Chris Harrison‘s media hypocrisy had me fuming while watching The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose tonight.
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Harrison was quick to point the finger at the media for all the rumors surrounding JoJo Fletcher and her now fiancé Jordan Rodgers. Harrison showed articles from outlets like Us Weekly, calling out their irresponsibility in hurtful headlines. But let’s get real: Harrison lives for the rumors.
He’s an executive producer on The Bachelorette. Who do you think is leaking half these rumors?
Of course, it’s important to note, I don’t have any proof that he or, more likely, other producers are the leak, but come on guys, let’s look at the facts.
Harrison was quick to throw Us Weekly under the bus and then turn around and praise People by unveiling Rodgers and Fletcher’s engagement cover, which will hit stands tomorrow. Do you think ABC didn’t team up with People for this cover? Of course they did! They partnered together. Funds were exchanged for the rights to the exclusive. Contracts were signed. Deals were made. With the media. The very people Harrison called out.
As a journalist, I found it to be absolutely infuriating and, frankly, irresponsible to continue an already problematic culture of blaming the media. If Rodgers’ ex-girlfriend calls up SheKnows and tells us that Rodgers is a total fraud, are we going to cover that? Of course we are! It would be irresponsible to ignore it. It would be irresponsible to not credit our sources. But to report what someone directly connected to the show has said is just good journalism.
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To further Harrison’s hypocrisy tonight, he bashes the media and then turns around and asks Rodgers all these pointed questions about his family and his relationship with his estranged brother, Aaron Rodgers. The questions were personal, and Jordan answered in a very politically correct manner, while Fletcher admitted she still hadn’t met Aaron.
Basically Harrison played journalist and tried to delve into their personal life — the same thing he had been ranting about only moments before. To add insult to injury, The Bachelorette spent the whole night using Aaron Rodgers’ name as a promotional plug even though he has nothing to do with the show. If that’s not irresponsible exploitation, then I don’t know what is.
I’m not saying all journalists are perfect. Do some stories go too far? Absolutely. But do I generally believe that the media is trying its hardest to do its best to tell the truth? Absolutely. I am one of those journalists, and for Harrison to blanket insult us for Fletcher’s and Rodgers’ hardships is just fearmongering while he reaps the benefits of stories placed in tabloids of the show’s choosing.
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Those rumors mean ratings, and those ratings mean big moola for Harrison and the franchise. Harrison shouldn’t be shaming the media — he should be thanking us for helping to make him rich.
Did you think The Bachelorette rumors this season went too far?
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