After his infamous night in the windmill, “Bachelor” fans were left swooning over pilot Peter Weber. Peter debuted on the “Bachelor” franchise during Hannah Brown’s season of “The Bachelorette.” His stunning looks and kind heart made him a front runner and fan favorite. But opinions of him were quickly tainted when Peter’s own season of “The Bachelor” aired.
Fans, affectionately known as Bachelor Nation, began to realize Peter was just a little awkward and not very great with women at all. His season made viewers cringe and turn off their TVs out of discomfort. Many dubbed Peter’s season to be the worst of all time.
“The Bachelor” aired its very first season in 2002. It has since produced 30 seasons of “The Bachelor,” 16 seasons of “The Bachelorette” along with many other spin-off series of the show, including “Bachelor in Paradise” and “The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart.” With so many seasons to pick from, claiming the title of worst ever is hard work.
But it seems that current bachelorette, Clare Crawley, might be giving Peter a run for his money. Bachelor Nation has been very vocal on social media about their disdain toward Clare. Many fans feel as though she is too dramatic, petty and humorless to be starring on the show.
If the season is to continue in the same direction, Clare may replace Peter as the most hated in Bachelor Nation. Host Cris Harrison said it best himself to Clare, “The path we’re on right now, it doesn’t end well, for anybody.”
Backlash toward the bachelorette appeared before the season even aired. Clare, at 39 years old, is the oldest woman to ever star on “The Bachelorette.” This is her fifth appearance on the franchise.
She originally debuted as runner-up in Juan Pablo Galavis Guinand’s season of “The Bachelor,” she appeared on the first and second season of “Bachelor in Paradise” and then made a final appearance on “The Bachelor: Winter Games.” Clare left each season loveless and more confused than her last appearance.
Much of Bachelor Nation feels as though Clare is too old and far-removed to be relevant as the bachelorette. Maybe her four failed attempts at finding love on the show should have served as a sign to producers that reality TV love is just not her thing.
She made it clear from night one that contestant Dale Moss was her first choice. After their first interaction, Clare turned to the camera and said, “I definitely feel like I just found my husband.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgiOi76bBOM
Clare has made no attempt to hide her favoritism. She is constantly flocking toward Dale and neglecting time with other contestants to spend it with him. The others have taken notice and made Dale a target.
But the other contestants are not the only ones fed up with her partiality. Bachelor Nation is tired of watching the two lay goo-goo eyed next to each other. It seems as though Clare made up her mind before she even began. She doesn’t give the other men the time of day let alone a chance to impress her.
Critiques have been made about the bachelorette’s serious demeanor. Clare is all work, no play; she does not seem to know how to take a joke.
Bachelor Nation was drained after watching Clare’s very first one-on-one date with contestant Jason Foster. Watching it felt more like sitting in on a therapy session than it did viewing a romantic date. Clare prodded at Jason, forcing him to open up and get deep to an uncomfortable extent. She skipped far past any get-to-know-you first date questions and dove directly into Jason’s emotional trauma. Clare may not know Jason’s favorite color, but she sure does know a lot about his parents’ marriage troubles.
Balance is key, and Bachelor Nation may have been able to put up with Clare’s therapist complex if she was able to crack a joke every once in a while. But events that were intended to be lighthearted take on a too serious manner when Clare is the one in charge.
During a group date, all of the contestants were prompted to create a stand-up comedy routine roasting other men in the house. Naturally, all of the jokes gravitated toward Dale, an obvious front runner and easy target.
Dale found the jokes amusing. He kept a bright smile and laughed through each set. He later told producers that he had fun at the group date and appreciated the other contestants’ jokes.
Clare, however, did not take the jokes so lightly. She felt as though the other men were too malicious and unfairly hostile toward Dale. She could not seem to let the roasts go. Later, at the post-date cocktail party, Clare prodded at each man in her individual conversations to try to get them to speak about Dale. As a final measure, Clare refused to give out a group date rose, as is custom on the show. Clare did not find the jokes funny, and Bachelor Nation did not find Clare’s offense good-natured.
Rumors have begun to circulate around the season’s ending. Each episode makes it more and more clear that Dale will be Clare’s pick. Clare is ready to take Dale and leave the show, and this ending can’t come soon enough for Bachelor Nation.
However, recent previews have hinted that a new bachelorette may be arriving soon. A glimpse of Tayshia Adams walking out of a pool gave Bachelor Nation hope that Clare’s time on the show may be coming to an unprecedented early close.
Peter and Clare’s seasons airing back-to-back have made it hard for Bachelor Nation to keep their eyes open. Maybe Tayshia will be the likable and entertaining savior for the franchise. Another episode of Clare’s unnecessary tears and rage might just leave viewers turning off their televisions for good.
