Hi Steve,
I don’t usually listen to the ‘He Said, She Said’ podcast, but I ended up listening while doing groceries yesterday, and although I ended up bawling in the produce section, I’m glad I did. My heart goes out to Malik & Shelby. Wow. I haven’t stopped thinking about them and what they’ve gone through. Their positive attitudes in the face of such terrible adversity is so inspiring. They sound like an amazing couple and if they can get through what they’ve already been through, having kids and going through the rest of life’s trials will be a cakewalk! I live in Toronto (Canada) and the fact that this kind of racism is so pervasive in North America still is just shocking to me. We are a cultural mosaic here; seeing interracial couples seems just as common as same-race couples. It’s made me think about how little, seemingly innocuous comments about race can be damaging and really affect one’s outlook. It seems as though Shelby didn’t realize just how deep-rooted her father’s hatred for other races was when she was growing up and he made offhand comments. I’m going to feel more compelled to speak up the next time someone makes a race-related joke or comment.
On another note, my husband and I are both pretty white Canadians of Irish descent. That said, we have a 6 year old daughter who wishes she were black! She gravitates towards black dolls, black princesses (Tiana was her favourite on the Disney Cruise!), and she always begs our neighbour to braid her hair in corn rows. It’s pretty cool to see that kids are no longer forced to believe ”princesses” are cookie cutter blonde Barbie types (sounds like this upcoming season of the Bachelor is a different story!). Just thought I’d share that because it makes me happy to know that a large chunk of society seems to embrace all skin colours and see the beauty in everyone.
Thanks to Shelby and Malik for sharing such a sad story with an awesome message of how love can withstand any adversity!
Comment: They were one of Ashley and my favorite callers. I hope everyone went and listened to that from last week. Can’t believe Shelby’s family acts that way in 2019. Pretty disgusting.
______________________________
Hi Steve!
Been reading your spoilers for a long time now and love them! I wanted to ask 2 questions I have after reading the reader emails last week.
First, a few people have questioned why Blake chose Tayshia for that first date over Hannah, and you speculated that it was likely producer driven. You made the comment that it will be interesting to see how he responds to questions about that after filming. But if it was producer influenced, can he say that?? I doubt it. But I think when he does answer the question, I think you’ll be able to tell by his answer without him saying it directly if he does. Did that makes sense? It did to me.
And my 2nd question is about Mike Fleiss pulling the plug on Kaitlyn Bristowe getting cast on DWTS. You said that she was set to be cast up until the night before when he stepped in. Do you know why he did that? And why so last minute? I would assume casting had likely been in the works for a while at that point?
Thanks!
Comment: According to Kaitlyn, it was because he felt that his Bachelorettes should focus on their relationships. Which is about as asinine of an answer he could’ve ever given.
______________________________
Hi Steve..
Always fun to read your take on these things.. I agree with your observations about Blake. As we watched him last night it became kinda obvious that after burning thru everyone on the beach he was left with the only one available. However, I thing he was just horny after a few weeks without and decided to move on the easy meat as he tried to hurry her into the sack. For her part Kristina having seen this movie before shot him down.
Its almost like Blake has some sort of mental problem.. which leads to the question, what caused that huge scar that goes from ear to ear on the back of his head? Nobody has mentioned it on air and it might give a clue as to if this fellow got hit with something big and hard causing some kind of brain damage that might explain his ADD like behavior when it comes to women. That seems to be a polarizing question amongst viewers. I have no idea.
Mike.. It occurred to me while watching him leave last night that if none of these women wanted a relationship with him after weeks on the beach, who would want him as the Bachelor? Just a thought.. but it may have had something to do with him being passed over..
OK. Cheers and thanks for all the digging and reporting you do. Cant imagine if we were all just left to believe what they show us without being able to get the real scoop here from you.
Comment: According to Mike himself, he wasn’t even interviewed for it. So maybe those in the know never really looked at him as lead material. I don’t know. But to not even get an interview?
______________________________
How far into DWTS before Tyler shows up to support Hannah (as her friend)?
Comment: I’m not so sure that’ll happen. Gigi might get mad.
______________________________
Hi Steve,
If the top 4 girls from those seasons are all taken, doesn’t that mean Amanda Stanton is taken? I haven’t heard that to be true.
Comment: No. I think at the time I originally said that months back when people were asking for someone new before Hannah was announced, they were all taken. Since then Amanda and Bobby broke up, so when I wrote that recently, I never corrected myself.
______________________________
In light of Jordan and JoJo’s re-engagement, because I’m surprised they’re still together, is there any other married or engaged Bachelor/Bachelorette/Bachelor in Paradise couple that has surprised you that they’re still together?
Comment: Arie and Lauren. Not so much anymore because they’re married with a kid. But after that happened on the ATFR, yeah, I was surprised they lasted to this point.
______________________________
So Kristina Shulman is on Instagram Stories calling out Nick Viall. What is their beef? She claims his brother DMed her first and she warned Nick. That he told his wingman “fuck her” and he’s judging her character based on what he sees on BIP.
Any insight on this drama?
Comment: All I know is they’ve never liked each other post-show. But I don’t know any details.
______________________________
Blake and Kristina going “all in” on a relationship has me confused. Your spoilers don’t say they leave together and the finale is next week. Did it really fall apart that quickly? Well you saw what happened. Yeah, it did. Blake claims he wanted more (I still really doubt he did. I think he just wanted something positive to come out of Paradise), and she didn’t.
I am currently enjoying your podcast with Kristen Baldwin. I hope she does more shows; she’s quite engaging and I agree with her points of view on almost everything (which is rare for me)!
Thanks for all you do.
Comment: Kristen is great. Love her work at EW.com. I realized after the podcast we never got around to talking about another one of our favorite shows we’ve texted about – Cobra Kai!
dogmomma
September 11, 2019 at 9:57 AM
There’s something I can’t quite figure out. I’ve been reading the spoilers pretty much since they started and I enjoy knowing what to expect as I watch the show. A few seasons ago I started following Twitter during the show because some of the comments are hilarious, but it’s almost disturbing how many people take the bachelor/ette/paradise shows so seriously and think that everything that happens is real and “organic”. For example, when Connor & Whitney’s cars passed each other on the road when he was leaving and she was arriving, people were going nuts on Twitter. Are those people gullible and naive or am I just more informed on how things really work because of the spoilers???
jlal
September 11, 2019 at 10:14 AM
dogmomma – I don’t do Twitter or any social media, but I’m guessing that yes, people are that gullible and naive.
As for Matt Donald, I wonder how he got on the show. Did someone nominate him as a surprise? Because he certainly doesn’t seem like he knew what it was about.
For a 26 year old, he seems pretty worried about what his Mommy will say. I get not wanting to embarrass your parents, but Dude talking about your Mom so much is a turn off. That tells any future woman loud and clear that you’re a Momma’s Boy and that is not attractive.
As for Caelyn picking Dean over Connor – hell yeah! I would have way picked Dean over Connor any day. Connor reminds me of a privileged, entitled, spoiled, frat boy. I also don’t think he really cared for Caelyn. Also, his vocal fry way of talking drives me nuts.
ctrealitygirl
September 11, 2019 at 10:52 AM
I’m with you jlal! What does everyone see in Connor? His quirky speech drives me nuts too! And, as far as his deep “relationship” with Caelynn…it was all of a couple of days between when Dean Left and Connor arrived. So, he’s sobbing over a woman he’d “dated” for one or two days…maybe three? Yikes! Dean definitely has way more sex appeal than Connor. Whether or not he and Caelynn will last is another story, but I’m not convinced about any of the “strong” relationships going on this season. Dylan and Hannah just plain bore me to tears! And I don’t really care for Nicole, and think that Clay dodged a bullet. She breaks up with Clay because he can’t say I Love You after 6 weeks of dating, and 6 weeks where she went on dates with two other men, and if it weren’t for the fight between Christian and Jordan, she’d probably have ended up with Christian. And don’t get me started on the Tayshia/JPJ nonsense. These women all need to get therapy to work on their self esteem issues. Almost every one of them jumps for any guy who pays them attention. I’m with Steve. I’m so OVER this season of BIP.
jlal
September 11, 2019 at 2:00 PM
I don’t understand why BIP is going the same route as the bachelor, as far as “forcing” an engagement. Sure it’s another chance to find love, but it doesn’t have to be a lifetime commitment after a few weeks.
ctrealitygirl
September 12, 2019 at 6:52 AM
I so agree with you again jlal! In her BIP recaps, Sharlene Joynt is always commenting that BIP is supposed to be a lighter, more fun version of the Bachelor shows, and not meant to be taken as seriously. The whole premise of bringing in new men and women to shake up the couplings is designed to create drama and keep the focus on dating, NOT becoming glued to one person with the expectation of an engagement at the end. I realize BIP has produced some marriages…time will tell if they last. Carly & Evan seem pretty solid as do Jade & Tanner. I’m skeptical about the Krystal & Chris pairing. BIP is a summer show…let’s keep it fun and flirty.
rob22
September 12, 2019 at 7:21 AM
Dylan and Hannah certainly are the most superficial couple in recent memory. Has either one said a single thing that’s remotely intelligent? Is there any depth at all? And that is the best relationship this season has to offer? None of the other couples are real. They’re TV couples, at best. JPJ/Tayshia? Really? Caelynn & Dean? Come on. Butkowski/Katie? Good Lord! I know that’s not really what the show is about, but they’re insulting our intelligence with those parings. I’m glad they’re moving on from Blake/Kristina and Clay/Nicole. Those couples were absurd.
rob22
September 12, 2019 at 7:31 AM
As for dogmommas first comment…. As absurd as the couples have been, the idea that Connor & Whitney’s timing was so poor that their SUVs just happened to pass one another is just really insulting. Obviously it was produced even if it happened real time. I’d be surprised if they it wasn’t two empty SUVs that they refilmed later when someone had a brain blast of an idea to kill another 5 minutes of air time (with a contrived couple who just disappeared from sight)…. once they realized that all the other drama and possibilities for interesting couples had flamed out. Gotta fill space!!! And there’s another episode to fill!! I have very low expectations for the last episode. I’m embarrassed that I’m planning on watching it.
dogmomma
September 12, 2019 at 7:57 AM
And the whole story line of Dylan and Hannah was basically showing a glimpse of them together kissing until this last episode where Hannah said a few lines. They got hardly any air time and we had to watch JPJ almost every episode being a big immature kid. Ugh! If the show continues to be this ridiculous going forward, I think they will lose viewers. Along with the rest of the group of people who know how fake the show is, my intelligence is also insulted. I’m also embarrassed that I’ll be watching the final show 🙂
ctrealitygirl
September 12, 2019 at 10:42 AM
I, too, am ashamed to admit I’ll watch the finale…but it’s THREE hours! That will be torture! Two hours wrapping up overnight dates and fake proposals, then an hour “reunion” …what a joke! I will say, though, that i have yet to watch a full show on the night it’s aired. Most nights set the DVR then watch the next night and fast forward thru commercials and stupid stuff – which adds up to at least 1/2 the show! I would really love to know what these airhead contestants think of themselves after watching back the season. If I were most of them I’d go into hiding. But it appears that they all have huge egos and a skewed sense of importance. If BIP continues to go this route (boring couples, immature contestants like JPJ) then I will lose total interest.
tinyred500
September 12, 2019 at 2:53 PM
I can’t be the only one who’s just about given up with the franchise. I record all the episodes. I struggled through Colton’s series, I’ve seriously struggled through Hannah’s series, and watched part episodes here and there; so far I’ve got up to MTA. BIP is recorded, but seeing the commentary and feedback from those who have watched it, I just don’t know if I have the inclination to even bother to start watching. The simple fact is, as silly and as cheesy as the whole franchises premise is, at least in the past some of the contestants were serious or partly serious, now they’re just vacuous and fame hungry.
All I remember from Hannah’s series, is Jed’s atrocious singing interludes, and Hannah’s thing with Luke, and the monotonous, stupid drama that follows.
Maybe the franchise has reset their audience target, or maybe they think the viewers are imbeciles and will want to watch and believe anything they show, I really don’t know, nor do I care to ponder on it. 🙁
adelina
September 12, 2019 at 8:32 PM
A few of my observations from this season that I swore I wasn’t going to watch:
*I agree with everyone. Dean>Connor any day. Connor’s voice alone is a deal breaker. While we’re talking about deal breaker voices, throw Clay in there too except Clay’s voice is how I envision paint drying would sound…if paint drying could make a sound.
*The only thing I missed after Blake left was Blake’s moronic dance move in the opening sequence. I actually lived to watch that little move. It was so desperate and comical to me.
*Can BIP producers force the women to tone down the makeup while on this show? Who wears a face full of makeup and full on lipstick while on a beach? I get it’s for the cameras but it was too much.
*Let’s not diss Dean’s “van lifestyle.” Have you watched any Van Life videos on YouTube? There are some amazing converted Sprinter Vans out there that make me so envious of that lifestyle. I highly doubt he’s living in a van down by the river.
That’s it!!!
dogmomma
September 13, 2019 at 6:40 AM
I will definitely be recording the final episode next Tuesday and fast forwarding through it to hit the “highlights”. I won’t spend 3 hours being tortured by nonsense.
On an interesting note, there was an article that came out where Luke said that he was upset at Chris Harrison and ABC for editing the final rose ceremony to look like he was desperate and rejected and that the part where Chris Harrison said “Well this has never happened before” after Bri turned down his final rose was totally edited in and that it never actually happened that way. More proof that nothing should be taken at face value and everything is manipulated.
sfleming
September 16, 2019 at 5:33 AM
Those weren’t bug bites on Kristina’s legs, they were rose petals that got stuck from when she was kneeling/sitting. I thought the same thing at first, but took a closer look.
amhaack
September 17, 2019 at 8:35 PM
I have an answer to the question about Blake’s scar. He had a hair transplant. You can tell the front of his hair looks unusually thick and doesn’t really move. He also never runs his hands through the front of his hair nor did they ever show his hair wet or him in the pool going under. If you Google hair transplant scars you will see the exact scar Blake has on the back of his head.