So with things getting underway very shortly on filming of the “Bachelor” as girls arrive this weekend and Not Peter’s season beginning filming next Tuesday or Wednesday, lets lay out the next few months for this site. Today is the final “Reader Emails” of the season, with tomorrow being the final “Dr. Reality Steve” for the season. Once the shows are done airing, this has been the norm the last few years. The podcasts though aren’t going anywhere. Part 2 of the Desiree podcast comes at you tomorrow, and there will be a podcast released every Thursday for the remainder of the year and then some. I had told you that Kenny King is next week’s guest, but there’s a possibility that might get pushed back. Kenny has already been recorded but I might have to put it off another week. I’ll keep you updated. We really dive into the nuts and bolts of Desiree’s season in tomorrow’s podcast talking about the wrong spoiler, how it affected her and Chris, how the franchise has treated her, why she didn’t get a wedding paid for, etc. So definitely want to tune into that tomorrow. I think now with Paradise over, there’s a good chance you’ll be hearing from a few of those contestants on podcasts through the end of the year. That’s the plan at least. So again, thank you to everyone for listening, and thank for another successful season for this site. It all starts up again next week when the “Bachelor” begins filming as I’ll be releasing some of the girls set to appear. As of yesterday I had 6. Now I have 8. I’m sure it’ll grow by the end of the week. Not sure how many I’m releasing next week yet. In addition, once filming begins as always I will be spoiling it in real time whenever I get info or when social media decides to help me out. “Daily Links” will return at some point, just can’t give a definitive date and it won’t be every day, but it will be most days. I think I might take Fridays off. Enjoy the last “Reader Emails” of the calendar year.
Reader Emails
___________________________________
Hi Steve,
I don’t have any questions for you at the moment but thought I’d give you a little break from everything “who’s the next bachelor” related.
While watching BIP last week, I noticed that they used a segment from Nick’s season of ATFR when showcasing the BIP reunion show, specifically where D.Lo told Nick she was falling in love with him, except they obviously don’t show Nick to make it look like she was talking to Dean. Then on tonight’s episode during one of Jasmine’s ITMs, she’s sipping a Starbucks drink. I may be wrong, but I doubt that Starbucks exists where they are or that they have access to it, so this ITM was clearly filmed back in the States.
So I guess maybe I do have a question, does production think the audience is a bunch of morons that we won’t notice these things? Or maybe it’s just your audience that actually catches these things. Anyways, thanks for everything you do. I’m a huge fan!
Comment: The simple answer: Yes.
___________________________________
Hi Steve,
So I was reading your blog, and you commented on how Kaitlyn thinks the producers of the Bachelor franchise are shunning her for spoiling her own season, which is probably true. I was wondering on what you think about Rachel being the darling of the producers, considering how she revealed that she got engaged at the end of the show, weeks before it aired. It led to an anticlimatic finale for those who don’t read your blog, because once she broke up with Peter, we knew without a doubt that she would end up with Bryan. Do you see the hypocrisy of the producers?
Thanks,
Comment: Rachel revealing her engagement before the season started wasn’t by accident. She was given the go ahead by producers. That didn’t just slip.
___________________________________
Hi Steve!
Have you heard anything about Wells replacing Chris Harrison? I read an article saying that they want Wells hosting the show now. Is this true?
Comment: No.
___________________________________
Hey there Steve,
Long time reader! So much more fun watching with the spoilers in hand, ha! Anyways, since we all know that people go on bachelor/related spinoff shows to get a social media following and peddle fit teas and sunglasses etc, do you know what the follower threshold is for these people to actually be able to quit their day jobs? It seems that people like Lacey don’t have a big following and are so desperate to become more relevant to make some $$$, but wasn’t sure how many they needed to have for it to be a lifestyle. Amount of followers is a factor, yes, but it also has to do with reader engagement. Just look at what someone posts. If they have 500k followers and they post something, but only 500 people like or comment, then you know their followers are bought and not real. These companies are more looking at when you post something, how many people engage with it. They want to see comments and likes.
Second question, the whole Dean/DLo/Kristina triangle has been discussed to death but it seems that everyone feels bad for Kristina even though there are a lot of backhanded comments about DLo from several of the cast that suggest she’s not smart, or interesting and her only redeeming quality is that she’s smokin hot. I guess that’s not really a question, more of an observation and just think it’s kind of sad the way people talk about her. I heard Dean say that on the show, but never really anyone else chime in. Who else made those references?
It seems that those in a current bachelor or bachelorette season all seem to know the winner before the finale so I was wondering what their contracts say about discussing it with each other? And on that subject, the contracts are in place so that ABC or WB can sue if a lead (or whoever) spoils a season but obviously nothing happened to Kaitlyn and Shawn other than kind of being shunned by the franchise. So just wondering how airtight and strict those are? That also reminds me, I think it was Astrid who spoiled that Bryan won in an interview (comment about engagement party in Miami after the one in Texas), do you know if she faced backlash from that? These contracts are more of a scare tactic than anything. I’m guessing these people know and discuss it. And if they really don’t, my spoiler is usually out early enough where word gets out on the winner and then they take it from there.
Did Danielle M get cast on Nick’s season because of her preexisting friendship with Wells? Like did she nudge him to ask a producer to consider her or something of that nature? Seems like this stuff happens a lot just given how many times we hear of people being friends with so and so before the show. I don’t know for a fact, but I’m sure Wells helped her get on. Happens all the time on this show.
Why is Ben Z still relevant and invited to BIP? Also seems like he has a weird cult following that want him to be the bachelor. He seems so dull and not remotely able to carry the lead. Different strokes for different folks.
Have you heard anything about Jojo and Jordan’s relationship? I’m honestly shocked that’s still a thing since I thought she had the weakest group of men I’ve ever seen on this franchise and he seemed like the biggest fame whore (although I think it’s safe to say Robby has gone on to take that title). Not really.
You might have talked about this before but it seems like many of the contestants have really good relationships with the producers (Elan). Do you think most of those are fake, that they think they need to play nice to stay on their/his good side to either get a good edit or stay relevant longer? A lot of these relationships are surface level within the franchise. I don’t think that’d be any different with Elan because I know plenty of people who hate him.
Obviously Carly and Evan spoiled the baby’s gender before the ultrasound episode aired. Have you heard if the franchise was pissed about that? Or if they received any negative backlash as a result of basically making the show look stupid and behind the curve when it did air? Didn’t hear either way.
That you know of, who does the franchise hate the most in terms of former leads or finalists?
Sorry for being all over the place!
Comment: I don’t know who they hate really.
___________________________________
Hey steve,
I tend to fall under your reader email category of “I was asked the same question 15 times and am not going to post them all, but here is the answer…” and don’t make the cut due to my lack of originality. I predict this first one will be no different…
I know you said you were confident it was peter and he was the only one they were gunning for since day one. I do believe that’s true because well, he was really the only viable option from the past season after Dean’s little woman flight (like whiskey flight, a little of each… eh?… Not funny? K.) But now tonight you said you heard several other names- I’m not sure if you heard those names all from your sources or what’s just being thrown around, but my question is: Were all or some of those guys you listed being seriously considered and in talks, or was Peter THE guy, but it fell through last minute and they’re now picking from a backup list that they know will take the role if offered? I guess the best way to answer this is this way: They WANTED Peter. They SETTLED for Arie.
Next, I believe you 100% that it was unofficially set to be Peter, and I know you have said many times to not believe the shit Fleiss stirs up, but do you really NOT find it odd that he went off about how America shouldn’t want to have a bachelor who wasn’t ready to propose? Yes, he is the king of bullsh** and meaningless tweets, but he also puts this show on a pedestal and has never, from my knowledge, done anything but build up a lead up to be the greatest gift to America (minus the whole Katelyn drama after her season aired). I get that publicity is publicity and he likes to get people talking, but I can’t understand any logical motive for saying something to turn viewers against a potential lead if they were headed that way. Makes no sense even for someone as habitually non-sensical as Fleiss.
As for your updated lead prospects you listed and your prediction, I thought I would give my commentary for you to likely disagree with (life goal: have you agree)
Eric- I truly think he is maybe the best fit of all, and the “I’ve never been in love” storyline for the lead would be a new one. But as much as he has the fan base, I very highly doubt ABC would have two black leads in a row. They basked in their diversity and got the “historic first” publicity, which seemed like the natural time with equality being a constant topic/battle in general, mixed with Rachel making the F3 and being an obvious fit. But do I believe that means they will chose the cast/lead going forward with color being a non-determinant? Hopefully someday, but I can’t see them doing that now.
Ben Z- I never saw it, but fans were obsessed with him on Kaitlyn’s season and the frenzy resurrected when they announced him on BIP. However, his non existing chemistry between with any women, constant references to his dog / inability to talk about himself without it turning into Zeus’s memoir seemed to cause a slight slowdown in “Ben Z crazies” taking over BIP’s FB comments.
Ben H- would be kinda weird and abnormally un-believable to watch someone search for “the one” who we just just watched convince us that he found “the one”… granted it happened before with Emily getting engaged twice, the first time was practically over by the time we saw it and she didn’t even try to convince us that she had found her person in Brad.
Arie- The show seems to have this idea that fans only want to see recent contestants (with BIP too) but the contestants that people are really excited to see are the old fan favorites that didn’t immediately try to extend their fame post-show. I’d guess almost half the audience knows Arie from Emily’s season (or not), but either way I think the show could use a fresh face who we don’t know everything about.
Despite your prediction of Arie getting it, who of those you listed would you be most excited to see? If ya had to pick! 🙂 [cause I know you usually say it doesn’t make a different for you :)] I think this email was sent before the official Arie announcement, so it makes it kind of moot at this point. With that said, I’ll say what I always say. I really don’t get excited as to who the lead is. I do not care who they choose, just that they choose someone.
Lastly, those options seem pretty damn random and I’m surprised Luke isn’t one of them. I’m well aware of everything you’ve posted about his cheating, playing ways. But I’m guessing 99% of the viewers know him as the southern gentleman war vet. Also, Nick’s reputation sucked both on the show and behind the scenes and he still was presented as a sought after bachelor. Do you know why else he wouldn’t have been brought back up for this season? And do you think Dean regrets his decision to get emotionally invested with two girls (or at all) in paradise when if he stayed unattached he would probably, I’d assume, have been a front runner for the bachelor? Or was he more interested in joining the paradise / bachelor contestant mafia instead?
I hope you’ve enjoyed my overly thought out analyses on things I wish I cared significantly less about… but when you work a night shift twice a week and need to give yourself homework in order to stay awake, this is what ya get.
Thanks for everything and please, for the love of god, never leave us. I might have to read about (*gasp*) work-related topics while I’m at work then!
Comment: I’m not surprised Luke wasn’t considered. Chris Harrison threw him under the bus last year by basically agreeing with what I wrote on Luke back in March. Can’t see how they’d just kinda take that back.
___________________________________
Sooo … it’s Arie. Has he literally been waiting around for years keeping it touch with producers for the chance to star on the show? Aside from Jef Holm, is there a more insincere option they could have chosen? Does he even have a fan base anymore? From the reactions I’m seeing, people are disappointed. Is it that hard to get a good bachelor? He has a fan base from 5 years ago, but no, most recent followers of this show don’t remember, or care, about him. Not Peter is a backup choice, plain and simple. They didn’t want him until talks broke down with Peter. They went for a splash. Lets see how it pans out. The show is still the show and people are going to watch. I don’t predict any sort of significant drop off.
It’s also somewhat sexist that they bring 22-24 year old girls on the show and this guy has a head full of gray and *looks* much older, and obviously in all this time, if he had wanted to get married, he would have. Instead, he used his fame to sleep around as much as possible, and likely just wants to extend that a few more years with the help of the show. Look, Not Peter will never marry anyone from this show. Please. Just embed that in your brain right now. This is just fun for him. And yes, there will still be 22-24 girls this season because that’s the way the show has always cast, even when Brad and Nick were Bachelors, who were in the mid/late 30’s area like Arie is. And lets not forget Not Peter likes em’ young, so he certainly won’t care either.
I really love the show, but I’m sincerely not going to watch this season. I didn’t watch Bob’s (because we knew he had a girlfriend waiting back home and he was a fake), I didn’t watch some of the ridiculous Bachelors who clearly didn’t want to get married and could in a second if they wanted to (like the prince, athletes, etc), but I’ve been watching steadily for a while now when the people weren’t famous or scum bags, and now I’m back to checking out.
WHY him?? I’m so disappointed.
Anyway, thanks for your site.
Comment: Then you’re watching the show for the wrong reasons in the first place unfortunately.
___________________________________
Hey Steve,
Do you think you’ll ever have a former producer on the podcast? That’d be fascinating.
Thanks for all you do! Been reading since Brad 2.0
Comment: I wouldn’t know of any, and if they wished to continue to have any sort of career in the reality TV production field, I’m guessing going scorched earth on the franchise wouldn’t be something that’d be very smart to do, regardless of if they’re removed from it.
___________________________________
Without naming names (because we know you won’t) how many girls from the franchise do you know Arie has slept with? I know of 4 I believe. Seems kinda low I know, but I’m guessing there’s more. I don’t know about EVERY hookup in this franchise.
Also, him dating a producer on the show was part of his story on Emily’s season, wasn’t it? She’s not still with the show, is she?
Comment: No.
