Bachelor Nation has been paying attention to what former contestants from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are saying in reaction to the US Capitol riots. Despite the fact that The Bachelor franchise has actively tried to steer away from most political talking points, its fandom is somehow very engaged with politics and often brings up these types of conversations when talking about the show and its contestants. On The Bachelorette season 16, the series featured a great and honest conversation between Tayshia Adams and Ivan Hall about the Black Lives Matter movement. On The Bachelor season 25, Matt James addressed right away that he is the first Black male lead of the show.
While these topics are new to The Bachelor as a TV series, conversations about race, religion, gender, and politics as a whole have been happening within Bachelor Nation for many years. And yet, many contestants still try to stay nothing - or very little - about their political views, always defaulting to the narrative that this is a dating show that shouldn't get involved with political discourse. Given the current state of the world, however, it is becoming harder and harder for contestants to successfully dodge these kinds of conversations, and the fans are more than ever asking these reality TV stars to speak up.
On social media, several Bachelor stars have shared their reactions to the US Capitol riots that took place on January 6, 2021. Both Matt James and Tayshia Adams shared Instagram Stories about how majority and minority groups are "living in two different Americas." Dale Moss posted a video calling the riots "disgusting" and addressing the "double standard" between the treatment of this invasion and the Black Lives Matter protests. JoJo Fletcher said that while it is terrifying to go through these times, she believes that this is the start of much-needed change. Cassie Randolph wrote about hoping that "many eyes were opened" after watching how those events unfolded. Rachel Lindsay, Mike Johnson, and Kaitlyn Bristowe also shared their respective reactions on social media, which can all be seen below.
There were also other Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants who either shared posts or wrote their own in reaction to the storming of the US Capitol. Kit Keenan, for instance, shared a quote about how these rioters were met with "no tear gas, no rubber bullets, nothing." Jason Tartick wrote that this was "a terrible, disgusting, embarrassing, and deadly day" for us all to witness. Ben Smith also shared a quote about the importance of reflecting on the term "privilege."
While some viewers want politics out of their favorite reality shows, these people have huge platforms, which come with a certain level of responsibility. All things considered, it was great that so many people within Bachelor Nation chose to speak up.
The Bachelor season 25 airs Mondays at 8 pm ET/PT on ABC.