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Hi Steve,
Wondering if there are ever contestants that come on the show, and truly are not interested in the lead?
Could this be the case when seemingly good guys (grocery store Joe) go home right away?
Comment: Plenty. The list is long.
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Hi Steve,
hope I got it right: Colton contacted Tia while Becca was still engaged with Arie. At this point Tia was probably under discussion for the next Bachelorette. So he reached out for the possible Bachelorette imo. As Colton and Tia are obviously very interested in this franchise (cough cough) my questions are:
How are the rules about people knowing each other before the show, especially dating before? If Tia would have been the Bachelorette, would Colton be allowed to be a contestant, or would they have to hide their dating past if necessary?
Do you think Colton is clever and calculating enough to date Tia just BECAUSE she could be the Bachelorette, and when they have good chemistry he’d go a long way on the show? That would imply both agree about a common strategy. He get’s his prime time and she would have a man in the race she really likes – and who knows how to work the system. Even an engagement (and amicable breakup later) would be fine with someone who is on the same page.
Any known cases when a pair, or people dating used the franchise like this? It’s just a theory of course, I know nothing about Colton and Tia and their true intentions. But Tia used these theme 100% franchise suitable and both worked a lot of publicity out of it.
Tks to your spoiler I know they’re no couple after BIP. But: Would be the end of participating as a contestant, right? There are still the winter games …
Thank you!
Comment: You ask a lot of great questions. Unfortunately, there are no black and white answers to any of them. We just don’t know. Your timeline does seem correct though. We don’t know the rules about dating someone pre-show who appears on the first night because, as far as I know, it’s never happened. Some have met before, some maybe have spoken before, but we haven’t had two people who spent a weekend together where one of them shows up on the other’s season. It just hasn’t happened and I doubt it ever will. That would be a complete unfair advantage to the rest of the cast. The closest they came was allowing Nick on Kaitlyn’s season, and I guess in a way that was more unfair since he got to show up mid season.
This show, as ridiculous as it is, still has to keep this air of authenticity to the fans who don’t read up on it, don’t follow spoilers, don’t read blogs and listen to podcasts about the show, and turn their brains off the second the show goes off the air on Monday night. Bringing someone on who dated the lead would take that away.
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Hi Steve! Long time fan of yours! Thank you for all of your spoils! A few questions for you!
1. Do you know if Becca breaks up with Blake before heading to the final “rose ceremony” or does she make him go through with it? Don’t know.
2. Seeing that Blake and Jason both were not in paradise, that leads me to believe that they are the main ones running for the next Bachelor. However, do you think that maybe Colton didn’t go through with things with Tia in Paradise because he thought maybe he could get the lead? I’m interested to hear your take on this and who you think has the best chance of being the new Bachelor. I’m sure he’d take it in a heartbeat. I just don’t think he’s gonna get the gig.
3. Do you think that Colton telling Becca that he is a virgin had more to do with Becca sending him home next week rather than sending him home because Tia came to her about her feelings for Colton? Maybe a combination of the two? Becca said Tia had nothing to do with her decision. So either you think she lied or you believe her. There’s really no gray area there.
4. Overall, I think this has been a great season of the Bachelorette. Becca has handled it with lots of grace, and I applaud her for that. How are you enjoying this season? The same as any others really. Becca I’ve been fine with. But I think she got screwed with some of her cast being a bunch of knotheads. And with all the post-show reveals on the guys, it’s taken away from her season for sure.
5. It does kind of surprise me at this point in the show that Garrett wins. I know that she has had a connection with him from the get-go, but the producers are definitely making it out to look like her and Blake have the strongest connection. Maybe they aren’t going as in-depth with her and Garrett’s connection because they want to trick the viewers. Unsure. Thoughts?
Thank you!
Comment: It’s possible. I don’t read into stuff like that. It’s pointless. She picked Garrett. I don’t care about their edit. Because some people think the complete opposite of you and say it’s so obvious it’s Garrett and has been since the first night. So I don’t really see the need to dissect who it seems like she’s into more since that’s completely subjective. My job is to find out who she’s with, that’s Garrett, you’ve known for 2 months, and the season just plays out as it plays.
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Hi Steve!
Thank you so much for all you do! I enjoy the Bachelor franchise so much more now getting to follow along with your commentary and insight.
Is it bad that the FIRST thing I thought when I read that Colton and Tia didn’t leave a couple on BIP is that Colton is really, really stretching for that Bachelor role? Between his virginity story, his romantic interests not panning out with Becca OR Tia, and then to see twitter practically drool over him and tweet the franchise to make him the Bachelor every week/episode…it is setting him up really nicely.
I know you said it would probably be too much of Colton on the screen to get the role, but I guess after Nick and Arie I do not think it would surprise me. (Clearly I do not want to see Colton as the Bachelor ha)
Thanks!
Comment: Yeah, I guess nothing should surprise anyone anymore, but I think everything with the Colton/Becca/Tia storyline this past episode, which will then lead into their relationship in Paradise – that’s about enough. He doesn’t need yet a THIRD storyline for next season as the “Bachelor.” It’d be overkill. He got his run on “Bachelorette” and “Paradise.” Now he should just turn his attention to some other reality starlet because we know it’s coming.
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I’ve been reading your blog since DeAnna’s season (I was so rooting for Graham), but I have never felt the need to e-mail because you usually answer all of my questions in your recaps. But this season I have three questions:
1. What do you think happened to ANY sort of Lincoln exit interview? Did you notice they just totally ignored him and focused on Chris (who I honestly didn’t care what he had to say at that point)? I think they realized they wanted no part of giving him the decency to show us his feelings on his way out the door. Which was the right call.
2. Who do you think isn’t going to show to the Men Tell All? Is it in their contract? There have been people who haven’t shown in the past. It’ll be pretty much every guy from episode 2 on minus Lincoln.
3. Why is she so obsessed with Colton? Like I get that he’s hot as HELL, but honestly, he’s not the most….interesting human besides staring at him.
Thanks for continuing to make watching this show worth it!
Comment: Who – Becca or Tia? You’d have to ask them. I ask myself the same question. Posed it yesterday when talking about Tia. She’s got a lot going for her. I cannot understand why she was so hung up on Colton enough to come back on the show to tell Becca that.
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Hi Steve,
First time emailer (shocking intro right), I really enjoy your podcast, thanks for making each season bearable, anyways on to my questions.
1) I read somewhere, a bachelor spoilers Facebook page i believe, that said Ben Higgins is controlling and has a bad temper. While this isn’t that juicy of gossip, I feel like Ben portrays himself quite opposite. Have you heard this? I hear a lot of things. But the second I ever confirm something like that, I never hear the end of it. I’ll just leave it at that. I may have heard those things, I may not. I may have heard other things about him. But the Ben-atics are an annoying bunch to deal with so sometimes you just have to lay back and not rattle their cage and let them live in fantasy land.
2) a lot of podcasts have Facebook pages for listeners to discuss the podcast, would you consider creating one of these? No. I put notifications on my FB fan page every time a new column/podcast goes up. If people want to comment underneath that, have at it. I’m not sure what creating a separate page for people to talk about the podcasts would do other than give people another outlet to snipe back and forth at each other. I hate them to begin with. No need to add to it.
Keep up the spoiling!!
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Steve,
I heard in one of your recent podcasts that you’re a In-N-Out fan. I know you’re from Southern California; I’m from the DC area/Northern Virginia (home of Five Guys). It may just be that we’re both subject to hometown bias, but do you really think that In-N-Out is the best fast food burger out there? I travel to LA a lot, and I’m always struck by how inferior In-N-Out seems to be compared to Five Guys. Is there something I’m missing?
Comment: Yes. I do. Just like you think Five Guys is better. Completely subjective.
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Hi Steve,
I was wondering two things – do you know if there’s a reason they have done fewer scary daredevil type dates in recent seasons? There used to be usually at least one per season that involved heights, and cheesy analogies of the scary experience being just like a relationship and helping each other through it and bringing them closer etc but it seems to not be so many of those lately. Didn’t really think about it until you brought it up. Not sure why they haven’t.
Secondly, and I think I’ve asked you this before but I’ll ask again, what would happen if someone just flat-out refused to participate in the scary daredevil activity that was set up for them? I believe your response before was that it would just never ever happen, but hypothetically? I can say with 100% certainty that if it was me who was sent on a date involving heights of ANY sort that it would for sure happen. I feel slightly uneasy standing on a chair or ladder, I’ve had a panic attack less than 15 feet up a climbing wall, just to give you examples, and I’m pretty sure I have a diagnosable phobia of heights that originates from a traumatic fall which resulted in a significant injury years ago. No amount of producer persuasion or manipulation could get me to bungee jump, rappel off a building, climb up the bay bridge, or anything like that. I’m pretty sure I would pass out first. It would not be a case of the bachelor helping me overcome my fears and comforting me through something that’s kind of hard for me, it would be a case of a literal panic attack, tears, all of that. Would I automatically be sent home for refusing? Would they just not show it and find some other date activity for us to do? Or would they show me refusing to do something that terrified me and the guy accepting it (as should be the case)?
Thanks Steve, love your column and podcasts, I’ve listened to them all and really like you and Ashley together on the new one, keep them coming!
Comment: I mean, you say that now because you don’t have to be in that situation. But with a whole team of people there protecting you from getting hurt, and this guy there who you are basically trying to woo yourself, I have a feeling you’d do it just to get through it. It’s easy to play Monday Morning QB in this situation and say you’d never do it. I think you would.
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Hi Steve,
I have a Survivor question. I was looking at Sebastian and Jenna’s Instagram from Survivor 36 (did you know they’re dating? @tarzanandjen) and they mentioned that they were flirting on the flight out to Fiji for 11 hours and after the show they got tattoos of the seat numbers that they sat in that day. Do contestants always fly together? I was surprised to hear that they had been able to talk for so long on the plane prior to filming even starting.
Thanks for your time! Excited for next season. PS: Do you plan to watch Eliza on the Amazing Race?
Comment: Yeah I heard they were dating. It was public towards the end of 36 airing I believe. And yes, I do believe the cast all flies out together.
Well, I’ll probably watch Amazing Race until Eliza gets eliminated, whenever that may be.
