So many people have chimed in with their thoughts on this, and I’ve been telling you my thoughts for 6 months now. Nothing has changed. The guy was never in this to find a wife. He’s a 36 year old womanizer that has essentially cheated on every girl he’s been with, and was using the show to jump start his racing career again. And as I’ve said time and time and time again since I posted about the switch up, if he wanted to end an engagement to Becca, that’s fine. If he didn’t want to continue a relationship that he wasn’t 100% in on, he has every right to break it off. I don’t think anyone is disputing the break up. If they are, then they’re not thinking straight. What he didn’t need to do though was lie to her, make her think they were having a normal Happy Couple visit, then bombard her with cameras and film the whole thing. Completely classless and speaks volumes about his character. “Oh, you just don’t like the guy and never have anything nice to say about him.” Did you read all of “Bachelor Nations” tweets? Find me one former contestant on this show last night whose opinion was, “Man, I didn’t like Arie before but after watching how he handled everything, I thought he came off great.” I’ll give you til’ eternity.
The next conspiracy people have is that Arie had no choice and he had to do it on camera. Well, no he didn’t. He could’ve broken up with her off camera if he wanted to. Did producers encourage it? Absolutely. Did Arie know this would be dramatic television? For sure. But he absolutely could’ve put his foot down and said “Absolutely not. I’m not going to embarrass her like this on television. We are not filming this.” The Arie sheep will say he had no choice and I’m telling you, they’re wrong. More on that in a minute. Yes, producers are highly influential in making people do what they want to do. But they are sick, twisted, insecure people whose job it is to pretend they’re your best friend, then f**k you over the first chance they can get all in the name of TV gold. Arie could’ve prevented that break up being filmed and he didn’t. He chose to give in to them and that’s what makes him an asshole, not because he broke up with her.
Now lets get to the break up itself. There were actually people last night who claimed that there was editing involved in the breakup because in one shot Becca had her ring on and in the next shot, she didn’t. That’s because she took it off once she realized what was happening. Raven’s boyfriend Adam pointed this out on Twitter last night. You can clearly see (although it’s out of camera shot) Becca’s right hand pulling the ring off her left hand:
She took off her ring!? #thebachelor #thebachelorfinale pic.twitter.com/JVIRDmpmLQ
— Adam Gottschalk (@AdamJGottschalk) March 6, 2018
Bekah M. chimed in on Twitter last night with her thoughts about Arie as well:
hahahahahaha @ariejr is the biggest fucking tool i’ve ever seen. becca is a queen. a goddess. thank the LORD he’s out of her life
— bekah martinez ? (@whats_ur_sign_) March 6, 2018
And even wanted to show receipts that Arie slid into her DM’s a month ago, something we know he’s done since he returned home from filming with others, whether it was contacting exes Sydney or Giustine, or just randomly sending messages to other women that weren’t his fiancé. What is this guy’s deal?
dm’ing your ex is a good look too ? @ariejr pic.twitter.com/dRQYw6fIbZ
— bekah martinez ? (@whats_ur_sign_) March 6, 2018
Another interesting narrative making the rounds is this notion that the break up was staged, Becca already knew about it, and she just filmed it to go along with the storyline. That type of idiocy is about as ignorant as you can get. The only people who truly believe that are the Arie sheep. John Wolfner, one of Arie’s closest friends, a guy that you would think would go out of his way to make last night as painless for Arie as it can be, even HE said Becca had no idea what was coming that day:
No, unfortunately she didn’t.
— John Wolfner (@jwolfner) March 6, 2018
What’s interesting about tonight’s 2 hr live finale is that it’s been made pretty clear, by Becca in her interview with People.com, and even some of the other girls in other interviews, that they don’t hold any ill will towards Lauren, basically saying it’s a “heart wants what it wants” deal. Which is understandable. None of these women will come after Lauren tonight. However, you know every single one of them is going to lay into Arie because he’s the one they’re blaming in all of this, and rightfully so. It’s just bizarre that while I too agree Lauren hasn’t done anything wrong per se (her judgement of men leaves a lot to be desired), when all your “friends” are attacking your new man, how is she going to take that? It’s a weird dynamic of them essentially saying, “Lauren, we’re ok with you. You do you girl. But your man? He’s a Grade A Douchenozzle and he’s not ready to be in a relationship and has no idea what he wants.” They obviously are supportive of her, but clearly not the man she’s with or his intentions going forward. So aren’t they basically indirectly telling Lauren they think her taste in men sucks and she’ll deserve whatever she has coming with him? I’m interested to see how that part plays out.
tinyred500
March 7, 2018 at 8:32 AM
Yep, I agree with you. I don’t think it was concocted by the producers because of low ratings either. Arie just changed his mind…end of, so then they had to work around that. It happens I personally don’t see that’s the issue, just the whole filming of the break up etc.
tinyred500
March 7, 2018 at 8:38 AM
Yep, I agree with you. I don’t think it was concocted by the producers because of low ratings either. Arie just changed his mind…end of, so then they had to work around that. It happens, and I personally don’t see that’s the issue, just the whole filming of the break up etc., is the issue with me.
tinyred500
March 7, 2018 at 8:42 AM
This reply is for …..katieottawa! I wondered where my comment went! Lol
nobody1
March 8, 2018 at 5:55 AM
Wow, Steve, you sound like an ABC lackey. How can you NOT believe all that garbage wasn’t scripted? Are you so scared of being sued (again) that you have climbed into bed with them?
nobody1
March 8, 2018 at 6:03 AM
Or I should have said “how can you believe all that garbage wasn’t scripted”? The biggest farce is Becca…… she’s so distraught over breaking up with that turd she instantly jumps at the chance to be the next lead? Bull.
Everything on the show is scripted bull poo, and you know it. Or at least you used to think that way before something (money?) convinced you to change your mind and start believing otherwise. The truth is ABC is probably the one giving you the “spoilers”, and your columns have become part of the lure for viewership.
dogmomma
March 8, 2018 at 10:38 AM
The breakup happened in January, so I don’t think Becca signing up for the Bachelorette is too soon. She barely knew the guy she got engaged to, and she’s had plenty of time to move on since January. She doesn’t need to grieve for a year over something that was very short-lived. She seems like a smart, sensible girl, so I think she will be fine as the bachelorette. Also, when people say she shouldn’t do it because of the way ABC treated her, just remember that she is going to be the lead, and the guys who sign up to meet her are the ones who open themselves up to being manipulated.
cjscjs711
March 12, 2018 at 10:05 PM
I’m from Minnesota, too, and Becca is SO Minnesotan. So many ways. Like, the parents are really old school and repressed, and so the kids are very open with their feelings and thoughts.
The scripting was probably the producers pushing Arie to choose Becca, knowing he really wanted Lauren, but being weak as he is he went along and chose Becca. Then were perfectly amenable to a break up.
If the Washington Post said they were contractually obligated to allow the cameras, more than likely they researched it and that was the fact. If they didn’t, journalistic standards would be to say, “probably” or “perhaps” etc.
These are not professional actors. The producers know this. So, to get a reaction of “surprise,” they have to literally surprise the person, etc.
Her reactions were very similar to mine, having been in – well, situation similar in some ways.
First, not in any way expecting it -> shock.
When she looks down she almost laughs. Perhaps thinking, “Three minutes ago, I was madly in love with this guy. Now I see he’s just a complete asshole”
If so, she’s correct there. Unfortunately, those insights are temporary.
To those who say she didn’t cry. She does. She goes into the bathroom to cry. She says several times it’s all embarassing.
I’m sure that having cameras follow you 24/7 you come to ignore them; especially know so much will be cut – which the producers might even reassure, like, “Don’t worry, we’ll cut that type of scene.”
What I don’t believe is that it was all unedited. It looked more like it took place over a much longer period of time and they cut a bunch.
Yes she should do Bachelorette. By the time it airs, the douchebag will probably have realized Lauren’s not The One either and want Becca back or something. Let him be miserable. His turn.
Not necessarily a healthy thing to do, but after a break up where you have lifelong expectations – rebounding is common. Don’t think the producers don’t know this. Those intense feelings just ripe to be transferred to the next romantic date.
And honestly, my gaydar was pinging constantly watching that guy. Lauren seems as shallow or conflicted as he is, maybe even in the closet like he is and that’s the kinship he feels for her. Closeted gayness.
That’s my take on it.