Forget about a black man being a star on 'The Bachelor'
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Forget about a black man being a star on 'The Bachelor'
Jenice Armstrong, Daily News Columnist
ABC is overdue to cast a black man to star as “The Bachelor.”
I mean, c'mon. In all 16 seasons on the show, all of the guys given top billing on the show have been white.
It's time to mix things up, don't you think?
The show's producers, though, are all about ratings. And a whole lot of Americans are still stuck in the last century when it comes to interracial dating. Certain black people - especially women - would have a major problem with seeing a room full of white women romantically pursuing a lone African American male. And certain white folks won't like it either.
But now, it looks as if the pressure for The Bachelor is off. The Associated Press is reporting that a federal judge has dismissed a case filed by two black men who claimed ABC’s ‘‘The Bachelor’’ and ‘‘The Bachelorette’’ discriminated against casting participants of color. U.S. District Court Judge Aleta Trauger’s ruling on Monday states that casting decisions by the network and the series’ producers are protected by the First Amendment and the case should not continue.
Earlier this year, two African American men, Nathaniel Claybrooks and Christopher Johnson, sued ABC, claiming their bids to appear on ‘‘The Bachelor’’ weren't taken seriously. The judge, however, said that the First Amendment guards against regulating the show’s content.
It's a bummer for Johnson and Claybrooks, as well as that Portland-based sportscaster - Lamar Hurd who'd also expressed interest in stepping in and being the Jackie Robinson of ABC's The Bachelor.
What do you think? Should ABC take a chance and pick a black bachelor or are too many people still not ready for it?
This maybe why many folks of color and other nationalities do not watch the show. For some strange reason many folks will watch or do something, even when they know to program or event is discriminating. Go figure! Folks need to unite instead of dividing, when come to your rights. Those who are making tons of money could careless, if you do or don't. Many programs on all the Prime Channels need to balance out a little better than they been doing. I'm talking all races.— pppd3066- It will never happen.So why push the issue.The show itself is not real and very annoying.After 16 seasons and more failed relationships than successful ones why give people another excuse to utter those words" I told you so"— vrb1955
- "Flavor of Love" had a black bachelor and he was much more real than the bachelor's on "The Bachelor".
- Some shows are geared to one particular audience and that's the way it is. Who cares about that crappy show anyway?The might as well just change the name to the "White Bachelor" because that's all you are ever going to see up there. Times hasn't changed really that much especially when it comes to television.— nycsixerfan
- Gosh, I would jump at a chance to date either of them, they are HOT! Probably very smart as well. Too bad for me, they probably are not interested in a washed out, overworked white chick who's got less hair than they do, LOL. (I have kidney failure, I shaved it all off because it was falling out.) I'd still run after them though!— winegal
- CORRECTION: certain black women wouldn't have a problem seeing a group of white women pining over a lone black man BECAUSE they're stuck in the last century. the reason it might be difficult is because black women are often degraded by black men and looked down on by white women WHILE white women are put on pedestals. the issue isn't necessarily with interracial relationships in and of themselves. the issue is with the motivation, attitude, and actions that SOMETIMES comes with this pursuit. again, it's not about interracial dating, per se.— nBloom
- Personally I don't care one way or the other. The show is not even worth the rubbing of 2 brain cells together to even get to the point whether it's discriminating or not. People need to find something better to complain about. You don't like the show? Watch 1 of the other 800 channels on TV.— zsaru
- The show should be called "the hook-up" because there is very little chance of the women getting to know the men or vice versa. So all they are really doing is hooking up on v for ratings? I don't know why it is even on the air still.— SKYMAN
Read more from Jenice Armstrong at Earth to Philly, the Daily News blog on anything and everything "Green."
Reach Jenice at armstrj@phillynews.com.
