There is a constant ongoing debate about the feminist credentials of ‘The Bachelor‘, obviously because the concept of the show is that a bunch of women in a house vie against each other for the affections of some man who usually doesn’t deserve it.
It’s generally pretty easy to push all that to the back of your mind, however, as you take in the fun drama and the terrible heterosexual kissing. But tonight’s episode made that extremely difficult, instead coming under fire for featuring what many viewers saw as slut-shaming, and gross double standards.
Oh also, there was a test to see how good the women are with children?
I can’t even go there.
Anyway, for the last week, Channel 10 had been teasing audiences with promos that suggested a huge massive awful scandalous secret was going to be revealed in tonight’s episode.
Turns out, it was all centred around Leah, who had already been established as one of the show’s villains. In the ep, Matty J‘s sister Kate came into the house as a surprise guest, and got to spend some time with the women. She asked Leah about her career, and Leah told her she was a student and a party-planner.
Later, other contestants got involved, gossiping with each other and Kate about what the job actually entailed, until it was dragged out of Leah (on television) that she has a past involving topless stripping, a fact she had thus far not disclosed to Matty J (possibly because they have not spent very much time together and are virtually strangers).
So that was the big scandalous secret and skeleton in the closet. Someone once had a job. Shock horror. And that is where the criticism of the episode began.
https://twitter.com/debbieecarr/status/897756665134448640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buzzfeed.com%2Fjemimaskelley%2Fwhat-a-mess
The reveal unfortunately kicked off a whole range of judgement and comments about Leah’s past job from the other contestants, who conceivably all hated her to begin with. This lead to drama, and fighting, and finally Matty took Leah off to discuss the issue.
He insisted that her previous job was not actually a dealbreaker, but that he hates the fact that she is a liar and a bully (something she admitted to him for some reason). Then, at the end of the episode, he went on to decide not to have the traditional rose ceremony, instead unceremoniously turfing her out with some cold final words.
There is one common denominator with all this drama, and that’s yourself. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the way you act and being upfront and saying what’s on your mind and having no filter. That’s completely fine. But it’s not for me. So I do think it’s best that you leave.
Oof.
Matty is, of course, allowed to turf out whichever woman he does not enjoy the company of, but people watching at home were furious with the way the stripping reveal (no pun intended) was handled.
And had reasons as to why Leah might not have been immediately upfront.
https://twitter.com/_katiekendall_/status/897774299909464064
https://twitter.com/LMMartinArt/status/897757147009736706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buzzfeed.com%2Fjemimaskelley%2Fwhat-a-mess
And had opinions about the unreasonable expectations Matty had.
https://twitter.com/kellie_scott/status/897773908576751616
And talked about how there were actually a lot better reasons to send Leah home.
https://twitter.com/taylajrobertson/status/897760969761280000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buzzfeed.com%2Fjemimaskelley%2Fwhat-a-mess
https://twitter.com/beckaio_/status/897761343251423232
And finally, some had very valid opinions about the amazing hypocrisy that still exists in this world when it comes to the way we treat women comparatively to men. This is especially incredibly relevant considering TWO of the the Bachelors in the past, Tim and Blake, had both been topless waiters, and it was not an issue.
https://twitter.com/ImogenDunlevie/status/897778561938972672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buzzfeed.com%2Fjemimaskelley%2Fwhat-a-mess
Massive. Eye. Roll.
