#BachelorSoWhite trends as fans start petition to cast a Black bachelor as suitor for Season 25
'The Bachelor' has completed 18 years on air after premiering on ABC in March 2002. The show's success led to it quickly turning bigger and viewers were introduced to a number of spin-offs including 'The Bachelorette', 'Bachelor in Paradise', and the recent one that went on air today - 'The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons - Ever!' focusing on Season 17 that had Sean Lowe fronting it.
The franchise now boasts of a whopping 40 seasons in total over the past 18 years and incidentally, the ratio of Black and Indigenous contestants on the 'The Bachelor' and 'The Bachelorette' has been appalling. An article on Splinter from 2016 noted that a Black contestant has never lasted beyond five weeks on the show and that 59% of them never make it past week two.
Moreso, over the past 40 seasons, Rachel Lindsay is the only black lead cast on the show and now fans are demanding that the situation be looked after. A petition created by a fan to include black indigenous and people of color on the show is doing the rounds on Twitter too. The petition demands a black frontman be cast for the upcoming Season 25 of 'The Bachelor'. It also demands 35% BIPOC contestants and equitable screentime for all of them amongst other things.
"@ABCNetwork and @Fleissmeister you say you stand with the Black community—now take ACTION! 40 seasons is long enough. IT'S TIME. Show us you're anti-racist and cast a #BIPOCBachelor for Season 25. #BachelorSoWhite Sign our petition," read a comment.
While another person wrote, "Having a tough time explaining microaggressions to white women so let me try this: did you know in 24+ seasons of the bachelor over 18 years there has only been 1 black lead".
A couple of days ago, Rachel in an interview called out the franchise's lack of diversity. In an interview with After Buzz, she termed the show's lack of diversity "embarrassing". She also mentioned that the possibility of a Black person becoming President of the United States is higher than being cast as a lead on the franchise. She also mentioned, "That’s very frustrating for me, and if we’re going around talking about ‘black lives matter,’ and what’s important… well then let’s talk about systemic change when it comes to The Bachelor franchise.”
'The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons - Ever!' airs Monday nights on ABC.