The Bachelor Franchise Is Finally Embracing Black Men
Even though my dudes still get way less screen time, the show gave me something I didn’t know I was missing
For 18 years, I successfully avoided the rose petal-strewn road to Bachelor Nation.
But after watching The Bachelorette’s hectic Season 16 super trailer ahead of its November premiere — and with some encouragement from my Bachelorette-obsessed mom — I eagerly cleared two hours of my Tuesday night to see if the show could deliver in full on the drama the trailer promised.
The two-minute clip teased the tension, showing the season’s first lead, Clare Crawley, careening between blissful laughs, biting arguments, and, of course, tearful breakdowns as she tackled the task of picking her soulmate from 31 eager suitors. There were also hints at Clare’s eventual departure from the show; she chose Dale Moss after just a couple of episodes. Her replacement? The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise alum Tayshia Adams.
But beyond the expected turmoil for any dating-themed reality show, it was the quick glimpses of the show’s Black male contestants that left me even more curious about the series I’d previously reserved no space for on my DVR.
