During The Bachelorette season 21 episode 2, the producers once again included a date in which the men had to strip, proving that they don't care about the contestants. The Bachelorette has faced fierce backlash in the past for including dates in which the men had to take off their clothes. From naked bungee jumping to strip dodgeball to strip tease revues, The Bachelorette has pushed the envelope when it comes to male nudity on the show.
During The Bachelorette season 21, one of Jenn Tran's group dates required the contestants to perform a strip tease routine after being coached by dancers from Australia's Thunder from Down Under. Ten men participated in the date, including Devin Strader, Dylan Buckor, Grant Ellis, John Mitchell, Jonathon Johnson, Marcus Shoberg, Sam McKinney, Sam Nejad, Thomas Nguyen, and Tomas Azzano. While most of them embraced the activity, a few of the men were obviously very uncomfortable. This raises the question of why the producers insist on including degrading dates that no one wants to see for the following reasons.
Stripping Is Degrading To The Bachelorette Men
There Are Other Ways For Them To Showcase Their Personalities
While the Bachelorette producers seem to think that stripping is one of the best ways for the men to show the lead who they really are, this couldn't be further from the truth. There are so many other ways that the men could showcase their personalities, without reducing them to pieces of meat. There's absolutely no reason why stripping should be the go-to date of the Bachelorette producers.
The stripping dates are always uncomfortable, and, although most of the guys eventually settle in and force themselves to have a good time, there's no reason why they should have to be subjected to it. A regular talent show such as the ones in Gerry Turner's Golden Bachelor season and Joey Graziadei's Bachelor season would be more effective to help the lead get to know her contestants, and it wouldn't degrade the men in the process.
The Bachelorette Season 21 Producers Made A Joke About Past Concerns
Their Disclaimer Dismissed The Backlash
The Bachelorette producers are well-aware of the fans' dislike of the stripping dates, but they definitely don't care. In fact, they made a joke about past concerns by including a sarcastic disclaimer before The Bachelorette season 21 episode 2 and on the Bachelorette Instagram page. It read, "Tonight's episode of The Bachelorette contains images of a graphic nature, including scantily clad men thrusting and gyrating. If you have a weak heart, or raging libido, viewer discretion is advised."
This disclaimer reads like a bully trying to invalidate people's feelings. It implies that those who don't like the Bachelorette strip dates must be uptight, and those who do like them must be overly sexual. While it's meant to be a joke, a deeper look at it proves that the Bachelorette producers don't care that viewers want them to stop these types of dates. They'd rather upset the fans and humiliate the men.
Some Bachelorette Contestants Aren't Comfortable Stripping
The Bachelorette Season 21's Sam Nejad Didn't Take His Clothes Off
During The Bachelorette season 21 strip tease revue, Jenn's contestants got very into their routines. Their dance moves were very explicit, and they stripped down to their underwear, leaving little to the imagination. Sam Nejad, who's nicknamed the Love Virgin because he's never been in love, was extremely uncomfortable during rehearsals. He injured his hand when trying to perform a dance move, and felt humiliated. However, because most of the other men were getting so into their routines, Sam felt pressured and was forced to do something outside of his comfort zone to avoid looking uptight or prudish.
Sam explained that he didn't understand how stripping had anything to do with finding love, and he was right. When it came time for Sam to perform his strip tease, he instead opted to stay in his robe, saying that he wasn't baring his body, but instead baring his soul, to Jenn. Sam ended up telling Jenn that he was falling in love with her in front of the audience and his fellow contestants.
Sam later got into a confrontation with some of the other Bachelorette men because they thought that it was way too early for Sam to be telling Jenn such a thing. Jenn was also taken aback by it, but she didn't seem to mind too much. Sam was so flustered by what he was being asked to do, that he said something that he might live to regret. This unnecessary stress should never have happened.
Some Bachelorette Contestants Have Body Image Issues
The Bachelorette Season 21's Devin Strader Opened Up About His Weight
Another Bachelorette season 21 contestant, Devin Strader, felt uncomfortable during the strip tease group date for a different reason: he was overweight as a child. He's not as in shape as the other men, but he embraced the challenge in true Devin fashion. Devin wore a thong and made up a funny dance, which made Jenn laugh.
At the cocktail party after the revue, Devin opened up to Jenn about his insecurities about his body. She was so impressed by his vulnerability and also how he persevered through his discomfort to complete the challenge. Jenn ended up giving Devin the group date rose, but Devin should never have had to face his body image issues on national television before he was ready.
Some Bachelorette Contestants Are Fathers
The Bachelorette Season 16's Yosef Aborady Made A Now-Infamous Speech
One of the most infamous reactions to a Bachelorette strip date was that of Yosef Aborady in Clare Crawley's Bachelorette season. Yosef, who's a father, expressed that he was appalled by Clare's naked dodgeball group date. He called it humiliating and degrading, and he didn't understand how that translated to Clare finding a husband. He stated that it seemed very silly and immature, and he considered it a red flag.
Yosef wasn't on the date, but he said that if he had been, he wouldn't have done it because of how his daughter and his family would react to it. Clare told him that was why he wasn't on the date. Yosef then took his comments way too far by calling Clare classless and saying that he expected a lot more from the oldest Bachelorette ever (Clare was 39 at the time). He told her that she wasn't setting the right example for his daughter.
Yosef was extremely disrespectful to Clare, and his insults towards her were wrong. However, he was right that the producers shouldn't have included such a degrading group date in the season. Yosef has now become the butt of the joke every time there's stripping on the Bachelorette, but he wasn't wrong about how the dates are degrading to the men. However, he should've directed his disgust and anger at the producers, not Clare. They even made a joke of Yosef's concerns in their Bachelorette season 21 Instagram disclaimer post comments section, writing, "and yes this is for Yosef’s daughter."
The Bachelorette Stripping Causes Drama
The Bachelorette Season 15's Luke Parker Wasn't Happy With Hannah Brown's Naked Bungee Jumping
During The Bachelorette season 15, Hannah Brown went naked bungee jumping with Garrett Powell, although Hannah later clarified that they weren't fully naked. Contestant Luke Parker was very offended by this date, stating that it was a slap in the face to him because her body was her temple and shouldn't be exposed to anyone but her husband.
Luke had issues with Hannah being intimate with other men throughout the season, but this naked bungee jump date was an example of how much drama these types of dates can cause. Luke told Hannah that he felt as though she cheated on him by being naked with another guy. The Bachelorette producers had to have known that at least one of the men would react this way. Of course, Hannah could've refused to participate in the date, but it was her choice. However, the ensuing drama was the fault of the producers who came up with the idea for the date in the first place.
There's A Double Standard In The Franchise When It Comes To Stripping
The Bachelor Women Wouldn't Be Expected To Do It
One of the most infuriating things about the Bachelorette strip dates is the double standard that they expose. Women on The Bachelor would never be expected to perform a strip tease because it would clearly be degrading and humiliating to them. It's very frustrating that the producers don't understand that the same thing is true for the Bachelorette men.
One thing is certain: most viewers are tired of watching these demeaning Bachelorette dates that have nothing to do with the lead falling in love. All they do is make fools of the men, especially those who strip down and push themselves out of their comfort zones, only to be eliminated at the very next rose ceremony. The Bachelorette producers must do a better job of coming up with dates that can help the lead find love and prove that the producers care about the contestants and their dignity. Otherwise, they'll be stripped of their viewers.
