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The Bachelorette 12

Next Bachelorette won’t be white, probably, but more needs to change

by Andy Dehnart 9 Jan. 2016 | 6:34 pm

ABC has had success with diverse casts in its dramas and comedies, but its oldest reality franchise has stubbornly resisted diversity. But today comes word that The Bachelorette 12‘s star will be a person of color—probably, maybe, let’s hope. Yes, in 31 combined seasons, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have only ever had one non-white star, Juan Pablo, and The Bachelorette has never had a non-white star.

ABC Paul Lee winter TCA 2016

ABC Entertainment President Paul Lee talking to reporters at the TCA’s 2016 winter press tour. (Photo by Image Group LA/ABC)

“I’d be very surprised if [the bachelorette] in the summer isn’t diverse. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that, but I think that’s likely to happen,” The Wrap reports ABC’s entertainment president Paul Lee said in a scrum after his session at the Television Critics Association’s press tour.

TV Line reports that he also said “tweaks” to the show will “get us where we want to go.”

That seems like a pretty clear indication that the network wants the producers to cast someone of color as The Bachelorette 12’s star.

The Bachelor and Bachelorette need more diverse casting

That’s a good step, yes, but one Bachelorette isn’t enough, just like one Latino The Bachelor star wasn’t enough.

Because the show now—smartly—draws its stars from the previous season’s pool of contestants, what really needs to change is casting.

Look how overwhelmingly white the pool of contestants is this season. There are not that many options for a non-white The Bachelorette, and the odds alone suggest that one of them won’t be a break-out, fan-favorite woman who can carry her own show this summer.

It’s a circle: A more diverse cast on The Bachelor means a greater likelihood of a diverse Bachelorette, and a more diverse cast on The Bachelorette increases the chances of a more diverse Bachelor.

This is 100 percent in the producers’ hands: they can cast whoever they want, both as bachelor/bachelorette contestants, and then as the star for the following season. They already cast for drama and crazy, and casting to make the pool of contestants look a little more like the actual country isn’t asking much at all.

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about Andy Dehnart

Andy Dehnart’s writing and criticism about television, culture, and media has appeared on NPR and in The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Pacific Standard, and other publications. He has covered reality television for more than 18 years, and created reality blurred in 2000.

A member of the Television Critics Association, Andy, 40, directs the journalism program at Stetson University in Florida, where he teaches creative nonfiction and journalism. He has an M.F.A. in nonfiction writing and literature from Bennington College. More about reality blurred and Andy.

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reality blurred is your guide to the world of reality TV and unscripted entertainment, with reality show reviews, news, and analysis. It was created in 2000 by Andy Dehnart. He's still writing and publishing it today.

reality blurred is regularly updated with highlights from the world of reality TV: news and analysis; behind-the-scenes reports; interviews with reality TV show cast members and producers; and recaps and reviews of these reality TV shows, including Survivor, Big Brother, The Great British Baking Show, Shark Tank, The Amazing Race, The Bachelor, Project Runway, Dancing with the Stars, Top Chef, and many more.

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