'Bachelorette' Promo Teases Sex Scandal, Chris Harrison Expects Double Standard
Um, about last night... no one watches "The Bachelorette" because it's classy, but fans gasped and clutched their pearls in Mrs. Dursley horror-fascination when the extended promo for Season 11 showed new Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe admitting she went "too far too fast" with one of her many boyfriends. In case that wasn't clear enough, she further spelled it out on camera -- and to her remaining suitors -- she had sex with one of the guys. That's generally frowned on, even if there have been rumors that people have done it in the past, and fans just assume that most rose-givers get it on in the fantasy suite. Heck, even when they make a point of saying they didn't have sex, fans still think they did. That's part of the prurient nature of this show. But this would be the first time a lead -- male or female -- had opened that can of sexual worms on air.
Here's a look at the promo -- watch it now before it's pulled:
Since that promo closed the show, it was a major talking point -- along with the return of Andi Dorfman's runner-up Nick Viall. Host Chris Harrison talked to TV Guide after Tuesday's episode, and the reporter noted that Kaitlyn's sex revelation must have a massive effect on the rest of the season. Chris said:
Kaitlyn, in general, is very affectionate with the guys and in her words, she made a mistake and goes too far with one of them. It's definitely an issue. But the thing with Kaitlyn you'll see is that at times she can be her own worst enemy. She's a wonderful Bachelorette because she wears her heart on her sleeve and lays everything out and says what's on her mind, but the flip side is that can get you into trouble. Like the issue with the two Bachelorettes, the social media masses often pick the lowest hanging fruit and go for that shot because it's easy. It's going to be easy to say things about Kaitlyn, so we'll see how people react. If it were a guy, would it be any different? Part of the dynamic I love about this show is that there will be a debate and talk about this, and it's not such a bad thing."
Chris lives for the drama, but it is probably going to be a bad thing for Katilyn. It remains to be seen how bad -- in terms of fan reaction. Kaitlyn would probably be in hot water just for all the making out she did. Every lead sucks face, but Kaitlyn made out with two guys right on the first night (in view of the others), and she was shown kissing everything but Tony's plants in the promo.
There are a few things going on here. One, Kaitlyn was the one fans REALLY wanted, over Britt Nilsson, who was deemed by many to be fake, humor-challenged, and possibly threatening with her pageant perfect looks. Kaitlyn was the real, funny, humble one with the big personality. But the downside of being the only one on the show is you are the only target, and you are still a flawed human being. The history of "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" shows that EVERY lead is trashed during their season. Britt probably won the second she lost, especially if she does hook up with Brady, who left on Night 1 to be with her. If there's a happy ending to the season, fans get over their hate fast. But no matter what Kaitlyn does from here, something will tick people off. The sex part -- yeah, people will take her to task for that, but probably not as a sexist double standard. There's plenty of sexism in the world, and on this show, but for once that's not really the issue. They already did the two-lead twist back in "The Bachelor" Season 6, so the people who called this twist sexist to pit women against each other should remember that they did it to men first. And everyone lived through it just fine. Plus, Bachelors get attacked as often as Bachelorettes, if not more often. Remember the disgust fans had with Ben Flajnik for skinny dipping with Courtney, or the general loathing for Juan Pablo Galavis, in part for his slut-shaming of Clare for doing whatever they did in the water together? There were already heavy hints of sex there, but this is just Kaitlyn spelling it out. The men on this show usually end up hated more than the women. See Brad Womack's first season, then Jason Mesnick, Jake Pavelka, Ben, and Juan Pablo. Plenty of women get attacked too, and Kaitlyn may join them, but since we're getting a taste of this sex tease early on -- along with Kaitlyn's tearful defense that she made a mistake but she's not a bad person -- fans may be ready to defend her by the time it airs. The more time you give something, the more likely there will be a backlash to the backlash.
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