Cancel culture finds ‘The Bachelor’
Up, down. Day, night. Right, left. Two statements from “The Bachelor” executive producer and host Chris Harrison regarding the “racism” controversy engulfing the show.
For the un-initiated, all are opposites.
Let’s set the stage about the firestorm surrounding the reality TV show where women vie for the love of, and possible marriage to, a bachelor.
Rachael Kirkconnell, a 24-year old contestant, has been mercilessly body-slammed by the small but vocal “woke” P.C. crowd for her “racist” past. The “heinous” behavior? She attended a fraternity party several years ago with an antebellum theme. Oh the horror! Don’t hold your breath waiting for real racism, because from what has been reported, there is none.
The pictures of Ms. Kirkconnell at the party had nothing to do with slavery or racism; they were merely of her and scores of women in dresses posing against a backdrop of Old South trees, a la “Gone With The Wind.” But when the cry of racism is made, the floodgates open with accusations and guilt-by-associations ranging from ludicrous to obscene. It began with unfounded allegations that Ms. Kirkconnell bullied others while in high school, and apparently “liked” a picture of friends on social media where a confederate flag was showing. But the cancel culture was just getting started.
Now we are told that her bigotry knows no bounds, since she A) lives in one of “the most racist counties in the country;” B) her parents’ have alleged proTrump political leanings; C) has supported the police; D) attended Halloween parties in offensive “culturally appropriated” costumes (which encompasses damn near everything); and E) hasn’t been the leading public figure to condemn every single act that the left thinks is rooted in racism.
Which brings us to Mr. Harrison. At first, he articulated a spirited defense of freedom and fairness, and chastised the mob mentality: “We all need to have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion … It’s unbelievably alarming to watch this … The woke police (are) out there … And this poor girl Rachael has just been thrown to the lions. I’m not defending [Kirkconnell]. I just know 50 million people [attended parties like] that in 2018.”
Unfortunately, after pressure from the mob, Harrison did a 180-degree turn:
“I am here to extend a sincere apology. I took a stance on topics about which I should have been better informed …What I now realize I have done is cause harm by wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism, and for that I am so deeply sorry … By excusing historical racism, I defended it. I invoked the term ‘woke police,’ which is unacceptable. I am ashamed over how uninformed I was. I was so wrong.”
When will people learn that groveling gets you the worst of all worlds? The mob’s appetite is never satiated, so no amount of apologizing is ever enough. So despite several apologies, and “stepping away” from the show for an indefinite period, Chris Harrison continues to be excoriated by those who don’t just demand he be fired, but that his life and reputation be permanently ruined.
The mob is so busy calling Ms. Kirkconnell a racist that they haven’t seen the blatant inconsistency right in front of them: The bachelor is Black. It therefore stands to reason that she wouldn’t be competing so fiercely to win his heart if she was bigoted toward that race.
Make no mistake. It is critically important to have discussions about race. If people are genuinely concerned about antebellum theme parties and what they could represent, then by all means we should talk about it. Communication is how we evolve. Yes, we have become oversensitized, where people get offended at the drop of a hat. But that said, having objective, rational discussions about such issues -- where one side doesn’t immediately crucify those who disagree -- is the best way to understand each other and move forward.
The most critical aspect of whether an issue or person is racist is intent. Was there any intent of racism at the Old South party? Given what’s been reported -- no. But that’s hardly surprising. It’s why sports teams and schools should not be changing Native American names -- there is no racist intent, and virtually no one is offended, especially Native Americans, who overwhelmingly approve of such tributes.
We have been blessed with the ability to build upon the good, and eschew the bad. If the cancel culture is incapable or unwilling to separate the two, they can be miserable by themselves.
If Americans don’t stand up to such nonsense, we’re going to be saddled with a marriage that kills freedom and destroys people. And once you hit that milestone, there’s no going back to being a … bachelor.