-With Caelynn’s date, there’s a bit to cover here. No need to talk about specifically what she said. It was pretty straight forward. It’s a story you’ve known about for months if you’ve been following this site, it’s a story that was the platform she ran on for Miss USA where she finished runner up, and it’s a horrible ordeal she had to deal with. If you weren’t paying attention, or you maybe missed what she said somehow, she explained it to People.com yesterday before the episode even aired. You can read it here. Again, you don’t wish that upon anyone and that story was definitely one of the more real and emotional conversations we’ve ever seen on this show. I have no problem with her telling it, I appreciated that they took the time to promote RAINN on the telecast, and all from Caelynn’s side, I think it was handled perfectly. Everything else though, I have some questions…
-I said it in the Episode-by-Episode Spoilers podcast, then again in the Colton’s episode-by-episode spoilers column a few days later, and that’s the fact that they hyped this conversation up to such a high degree, we were due for a letdown. Not much on Caelynn’s side, but by Colton’s response. Remember, it was Chris Harrison who in three different pre-season interviews (which you can see the full quotes in the episode-by-episode spoilers link), said things like this:
“I think it’s gonna change everyone’s opinion of him dramatically…”
“…something that is going to change the course of the entire show.”
I don’t know, but my opinion of Colton didn’t change at all regarding that, at least not for the positive. Colton could’ve lost his virginity before Aly Raisman (the ex he was referring to last night). Why are they minimizing Colton’s virginity to just that. Like, Chris even hyped yesterday on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show that “he opens up about why he’s really a virgin” and “leads to this amazing breakthrough.” Did I miss something? I don’t recall anything that Colton said last night as being a clear reason now as to why we understand he’s a virgin. I understand why he found it hard to be intimate with Aly, but as I mentioned, Colton could’ve lost his virginity before Aly. So that part was a little confusing.
-I think a lot of this has to do with the hype leading into it vs the payoff. If you were unspoiled on the season, not only did you not know that was coming, you probably didn’t even know that Colton had dated someone who was sexually assaulted in the past. So I get that we’re looking at it from different perspectives – a completely spoiled person who knew Caelynn’s backstory, Colton’s past with Aly, and this all being revealed tonight vs someone who knew none of that. But even placing myself in the position of someone who knew none of this going in, I didn’t think THEIR hype of it going in equaled the payoff. Caelynn told her story and Colton said he dated someone who was a sexually assaulted as well. I’m not sure where this became this game changing, the-show-will-never-be-the-same conversation came from. That’s where I’m confused. I get we’ve never seen a conversation like this. And it was completely raw to give the details of what happened in her rape. I just have an issue with the hype of Colton’s response not delivering in any way close to how Mr. Lauren Harrison expected it to.
-Look, I get what’s going on here. This show has taken a major beating in the public eye for years for basically setting the women’s movement back 50 years or so. Not saying Caelynn couldn’t or wouldn’t have gotten cast without that backstory, but c’mon, we all know that played a major role in her being on the show, this was basically a way for them to earn some brownie points after being essentially sexist pigs for the last 16 years. Remember, this is a franchise that once had a competition on “Bachelor Pad” that put women in bikinis, blindfolded them, had them turn their back to the guys, then had the guys chuck eggs at who they thought was least attractive in the house. So excuse me if I’m not standing up and applauding this show for all the sudden becoming the moral police. Yes, that was different times and no way would they ever even dare attempt do that now. I’m glad they’re at least a little bit “woke” to what’s going on here, but Caelynn, to me, was exploited by the show. It’s her decision to talk about it, and I’m glad she did, but don’t think the show didn’t know exactly what they were doing here.
-Which now brings us to “Bachelorette” talk. Since the spoilers came out, I’ve told you this is basically a two person race: Caelynn and Hannah G. They are 14-for-14 in casting “Bachelorette” leads who finished in the top 4 of their season. So they’ve never strayed from that. And only one of those 14 leads wasn’t from the season that just aired (Emily was 2 years later). I don’t think fan polls and social media polls play as much a role this season as maybe it has in season’s past. We know they chose Colton over Jason and Blake because Colton had a better story to sell. Fleiss basically said it in so many words in this column. Everyone who goes on this show has a fanbase. Some bigger than others. Caelynn has a way better backstory than Hannah G. It’s not even close. And in 2019, the idea of having a sexual assault victim as the “Bachelorette,” I mean, I really find it hard for the show to pass that up. Nothing is set in stone yet, and we’re still a month away from it being announced, but I’d be pretty surprised if the “Bachelorette” wasn’t Caelynn. Just too much potential there. Not saying Hannah G. wouldn’t make a good “Bachelorette,” because I think plenty of guys applying wouldn’t mind it being her. I’m just looking at it the way the show looks at it, and Caelynn is a gold mine for them with her story. Look how many outlets are covering last night’s episode today. They love that type of coverage. And then to make her “Bachelorette?” Seems like a no-brainer. But we’ll see. Still a month to go.
dogmomma
January 29, 2019 at 9:28 AM
SO BORING! One of the many things about Colton that drives me crazy is the way he has the same smile on his face regardless of the situation. The whole time Caelynn was talking about her awful ordeal, it appeared that he was smiling. It seems like he’s auditioning for a role on a reality show……..oh wait, he’s already on the show!
rob22
January 29, 2019 at 9:33 AM
I watched most of last nights show. I don’t know why. Usually despite the ridiculous plot lines, there are 3-4 girls that do seem to be developing deep feelings (no doubt influenced by alcohol and exotic locales). Maybe it’s because I haven’t been watching closely. And maybe it will still happen. But I’m not seeing it, and the ending implies that Colton had limited interest as well. Idk. Maybe I’m just not paying close enough attention.
iampunka
January 29, 2019 at 11:32 AM
Sounds like Tayshia might have just killed her chance to be the Bachette. Huge social media mistake. LOL. I’m pulling for Hannah G for that anyway. I’d watch her. And my guess is that she will be it.
Colton is super dull. Makes Sean Lowe seem exciting.
realitynyc12
January 29, 2019 at 12:42 PM
I fully agree with RS about the confusingly underwhelming response Colton gave to Caelynn’s story. Ok, he dated a sexual assault survivor and intimacywas difficult. But to then start talking about his virginity out of the blue only to say, literally, “its complicated” as to the reasoning behind it was a total facepalm moment. He could have said anything, how much stock he puts into it because of the frat culture (and sports culture) objectifying women , that would have made me see him in a different light somewhat. Dude has all the eloquency of a brass doorknob. Chris Harrison is ridiculously full of it for hyping that conversation from Coltons standpoint to this extent but what else is new from this show, ugh.
I do hope RS is wrong and Hannah G gets the Bachelorette gig, she’s adorable. There’s something about Caelynn that rubs me the wrong way, the pageant “on-ness” perhaps. I hope being genuine and likable outweighs a good “story” this time but knowing how this show works, I worry RS’s prediction is spot on…
SNL did a fantastic spoof of this show this past weekend:
https://youtu.be/rjPVo564uxE
Behold “Dolton” from “Turd River, Colorado” ?
jesmlet
January 29, 2019 at 1:52 PM
Disappointed because Tayshia seemed normal and old enough to actually understand marriage. Hannah G is about as interesting as a piece of toast and seems pretty non-verbal. I don’t get why anyone would want to watch that aside from her looks of course.
It’ll be interesting to see how bad the Bachelorette talk was between Caelynn and Cassie and whether or not that’ll hurt her chances. I wouldn’t mind a throwback to Danielle Maltby. I’m sure her POS publicist is drooling over the chance but Danielle seems nice and normal enough.
adelina
January 29, 2019 at 2:51 PM
@realitynyc….yes I saw the SNL skit with Dolton. What a perfect name for him.
I agree with everyone else here that Dolton is a total dud. He is incredibly boring, has zero intelligence and just overall the most basic jock 101 dude you could find anywhere. To say that he’s less interesting than Sean Lowe is saying a lot!!!
I think Hannah G. is adorable but she’s very young and seems too girl-ish. Can we have a real woman on this show or a real grown ass man? C’mon!!! These young girls and their silly drama. I can’t handle Demi. She is a complete moron.
tinyred500
January 31, 2019 at 10:59 AM
So far I’m agreeing with most of what Steve says, and with so many of the comments on here too.
I’m only up to episode 3 (I’m a week behind America), and it seems all the episodes are merging into one; they are so boring. I thought Arie’s season was lacklustre and Nick’s too, but this one is sleep inducing…maybe I’m becoming more cynical each season…who knows! So many of the girls appear to have a tagline or theme that’s bought up at almost every camera opportunity, I’m British and if I was mad enough to go on this show, that would be played to a boring death, if this season is anything to go by. That’s not forgetting Colton’s virginity…it’s becoming an infantile joke, it’s sooo overplayed, please no more.
Demi is indeed this season’s Corrine, and the original wasn’t fun to watch the first time round, her S&M scene with Colton was toe curling embarrassing, and to top it off, there’s far too much of Hannah and Caelynn’s feud, they are as bad as each other, more over I’ve given up caring (if I ever did), it’s so tedious to watch. So many of the girls this season seem very immature..23 plus going on 17. Colton comes across as bland and truly doesn’t have anything interesting or memorable to say, and doesn’t appear to have any real chemistry with any particular girl, he just seems to be going through the motions of being with each each girl and being The Bachelor.
I haven’t read any spoilers and only accidentally read who he picks. I have no idea why viewing figures have increased, maybe there’s a lot of insomniacs watching, and need the show for sleep inducement.
tinyred500
January 31, 2019 at 2:34 PM
I meant to add that I throughly recommend reading Sharleen Joynt’s blog (see Steve’s comment), I’ve been reading it for a while, but this season I’ve read it after I’ve watched each episode. It’s spoiler free and really adds a great insight how behind the scenes and editing is done and works. Sharleen’s experience and knowledge makes you see how both contestant’s and viewer’s are manipulated.