-The episode begins with the impromptu group date. By that I mean, there was no date card sitting on a table, guys told to sit around it waiting in anticipation for someone to read it. Nope. Chris Harrison walked up and told 7 guys they’re on the date: Bennett, Ivan, Blake, Demar, Kenny, Riley, and Zac. Did an intern fall asleep or something? We’ve literally had now 40 seasons of this show. Chris Harrison, as far as I can remember, has NEVER read off the names to a group date and told them what they were gonna do. I know we’re in bizaroo 2020 and up is down and left is right, but what on God’s green earth is going on here? No! Not acceptable! I need my dates to be announced by a silly card that they want you to believe is written by the lead, when in reality, it’s a producer who writes all of them. Give me a few weeks to digest this and then maybe, just maybe, I’ll get over it.
-The guys have to write Tayshia a love song, sing it to her, and the winner will get a 1-on-1 date that night. Now I don’t know how strict the rules were on this date considering some guys didn’t even sing. Technically you could say they were basically just asked to put together words that rhyme. The guy that actually won, Ivan, certainly didn’t sing. But he had the best presentation and I thought was most creative with his words. Yet didn’t put an effort out sing like everyone else did, even though they knew they had no singing voice whatsoever. But again, this is a date that going into it, Tayshia pretty much knew Ivan was getting the rose no matter what he did, because they felt he needed a 1-on-1 date. Nothing against Ivan because I thought he did have the most creative approach and words, but lets be honest, he didn’t even try to sing. He was basically the spoken word guy that won AGT this summer.
-Blake played an accordian, and I think, a ukulele. After yesterday’s reveal that was sent to me about Blake’s high school photo, I just couldn’t look at him the same…
I’m sorry, but this is just too funny not to… pic.twitter.com/RfrT1hOCl7
— RealitySteve (@RealitySteve) November 24, 2020
Nice to see Blake has a sense of humor about it by commenting underneath. I just need to know what the deal was with the frog. And, you know, does he plan to live with his parents til he’s 40.
-Some of the others ones were quite humorous. Bennett, you know the Harvard grad, was basically losing brain cells trying to figure out a word that rhymed with “douse.” On a reality dating show where the object is to get engaged at the end. Don’t hurt yourself there, bud. Rouse? Blouse? Mouse? How about “spouse” genius? Also, you’d think for a guy like Kenny who is described in the chyron every week as “Boy Band Manager,” that thinking up cheesy lyrics to woo a woman would be right up his alley. Well in the end, his lyrics were horrible and his voice was even worse. And if you thought that was Kenny’s worst performance of the night, you’d be sorely mistaken. I’m still having nightmares about what we heard later out of his mouth.
-Ivan got the 1-on-1 and I guess we’re supposed to applaud ABC for taking 40 seasons and God knows how many episodes to actually have racially important conversation? I mean, yay for them, but I’m sorry. Too little, too late. All I saw on social media last night was applause for how this conversation between Ivan and Tayshia came across, and all I could do was shake my head that it took THAT 18 years later for this show to realize essentially what a white and privileged show they are. Good for them for making that conversation happen and I hope they continue to do so every season, but for Chris sakes, lets not go overboard with our praise for them showing it. They should be called out for allowing 40 seasons to pass before they finally allowed something like this to be shown. I guess I just don’t get why we’re praising the show that’s basically purposely held people of color, both men and women, back for years in this franchise. Yay for seeing the light. We’ll be watching going forward to see if things change.
-The show aside, now lets focus on the conversation itself between Ivan and Tayshia. Both were open and honest about growing up being mixed race and how it affected their lives. We heard the plight that Ivan’s brother went through being imprisoned for 4 years shortly after having a child with his girlfriend, that daughter having to go visit her dad in prison behind a window for the first few years of her life, etc. An important story to share and I’m sure not very easy. Talk about a guy who seemingly has his shit together. I think everyone is Team Ivan after last night. How could you not be? Tayshia talked about growing up in a part of Orange County where she didn’t see people who looked like her, and to see the BLM movement this past summer hit her more than she realized. It was a great conversation all around that needed to be had and, more importantly, needed to be shown. But you know what the best part about that whole conversation was? That I know it triggered some people who can’t stand BLM talk and were turned off by the fact that their favorite dating show was now diving into the political realm with some of its conversations. Good. I’m so glad you were made uncomfortable. You should be. That’s the whole point. And if you’re now gonna stop watching because you think the show has become too political for you or what not – good. No one cares and you won’t be missed.
