about them. I’m trying to ask the questions I think a majority of the fans want an answer to. And once they get going, just let them roll. If I was hosting a radio show, and there was a clock involved and commercials to be played, then it’d be a whole different story. But in this medium, they can saw whatever they want and go as long as they want. Doesn’t affect me. The longer the better.
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Hey Steve, I guess this is becoming a weekly thing for me!
I’m gonna be short(er) this week cause damn my last one was long.
More Corrine talk… cause we don’t get enough Corrine! Jk.
I guess I fail to see how she is exactly a “villain” and how so many people send you reader emails about how she is the ultimate villain and how terrible she is. The way I see it: yes, she’s spoiled, naïve, immature, and embarrassingly sexually aggressive in front of millions of viewers. However, I’ve noticed that in past seasons, the villain was constantly being talked about by the other girls in ITMS and didn’t get along with the house. Besides the mutual feud with Taylor, the girls really don’t talk about her much in ITMS besides when they talked about how she had a nanny and is spoiled/childish. While those aren’t good things, she doesn’t really have that “mean” quality or seem like a bad person at all to me. Yeah, she was mean to Taylor during their blowout and she’s said people are “bitches”, but she seems to get along with the remaining girls decently and they’ve shown quite a few clips of her socializing and confiding lately with the house… which says a lot.
I guess I don’t see how she can be so hated for being spoiled and unaware of what being an adult is. She grew up wealthy, had a nanny her whole life (rather than most parents taking away the nanny when you’re not a child anymore…) and was handed a job working for a “million dollar” company. Of course she is immature and naive, she doesn’t know anything else. It’s sad when you compare it to someone like Kristina, but is just kinda the way her life has always been and doesn’t seem malicious to me. She actually comes off as a very relatable character, with her insecurities and constantly doing things she wishes she hadn’t done, as well as her genuine seeming interest in nick and constantly embarrassing herself. What do you think? Do you really think she fits the villain role- especially compared to people like Courtney, Michelle, and Olivia who just were rude and constantly said crappy things about the girls?
Ps I just caved and started listening to your podcasts (I’m not patient enough to sit down and listen normally)and now I’m obsessed. I no longer listen to music in the car cause that’s my dedicated podcast time- so keep it up! Thanks for the entertainment!
Comment: This has been talked about on a few of the podcasts, but the word “villain” has changed now. Definitely addressed in tomorrow’s podcast, since JJ was considered a “villain” as well. In the context of this particular show, Corinne is absolutely this season’s villain. But it doesn’t necessarily mean everyone was talking sh** about her. Plenty of women this season have questioned Corinne and the things she’s done. And she’s literally the ONLY girl that others have talked about negatively (that they’ve shown), so in turn that makes her a villain. Yes, a lot of stuff she has said is in ITM’s, but while she was there, the women certainly weren’t the best of friends with her. A lot had issues with her antics and what she was doing. And I’m sure when they watch it back and see and hear the things she was saying in her ITM’s, probably didn’t sit well with them either. A villain doesn’t have to mean shunned by the entire cast during filming or post show anymore. The show “villain” now is the one that others are constantly talking about for stuff they did while filming. Sure, if we really wanted to get technical we could use a different word, but for the sake of this show and what it’s established in the past, they just call that person the “villain.”
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Hey Steve! I am absolutely excited that Rachel was selected to be the bachelorette. I am sure she will be fantastic. My question is, do you think they planned on spoiling it for viewers a long time ago because I remember in the trailer they showed Rachel toasting “To Finland”… So they’ve started out spoiling her time on the show since the beginning which kind of shows they could care less and maybe wanted fans to know a black woman actually can make it far this season so she wouldn’t be a shocker and she could have a chance in some people’s fantasy leagues. A friend of mine said “Production probably didn’t think it was a big deal because the black girl never wins, so ABC felt people probably expected it.” However I think that unspoiled people were actually pulling for Rachel and actually thought she could win which came to Mike Fleiss and Chris Harrison’s surprise since Chris was blamed by angry fans for ruining the show.
Basically I know why they spoiled it so early… They want to make sure to get guys who would actually like to pursue Rachel, they don’t want guys expecting it to be Raven to apply and to their surprise they are pursuing an interracial relationship… because lets be real it’s 2017 but some people still have a racial type. I am just wondering if they underestimated the anger of the unspoiled fans because they figured the fans would be like “Oh she wouldn’t win anyway” when looking at the colorless history of this show… I mean production had to have not cared about Rachel’s time being spoiled because I didn’t read your spoilers til much later, and I knew Rachel wasn’t going home each episode because I was waiting on them to go to Finland, and since they haven’t went to Finland yet I knew she was staying and that was spoiled by the trailer.
Comment: As I mentioned yesterday on Page 1 and in my podcast with the Possessionista last Tuesday, I don’t buy they announced her early to get guys specifically for her. Final casting weekend had already happened before the Rachel announcement. They have their main group of men already for next season. Maybe a few make it on since the announcement, but I doubt it’ll be many. Plus we’ll never know how many of her total didn’t apply and made it after they announced her. But knowing the way this show works and has worked for years, the majority of their cast comes from the crop that were flown out to LA for final casting weekend, which happened the last couple weeks in January.
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Hi Steve,
I have some questions I’m hoping you can answer.
1) Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe you said that Nick won’t be on Dancing with the stars this coming season because you haven’t heard that he would. Do you know why that is? You may not know the answer to this question because it’s not really bachelor related, but do they ask the dancer if they want to work with the person they want to pair them with before they get matched? Do you think that they maybe asked a few dancers if they would want to work with Nick and they said no and that’s why they won’t pursue him for the show? I don’t have any inside knowledge of why he’s not on other than what I’ve read on entertainment sites that cover DWTS more thoroughly than I do. They’re saying he’s not on. All I’ve heard through the grapevine is that ABC isn’t too keen on letting their people do it anymore because it detracts from the relationship. Chris Soules was the last one to do it, yet every season past that we heard Kaitlyn, Ben, and JoJo all being mentioned every season, yet never getting cast. So maybe there’s something to it. ABC just doesn’t want their people doing it anymore and can easily step in and kill it. Just know if Nick isn’t on (which it doesn’t look like he’s going to be), it’s not because he doesn’t want to be on. The guy’s been dying to be on that show for 2 years now. So it’s either the show didn’t want him or ABC killed his chances. Or perhaps a combo of both. But once again, probably something we’ll never get an answer to.
2) A few weeks ago when people started to ask you about Ben and Lauren and if they broke up, you said you haven’t heard anything. However, now it seems like you are convinced they won’t be getting married at all. Were you told information that we don’t know about? I mean I do think they won’t get married at all because ever since the rumors came out that they are having problems; they seem to be trying to hard to show they are together and still in love. That’s right, I hadn’t heard anything. I usually don’t hear anything on the couples once the show is over unless I specifically start asking around. Once those rumors started up, and the people were emailing the stuff about their IG’s and not taking trips together, I looked into it a little bit more. All I know is what I reported. They are together right now. They haven’t broken up. I just wouldn’t buy them anything off a wedding registry. How long it’ll be before it’s officially off? That I don’t know.
3) How long does time pass before the producers ask someone if they want to be the next bachelor/bachelorette? I’m asking because when Rachel was asked by Jimmy Kimmel when they asked her and she said, “not long after filming”. I’m sure everyone has their own definition of “not long after filming”. To me it would mean 3 weeks. However, to Rachel it could mean 2 months. Do you know when other leads were asked about being the lead? It seems like to me they asked her before the show even started to air.
Thanks so much!!!
Comment: Each person is different. Impossible to answer. They always mention it right away to people once they’re eliminated. But that’s just early stages of talking. After that, it just depends on how much they keep in touch with you about it and if you get flown to LA for interviews. As for Rachel, no idea when any of that happened with her.
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Hi Steve,
Love the podcasts. I especially enjoy listening to the former contestants. Just from their stint on the podcast alone, I can now see why they “got” the edit they did. Courtney has a sarcastic, “screw it” kind of personality and I can see how she ended up saying true-ish things to her producer “friends” that were funny-mean. And well, Claire, she seems so completely naive to it all that I can definitely imagine how she ended up getting take advantage of. I think you mentioned that you would have Sharleen Joynt on soon. Cannot wait for that as she happens to be incredibly interested to read/listen to. Sharleen has been the most requested. She has said she’ll do it. We’re just trying to figure out her schedule because she’s currently doing a show.
Question: Are you still playing the Bachelor bracket game and what place are you in? Thanks to your spoilers, I was hanging in their around 200th place until last week’s round of coin toss questions.
Thanks for being so entertaining.
Comment: Up until last week, I’d only missed one question. Can’t remember which one. Then I forgot to fill it out before last week’s 5 questions, so I fell behind.
