As a longtime fan of “The Bachelor” franchise, I anxiously awaited the announcement for who would be named the next “Bachelorette” in the Season 28 finale. Of course, it’s exciting to see how the season ends and who the bachelor ends up with, but it’s also equally exciting to see who the next Bachelorette will be, which is one of the season’s stand-out contestants. Season 28 of “The Bachelor” featured Joey Graziadei, a 28-year-old tennis pro from Pennsylvania, as the lead. Graziadei  was looking for his future wife among 32 contestants. 

Graziadei’s season was one of the most popular with the season finale bringing in 6.31 million viewers, which is the most watched Season Finale in the history of “The Bachelor” franchise. The fan favorite contestant was Maria Georgas, who I was also hoping would be selected since her unfiltered and authentic personality shone through in Graziadei’s season. However, Jenn Tran was announced as the lead for “The Bachelorette” Season 21. Tran is a 26-year-old physician assistant and was loved by the fans during Graziadei’s season due to her compassionate and sweet personality.

Jenn Tran is Vietnamese American, making her the first Asian Bachelorette, and first Asian lead of any “Bachelor” franchise season. 

“Growing up, I’ve always wanted to see Asian representation on TV,” said Tran, in response to this historic moment, “And I feel like it was really sparse. Any time Asians were in the media, it was to fill a supporting character role, to fulfill some sort of stereotype, and I always felt boxed in by that. And now to be here today, standing in this position being like, I am going to lead my own love story. I am going to be the main character in my story, I just can’t help but think about how many people I’m inspiring and how many lives I am changing.” 

“The Bachelor” franchise has faced controversy in the past and criticism due to its lack of diversity and racism scandals. In the 21 years the show has been on air, there have only been two other leads of color, Matt James and Charity Lawson. During James’ season, there was controversy that the show had perpetuated racial stereotypes in James’ storyline after he spoke out about how his father, who is Black, was presented as an absent father. The former host, Chris Harrison, exited the show after he defended Rachel Kirkconnell, a contestant on James’ season, who had attended a party at a plantation and liked social media posts with the Confederate flag in them. 

For many years, the cast of “The Bachelor” has been overwhelmingly white and homogenous. I can remember watching prior seasons with majority white and stereotypically beautiful contestants, many of whom were former pageant contestants or NFL cheerleaders. Of course, the contestants themselves did nothing wrong. The fault lies with the casting and production. The lack of racial, body type and socioeconomic diversity in the shows remains exceedingly obvious. Over the past few seasons, there has been greater racial diversity, but often these contestants have been given unequal storytime editing and screen time. Jokingly, I’ve often mentioned to my friends that it seems like they only keep the Asian contestants on long enough to be tokenized before the white lead chooses another white contestant at the end. 

Not only are there issues with a lack of diversity in “The Bachelor,” but there are also issues of cyberbullying and harassment that contestants of color experience from fans and online users. Social media following can be viewed as a proxy for fans’ support for certain contestants, and white contestants see a greater growth in following after being on the show than contestants of other races, according to Bachelor Data. In addition to unequal support from fans, many contestants have faced online hate and racism. Rachel Nance, a contestant on Graziadei’s season who finished in the top three and is African and Filipino American, spoke out about the racially motivated hate she’s received from fans. Nance said, “I was nervous to talk about it because I know some people feel uncomfortable when they hear that racism is still going on in 2024. But I think people need to sit in feeling uncomfortable because, how do you think I feel getting those messages?”

It’s easy to write off the show’s casting and historic decision as trivial since, after all, it’s just a reality show. However, as an Asian woman, I believe that this moment is important and that more people should take notice of it. As Jenn Tran pointed out, Asians are overlooked in almost all forms of media, and when they are portrayed, they’re often stereotypical or relegated to supporting roles. I think it’s important for an Asian-American woman to finally be a star in her own story rather than a token who is overshadowed by white voices. I’m excited to see how her journey plays out and am hopeful that her season will be a turning point for reality TV to showcase more Asian contestants. 

You can catch the new season of “The Bachelorette” on ABC airing on Jun. 1, 2024. 

“The Bachelor” is a romantic game show in which an eligible bachelor tries to find love by eliminating contestants. Fans of the popular television series are delighted to witness the new season with a unique twist. The latest installment features Gerry Turner, a father from Indiana, who at 72 years old holds the record for the oldest bachelor on the series. In the first episode of the season, Turner said among the 16 eligible women, he’s hopeful to find his future partner.

The first episode opened with a heartbreaking monologue from Turner, detailing the loss of his wife due to a bacterial infection. Throughout the episode, you get to meet a man desiring a second chance at finding someone with whom he will spend the rest of his life, and also all of the women competing for that special spot in his heart. Due to the number of contestants and the creativity that each one brought to the show, it was clear from the start that this would be a tough competition. From tear-away costumes to a surprise motorcycle entrance, everyone is brought their all.

 So far, the series has been well-received with some reviews like “…make sure you tune in” and  “Completely obsessed” from social media users. I found this first episode outstanding and it seems like the type of show that is here to stay for a good while. Not only was there a dramatic rose ceremony, but I also enjoyed a variety of contestants. A notable contestant was a woman named April who brought a calendar full of fabulous pictures of herself and every month was replaced with her name. Another was Jimmy Kimmel’s 83-year-old aunt chippy who heard about the show and wanted to be a part of it. Unfortunately, she slept through the rose ceremony and will not be progressing through the competition.

With “The Golden Bachelor”, not only is it entertaining to see romance unfold, but also to witness the rivalries and dramas as they blossom between the contestants. Some significant challenges with the stigmas behind dating later in life will certainly present themselves in the future of the show. Not only will “The Golden Bachelor” show that it’s never too late for love to prevail, but it shows how exciting and beautiful people are in their “golden years” despite negative representation. It is certain that viewers will be treated to an exciting and unpredictable plot, with some surprising twists and turns. The previews show an absolute emotional rollercoaster including plenty of tears between Turner and the contestants. As the season progresses, romances and rivalries are sure to escalate.