Bachelor Diversity Campaign Responds to Matt James Casting

The Bachelor Diversity Campaign is calling for continued change after Matt James was named season 25’s Bachelor. The pick was announced on Good Morning America on Friday.

James will be the first Black bachelor in The Bachelor franchise’s 18-year history. Producers became aware of James through his long time friendship with Tyler Cameron, one of the contestants on The Bachelorette season 14. James was set to be one of the men vying for Clare Crawley’s heart on the next season of The Bachelorette before he was chosen to lead season 25 of The Bachelor. The announcement came soon after The Bachelor Diversity Campaign announced its campaign. One of their original goals was to have a black bachelor cast for season 25. Season 13 Bachelorette and ‘Bachelor Happy Hour’ co-host, Rachel Lindsay, has also been adamantly calling for the franchise to prioritize diversity. She called the announcement of James' casting as the bachelor a “knee-jerk” reaction.

Related:The Bachelor Producers, Chris Harrison Say They'll Highlight Diversity

In their statement, the campaign highlighted the need to avoid tokenizing James and any other contestants who will appear on the season. They advise ABC and Warner Bros. to be mindful of how they’re portraying contestants as to avoid harmful stereotypes or “exotification.†This would include exploiting James’ or any other character’s race or ethnicity for the purpose of a storyline. “We expect that his season will permanently usher in more equitable casting, screentime, and representation to the Bachelor franchise,†the statement read.

The campaign is also pushing producers to take “an active role in the education of their viewers about racism and the corresponding injustices still heartbreakingly salient in our country today.†This will be especially poignant as countries across the globe respond to police brutality and racism in the United States. Some have called this time “a reckoning†when it comes to racial issues that have long been brushed under the rug. Pressure from protesters has lead to widespread change in many industries, including reality TV.

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source https://screenrant.com/bachelor-diversity-campaign-matt-james-casting/