In a first-person essay for Vulture, Rachel Lindsay leaves no stone unturned in describing the toxicity and racism of the "Bachelor" fandom, feeling like a "token" in the franchise, and the complicity of the producers behind the scenes.
Rachel has previously been vocal about the racism within the franchise, calling out how The Bachelorette treated contestants of color and putting a spotlight on Bachelor contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's participation in an antebellum-themed party (as well as former Bachelor host Chris Harrison's very terrible response to it).
We've rounded up some of the highlights of her article detailing her experiences below:
1. Rachel said she was known as "the contestant who was always starting trouble," adding that people described her as "That Rachel Lindsay" and "Bachelor Nation’s public enemy No. 1."
2. She continued that she felt she had to be a "good Black girl, an exceptional Black girl," and someone that was digestible to a majority-white audience. "I was a token until I made sure I wasn’t."
3. On multiple occasions, scenes would be staged that played into stereotypes, such as one with co-contestant Vanessa Grimaldi (who she is now friends with). Rachel said the scene's setup made her feel that her "Blackness was on display. I knew the audience was going to look at me as an angry Black female."
4. In her season, the producers opted for storylines that centered drama around race, including casting Black contestants who weren't interested in dating Black women.
5. She continued that the show's producers choice of racism as a storyline device seemed exclusively reserved for her: "There’s always one storyline that causes drama each season, and for their first Black lead, they allowed it to be a racist one. They chose the low-hanging fruit. It told me everything I needed to know."
6. Rachel wrote that she "had nobody to talk to," had to navigate being the first Black lead, as well as guide the producers on what it was like to coordinate hosting the first Black lead.
7. She continued that the franchise had spent nearly 20 years cultivating a toxic audience, giving it a certain mold of contestant that is a "midwestern/southern white, blonde, light-eyed Christian." She explained, "There is a Bachelor Nation, and there is a Bachelor Klan."
8. Lastly, while Rachel said she doesn't regret being the Bachelorette, there are some storylines she would have navigated differently throughout her season. As of now, she will no longer affiliate with the franchise: "I am no longer a figurehead. I am no longer a spot-filler. I am no longer the face of what is diverse."
