Bachelor host, Chris Harrison has been in the news lately after stepping away from the show. This removal came on the heels of Harrison defending last season’s Bachelor winner, Rachael Kirkconnell after racist content came out of her, including photos of her at plantation parties and wearing the confederate flag.
Harrison’s defense came during an interview with former Bachelor contestant, Rachel Lindsay, who is Black. Harrison consistently spoke over Linsay and defended Kirkconnell’s racist actions (Longeretta).
While defending the photos of Kirkconnell at an Antebellum themed party, Harrison said, “Well, Rachel [Lindsay], is it not a good look in 2018? Or, is it not a good look in 2021? Because there’s a big difference.”
This interview was dually problematic as Harrison, a white man, continually challenged and disregarded the ideas and concerns of a Black woman. It is impossible not to notice the intersectionality of both people’s racial and gender identities and the power dynamics associated.
Harrison has since apologized and, of course, stepped away from the show, but that was likely not a decision he made of his own volition.
Further, Harrison’s reactions to the racist actions of a white woman, vying for the love of a Black man (who broke up with Kirkconnell upon the surfacing of her old photos) and his claims that the world has become more politically correct in recent years, demonstrates the ignorance of white people to Black struggles in this country.
Although legislation has been put into place since the days of MLK and John Lewis, racism and white privilege are still persistent issues. White people do not want to feel guilty about what their ancestors did and the foundations they laid that continue to harm Black people today.
In order to remedy this dissonance and absolve themselves of guilt, many white people, like Harrison, grip to this narrative that respecting Black people and their history and denouncing white supremacy is new. They act as though this respect is something they shouldn’t have considered before because no one told them, so they should not be punished for their past abuse.
This mindset is incredibly problematic and is used as an excuse to not take responsibility for racist actions. However, by teaching people a more accurate account of America’s racist history through the works of people who experienced it, like March by John Lewis, we may be able to convince people to confront reality and help people gain respect for Black Americans and the struggles they have, and continue to endure.
Works Cited:
Lewis, John, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell. March: Book One. Marietta, GA: Top Shelf Productions, 2013.
Longeretta, Emily. “A Timeline of Chris Harrison and Rachel Lindsay’s Interview and the Fallout.” Us Weekly, 4 Mar. 2021, www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/pictures/chris-harrison-and-rachel-lindsays-interview-fallout-a-timeline/.
Nice post Sam. I think it’s important that you chose such a recent occurrence with this issue to further your thinking. In the media, I have seen several instances that have to do with racial inequality, and it seems like every apology is associated with an “I didn’t know any better”, as if they were never taught how to respect others and decipher what is culturally right and wrong. I am so tired of these excuses and it seems like this bachelor contestant said basically that in her apology. It’s truly a shame and I hope celebrities use their “fame” in better ways. Hopefully, a lot of people can look at this issue and recognize why it’s wrong and not make it again.
Great post! This case shows that racism is not always about violence or inequality, and that even just a mindset or attitude someone has can still be racist and harmful. I think many people are ignorant, and do not see the problem with things like defending white supremacy and invalidating the thoughts and feelings of the black community. In order to move forward, more people need to be educated and held accountable for what they say.
Great and informative post. For someone on the outside, I can see the issue even more because I have not watched this so I have not fallen in love with any character. This is complete inappropriate behavior. This post really made me think about other shows or even real life situations and I notice that its very common to disregard any woman of color or even man in shows. They are portrayed as dumb and incompetent and everything that a white person does is just fine. This is a problem because of what it can teach people who watch it. Many times people do not face any consequences for their actions, and that is a problem in of itself.
Great post, I have seen a lot about this recently as well. I realize that everyone makes mistakes but what Rachel did was wrong. With that being said, Chris probably should not have said what he said nor should he have disrespected a women of color. When he said this I was very surprised because he hasn’t really had an controversy before. This just goes to show how fake reality T.V. can portray people as and how it can also shine light on who you really are when you slip up.
Hi Sam! This is a really great post. As someone who had been watching the show for a ocuple years now, I was incredibly disappointed and disheartened to hear about Chris’s defense of Kirkconnell and his treatment of Rachel Lindsey. I think they made the correct choice in asking Chris to step down. This show has been perpetuating some outdated and thinly veiled displays of sexism and heteronormality for a while and has had very few contestants of color until recently. With Chris’s blatant defense of Kirkconnell’s racism, I think they are going to need to make a lot of changes. If they cannot condemn the racist actions of one of their own contestants (and their host), and even directly condescend another contestant of color when they are expressing their own emotions over the event, then I don’t think they need to continue the show.