Chris Harrison has stepped down temporarily from his The Bachelor hosting duties. He made this decision after giving a controversial interview, where he stood by the belief that antebellum frat parties on slave plantations are fine if they happened in 2018. Some viewers think that he should leave the franchise permanently. This is because of his recent statements and his past problematic behavior.
Those who haven't followed the story, which broke several days ago, should know that contestant Rachael Kirkconnell attended a frat party at a Southern plantation in 2018. The issue with the location and the antebellum theme is that it romanticizes slavery and the culture in the South before the American Civil War. When a picture of her at the party surfaced, people had questions about why Kirkconnell attended such an event and wondered what kind of fraternity would choose such a theme. They got their answer when they learned that Kirkconnell had a history of taking part in racially insensitive activities, from brownface to showing support for MAGA. She has released an apology, acknowledging that there is no excuse for her actions and that she was racist.
Harrison did an ExtraTV interview, with Rachel Lindsay asking him questions. He failed to comprehend why Kirkconnell faced criticism, calling her a "poor girl" and saying that her parents were facing unwarranted Internet criticism. While this might be understandable, what was not so understandable was the fact that Harrison proceeded to yell when Lindsay started to explain the implications. He called her the "woke police." Lindsay pointed out that celebrating the Old South is wrong, and asked Harrison what she would represent in a culture that had bounty hunters for runaways, and Harrison didn't have an answer.
News outlets would later report that due to the backlash, Harrison agreed to step down from the show temporarily. He released a statement on February 13 that it wasn't his intention to cause harm, but that he did so regardless. He says he wants to do better. View the post below on Instagram:
The issue is that this isn't the first time that Harrison has been problematic. He has made similar remarks in the past, but this was the first one that may have cost him his lucrative Bachelor franchise gigs. Harrison has always been a contentious figure who is very good at putting his foot in his mouth. This has landed him in hot water before, with other news outlets and with viewers.
Any apologies for his insensitivity have not really led to consistent efforts to do better. A case in point is when he filmed a reaction to a contestant's death without considering the moral or emotional ramifications. While people may deserve a second chance if they are sincere about changing their behavior, Harrison's sincerity is being questioned. This has damaged his credibility, perhaps beyond repair.
Also, the way that he treated Lindsay was rude, as she was lobbing him softball questions before asking how she would be seen in the antebellum era. There is a reason why she went for the hard issue, rather than leaving it as the elephant in the room. Antebellum America should not be romanticized. The country had to fight a war for human decency against cruel and oppressive racism, not to mention centuries of propaganda about a Gone With the Wind-style Deep South that didn't embrace equality.
Harrison needs to do more, rather than offering an apology. To earn back viewers' trust (and the trust of his girlfriend, Lauren Zima), he must do better. However, he shouldn't reappear on The Bachelor. Instead, he should be replaced, as retirement is the best option for him, due to the harm that he has already caused.
Source: ExtraTV