I'll admit that I haven't been committed to this season of "The Bachelorette," but I did pay attention to the biggest scandals of this season. When the season premiere aired, I tuned in to watch two women compete against one another while 25 guys picked their favorite to be the next bachelorette. Needless to say, it was super-awkward, and as the season progressed, things didn't get any smoother.
Kaitlyn Bristowe, a 29-year-old dancer from Canada, was chosen as the new bachelorette. During her season, Kaitlyn brought a sense of realness and honesty to the show. Mainly she talked about having sex and she didn't let others shame her for her choices.
During the June 22 episode Kaitlyn went on a one-on-one date with Nick Viall. They returned to Kaitlyn's hotel room to have some time away from the cameras. They ended up having sex.
Kaitlyn and Nick seemed comfortable with their decision, but then Kaitlyn wondered if Nick would say something to the other guys. Nick didn't kiss and tell, and Kaitlyn opened up to Shawn, another contestant, about what had happened. At first Shawn felt betrayed, but then realized that Kaitlyn is a grown-up and had separate relationships with each guy.
Social media didn't handle it nearly as well as Shawn did.
Some people did defend Kaitlyn and thought the network was purposefully slut-shaming her.
Kaitlyn quickly defended herself against the negativity with this response: "I'm a 30-year-old woman, and I make my own decisions and intimacy to me is a part of every relationship, and I don’t know why everyone is so shocked by it. It's 2015."
She also said, "I'm not ashamed of it — I just regret the timing. But I'm also not afraid to talk about it ... I think maybe I'm just the first Bachelor or Bachelorette to talk about that on TV."
Former contestant AshLee Frazier agrees with Kaitlyn, saying "Minus maybe Sean and maybe another Bachelor or two, I think they all have sex. They don't [talk about it], and I don't know why ... I mean, people have sex. It's a natural thing. Why is it so faux pas?"
It seems that the majority of the controversy stems from the fact that she's the bachelorette. Whenever any of the bachelors have sex during their season they don't get called out. In fact it often just comes off as part of their charm. Remember Juan Pablo?
Juan Pablo was dubbed the player, but he didn't receive any hate when he had sex with Clare. The two escaped cameras, but afterward Juan said it was a mistake. Instead of sharing responsibility for their actions, Clare is portrayed as a siren without decency.
Nick, who's not one to shy away from sex on the show, also shamed Andi during the "After the Final Rose" episode. He said that Andi never should have had sex with him if she wasn't going to choose him. But everyone knows what is happening in those fantasy suites, so why can't he get over it? Why throw it in her face on national TV?
The main issue is that bachelors can have sex with any contestant they want, but if a bachelorette does, then she must be willing to commit herself to that one person. The double standard is real.
For a show that's all about looking for love in a modern way, their method seems to be antiquated. As for me, I'm #TeamKaitlyn!
During the finale, Kaitlyn chose Shawn. Hopefully, the shamers will go away.
