Casual Dating, Casual Racism

Shows like “The Bachelor” have much to improve on in the race department

By Jemma Keleher

If you’re anything like 90% of the population, you’ve heard of dating shows like “The Bachelor” where attractive singles gather to compete for true love. If you’re like me, you even watch an episode once in a while (or rather every Monday night). While the show is entertaining in its nasty, brash way, one aspect is often overlooked: its disrespect towards people of color.

A quick survey of the contestants demonstrates a blatant lack of people of color being cast on the show. “The Bachelor” has had over 500 contestants, yet only 38 have ever been black women. Of all the Bachelorettes, only one, Rachel Lindsay, has ever been black—a move that is hardly enough to resolve the racial issues that  plague the show.

The inclusion of diverse bodies is a step in the right direction, but this inclusion is corrupted by the subsequent treatment of black women. When black women are cast, they are portrayed as background characters who are there to fill space. They often don’t make it far before being sent home in a quiet, unnoticed manner. In comparison, white women are portrayed as fully feasible candidates. 

In addition to issues facing black women, there are also significant limitations placed on men of color. Black and asian men are often delegated to the “best friend” role. This effectively desexualizes men of color and shoves them into a corner where they are deemed unappealing in comparison to their white counterparts. 

There are clear racial issues ingrained in dating shows, but because these shows are  entertaining, we become complacent and fail to problematize this blatant racism. Despite what we’ve been conditioned to believe, these representations are not, and should not, be treated as normal; rather, we should view them for what they are: casual racism packaged as harmless fun.