Hey Steve
I’m just listening to the podcast with Meredith right now.
It came out the same day that I did my first EMDR treatment, related to my own experiences of sexual violence. So after hearing your intro, and reading what you wrote about it, I just wasn’t really feeling safe to listen. But I’m having a decent day and figured I would listen.
I just wanted to thank you for providing a safer space for people to share their experiences.
I also want to thank you for not faking your way through responses.
Often times, when I disclose my experiences, people say things that they think will sound good (“I hope he gets what he deserves”, “I’m sorry”). And while those things are in theory pleasant, the truth is that I would rather not think about someone else brutalizing another human being (despise how much I dislike them), and I also can appreciate the apology but you didn’t do anything wrong.
I appreciate your “thank you for sharing your story”. I appreciate your “I don’t know what to say”.
Thank you for being aware and compassionate. I know it may feel like you’re stumbling through your words, but time and time again (I recall a few other disclosures on your podcast, including Ashley) you respond with honestly, humbleness and compassion.
With hope
Comment: Thanks. I appreciate it. It certainly was the most difficult podcast I’ve done just because I didn’t really know what to say. Just thought of the first thing that came to my head, and remembering reading somewhere that victims of assault don’t want to hear things that bring them back to that moment. I felt awful for what Meredith went through and I’ve been sure to keep in touch with her since. She seems to be doing better and that’s all I can ask for.
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Hi Reality Steve,
Fairly long time reader, first time writing in.
I just wanted to say that I thought the podcast with Ashley was great as are all of your podcasts that you’ve been doing on the site for the past year and a half. I also signed up for Stitcher after you talked about the last He Said, She Said with Sharleen, and now I’ve listened to the first few episodes of that as well. I’ll miss Sharleen on it, but I think Ashley will be great. Yes, she will. First episode will be up by the end of the month, and remember it’s free. It will go on my Reality Steve Podcast feed.
Also wanted to mention that I’ve totally gotten back into Survivor because of the recaps you used to have on your site as well as the interview with Stephen Fishbach. Now I’m watching old and current seasons and listening to the podcasts on Rob Has a Podcast. So thanks for that!
Thanks for all that you do! Really love your site.
Comment: Well then you’ll like tomorrow’s podcast I’m sure as I’m having the utmost authority on all things “Survivor” in the media world, Dalton Ross from EW.com. The amount of coverage that guy has given that show over the years is very impressive. I applaud him for it.
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Hey Steve
I was just reading the reader emails from this week and there were quite a few speculating the next bachelor lead. It got me thinking, and the only guy from this current season that I see have any lead qualities is Colton. I know the Tia situation looks shady, but I think there is a way he can play himself up in paradise to make him a candidate. I think he can play a “Nick”, try it with Tia and in the end just say he is looking for more. Thoughts???
Comment: I don’t see Colton being on our screen for three consecutive seasons. It’s never happened before. It’s too much. Granted, crazy things have happened before, but that’s overkill.
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Hey Steve,
Reader since the beginning, first time writing in to you…
Question about your sources (hoping you can answer)
Do you find a lot of your sources are people who get info one time and pass it on to you? Or do you have a lot of repeat sources who are in contact with you frequently? Both.
I also wanted to mention that i was surprised after reading your email with that person who had photos of the final rose ceremony in the Maldives. I (incorrectly) assumed you’ve paid for info along the way. I have even more respect for the work you do, knowing you come by it honestly
Have a nice day!
Comment: No. I don’t pay for information. Don’t need to. If I did, I would’ve had those photos and been able to tell you Garrett before TMZ. Oh well. People just like to tell me things.
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Hello RS,
In Russia, the Russian bachelor just finished airing its sixth season and wow, it was so interesting to watch. I’ve watched many seasons of our American bachelor/bachelorette seasons and it was really interesting to see the differences amongst the two. One of the biggest differences was that they cast someone who’s pretty famous as the lead, and this season that just aired the lead was a young, good-looking, pretty famous artist. In result their ratings went up and it was said that every 1 in 3 people in Russia watched his season. Do you think that’s something they would ever do here and cast a famous lead? I think they’re done casting a famous lead. Hasn’t happened in years and nobody would buy that a famous person needs the “Bachelor/ette” to find a spouse.
As well, during the season there was one particularly interesting rose ceremony. Instead of handing out the roses to the women, he called them all up one by one to hand out the roses to each other and choose who they thought would be the most deserving & best fit for him. Which makes me wonder, has anything of the sort happened on our American bachelor or has it always been the traditional rose ceremonies? In the early seasons, one time on the first night they asked everyone to vote who they thought least deserved to be there. And that person with the most votes, although everyone thought that meant that person would be going home, actually meant they got the first 1-on-1 of the season. I think it was Jason’s season and Megan Parris was the one who received the most votes if I’m not mistaken.
And lastly, the leads sister mentioned that when they got to meet the final 3 women, they got to meet with each woman for 6-7 hours while they filmed to give the bachelor their advice & opinions on who they like and who he should choose. It made me wonder, approximately how much time do our leads’ family get to spend with the women or men, I would think it would be less because it always seemed that they were there for the evening portion of the day.
Thanks so much for answering!
Comment: They get the one day on the hometowns, but even then, they don’t meet the other person until they bring them home for dinner. So a few hours.
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Hi Steve,
I’m a huge fan of yours. I know many people are shifting the focus to who the next Bachelor will be and throwing out ideas, some of which you addressed in your last blog. If you had to guess at this point who production is eyeing, who would you guess? What are your thoughts on Dean becoming next Bachelor (I hope not)? I ask because he has stayed in the Bachelor bubble and they seem to like him. Do you think Blake could carry the show?
Thanks!
Comment: I don’t think they’d ever go with Dean. It doesn’t matter if Blake could carry a show or not. This show is made through the casting of contestants, not the lead. There have been plenty of leads who didn’t move the needle for the audience, yet they’re there every season to watch.
Steve: just want to let you know the Lauren podcast was great. I never had any doubt she was classy and real. Of course, all those juicy Ben details is what we’ve all been waiting for and it really delivered. I liked Ben and when watching his season I liked him and Lauren together, but ultimately you could tell it was a compatibility issue. Even when he said all that stuff so soon after that break up, I never thought she was the picture that was portrayed. Anyone who trolls and continues to beat up on people based of what they see on a tv show or hear on a podcast needs to get a life and read up on how the media works to manipulate its viewers, whether it’s reality tv, the news, the news papers, online ads, the food industry etc. Again, great to hear her side. Thanks. I thought Lauren was great and someone who I really appreciated following through on things she said she was gonna do. It’s refreshing having dealt with others who just can’t seem to commit to anything.
I hope you decide to still publish/address my email after this next comment:
I do commend you on how you addressed the Garrett thing and am impressed how you won’t keep beating the issue to death. However, it shows you how low some people do stoop to get their 15 minutes or to get a story out into the news. While I don’t agree with some of Garrett’s “likes” I think the story was overblown by Ashley and the original troll who found the “likes”. I agree that it needed to be touched on, but the fact is, people watch this show and other trash tv for entertainment. We are bombarded with political correctness and social agenda on a constant basis anymore. Through every social media post, to the news, Saturday Night Live, Rosanne, etc – it is everywhere and people are tired of it. It doesn’t make any issues moot, don’t get me wrong. Getting to my point, this is a perfect example of something being pushed in the media to manipulate a large populations viewpoint of not only a person, but to push another leftist/liberal agenda. Although you are correct in stating that some of Garrett’s “likes” are a human decency issue and not a left or right issue, the fact is that these ‘human decency issues’ are tied to conservative people and open up yet another hateful discussion to be aired on national tv about how if you’re a conservative you must be a white supremacist and a hateful person.
Comment: So was the first part of the email to butter me up for the second part? Ha ha…I’m done talking about the Garrett situation because nothing matters anymore. I’ve said what I said, I believe he never should’ve liked those, it was a horrible look, I liked his apology, and here we are. No need to dive into it anymore because it goes nowhere.
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Hi Steve!
Do you know anything about Luke Pell & Holly Allen breaking up? They unfollowed each other on IG. She even went back and unliked every picture/video of his. I had my suspicions when they didn’t like each other’s pictures recently. She’s in Nashville currently (where he lives), and he’s in Florida.
Comment: No.
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Hi Steve! Big fan of your site and podcasts, and really enjoyed the recent one with Lauren Bushnell. Something that you alluded to in both Lauren (and Meredith’s) podcast was the fact that you pre-told Lauren that you were going to ask questions about Ben, or pre-asked Meredith about her life circumstances right now. How much do you discuss with the interview subject beforehand about what will be asked during the podcast? Is it mostly so they know what to expect and can prepare things? Do they ever provide suggestions about what questions they want you to ask? Do you pre-chat about anything else? Just curious about your process. Keep up the great work!
Comment: Every person varies. The only thing with Lauren is she didn’t want an hour conversation about Ben. And neither did I. We spent a good 20 minutes of the 90 on Ben, and that was fine with me. Some people ask what I want to talk about just so they have an idea going in, but none have ever specifically told me “Don’t talk about that.” At least no major topics that come to mind.
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1- wouldn’t he have been with Sydney at this time?
2- production started in September?
Comment: Lauren met Arie at a race in Dallas last June and took a pic with him that day. She brought it on her limo entrance, but it was never shown. That’s what she’s referring to. She had met him pre-show briefly at a race months before going on the show.
