Chris Harrison is the host of The Bachelor and the face of the franchise, but he revealed this week that he will be stepping down from his role as the show's host for an indefinite period. The news of his departure came after the longtime host got in hot water for comments he made about contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's racism scandal. While some were shocked by the 49-year-old's interview about the controversial contestant, this is not the first time Harrison (or the franchise) has gotten flak for the way sensitive matters are handled. Though The Bachelor is currently airing its historic first season with a Black leading man, the recent scandal has created a lot of outrage in the media and among The Bachelor fans.

The former show emcee stepped down from his job following an interview he gave on Extra with The Bachelorette alum Rachel Lindsay, where he asked that people have "a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion" for 24-year-old Kirkconnell. The current contestant has created outrage after being accused of racism and bullying, and photos from 2018 resurfaced featuring Kirkconnell at a plantation frat party that was antebellum-themed, which led her to be accused of additional racist behavior. Harrison underplayed the significance of Kirkconnell's actions by citing 2018 as a different time, when such behavior was common, despite Lindsay's attempts to educate him on the matter.

Related: Matt James Opens Up About Being First Black Bachelor On Tamron Hall

Exploiting Cast Member's Death

Chris Harrison on The Bachelor season 25

Apart from his current scandal, former sports reporter Harrison's most shocking offense was insisting on airing the death of The Bachelorette cast member, Eric Hill. After the 31-year-old died following a paragliding accident, Harrison insisted that they both film and air the on-camera reveal of the tragic death. Harrison told TV Guide (in an interview that has since been removed) that he "fought like crazy to shoot it and eventually use it," even though show creator Mike Fleiss was uncomfortable with the idea. Harrison has since stood by the decision to reveal the emotional and devastating news on-camera.

Many viewers and critics felt like the show's priority was getting more views through playing with emotions, rather than focusing on the emotional well-being of the cast (or having respect for Hill's family). A lot of people were disgusted with Harrison's choice to exploit the show's most tragic moment for views. However, there are other instances on the show that have also offended fans.

Emotional Exploitation

Chris Harrison Clare Crawley Bachelorette

In 2018, Vulture ran an article calling for Harrison to retire following a problematic season of The Bachelor. That season featured Arie Luyendyk Jr. (who will be the father of twins). The article referred to Harrison as an "unavoidable fixture of the franchise" due to his numerous appearances on various shows, and the many roles he plays, from host to sympathetic ear to guide and beyond. The publication accused him of being a puppet for the network, who had completely lost touch with people's emotions.

Harrison may have become too well-versed in guiding the emotions of the audience, with the goal of getting a reaction, regardless of moral concerns about exploitation. Harrison appeared to delight in the contestant's heartbreak, anger, and bad behavior, while learning how to expertly stoke the flames of whatever dramatic fire he could find. The most obvious example of emotional exploitation that season was the cruel and public way Luyendyk Jr. dumped Becca Kufrin on camera. This happened after he changed his mind about picking her to be his future wife.

Related: Bachelor: Past Contestants Who Almost Became Leads Of Another Season

Not Acknowledging Sexism

The Bachelor Colton Underwood and Chris Harrison

Back in 2015, The Bachelorette caused controversy for having the potential dates vote for Britt Nilsson or Kaitlyn Bristowe to become the show's lead. Many viewers took offense to the twist of pitting the two women against each other, especially since it put the power back in the hands of the men. Rather than empowering women, as the show claims to do, the twist needlessly forced two women into a competition. The winner was determined exclusively by male votes.

Though franchise star Sean Lowe spoke out about the "degrading" twist, Harrison had a very different response. Reality Blurred transcribed his message on Huff Post Live. He told the publication that if people were offended, the problem was because of them. "It’s probably an issue that you have with yourself or you have with women," he said.

Harrison completely dismissed the show's sexism and made the women sound disposable. He said, "you'll forget there were ever two bachelorettes" since one would be gone by the first half of the premiere. The ladies revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that they weren't happy about the shocking twist. This made Harrison's responses even worse.

Deferring Responsibility

Rumors of sexism and exploitation have been surrounding The Bachelor franchise for years. As the longtime face of the franchise, Harrison bears some of the responsibility. Harrison has always sided with the network and played his role as amiable host and guide at the expense of contestants' emotional health and well-being. Harrison has profited off of toying with emotions and getting responses from audiences for so long that some viewers feel he is completely out of touch, and they find him oddly stoic when he presents upsetting news, such as on After The Final Rose. 

While it's understandable that Harrison has wanted to retain his high profile and well-paying job, he has repeatedly deferred responsibility and downplayed the significance of events, such as the current Kirkconnell scandal. Many viewers and former cast members want the franchise to take accountability for the behaviors it has encouraged and aired over the years. Even Harrison's girlfriend of 6 years Lauren Zima has called his behavior "wrong" and "disappointing" on her Instagram Story. Some viewers feel that Harrison has not been caught excusing bad behavior just one time; they believe he has been doing it for years, and feel that his silence has caught up with him.

Next: Bachelor: Tayshia & Clare's Men Condemn Chris Harrison In Joint Statement

The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8pm EST on ABC.

Source: VultureReality Blurred