“Matt has been on our radar since February, when producers first approached him to join the Bachelor Nation, as part of Clare’s season,” ABC Entertainment President Karey Burke said in a statement. “When filming couldn’t move according to plan, we got time to meet Matt and we all agreed that he would become the perfect bachelor.”
“We know we have a responsibility to make the love stories we see on screen representative of the world we live in and proudly serve our audience,” Burke added.
The petition states that “ABC and Warner Bros. produce 18 bachelors of content. During that time, they have inserted 40 seasonal clues, but only one advantage of Black. That is unacceptable.”
“As creators of one of the most popular and influential franchises on television, ABC and Warner Bros. have the opportunity and responsibility to show the relationships of blacks, natives, people of color (” BIPOC “), families and stories,” the petition reads, “The franchise and all those who The representations should reflect and honor the racial diversity of our country – both in front of and behind the camera. “
Lindsay has again called for a call to support a diversity campaign launched earlier this week by franchise writer and superfan Brett S. Vergara.
Nick Viall, titled “Bachelor,” season 21, withdrew the campaign and encouraged others to do the same.
The debate over the lack of inclusion in the franchise is not new.
Despite the addition of more color contestants – and the casting of Juan Pablo Galavis, who is Latino, in the role of the “Bachelor” season in season 18, many viewers continued to criticize the racial differences in the franchise.
“We’re 45 presidents. And there was one black president in 45 presidents,” Lindsday said. “You’re almost at the level of saying you’re more likely to become president of the United States than you’re a black person in this franchise. That’s crazy. That’s ridiculous.”
Burke said the network is dedicated to diversity.
“This is just the beginning, and we will continue to act on the diversity issues in this franchise,” she said. “We feel so privileged to have Matt as our first black bachelor and can’t wait to embark on this journey with him.”
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