I wouldn’t say I’m a religiously devoted fan of The Bachelor, but I do sometimes enjoy the hour of entertaining amusement it provides. It’s like Survivor, but with immaculate hair and makeup. ABC’s 21st season of the show premiered on Monday, but I just got around to watching it last night. Nick Viall, who has had no luck on two different seasons of The Bachelorette and one season of Bachelor in Paradise, finally finds himself in the spotlight as the bachelor himself.
He hit it off right away with contestant Rachel Lindsay, a civil defense litigation attorney from Dallas, and gave her the coveted first impression rose on the first episode. This is great for two reasons. She’s smart, accomplished, and reps Dallas well. But she’s also the first black contestant on either The Bachelor or The Bachelorette to receive a first impression rose. And on this particular season of The Bachelor, 10 of the 30 total contestants are not white, which is a higher number than in seasons past. It may be too soon to tell, but this feels like progress.
You go, Rachel!
