Hi Steve,
Hello from NZ! I may have missed this week’s reader emails but……. I was shocked at Aaron’s behaviour last night and surprised there are not more emails about it. He was full on bullying her. She was trying to communicate and he just got his back up. He was so rude about his “hesitation” and then tried to cover it. I think Genevieve did well to talk in a calm voice and I don’t blame her for storming off. When they made up I thought it was so sad that she accepted being treated like that and went back to him. I get feelings are intense but he was horrible to her.
Comment: But hey, according to Aaron, it’s a TV show and we don’t see everything. Yet Genevieve told us nothing about that conversation was cut and what we saw is what happened. Soooooooo, I guess it all depends on who people choose to believe. For the most part, yes, it’s a TV show and we don’t get to see everything since they’re filmed all day every day and we get 80 min of footage per episode. But what they DID show was not a good look for Aaron and he’s allowed to criticized for it without him lecturing us on how we don’t see everything. If the woman in question is telling us that’s how it went, I don’t think that bodes well for his argument.
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I have a bunch of random questions.
1) Did Olive Garden ever go back to the original marinara? No, and it doesn’t look like they will. Very upsetting.
2) Has Luka lost her interest in the scooter? I don’t know if she really ever had much of an interest in it. She probably wonders what the hell I’ve been doing on it for 3 months now. But she loves running right in front of it when I’m on it, almost begging me to run her over. It’s weird.
3) There is a new book about The Challenge where the author profiles many of the winners. It’s a quick read, each profile is relatively short and there are photos. The author used to cover the show for EW and might be a good/willing pod guest to promote the book. It’s possible.
4) It’s good that your foot should be back to normal by the time of the Taylor Swift concert. Would you have even tried to go if she had been in town last month? Have you ever heard the Ryan Adams album where he covers the entire 1989 album in an alt-country style? Yeah if I was still on the scooter and her concert was here I don’t think that’d have stopped me. I’d just have to get an ADA seat. And yes, I have heard that album. It’s no Taylor, but still pretty good.
5) I saw that Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks are doing a one-off double bill in Arlington. They may be a little too classic rock for you, but seem like an interesting combo.
Comment: Yeah, not quite something I would be interested in attending.
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Hey Steve,
I have a different take on Gabby & Erich breaking up. Like you, all I’m reading is “I knew they’d never work, or “Gabby can do so much better,” or “Erich is a no-good cheat and liar” — or some combination of those. Erich’s taking close to 100% of the blame and fire.
My take? That’s unfair.
I’m no big fan of Erich’s, and I see his flaws and mistakes, but I also think Gabby has her own flaws. I think the pair was bonded by their trauma and grief, and clearly that’s not enough to sustain a relationship. Yes, Erich’s past relationship most likely had an impact on them.
But I also know that Gabby ACCEPTED the proposal and the ring. Isn’t she as responsible as Erich for pushing an engagement? I don’t see why Erich’s getting blamed for all of this. In addition, as you’ve said, DWTS can pay a toll on a newly-engaged couple. I DON’T think it’s enough to say that Gabby’s star is on the rise and Erich’s isn’t. That alone won’t break a couple that really belongs together.
But there’s one more thing I noticed even before the engagement: Gabby was openly critical of Erich. At times it was done lightly or jokingly, but I felt she always meant it. It was criticism in front of the camera — so we heard it. She didn’t protect this guy she supposedly loved.
On multiple occasions, she sided with “the girls” or especially with Rachel when it came to something she and Erich talked about. There were times I felt that she cared more about her relationship with Rachel than with Erich. I say this as someone who likes Gabby a lot and who thinks she has a great presence and personality for media. I just don’t think it’s fair that Erich is taking all the hits for any of this.
I just don’t think they ever belonged together.
Comment: It’s certainly not all one person’s fault. I said it at the time I didn’t understand why she was bending over backwards for a guy that I never thought she’d be long term with. I get that he was her fiancé at the time, but when she agreed with his ex Amanda after she came out with what she did, to me, that was the beginning of the end. Because Gabby did see what he did wasn’t cool. I’m not really into playing the game of who should get more blame over the other. But Erich definitely had more strikes against him than Gabby did at the time of the engagement. She didn’t know anything about an ex and what he told her pre-show at the time of the engagement, so I think that’s a bit unfair to criticize her for “pushing an engagement.”
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Hey RS,
I noticed earlier today when you posted all the BIP reunion spoilers you put out the Victoria/Greg stuff first which was great info. Then Zachary Reality announced he was going live and like 5 minutes before he did, you gave us the rest of the spoilers and that pretty much ruined everything he said. Did you do that on purpose or what because I thought the timing was interesting that you were trying to upstage him? Was just curious.
Comment: No. I put out the Victoria/Johnny/Greg stuff first because I knew that’s what people wanted. I was actually supposed to release the rest an hour earlier than I did but I ended up getting a phone call that lasted almost an hour which wasn’t spoiler related. I don’t pay attention or revolve my work around what anyone else does. Phone call happened or else it would’ve been up an hour earlier. If that happened to coincide with someone else’s post, I don’t know what to say. Wasn’t intentional.
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Hi Steve,
This is my first time writing in but I have been following you for years! Maybe this has already been brought and if so, please feel free to delete but I recall listening to Victoria Fuller on the Click Bait podcast about a year ago. She said she was saving herself for marriage. I think this had something to do with going to church with Madi Prewett or something along those lines Haven’t heard a word about it since but just curious since there is so much drama surrounding her.
Thanks Steve!
Comment: No, you definitely read that right. You can read that article right here. Now, it’s just up to each individual person who reads that to determine if they choose to believe her. Personally, I don’t. But there’s really no way of knowing one way or another whether or not she’s serious. Again, how is she going to prove she isn’t having sex until she gets married? She can’t other than people just having to believe her. I wish her the best of luck in her celibate endeavors.
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Hi Steve,
Longtime watcher of the Bachelor/Bachelorette/BIP and follower of your spoilers. I always appreciate your perspective. A question for you: Do you think that this season’s BIP has de-emphasized physical and sexual interactions between contestants? I am having a hard time remembering any scenes from the “Boom Boom Room” with the exception of the painful segments featuring Ashley I. and Jared. I also cannot remember any more extensive make-out scenes (e.g., when the woman straddles the guy, rolling around on the daybed or beach, etc.). There have only been a couple of steamy jacuzzi scenes but otherwise it feels pretty tame this season. Do you have any ideas why? Do you think that it has anything to do with the Corinne and Demario issue from a few seasons ago? Are they somehow more motivated to position their favorites in a wholesome light? For example, I have yet to see Michael and Danielle demonstrate much physical chemistry (they act like an old married couple) and Brandon and Serene are lovey-dovey but not heated. Even non-favorites like Victoria and Johnny don’t seem particularly physical with each other and it’s unclear what is drawing them together. I am wondering if there just wasn’t much happening this season and they are just trying to drag everything out. The ITMs are exhausting this season as well – we hear a contestant talk about an event, then we watch the event, then we hear everyone talk about the (non-)event ad nauseum. Seems worse this year than others. Curious about your thoughts/insights. Thank you!
Comment: I never actually thought about it until you brought it up. But you’re right, nobody’s really been all that hot and steamy. Just couples that make out and kiss a lot. I have no idea if there’s some sort of intention behind that or not.
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Easy question! Is this the worst BIP ever?! I mean, toxic relationships, too many episodes, not being shown the good relationships growing. Plus, no reins on their post show “activities” so we already know none of what we are watching even matters. Truly an awfully disappointing season.
Comment: I think having 5 months pass between filming ending and the finale airing isn’t helping matters. It’s never been that long for ANY season of the franchise. So that seems weird. And yes, with so many changes post show it does make what we’re watching kind of irrelevant.
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Hey Steve –
I’m hoping they don’t invite Tommy back to The Challenge. We don’t need more Big T type contestants who can’t win. That Zone challenge for him was tough to watch. Tommy’s a good guy, he’s a fun follow on IG, and genuinely good guy all around. Never heard a bad word about Tommy. I just don’t know if the Challenge is the show for him.
At the reunion, any Salley/suitcase jokes or have they ended their humiliation efforts? As BIP filmed before the MTA and airing of Gabby/Rachel, it was funny to see Hayden brushing off Kate’s questions about it and pretending he couldn’t recall what he said. Kate has come off as a callous mini villain for her treatment of Jacob, Logan and Hayden. Kudos to the writer who had Jesse encourage women whose boyfriends don’t go to the right gym to apply. The only thing I heard about Salley from the BIP reunion was that she kept saying she didn’t know since she was barely there.
Do you believe that the BIP producers sent some women over to comfort Eliza post Rodney dump so that the crazies in the audience would be less likely to harass her? Possible, but it certainly didn’t stop them since the crazies were out in full force Monday.
You mentioned DWTS as a cursed show for Bachelor relationships. This got me thinking about cursed shows. In terms of deaths and scandals, Glee is up there.
Comment: Yeah, there’s a lot of bad juju surrounding that show, no doubt.
