WARNING! THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS POSSIBLE SPOILERS ABOUT THE GOLDEN BACHELOR SEASON 2!Fans ofThe Golden Bachelorwere outraged when a leaked photograph proved that the producers don’t care about their opinions at all.The Golden Bachelorseason 2 announcedMel Owens, a 66-year-old NFL player-turned-lawyer and divorced dad of two teenage sons, as its lead, but controversial ageist comments that he made on theIn the Trenchespodcast turned fans against him.
Mel revealed that, before he was cast as theGolden Bachelorseason 2lead,he told the producers that he’d only date women aged 45 to 60, and he’d cut anyone over the age of 60. He also stated that he didn’t want anyone with artificial hips or wigs in his cast.
Fans ofThe Golden Bachelorwere outraged when a leaked photograph proved that the producers don’t care about their opinions at all.
Fans immediately called for Mel’s firing, andReality Steveeven reported that it was possible that he’d be replaced as the lead. However, a new leaked photograph from theGolden Bachelorshared byBachelor Nation Scoopvia Instagram proves thatMel is still the star of the show and has begun filming his season.
The post included a photograph of Mel and an unidentified woman walking with their arms around each otherin front of Queen’s Landing Ticketing & Retail in Long Beach, California, while being filmed. The picture included a caption from a fan that said,“insider scoop but they’re filming the golden bachelor date tonight at the queen mary in long beach!”
Bachelor Nation Scoop’scaption read,“The Golden Bachelor filming yesterday in Long Beach, sent to me by a follower. Yes, the Golden Bachelor is still Mel Owens who said he only wants to date women aged 45-60.”
In the comments section of the post,fans expressed their fierce outrage about theGolden Bachelorproducers moving ahead with Mel despite their protests, with many of them vowing to boycott the show. One fan wrote,“Yeah not watching sorry. They should have replaced him.“Another said,“Ew they didn’t listen to us. Too bad no one will be watching.”
Someone else stated that it wasn’t too late to replace Mel as the Golden Bachelor, writing,“ABC really dropped the ball with this. @goldenbachabc fans would have been thrilled if they cut him. Do it now!!!“Another said,“i do like when they switch things up and add in unknowns but knowing how unpopular he is with his comments, idk why they would keep him.”
Another fan added that Mel would most likely be basing his decisions solely on the women’s physical appearances, writing,“Agreed. He’s going to base things off of looks. I know exactly who this lady is he’s walking with.. I looked at the cast photos and immediately thought, he’s going to pick her because she looks like she’s 40 or younger.“Someone else wrote,“I’m repulsed by him.”
Other fans lamented the fact that Mel’s comments completely contradict theGolden Bachelorpremise. One wrote,“He is 66 and looks 66 so I am sorry dude a 45-year-old is out of your league. Since when is being in your 40s or 50s golden? Many are still raising kids.“Someone else said,“What a waste of a season.”
Other viewers' hearts went out to Mel’sGolden Bachelorcontestants. One person wrote,“Good luck to these lovely ladies … they’ll need it.“Another added,“Not thrilled about this golden bachelor…these women deserve better than him.”
What Golden Bachelor Producers Ignoring Fans' Demands For Mel Owens' Firing Means
The Golden Bachelor Season 2 Will Probably Fail
The Golden Bachelorseason 2 has been set up to failbefore it even begins becauseMel’s comments were so offensive and went against the spirit of the show. The series was meant to lift up seniors and show that they can find love no matter how old they are.
Mel’s remarks reinforced every negative stereotype about older women, so it’s going to be very hard to believe that he’s interested in any of the women in his cast who are over 60. It’ll also be interesting to see how the contestants react to his comments.
The fact that the producers ignored fans' demands to fire Mel means that they really don’t care about them. However, they should because they’re what keeps the series on the air. Low ratings could mean possible cancellation forThe Golden Bachelor, but, if the show was willing to cast a lead who doesn’t want to follow the premise of the show, then maybe it should end.
Our Take On Mel Owens Being The Golden Bachelor
The Producers Made A Big Mistake
There’s no way that Mel can make things right withGolden Bachelorfansbecause he made himself clear with his ageist comments. He doesn’t want to date women who are over 60, which is fine for his real life, butmakes no sense forThe Golden Bachelor.
Even thoughThe Golden Bachelorseason 1 couple Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist’s marriage ended in divorce, their story was an inspiration.It was beautiful to watch two people in their 70s open their hearts to new love after losing their spouses. Knowing that Mel only wants to date younger women puts a damper onThe Golden Bachelorseason 2. The producers should’ve listened to its fans and replaced him, but now it’s too late.
The Golden Bachelorpremieres on Wednesday, September 24 at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.
