Sean Lowe
Two bachelorettes… Wow! I’m not sure The Bachelor franchise has ever created this type of controversial, divisive buzz in all of its years. And that’s saying a lot because, well, it’s The Bachelor. Creating controversial buzz is one of the things they do best.
Tuesday, I expressed my feelings in a blog post titled “Three Reasons Why Having 2 Women on The Bachelorette Should Never Happen” and — holy crap — I never imagined my blog would become such a lightening rod. It was picked up by countless media outlets including E! News, Access Hollywood, People, and The Huffington Post to name a few. After posting the blog, my twitter feed was filled with headlines such as “Sean Lowe slams The Bachelor” and “Former Bachelor Bashes Franchise.” Look, I get it. I’ve been doing this long enough to know that bold headlines get clicks and reads, and I gave them enough in my post to create those headlines.
But let me say this: my passion for this franchise runs deep. I recognize that it’s often a silly, even ridiculous reality show based on bikini clad women in hot tubs and helicopter picnics on mountain tops, but it’s also where I met my wife and that means something to me. I want to protect this silly franchise even when I feel like I need to protect it from itself. The Bachelor has become an odd little piece of American pop culture and I’m proud to say I’ve played a small role in it. I’ll probably never stop trying to safeguard it.
Because the two bachelorette topic has been such a talked about issue, I thought it’d be fun to offer a few counterpoints to my own arguments as well as offer some additional insight.
1) The girls signed up for this. This is very true and no one can fault them for agreeing to take part in this bachelorette experiment. They’re both grown women and either one of them could have easily said no. But here’s the thing: the title of “The Bachelorette” is life changing. Not only can they possibly meet their husband, but the money and opportunities that come after the show is something that would be hard for anyone to turn down. I’m not suggesting their motives were monetarily charged, but I’m pointing out a fact: this show has its perks and it would be tough for anyone to turn that opportunity down.
2) The Power Transfer. I don’t like the idea of the majority of men sending one woman home based on her beauty and limited or no conversation with her. But, back to point one, they both signed up for it. If I’m being honest, I don’t think I’d have these feelings if it were two men. I think most guys, myself certainly included, look at certain situations and think about it in terms of how it would make us feel if it were our sister. I hate thinking that one of these women will experience rejection of the highest level (by a majority of men on TV in front of millions) and truthfully, it makes me sad. But then again, these women know what lies ahead of them and I’m sure they both possess the inner strength to move past it once the rejection has been made. I just don’t like the idea of it.
3) Casting for one woman. I mentioned in my post that when I was the bachelor, the casting department tried to cast women that would be well-suited for me (with some crazies too of course). So how would that work with two women? I’m not sure. But I should point this out: never did I think I would fall in love and marry a vegan, graphic designer from Seattle. If you watched my season, you know that Catherine and I didn’t really have any romance until about midway through the season. It took a while for me to realize the goofy, sometimes borderline awkward girl might just be what I need in my life. So just because you think you know what you want, that doesn’t mean you know what’s best. Maybe not casting specifically for one girl will be a good thing.
Lastly, many of you may know that my favorite thing to do on Monday nights is live tweet the show from my couch with Catherine. I’ve been doing this every season since I was The Bachelor. These tweets are purely meant to be comedic and fun. I’ve always said that being The Bachelor has allowed me to point out the silliness of the show and if you can’t laugh at a show like the bachelor, what can you laugh at? I actually texted Chris Soules before the season started and told him not to take offense to any of my tweets. His thought was the same as mine, that being the bachelor opens you up to jokes and funny jabs so he couldn’t possibly take offense. With that said, a lot of attention has been placed on my tweets and many people have accused me of being mean spirited or cruel towards some of the ladies. I assure you it was all intended to be light hearted and goofy but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t rethink some of the things I say. I’m here to be a positive role model and represent Jesus as best I can and that always comes first. With that said, if you don’t get sarcasm, my twitter feed might not be the place to be on Monday nights.
Thank you all for reading my thoughts!
To read more about my great experience on the show, buy my New York Times best selling book “For the Right Reasons.”
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