Love to See It with Emma and Claire

This season has been such a wild ride that we almost forgot about all the drama just waiting for the Men Tell All! All of the Jenn-tleman are back and ready to hash out the season. We get more from Brett, Sam M. tries to defend himself, and a conversation with next season’s Bachelor, Grant! Plus, the conclusion to last episode’s cliffhanger. Joining this week is co-host of Bachelor in Retrospect, Carrie Rosen!

It’s fantasy suites week! But in the last dates before proposal week, two of Jenn’s final guys have done a full role reversal and made themselves the deciders in their relationship. Emma is taking a break, so Claire is joined by former Bachelor contestant and host of the mental health podcast “A Little Help For Our Friends” Jacqueline Trumbull!

Is it just us, or do hometowns need some shaking up? This week, Jenn visits the families of her final four and they play all the hits. Some men profess their love, others have trouble with cautious family members. The whole thing has us wondering if there is something new that can be done with the hometowns format…

After all this time, we finally get to learn what the main thing is. Spoiler Alert: It’s not Jenn. Everyone is back in the states in Seattle for some good ol’ fashioned sponsored dates! Plus, Sam finally puts his foot in his mouth so badly that it might jeopardize his relationship with Jenn. We’re joined this week by Julie & Kelly, hosts of the podcast Here To Find Love!

This episode picks up right where we left off with an answer to the burning question: Does Jenn let her ex-boyfriend join the show? Then, we head off for the country where we learn that herding sheep is a lot harder than it looks– especially if you never open the gate!

Jenn Tran is here on the pod! With everything that’s gone down this season– and last episode’s cliffhanger– there is lots to dive into with the Bachelorette herself! We’ll discuss the real story behind the new contestant, how she felt about all the drama with the men, and what it’s like to watch back your own personal growth on national TV. Plus, we touch on some of the news & gossip of this season, including a primer on newcomer, Matt!

1:30 - News & Gossip

19:00 - Jenn Tran Interview

It’s week four of Jenn’s season, and Jenn is taking her bachelors to Auckland, New Zealand to find out who will make her feel seen, heard, worthy, safe, and appreciated— and who is Sam M. Plus, we finally meet the mysterious person from Jenn’s past!

Buckle up! Jenn and her men are extending their stay in Melbourne where they learn to put the Thunder in Down Under! While some men are having fun, others seem hellbent on stirring up drama. But no matter how hard they try, we just can’t seem to hate Devin! This week, Emma is joined by the host of Pop Mystery Pod, Tess Barker!

The news and gossip is flowing! It’s been a while since we’ve checked in on all our reality faves and they’ve been busy! With Claire still out sick, Lizzy Pace from Game of Roses is helping us break down the gossip. After that, Emma sits down with Brittan Byrd from Netflix’s Perfect Match to discuss all the drama, misogyny, and unaired storylines from the latest season.

In this episode we cover…

• Rumors around Sam M. from Jenn’s season
• Charity Lawson’s interview on 2 Black Girls 1 Rose
• Jessica Vestal on The Viall Files
• Clayton Echard’s court case
• Brittan’s experience on Perfect Match
• Bachelor Nation hard launches, babies, and more!

Christine Obanor’s Perfect Match S2 Breakdown

A little bit of ice cream will take you far! It’s episode 2 of Jenn’s journey and they are starting international travel early with a visit to Melbourne! While everyone else is enjoying the spiders, snakes, and Vegemite, Devin is focused on getting extra time with Jenn via ice cream. However, not everyone likes his approach which leads to a callback for all us Bachelor nerds! Claire is out sick this week so Emma is joined by friend of the pod, Liviya Kraemer!

The Bachelorette is back and the Jenn-ergy is palpable! The men are arriving at the new mansion with all kinds of limo exits from balloon harnesses, fancy cars, face bandages, and plenty of shots. Jenn’s looking for a fiery, ruthless, reckless love. Are any of these men up to the task?

It’s time to gear up for Jenn’s season of The Bachelorette with a deep dive into her men! The boy bosses are coming in force this season with plenty of finance bros and entrepreneurs. Let’s hope Jenn is looking for a guy in finance!

Some films age well, others age poorly. This one ages… confusingly? Today we’re breaking down She’s The Man which somehow feels both ahead of its time and wildly outdated. But that just means there’s a lot to unpack! Joining us today is actor and friend of the pod Erin Darke!

Nothing quite says Perfect Match like five reality TV couples trying to convince us that they’re in love… right before breaking up a few weeks later. While this cast might not be the best at finding love, they are really great at stirring up drama! This finale kept things exciting all the way to the end, when Netflix came prepared with receipts. Justice for Melinda!

Only days left to find the perfect match! We’re down to women yelling at each other… about the fact that they’re yelling at each other… over mediocre men.

When you’re titling your outfit things like the Keep Her Man 3000, you know it’s getting serious! The ladies are really putting in the work to keep their matches and the men are… actively sabotaging those same matches? Look, it’s messy and dramatic, but that’s why we love it.

Perfect Match is back! The cross-franchise show brings together Netflix’s reality stars to remind us just how awful these men are. Will anyone find their perfect match? Maybe! But either way, we’re here for the ride!

Surprise! The final three episodes of Lovers & Liars dropped last week which means we have a super-sized episode recapping the end of the season, including the unexpectedly heartfelt finale. Plus, we’ll check in on the latest news & gossip from Bachelor Nation.

Lovers & Liars is bringing answers! Who’s an F-girl? Who’s looking for love? The pieces are coming together as we get our first couple of reveals, all guided by reality TV’s best faux therapist, Nikki Glaser. Plus, we’ll take a look at Jenn’s first Bachelorette teaser and check in on Ryan Sutter’s cryptic Instagram posts.

• 1:59 - News & Gossip
• 26:20 – Lovers & Liars
• 1:06:23 - Final Rose

Throw on Sarah McLachlan! It’s time to dive into the central couple of the hit TV series Felicity. Felicity Porter moves to New York to follow her crush, Ben Covington. Over the next four seasons, the two get together, break up, get back together, and become involved in numerous love triangles, all while learning about making choices in life. Oh, and did we mention there’s time travel? Helping us navigate the twist and turns is the host of Dear Felicity, Juliet Litman!

After months of speculation, we finally have our first Golden Bachelorette, Joan! But that’s not the only news & gossip. We have updates on Maria, Daisy, and the Farmer Wants a Wife Season 2 reunion. Then, we’ll cap it all off with Lovers & Liars where it’s always the guys getting dunked.

• 2:32 - News & Gossip
• 29:34 - Farmer Wants a Wife Reunion
• 45:29 - Lovers & Liars
• 1:29:40 - Final Rose

Who knew fields and relationships had so much overlap? Not only was the Farmer Wants a Wife finale last week, but an absurd rumor is flying around that Gerry and Theresa split due to conflicting thoughts on corn fields. Big week for farm land! Plus, Lovers and Liars tries to find some F-girls by exploring their social media.

2:25 - News & Gossip

30:37 - Lovers & Liars

1:03:12 - Farmer Wants a Wife

1:44:53  - Final Rose

If Anne Hathaway is involved, we’re on board! Today, we’re looking at a recent rom-com that we just can’t get enough of. The Idea of You stars Anne Hathaway as a 40-year-old L.A. mom in a steamy love affair with a 24-year-old boy band front man. Of course, things can get really complicated with age gaps, fame, and the responsibilities of parenthood. We’ll also discuss the original book and some of the key differences between the two – including the ending. To help us along the way is author Alison Rose Greenberg! 

Reality dating shows are full of drama– that’s part of the reason we love them! But while it can be entertaining to watch, living through it is a totally different experience. Today, Madina Alam joins us to talk all about her time on Joey’s season of The Bachelor, including being stuck in the middle of the Maria-Sydney drama. We’ll also touch on the latest news & gossip and wrap up with the latest episode of Lovers & Liars!

1:45 - News & Gossip

37:15 - Madina Alam Interview

59:57 - Lovers & Liars

1:22:56  - Final Rose

Nick Viall and Natalie Joy got married this weekend! Emma was in attendance, and she’ll be filling us in on the whole event, from the wide variety of reality stars to the cowboy hats and mechanical bull. Of course, the farm fun doesn’t stop there! We’ll also be checking in on Farmer Wants a Wife and the latest from Lovers & Liars.

1:46 – News & Gossip: Nick & Natalie’s Wedding

23:19  – Lovers & Liars

1:08:31 – Farmer Wants a Wife

1:31:08 – Final Rose

Some of our favorite Bachelor alums are back in the reality game! Going Home with Tyler Cameron features the former contestant and some of his Bachelor friends renovating houses in his hometown of Jupiter, Florida. Then, Patti Stanger: Matchmaker brings Nick Viall to help non-millionaires find love.

1:48 – News & Gossip

17:37 – Going Home with Tyler Cameron

51:54 – Patti Stanger: Matchmaker

1:20:33 – Final Rose

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were such an impactful pair, the celebrity couple portmanteau was invented just to capture their relationship. The story of Bennifer is one straight out of a rom-com. After a high-profile engagement, break up, other marriages, and kids, they found their way back to each other for a classic second chance romance. Most recently, J. Lo’s multimedia projects This Is Me… Now and The Greatest Love Story Never Told shed a new light on the couple’s dynamic. Joining us to discuss all the iterations of Bennifer are co-hosts of Even The Rich, Brooke Siffrinn & Aricia Skidmore-Williams!

5:20 – Timeline Recap

46:40 – Conversation with Brooke Siffrinn & Aricia Skidmore-Williams

1:31:45 – Tropes & Recommendations  

Well, Bachelor Nation’s favorite (and only) Golden couple are calling it quits. This week, we’re discussing Gerry and Theresa’s recent announcement, the premiere of the F-Boy Island spin-off Lovers & Liars, and the reverse Bachelor-trauma dump on last week’s episode of Farmer Wants a Wife.

1:41 - News & Gossip

26:04 - Lovers & Liars first impressions

1:03:46 - Farmer Wants a Wife

1:30:22 - Teaser Time

1:31:24 - Final Rose

While we were busy covering the latest season of The Bachelor, Reality Dating TV has soldiered on to give us two wildly different shows: Couple to Throuple and Farmer Wants A Wife. Join us as we check in on the latest from these two series! Plus, we cover the latest Bachelor News & Gossip, including Joey’s unhinged appearance on 9-1-1.

1:50 - News & Gossip

16:00 - Couple to Throuple

1:09:15 - Farmer Wants a Wife

1:36:15 - Teaser Time

1:39:43 - Final Rose

With Joey’s season wrapped it’s time to take stock of Bachelor Nation! There are new couples, new babies, and a new Bachelor Mansion! In this episode we discuss…

 

• Joey & Kelsey’s post-finale interviews
• Jenn’s upcoming season of The Bachelorette
• ASKN falling out
• Susie & Justin’s relationship launch
• Plus, plenty of other updates from Bachelor alumni!

Well folks, they did it. They stuck the landing! It’s been a while since we’ve had a season of The Bachelor end where we feel good about all parties involved. There was friendship, sisterhood, and, of course, love! And the fun doesn’t stop here because they also revealed our next Bachelorette…

Leslie Fhima reflects on her time on The Golden Bachelor. Plus, she clears up that Kelsey A. kerfuffle and shares her thoughts on The Golden Bachelorette.

Joey may be this season’s lead, but Maria is the main character. This Women Tell All did not disappoint with all the lingering drama this season being hashed out in between the crowd’s applause for Maria. There’s plenty of pettiness, but also some really heartfelt moments. Plus, they’ve got bloopers, and we’ll take a plate full of those like we’re Joey chowing down on macarons!

Have you ever wished you could get some advice from the golden gals? Well, it might be a bit… varied. This week is fantasy suites and each woman gets some advice ahead of their date. But is the advice actually helpful? Or is it a producer ploy to add some fuel to the fire? To help us figure it out is Carrie Rosen and Annemarie Navar-Gill from the podcast Bachelor in Retrospect!

Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake were Y2K royalty sitting on an all-denim throne. Unfortunately, their friends-to-lovers relationship took place at the crossroads of the entertainment machine and purity culture. While women were chastised for their sexuality, men were celebrating theirs, high fiving each other in shock jock DJ booths. While Justin’s career thrived in the public eye, Britney was subject to constant criticism and a long abusive conservatorship. In this episode, we’ll revisit their relationship to explore the double standards of celebrity culture. We’ll also talk to Tess Barker, co-host of Toxic: The Britney Spears Story, about her experience in the #FreeBritney movement.

03:30 – Timeline Recap

53:00 – Discussion with Tess Barker

1:45:00 – Tropes and Pairings

Hometowns are here and, surprisingly, the families brought more support than drama! Of course, that just makes this decision harder for Joey. Maybe we can give everyone a rose? As a treat?

While nobody is cuddling naked in the woods, they do get pretty darn close as production looks for every excuse they can find to get Joey shirtless in the freezing cold of Jasper National Park. Luckily, there always seems to be someone around to keep him warm. Here to help us break down this week’s episode is friend of the pod and senior editor at Glamour, Stephanie McNeal!

There is nothing more romantic than a bowl of bad poutine– except maybe an appearance by Feist. This week, Joey and the ladies travel to Montreal as the pressures of the process continue to build and two women self-eliminate. But hey, at least there’s chocolate-pineapple poutine!

You know you’re a power couple when your very presence bends the entire media landscape. From Album of the Year to a Super Bowl victory, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are titans of their own industries. We’ve all been obsessed watching their love story unfold through football games, shaky fan videos, and magazine spreads, but why is their relationship so gripping? And what does that say about all of us? Joining us is LA Times journalist Amy Kaufman!

Love 101 is a new episode format about iconic relationships that have gripped our attention and defined cultural eras. Get ready for Taylor and Travis 101!

It’s Valentine’s Day and what better way to celebrate than traveling to Spain to be whisked away by Joey on a Vespa! Plus, double the rose ceremony means double the drama. Peep this pod!

What did you think was going to happen? When drama gets this intense between two contestants, you know there’s going to be a two-on-one! But no matter how petty or confusing the drama, Joey always somehow seems to make us swoon…

No matter how hard they try to avoid it, drama always finds its way to Bachelor Mansion. How will Joey and his camp counselor energy handle it? To help us find out is BFF of the pod and host of Shaken and Disturbed, Daryn Carp!

Every wedding needs a cake, but as we all know that is never a good sign on The Bachelor. This week we see some new formats for group dates, including a wedding with 9 brides and a paint splattered capture-the-flag. Joey’s camp counselor energy is staying strong! To join us on this week’s activities is friend of the pod, former Bachelor contestant, and host of A Little Help For Our Friends, Jacqueline Trumbull!

Welcome to Better Tomorrow, a lifestyle podcast hosted by TV Personality Hannah Brown. Join Hannah as she seeks to answer the big questions: “Am I better today than I was yesterday? And how can I learn to be better tomorrow?” Each week, Hannah will build on those questions, discussing topics like confidence, love, and making time for yourself, all through the relatable experiences of the ultimate Everywoman. There will be advice, intimate emotional explorations and reveals, and lasting takeaways. Hannah will push the envelope and guide you through the lens of a progressive, empowered woman of faith, who is still defining and deciding what it all means. Get ready to embark on a transformative journey with Better Tomorrow.

Listen to Better Tomorrow every Wednesday wherever you listen to podcasts.

A cold open, a mysterious envelope, rival sisters, and more than enough tennis limo exits. This premiere has it all! Joey is starting off strong with his camp counselor energy and we are here for it! To help us kick off this journey is former Bachelor contestant and friend of the pod, Jill Chin!

Joey’s cast is ready to find love! They all have a wide variety of hobbies like eating and exercising, but who will be the one eating and exercising with Joey? We’re giving you the rundown on all 32 women so you have everything you need for The Bachelor premiere! 

The gossip is here! While we’ve been busy covering last fall’s flood of Bachelor content, the off-screen drama of Bachelor Nation has been going non-stop! Join us as we cover…

• Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo’s divorce
• Kaitlyn Bristowe & Zac Clark rumors
• Couple-baiting in Bachelor Nation
• BIP Breakups

Plus, relationship milestones from across Bachelor Nation!

Roll out the golden carpet! Last night Gerry and Theresa, our first Golden Couple, had their wedding live broadcasted to the world which means, as Jesse loves to remind us, that anything can happen. A proposal? Boudoir shoot? Not-so-subtle product placements? This wedding truly has it all!

We’re kicking off the New Year right with the movie that taught us all about mini gherkins. Join us as we break down the greatest rom-com of our time– or it’s at least in the top 30 greatest rom-coms of our time. To help us along the way is friend of the pod and actor Molly Bernard!

This week we’re throwing it back to one of our all time favorite Rom-Com Rewatches: You’ve Got Mail! Grab some hot cocoa, sharpen your pencils, and get ready for some cozy rom-com magic. Joining us to break it down is Betches co-founder and Morning Announcements host Sami Sage!

Finding love in NYC is hard enough without leaving everything up to fate! Today we’re rewatching the film that made it seem like finding true love was as easy as a quick trip to the department store. Joining us for hot cocoa at Serendipity is journalist Laura Bassett!

We know that what you need this season is some good ol’ fashioned Christmas cringe. That’s why we’re watching one of the most uncomfortable Christmas movies out there, The Family Stone! Joining is friend of the pod and host of Normal Gossip, Kelsey McKinney!

Paradise is coming to a close and it’s time for the couples to make their choices. If you don’t have three hours to watch the full finale, we can catch you up! Who stays together? Who calls it off? Here to help us find out is former guest host Leigh Blickley!

The dominoes are all falling! In one of the most packed episodes this season we see breakups, self-eliminations, and lots of expectations about finding everlasting love on a beach full of reality show contestants. Here to recap the episode is host of the love and dating podcast Crimes of the Heart, Rory Uphold!

The first season of The Golden Bachelor is over, and we are not well. Gerry has spent the last couple episodes telling everyone how much he loves them and now he needs to make a final decision: Leslie or Theresa? Here to discuss the emotional finale is journalist and author Lisa Belkin!

As if Paradise couldn’t get any crazier, this week Katie Thurston takes to the beach! In addition to some serious conversations with ex-fiance Blake, she’s here to host a roast which goes about as well as you would expect. Here to break it all down with us is journalist, wellness coach, and host of the podcast Hurdle, Emily Abbate!

Fantasy Suites are here and Gerry just keeps digging himself a deeper hole. Who’s going to tell him that someone can’t be the ONE if they’re actually ONE of TWO?

It’s week 7 of Bachelor In Paradise, and it’s finally time for… the third rose ceremony. Time moves differently down in Sayulita!

We’ll be thinking about Faith and Gerry’s tearful embrace for years. Joining us to discuss the stunning conclusion to last week’s episode and the Women Tell All is author and professor Michelle Herman.

The beach keeps getting messier and messier! It seems like everyone has a favorite pot to stir as couples continue to shuffle around, new information keeps coming in, and Charity makes her way to the beach to (hopefully) offer some much needed clarity.

Gerry’s hometowns are filled with love… but maybe a little too much? While we’re happy to see all these wonderful relationships, we all know what’s around the corner. It makes every meeting, kiss, and ‘I Love You’ equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking. We can barely take it! To help us manage the cliffhanger is Editor In Chief of Slate, Hillary Frey!

When a cake shows up on Paradise, you know there is a 90% chance it gets destroyed in the most dramatic way possible. Join us for Kat’s birthday ‘darty’ and a game of Truth-or-Dare that breaks up one of the oldest couples on the beach. To guide us through it all is journalist and co-host of In Retrospect, Susie Banikarim!

We’re pretty sure Gerry has a legal obligation to marry every single one of these women. We can’t bear another rose ceremony! This week, the group gets cut in half as only three women will be moving on to hometowns. Gerry’s got some tough choices to make but no matter what, there will be heartbreak and sisterhood. Navigating it all with us is Editor-In-Chief of Scary Mommy and our longtime colleague at HuffPost, Kate Auletta!

Time to break the box and stir the pot! It seems like just about everyone is shifting around as someone leaves, new men enter, and the truth box is opened. Some people handle it well through thoughtful conversations, while others prefer to air their grievances by recording very, very loud interviews. Strap in!

If you’re talking to Kathy, zip it. If you’re talking to Gerry, open up and head on over to the pickleball courts! This week is all about having fun with your girlfriends, whether you’re dinking during a pickleball game, chowing down on some ice cream, or playing the most important round of Never Have I Ever in all of human history. Joining us today is BFF of the pod and actress, Allison Williams!

We know some of you just can’t wait to talk about Golden Bachelor so we’re trying something a little different. This week, our Golden Bachelor episode will release on Friday and Bachelor in Paradise on Monday! What do you think? Love to see it? Hate to see it? Let us know! Shoot us an email at [email protected]. See you Friday!

The drama has come to Golden Bachelor! As it starts to set in that they’re all dating the same guy, the women find themselves in some classic Bachelor conflicts. But don’t worry, this episode still had all the touching and earnest moments we’ve come to expect from the show! Here to explore it all is author Priscilla Gilman!

After being featured in just about every promo, trailer, and teaser, Sam’s poo baby is finally here– and it’s actually kind of touching! Meanwhile, we see one of the coldest shoulders to ever appear on the beach. To help us break it all down is actor and BFF of the pod, Erin Darke!

It’s time to gear up for our first Golden Bachelor dates, which apparently involves sending Gerry on a busy LA freeway with no headlights. Despite the rough commute, Gerry and the gals seem more ready than ever to try on some fun outfits, throw a birthday BBQ, and explore their next love story will look like.

We’re headed back to the beach where all kinds of pots are being stirred ahead of the first rose ceremony of the season! Love triangles upgrade to love squares and Hannah Brown makes an appearance to help fan the flames.

The wait was worth it! After years of cautious optimism, The Golden Bachelor is here, and we just can’t get enough! From hearing aids to dance parties, the premiere episode was full of touching, fun, and moving moments. We laughed, we cried, and we can’t wait for week two! Joining us to break down the first episode of the new series is Lisa Belkin, creator of the NYTimes Motherlode column, and author of books including “Genealogy of a Murder” and “Show Me A Hero.”

The vibes are good! Bachelor in Paradise is back, and everyone seems ready to take to the beach! We’ve already got a messy love triangle and an ensemble of various pairings, but will they be able to handle the newcomers already coming down to the beach?

These shark-diving, motorcycle-riding, marathon-running ladies are no strangers to adventure, but how are they going to handle being on The Golden Bachelor? With a small social media footprint, these women are already giving us a new twist!

Look, we might not agree with Jules’ approach, but we understand that it can be hard to let go of someone you’ve been pining for. That’s what makes ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ such a fun movie to revisit! You probably aren’t rooting for the same person as when you were a kid. Here to break it all down with is author and host of Terrible, Thanks For Asking, Nora McInerny!

The leaves are turning orange, apples are ripe for the picking, and Hallmark is starting their flood of vaguely seasonal made-for-TV rom-coms. Today, we’re recapping one of the new “Fall Into Love” releases with ‘Fourth Down and Love’, a film about fundraisers and finding love on the fields of middle school flag football.

What Bachelor universe couples would we want to invite to dinner? Do we still like watching Reality TV? How do you keep up with fashion in New York? Today, we’re answering your questions about everything Emma and Leigh!

The Ultimatum is back, but is it better than ever? This week we break down the latest season all the way from early departures to proposals and beyond. Who stays together? Who breaks up? And why does it feel like there is a severe lack of romance?

The Bachelor Nation news won’t stop coming! While we wait for Bachelor in Paradise and The Golden Bachelor, there has been a steady stream of engagements, babies, and relationship updates to keep us busy. To help us navigate it all is co-hosts of Game of Roses, Chad Kultgen and Lizzy Pace!

Charity’s Bachelorette journey is coming to an end, and it's up to her to make the choice. Who’s getting engaged? Who’s going home? And who will be our next Bachelor? To help us through last night’s live Bachelorette finale is Zakiya Gibbons, host of the new dating reality podcast, Hang Up!

Roll the tape! It’s time for the Men Tell All or, as Sean calls it, The Brayden Show. We revisit all the drama from the season, learn about some more drama off screen, and see what Charity has to say to the men she sent away. Plus, special appearances by past leads and Gerry, our first Golden Bachelor. To help us sort through it all is author Esmé Wang!

JoJo and Jordan found love on The Bachelorette and now they’re helping others to do the same as hosts of The Big D! JoJo and Jordan join us to talk all about their new show and what it means to make the change from reality stars to reality hosts. Plus, we discuss their thoughts on Charity’s season and the upcoming Golden Bachelor.

Charity’s fairy tale continues in Fiji where each of her men have something to prove. Is Xavier ready for marriage? Has Joey been his authentic self? Is Dotun too good to be true? And who is the returning mystery man they’ve teased all season? Let’s find out!

These singles think they’re spending theirsummer partying on a yacht with Captain Blower, but really they’re embarking on a journey of self discovery under the guidance of a cone. That’s right, it’s Too Hot To Handle, the show that turns horndog singles into therapized relationship material. Joining us to break down the latest season is host of TV, I Say w/ Ashley Ray, Ashley Ray!

Grab your knitting needles and let’s head to decor-less AirBnBs to meet the family of Charity’s four final men! Are they being their real, true selves? To help us figure it out is producer of Normal Gossip, Alex Laughlin!

Before there was Charity, there was Emily. Last month we put on three live shows where we got together with listeners to revisit one of our favorite Bachelorette seasons so far. We had such a great time that we wanted to share it here with you! Joining us at City Winery in NYC is one of the original Bachelor recappers, host of Bachelor Party, Juliet Litman!

As we fly through this season, Charity and her men travel to yet another American city. Turns out that “The Bachelorette” is so desperate to save money that they won’t even spring for a quick jaunt to Canada or Mexico. Justice for Charity and her men! Joining us to discuss the most unintentionally patriotic season of “The Bachelorette” in franchise history is friend of the pod, Vella Lovell!

We’re in bigfoot country! The men venture out into the woods where some tiny but mighty girl scouts are there to test their love for Charity. Who will go to the kissing Tree and who will be going home? To help us break it all down is comedian, writer and co-host of the Lady To Lady and Toxic podcasts, Tess Barker!

After a year of anticipation, ‘The Big D’ is finally here! You’ve got your standard chaos of reality TV dating shows but this time the contestants are all divorced and dating alongside– or with– their exes. Plus, we have some Bachelor Nation gossip as some Bachelor stars make waves across some unexpected dating shows.

Throw on your pink suit and double denim, it’s time for Charity to find her Ken! This week we’re breaking down everything from Brayden’s troubling actions to one of the strangest one-on-one dates we’ve seen yet. Joining us is co-host of The Black Roses podcast and DEI consultant, Claudia Thompson!

It may be the middle of Summer, but it's spring break for Charity’s men! As we enter Week 2 of Charity’s season, we get a classic ‘Bachelorette’ rivalry. Is it enough to disrupt the BBQ? Plus, we see the unfortunate return of 2012 men’s fashion.

We’re back to break down the latest news and gossip from Bachelor Nation, including the tumultuous Bachelor Happy Hour host change from Becca Kufrin and Michelle Young to Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt. We’ve also got new relationships, breakups, weddings, and a look towards the cast of Bachelor In Paradise!

We’re kicking off Charity’s season of The Bachelorette with some undercover work from brother-of-the-year Nehemiah, complete with a wig and fake mustache! Plus, there’s backflips, tall men, peacocking, and a surprising first impression rose. Here to recap every minute of it is former Bachelor and Bachelor In Paradise contestant, Jill Chin!

With a professional jumper, an underground welder, and a horde of fitness coaches, Charity’s Bachelorette season is already off to a wild start! To help us get to know these 25 men is an old friend of the pod, our one-time HuffPost colleague, writer Leigh Blickley Zullo!

Last week, Netflix dropped the finale and reunion of ‘The Ultimatum: Queer Love’, and ever since we have just been… processing. There was a lot to digest, right down to the final breakup revealed in a post-reunion epilogue card. Here to discuss the shocking conclusion to The Ultimatum: Queer Love is Arielle Duhaime-Ross, host of the new Vice TV show Queer Sports as well as the podcast A Show About Animals.

We’re joined today by Stephanie McNeal, a senior editor at Glamour and the author of the new book “Swipe Up for More! Inside the Unfiltered Lives of Influencers.”

Just like the rest of the reality-TV-watching world, we have been completely obsessed with Netflix’s “The Ultimatum: Queer Love,” an extremely normal show about five couples switching partners for three weeks to decide if they want to get married. Say what you will about ultimatums around marriage: they make for great TV.

Here to join us in breaking down the first 8 episodes of “The Ultimatum” is friend of the pod, Bravo personality, pop culture contributor, and host of “Shaken & Disturbed,” Daryn Carp!

Let’s head out to the Catskills and take it back to our first ever Rom-Com rewatch, the classic ‘Dirty Dancing!’ A perfect blend of sensuality and social justice, this film has truly stood the test of time. Joining us is screenwriter, rom-com aficionado and author of ‘Bad Luck Bridesmaid’ Alison Greenberg!

Continuing with our theme of Teen Rom–Com’s we’re re-releasing what just might be the most iconic Teen Rom-Com of all time, ‘Grease!’ But did you know it all started as a satire? Joining us to break it all down is Emmy Award-winning Last Week Tonight writer, Vulture Bachelor recapper and all-around legend Ali Barthwell!

In this episode we’re rewatching ‘Never Been Kissed,’ a movie with a premise that is far more disturbing in 2023 than it felt when we were in middle school in 1999. Is there a good Rom-Com underneath all the creepiness or have we all just been charmed by Drew Barrymore? To help us figure it out is Lane Moore, comedian and author of ‘You Will Find Your People: How to Make Meaningful Friendships as an Adult.’

In this rendition of Channel Surfing, we’re diving into the new Netflix reality dating show, 'Jewish Matchmaking.’ From its charming host to its diverse group of daters, this show has a lot to explore and to help us through it all is Mattie Kahn, friend of the pod, journalist, and author of the forthcoming book “Young and Restless: The Girls Who Sparked America’s Revolutions.”

For the first time on Love To See It we’re covering a movie from the king of 80’s Rom-Coms, John Hughes. Pretty In Pink was written specifically for Molly Ringwald whose influence goes beyond the script helping to make a classic 80’s Rom-Com. To help us recap the movie is Sarah Edmondson, host of the A Little Bit Culty podcast.

We get a lot of joy– and some depression– from reality TV shows that come from the work of cast members and contestants. We hope the conditions on set match the glamorous scenes we often see on screen, but that’s rarely the case. In this bonus episode, we’re joined by Nick Thompson and Jeremy Hartwell from season 2 of Love Is Blind to discuss their experience on the show and why they founded UCAN, a non-profit organization that advocates for the casts of unscripted shows.

Is this a Noxzema commercial? Nope, it’s Clueless! This week we’re diving into one of the most quotable teen rom-coms ever made filled to the brim with one-liners, iconic outfits, and self-discovery. To help us along the way is host of the We Met At Acme podcast, Lindsey Metselaar!

From crossover couples to extremely depressing labor conditions for reality TV stars, we’re breaking down all the news and gossip with stand-up comedian and power recapper, Dave Neal! In this episode we cover…

 

• New relationships in the reality TV world
• Michelle Young’s 2 Black Girls, 1 Rose appearance
• Chris Harrison’s beef with Mike Fleiss
• Unaired Love Is Blind engagements
• Allegations of poor labor conditions during early Love Is Blind seasons

Who knew there’d be so much English literature in teen Rom-Coms? This week we’re rewatching Easy A, the coming-of-age film plucked from the pages of Nathaniel Hawthorne. We’ll dive into purity culture, sexual capital, and early 2010’s fashion with film critic and co-host of Unspooled, Amy Nicholson.

Order some Thai food, get your feminist prose, and throw on your angry girl music of the indie rock persuasion because this week we’re rewatching the breakout hit 10 Things I Hate About You! From the halls of Padua High to the troubling dynamics of its Shakespearian source material, we’ll break it all down with our guest Kate Kennedy, host of the Be There In Five podcast.

In this special Channel Surfing bonus episode, we are diving into the agriculture-core dating show 'Farmer Wants a Wife,” a Fox reality program about love… farm-style. How does this show work and where does it fit in the reality TV dating landscape? Let’s take this country road and find out!

Rom-Com Rewatches are back! We’re kicking things off with the classic Love & Basketball, the tale of two childhood friends who both love basketball and ultimately, each other. To help us break down this iconic film are Milly Tamarez and Amanda Duberman, co-hosts of the Betches Sup podcast. 

The season may be over, but the news and gossip never stop! To help us dissect it all is Ashley Tabron, also known as @AshTalksBach. In this episode we cover…

• Mike Fleiss’s departure
• Zach Shallcross and Kaity Biggar’s media rounds
• Ariel Frenkel and Gabi Elnicki’s various podcast interviews
• Plus, a smattering of updates from Bachelor Nation

As we wrap up this season of ‘The Bachelor’, the show clearly hoped to hit the reset button so hard it sent us all the way back to 2013… and it sort of worked. We have our first proposal since Peter Weber, yet the human wreckage was just about as brutal as ever. Plus, we have some iconic finale night interviews as Gabi Elnicki and Ariel Frenkel not only criticize Zach, but ‘The Bachelor’ as a whole.

This week we’re joined by former Bachelor Clayton Echard to talk about his new book '180 Degrees: On Mental Health, Mindfulness, and Unlocking Self-Belief'. We discuss everything from navigating fantasy suites to maintaining your mental health after the show. Plus, we get to hear more about Clayton’s post-Bachelor life and just where Clayton stands with his exes Susie Evans and Rachel Recchia.

Thanks a lot, Sean Lowe! This week, Zachary Shacklecross heads to Thailand for fantasy suites, announces many times that he will not have sex during his overnight dates, promptly has sex during an overnight date, and then tells… everyone about it. To help us digest it all is Bachelor legend and cohost of the A Little Help for Our Friends podcast, Jacqueline Trumbull!

Zach’s season is almost over, and, as is tradition, the most important and Paradise-hungry women from this season have gathered together to hash out all the drama. Plus, bloopers, behind the scenes moments, and the announcement of next season’s Bachelorette!

Zach has fallen in love across Europe and the Bahamas, and now the Bachelor is headed back stateside for the all-important hometowns. He’ll be sampling local delicacies, from maple syrup to cow tongue, and trying to convince four moderately protective families that it’s fine that he’s still dating three other women.

The iconic Hannah Brown joins us this week to reflect on her time as a reality TV star. We cover everything from her mysterious nomination for ‘The Bachelor’ to her most recent appearance on ‘Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test’ and everything else in between, including the aftermath of one of the most memorable seasons of ‘The Bachelorette’ so far.

Zach knows everyone’s favorite colors and that means it’s time to dive into deeper topics, like how many bathhouse dates can you fit into one episode. This week The Bachelor is in Budapest and here to break it all down with us is Hannah Orenstein, author and Deputy Lifestyle Editor at Bustle.

We’re back one more time to cover the final batch of episodes of the Netflix reality dating crossover, Perfect Match. We’ll find out who makes it to the end, who goes home alone, and which couple is dubbed the perfect match!

This week we’re making up for lost time after The Bachelor had a super-tiny, no-big-deal Covid outbreak. After some time apart, the women are ready for their dates with Zach complete with nudism, witchcraft, and traditional Baltic sports.

We’re back for another round of Perfect Match! This week we get our first queer pairing, the collapse of seemingly strong relationships, and opinions on whether it’s cute or cringe to share a toothbrush. Meanwhile, we’re just hoping for a man good enough for our fave, Ines…

It’s time for every contestant to show off their British accent as we travel to London for a shopping spree date, Zachless pub crawl, and our first ever virtual rose ceremony. To help us spill the tea is Kelsey McKinney, co-founder of Defector Media and host of Normal Gossip!

This week we’re getting into Netflix’s all-star reality dating crossover show, Perfect Match! What happens when contestants from shows like Too Hot To Handle, Love Is Blind, and The Circle all try to date each other? We’re not sure, but we’re about to find out!

We’re visited by THE Bachelor Zach Shallcross who stopped by to give us a candid look at the season so far. We’ll get into navigating fan responses, handling drama, his fantasy suite with Rachel Recchia, and whether or not he found love this season!

This week we’re going international as we follow one self-identified Bahama papa lookin’ for his Bahama mama. Joining us is our good friend Vella Lovell from ABC’s upcoming sitcom, Animal Control!

Content Warning: This episode covers a discussion about domestic violence. Warning is given in the episode prior to the discussion.

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1.800.799.3224

Nothing says romance like a concussion. It’s time for Bachelor Bowl V, a night at the museum, and a couple of early departures. Joining us for the first time is Jackie Maroney and Stephanie Parker, co-hosts of the She’s All Bach Podcast!

The Bachelor reminds us to separate the men from the boys. And Zach Shallcross… is a MAN. Or so we are told, repeatedly. Joining us to recap this week is longtime friend of the pod and star of the instantly iconic horror movie “M3GAN,” the great Allison Williams!

We are back for another Bachelor news and gossip episode! We have quite a lot to dig into:

• Bachelor contestant Greer Blitzer’s apology for defending blackface
• The new Bachelor, Zach Shallcross, and his interview on the Almost Famous podcast
• More reactions to former host Chris Harrison’s podcast
• BIP alum Tia Booth is shamed for accepting help with new baby
• BIP alum Natasha Parker decides to leave Clickbait
• Former Bachelor Nick Viall gets engaged to Natalie Joy

The Bachelor is back with leading man Zach Shallcross, the human form of that Reductress headline, ‘Is He Cute, or Is He Just Tall and White?’ In other words, exactly what the Bachelor producers most love in a man. Joining us to discuss the premiere is Daryn Carp, Bravo personality and host of Shaken & Disturbed.

On this special bonus episode, we’re diving into the all-singles season of ‘The Circle,’ Netflix’s social competition show. We don’t usually cover ‘The Circle,’ but this season they introduced a new twist: All players would have to come in as singles. This little injection of romantic energy made it feel Love To See It appropriate. So let’s discuss!

The journey to find Zach Shallcross a mate can’t begin until we get to know the women he’ll date this season. So, let’s dig into the cast bios and learn about each contestant!

A new year means new Bachelor gossip! This week, we’re diving into a wave of relationship updates, Chris Harrison’s new podcast, and a look forward to Zach’s upcoming season of The Bachelor.

We’ll be chatting about:

• Relationship updates from Serene and Brandon, Teddi Wright, Katie Thurston, and more
• Luke Parker’s recently announced engagement
• The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever hosted by Chris Harrison and his exit as well as his conduct with Rachel Lindsay
• First impressions on Zach’s promos for the new season of The Bachelor

Join us next week as we meet the women of Zach’s season!

To celebrate the new year, we’re rewatching the timeless classic When Harry Met Sally, starring Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. We could literally watch this friends to lovers flick over and over again! It also just happens to have one of the most memorable New Year’s Eve scenes of all time.

We hope you’re enjoying some much needed time off! We’re doing the same. But we’ll be back next week with another feel good movie recap. We’ll be watching a PERFECT flick for the New Year: When Harry Met Sally!

Cozy sweaters? Stunning getaways? A little romance after a crappy breakup? Um, yes please! This week, we’re watching another holiday classic: The Holiday, starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black. We’re joined by the delightful Rachelle Hampton, co-host of the Slate podcast ICYMI!

This week, we’re rewatching and recapping another holiday classic: The Best Man Holiday, starring Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Nia Long, Terrence Howard, Regina Hall and more. Joining us is rom com lover and Bachelor in Paradise contestant Andrew Spencer!

We’re revisiting classic holiday movies that make our hearts go pitter patter! This week, we’re in maximum nostalgia mode as we snuggle up to watch and then pick apart You’ve Got Mail starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. We’re joined by Betches co-founder and Morning Announcements host Sami Sage!

This week, we’re diving into Bachelor news and gossip. And we have an excellent guest to help us break down all the drama – Kay Brown, co-host of The Betchelor podcast!

We’ll be chatting about:

• Reactions to the Bachelor in Paradise reunion episode
• A new interview with BIP alum Johnny DePhillipo 
• BIP couple updates from Danielle Maltby & Michael Allio and Brandon Jones & Serene Russell
• Former Bachelorette Gabby Windey’s final days on Dancing with the Stars
• Victoria Fuller and Greg Grippo’s first interview as a couple

Join us next week! We’re about to start binge-watching and recapping our favorite holiday rom coms!

Hey friends! This week’s pod is delayed just a bit.

We’ll be diving into juicy post-BIP news and gossip, but we don’t want to miss anything as the story between Victoria Fuller, Greg Grippo and Johnny DePhillipo continues to develop. So, give us a little time to listen to Victoria and Greg’s new interview on The Viall Files.

This week’s episode is coming soon! We promise! And we’ll have an excellent guest to help us break down the drama: Kay Brown, co-host of The Betchelor podcast.

This week, we dive into the emotional wreckage left behind by this season of Bachelor in Paradise. The finale brought us a couple truly romantic endings, but even more misery.

This week, Eliza chases after Justin, some new women hit the sand, Gabby and Rachel dish some dirt, and Becca and Thomas throw a Sadie Hawkins dance – because women’s equality is important. We’re back to two episodes this week. So let’s not waste a single moment!

We’re diving into Bachelor news and gossip: From Victoria Fuller’s post Paradise relationship to Gabby Windey and Erich Schwer’s reported split.

Today, we’ll be chatting about: 

• Victoria Fuller dating Greg Grippo
• Brandon’s cryptic comments on IG
• Gabby and Erich’s reported breakup
• Madi Prewett, who is now… Madi Trizzy Troutt!
• A slew of Bachelor Nation weddings and engagements!

Paradise is coming to an end in a couple weeks, so things are getting serious! Rodney and Logan try to retake those tests they failed last week, Aaron finds fun new ways to stress Genevieve out, and Wells invites himself on Danielle and Michael’s romantic date. We’re joined by two-time Emmy-Award-winning Last Week Tonight writer, Vulture Bachelor recapper, and icon Ali Barthwell!

This week on Bachelor in Paradise: The twins finally arrive on the beach, some solid couples get shaken up, and the show leans allll the way into its regressive notions about how women relate to each other and to the men they’re dating. Let’s dive into these choppy waters!

It’s week five and Split Week continues: The original women are crying in a fancy hotel and ignoring their hot new dates. Meanwhile, the original men are partying at the beach with theirs. Here to sort through the gender politics and general meltdowns of another chaotic week in Paradise are Brooke Siffrinn and Aricia Skidmore-Williams, cohosts of the podcasts Even the Rich and Rich and Daily.

The beach continues to descend deeper into chaos and misery. The big Casa Amor twist finally happens this week: The original women are sent away and new women are brought in to test their relationships. The sobbing... oh, the sobbing.

Why do we set aside four hours of our precious time every week if not to watch former reality stars farting on each other and saying ‘not tonight, babe, I’m gassy?’ Ah… The relatability we crave on TV. This week on Bachelor in Paradise, it’s Jared and Ashley I’s married comedy duo hour – with some dating mayhem squeezed into spare moments.

We’re diving into Bachelor news and gossip: From the Claysie breakup to the ongoing debate about Salley’s suitcase on Bachelor in Paradise! Plus, we have a special guest from the Roses for Every Body campaign to chat about the notable lack of progress the franchise has made in body diversity since the campaign began.

Today, we’ll be chatting about:

• The state of body diversity in the Bachelor franchise
• Susie Evans and former Bachelor Clayton Echard’s breakup
• The ongoing saga of Salley Carson’s suitcase
• The Bachelor in Paradise cast going at it on Twitter
• Bachelor pregnancy news
• Rumors that Kelley Flanagan and former Bachelor Peter Weber are back together
• A new interview from Jason Alabaster, a contestant from the latest Bachelorette season

We had four hours of Bachelor in Paradise this week, and they were four extremely chaotic hours. Let’s get into it!

Bachelor in Paradise is here!! Season 8 of the franchise’s most fun spinoff is premiering just in time for fall. What’s more autumn than dating in bikinis? Here to join us for the first day on the beach is Aubrey Gordon, host of the podcast Maintenance Phase!

Now that Gabby and Rachel’s joint season is over, we finally get to take a deep breath and talk about some off-screen chatter!

We’ll be covering a lot:

• Erich Schwer’s blackface photos and Gabby’s response to them 
• More insights from Rachel on her breakup with Tino Franco 
• Tino’s dad makes his podcast debut 
• Kaitlyn Bristowe’s savage commentary on the new Bachelor 

Plus, we’ll preview Bachelor in Paradise season 8, because somehow it’s already almost upon us!

We somehow survived another season of The Bachelorette. Last night, Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia’s dumpster fire of a journey finally ended. In the words of Gabby, “THANK GOD!!!!” Today the two of us are going to try to unpack the 3-hour live finale.

We’re back to discuss the LIVE FINALE! Well, the live finale part 1. We’ll be back next week for… a second live finale? For some reason? Anyway, today it’s just the two of us. Frankly we have so much to say about this episode that there just isn’t room for anyone else to speak.

It’s Gabby and Rachel’s joint fantasy suites week! This is gonna be an epic two-parter, and here to help us break things down is the one and only  Phoebe Robinson, creator, star and executive producer of Freeform’s “Everything’s Trash.”

Technically this was the Men Tell All episode of Gabby and Rachel’s joint Bachelorette season, but it ended up being a grab bag of everything they couldn’t fit into the rest of the episodes. Here to talk through it is Emmy Award-winning writer for Last Week Tonight and amazing Vulture Bachelor recapper Ali Barthwell!

It’s hometowns week, and almost all of the families are ready to remark on just how much they’re smiling… with one or two notable exceptions. Joining us to get through as many hometown dates as the Bachelorette editors could squeeze into two hours is comedian and cohost of the Sounds Like a Cult podcast, Isa Medina!

We’ve been dying to discuss some Bach news and gossip! ‘Girl, you don’t know. YOU DON’T KNOW.’ If you don’t get that reference, you haven’t been obsessively reading Bachelor news and gossip Instagram accounts, and for that, you should count yourself healthy and very lucky.

We are back on our collective Virgin Voyage for week 6 of Rachel and Gabby’s journey. Today, it’s just the two of us and we’re ready to dive in. Somehow, we’re already just a week away from Hometowns!

Here’s to women weeding out f-boys and securing that bag! We were both huge fans of the wildly entertaining dating show FBOY Island. So, we are super psyched to talk with one of the outstanding leads. Joining us to give us the REAL, UNFILTERED INSIDE SCOOP, is none other than the f girl queen herself, Tamaris.

Who needs to travel to Europe when you can simply watch The Bachelorette, a travel documentary series with some light kissing? Here to join us in discussing the attractions and traditions of Belgium is the wonderful Daryn Carp, Bravo personality and host of Shaken and Disturbed.

It’s week four of our favorite reality show… a little something we like to call “Let’s Destroy Rachel’s Confidence.” It’s an uplifting docu-series about what happens when two beautiful, brilliant women are tortured by a bunch of producers and editors for mass entertainment. Today we’re joined by the wonderful Kelsey McKinney of Defector Media and the Normal Gossip podcast!

It’s week three of the Gabby and Rachel co-season of The Bachelorette. The two women are desperately clinging to their friendship, while the show (and the men) seem more and more determined to pit them against each other. This week, we’re joined by author of the books Cultish and Wordslut and host of the Sounds Like a Cult podcast, Amanda Montell!

Welcome to Love to See It, a podcast about men with six-pack abs and the decisions that ‘FEMALES’ get to make for themselves. Claire is on a much-deserved vacation, but luckily we have a wonderful guest to help us break down this week’s episode of The Bachelorette: Brittany Luse, host of the podcast For Colored Nerds!

The gossip is really heating up this summer! Katie Thurston prompted IG followers to ask her for tea. Many ended up asking for tea on the men from her season. But first, we talk with Jenna Vesper, co-host of the Date Card podcast! She joins us to discuss a new campaign called Roses For Every Body. It’s calling for The Bachelor to cast fat people on the show and allow them to be shown as they are – whole, complex, desirable and deserving of romance.

We’ve been waiting, waiting… and waiting! Finally, the Gabby Windey / Rachel Recchia joint Bachelorette season is kicking off. And so far, it is delivering all the hugging, squealing and compliments about each other’s shiny hair that we craved from this season. Here to help us bask in the female friendship glow is writer and comedian Elyse Myers!

The cast bios for Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia’s two-Bachelorette season are out, and it’s finally time for us to take a good close-read, follow them on Instagram, and try to suss out who will disappoint us the most this year.

We’re doing a live online show with Moment House on Sunday, July 10! Tickets are on sale now at momenthouse.com/lovetoseeit.

Ahh, low-rise jeans, frizzy blowouts, and women’s magazines making tons of advertising cash instead of slowly sinking into the sea… we love to see it. It’s the final week of our Summer Lovin’ series, and while we’re sad that it’s coming to a close, we’re overjoyed to have our final summer fling be with a truly iconic early ‘00s romcom: ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.’ Joining us to recap this Kate Hudson / Matthew McConaughey romance is Becca Freeman, co-host of the Bad on Paper podcast and the co-creator of the RomCom Pods podcast.

We’re doing a live online show with Moment House on Sunday, July 10! Tickets are on sale now at momenthouse.com/lovetoseeit.

First, we have to take a moment to discuss some SHOCKING Bachelor Nation news. Then we rewatch a movie that some might call “classic” and others might call… “unwatchable.” It the 2001 Freddie Prinze Jr. flick “Summer Catch.” We’re joined by romance writer and Elite Daily editor Hannah Orenstein!

We’re doing a live online show with Moment House on Sunday, July 10! Tickets are on sale now at momenthouse.com/lovetoseeit.

We’re diving into a little Bachelor news and gossip. We have so many thoughts about the 32 contestants in the upcoming season of The Bachelorette! We also follow a tip that might have just revealed which Bachelor in Paradise singles are hitting the beach in Mexico. Plus, we want to give a huge congratulations to former Bachelorette Becca Kufrin who proposed and got engaged to Thomas Jacobs!

It’s week two of our Summer Lovin’ miniseries and we are picking apart a timeless flick featuring John Travolta and Olivia Newton John: Grease. Joining us is Emmy Award-winning Last Week Tonight writer, Vulture Bachelor recapper and all-around legend Ali Barthwell!

Also, we’re have news! We’re doing a live online show with Moment House on Sunday, July 10! Tickets are on sale now at momenthouse.com/lovetoseeit.

We’re revisiting classic, feel good movies about summer love. These are the flicks that really make us nostalgic for make outs under the boardwalk and sharing a single cone of ice cream with a crush. This week, we’re kicking off with maybe the most perfect summer romance film we could think of: Dirty Dancing. We’re joined by screenwriter, rom-com aficionado and author of Bad Luck Bridesmaid Alison Greenberg!

Hey friends! We’re taking the day off, so no new episode this week. But when we’re back, we’ve got a real treat! Next week is the start of Summer Lovin’ – our recaps of classic summer rom coms and romance flicks. We kick off the series with a recap of one our favorite films of all time, Dirty Dancing.

We’re doing a big ol’ bonus episode to cover the finales of The Courtship and Temptation Island. Suffice it to say that it’s a rollercoaster. We love love, we kind of hate love, and we want better for everyone.

WE’VE JUST WITNESSED THE GREATEST BACHELOR NATION ADJACENT COUPLE HARD LAUNCH OF ALL TIME! That’s right, we’re talking about Bachelor alum Becca Tilley and singer Hayley Kiyoko who confirmed they’ve been dating for four years. Also, we react to the first trailer for the new season of The Bachelorette! Later, we recap a couple other reality dating shows. We get down to the final four on The Courtship and discuss a few emotional goodbyes on Temptation Island. Bestselling author and friend of the pod, Jessica Goodman, joins us!

Welcome to Love To See It, a podcast about petty Bachelor Nation feuds (and podcast drama!), and the f boys of both The Courtship and Temptation Island. We are flying solo this week!

On a more serious note: Please consider donating to the families of the victims of mass shooting that occurred over the weekend in Buffalo: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/buffalo-mass-shooting-fundraisers

Ever since Jill Chin exited the limo this past January and presented Clayton Echard with an urn, we have been dying to talk to her – and it’s finally happening. Her commentary on the season was important to cat parents everywhere and was one of the highlights of Shrimpgate, and now she’s here with us now to talk about her journey on The Bachelor.

First, TikToker Zachary Reality joins to discuss some juicy Bachelor gossip, including new relationships and questionable Instagram captions. Then later, we recap episode 8 of The Courtship and episode 8 of Temptation Island, which have everything from parlor games to jello shots.

Worlds collide as we’re joined by Brooke Siffrin and Aricia Skidmore-Williams from the iconic podcast Even the Rich! First, we dive into some Bachelor Nation news and gossip -- including a pregnancy announcement and finally an answer as to why Mike Johnson and Tyler Cameron never became The Bachelor. Then later, it’s all about lemon drizzle and lingerie as we recap episode 7 of The Courtship and episode 7 of Temptation Island.

First, a little Bachelor Nation news and gossip to sustain us during this long trek to The Bachelorette in July: Mari Pepin and Kenny Braasch, who met on Bachelor in Paradise last summer, are planning a wedding in Puerto Rico! We chat about that and a recent interview by their BIP cast mate, Maurissa Gunn. In the interview, she discusses her split from Riley Christian. Then later, we recap episode 6 of The Courtship and episode 6 of Temptation Island… it’s toga parties, romantic overnight trysts, and shocking cliffhangers. Our wonderful guest this week is Allison Raskin, author of Overthinking About You and host of the Just Between Us podcast!

First, it’s Bachelor news and gossip: Katie Thurston and John Hersey are living it up at Coachella. Meanwhile Thomas Jacobs reveals how he’d propose to former Bachelorette Becca Kufrin. Then later, we discuss the reality dating shows that we’ve been obsessed with during the Bachelor hiatus. We recap episode 5 of The Courtship and episode 5 of Temptation Island… complete with archery, Slip ‘N Slides, and everything in between.

We have a special chat with Nicole Rémy, the heroine of the Regency reality dating show The Courtship! We’ve been, as Mr. Cones might say, devouring this show like a fresh corndog, and we have been dying to get to know the lovely lead. So we sat down with Ms. Rémy to talk about her time on the show, why she wanted to date like a member of the Regency-era aristocracy, and so much more. 

Just a note, this interview was recorded on Wednesday, April 13, shortly before episode six aired.

If a guy tries to pick you up by saying he’s the Bachelor… run. We discuss a claim that caused a gossip firestorm in Bachelor Nation this past weekend. Then, we recap two of our most buttoned-up and unbuttoned dating reality shows. We’re joined by Claire Parker and Ashley Hamilton of the Celebrity Memoir Book Club podcast!

Today we’re talking about the absolutely surreal experience that was The Bachelor Live On Stage! We’re joined by our former producer, Harry Huggins and friend of the pod Liviya Kraemer! 

We’re diving into dating shows set in the Regency era and dating shows set on islands – temptation islands. But first, we’ve got the latest rumors on casting for Bachelor in Paradise. We’re joined for Bachelor news and gossip today by, as Deuxmoi called her, former model and current executive assistant – and A+ TikTok maker – Lexi Stout. Then, we recap episode 3 of The Courtship, and later we try to wrap our heads around the latest season of Temptation Island.

We have gossip! And we react to pics of Gabby and Rachel’s contestants on the new season of The Bachelorette. Then, we dive into episode two of our favorite Regency-esque reality dating show, The Courtship, which forged on with a boating-and-picnicking date.

We’re heading into a Bachelor hiatus folks! But there’s still tons of news to dig into about Clayton and Susie (Claysie? Su-ton?), the double Bachelorette season and more. Then, we recap the premiere of the new reality dating show “The Courtship.” We’ll be exploring the quiet romanticism of traditional Regency-era courtship rituals… like writing love letters before you even meet someone and learning calligraphy! Extremely era-accurate.

Clayton’s journey has finally crashed to a conclusion. Today, the two of us are discussing part two of the finale, and this bizarre season as a whole.

This week, Clayton goes deeper and deeper into a mess mostly of his own making, as he tries to convince his final two to stay and meet his parents. It’s.. a mess. Here to go through this moment of collective rage and trauma and catharsis is Defector Media co-owner and host of Normal Gossip, Kelsey McKinney!

This week, coming off a brutal Women Tell All, it’s Clayton’s fantasy suites. And he just can’t stop, and won’t stop telling women he’s in love with them. Joining us to take this journey straight to hell is Amy Kaufman, senior entertainment writer at the L.A. Times and author of Bachelor Nation.

It's time for Women Tell All, a space for sisterhood, empowerment, and putting shine theory into action. Or more like… women insulting each other’s asses and slut-shaming. Here to help us remember a painful evening of The Bachelor is Buzzfeed senior culture reporter and host of The Rise and Fall of Lularoe, Stephanie McNeal!

This week, the Bachelor visits four hometowns and faces down spiders, bears, shrimping, 80-foot plunges, and a dad who wants us to know that he WILL put a guy in the hospital for upsetting his daughter. We're joined byVella Lovell, friend of the pod and star of the tv show Mr. Mayor!

Sociologist Danielle J. Lindemann joined the pod to talk about her book, “True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us.” Reality TV is a cultural product, and just like any other cultural product, it can tell us so much about ourselves, our social roles and expectations, our values, and the narratives we tell about ourselves and each other. We try to watch these shows critically, and there are a lot of ways to do that. But one way, which we wanted to explore in depth this week, is a sociological lens, which helps us see what these shows, in all their messy glory, reflect and reveal about our society.

Someone has to be thinking about ethics here because no one involved with last night’s episode of The Bachelor was. It’s episode 7 of Clayton’s quest for a wife, and the last week before hometowns. So obviously he had to spend a group date using couples therapy as a tool for measuring and comparing his options. We’re joined by the hilarious Daryn Carp, host of PeopleTV’s Reality Check!

This Valentine’s week, Clayton puts his detective hat back on and tries to get to the bottom of some very big mysteries. Is Genevieve an actress? Is Sarah not ready for an engagement? We’re joined by a special guest, former colleague, former fill-in host of this very podcast, and contributing editor of ScaryMommy, the brilliant Leigh Blickley!

Happy Valentine’s Day! It’s the time of year when we arbitrarily pay even more attention than usual to romantic relationships, and to celebrate, we convinced Claire’s husband Greg and Emma’s boyfriend Adam to join the pod. Our wonderful listeners sent in TONS of questions (thank you!), and we tried to answer as many as we could. We discuss our meet-cutes, our most awkward dates, what it’s like to live with us full- or part-time (sounds exhausting), and what we love most about each other.

It's week five of Clayton's journey. Our scrappy, self-anointed new lead, Shanae, offers a fake apology that earns her a ticket to a dramatic two-on-one date. We’re joined by Emmy Award-winning Last Week Tonight writer and long-time Vulture Bachelor recapper Ali Barthwell!

Who ate the shrimp? Who was in the hot tub? It’s episode four of Clayton’s journey to find love, and here to discuss all the small crustaceans, NFL tie-ins, and C-list country bands is Kate Casey, host of the podcast Reality Life!

It’s week three of Clayton Echard’s journey to find love. This episode features a harrowing faux-therapy group date, a harrowing public semi-nudity one-on-one date, and a harrowing beach date. Harrowing if you hate getting sunburned or trying to perform CPR on a dummy while wearing a bikini... which we do. Let’s dive in!

We continue to have an insatiable thirst for juicy rumors and gossip… and there are a few less fun Bachelor Nation news items we’re going to need to address as well. Here to help us go through it all is friend of the pod Erin Darke, who you can see on CBC’s Moonshine if you’re in Canada!

We’re joined by Chad Kultgen and Lizzy Pace, who host the Game of Roses podcast, to talk about their fascinating new book How To Win The Bachelor: The Secret to Finding Love and Fame on America’s Favorite Reality Show – and, of course, to talk about their personal journeys down the Bachelor rabbithole.

It’s week two of Clayton’s season of The Bachelor, and a dynamic duo of early season villains COMPLETELY takes over the episode. And we get to watch Clayton have absolutely no idea how to handle it. Here to discuss that, Clayton’s first one-on-one date and cameos from Hillary Duff and Ziwe, is host of "A Little Help for Our Friends" and Bachelor alum Jacqueline Trumbull!
Note: The Bachelor won't have a new episode next week. But don't worry, we will!

The Bachelor is back, and this time with twice as much Jesse Palmer as ever before! The second one is Clayton Echard, whom you probably don’t remember from Michelle Young’s season of The Bachelorette. It's Clayton’s season premiere, so we’re here to talk about limo exits, shimmering golden gowns, gimmicks, first roses accepted (and rejected) plus so much more.

We take all the contestants' bios for Clayton’s upcoming season of The Bachelor and we just... absolutely tear them apart. In a loving way! And joining us is someone bursting with opinions on all things Bachelor: Producer Harry! He's better known as Harry Huggins, producer of the podcast This Is Critical.

It’s the big finale of Michelle Young’s season, and it’s got it all: Meeting the parents, last chance dates, proposals and couch cries. The most festive Bachelorette finale ever ends, as all holiday shows should, with true love. Let’s dive in!

No new bonus episode this week. So instead we’re introducing This Is Critical with Virginia Heffernan, a podcast that examines the cultural assumptions some take for granted, like the Miss America pageant as a reflection of our society. This episode features former Miss America Kate Shindle and journalist Amy Argetsinger, author of There She Was: The Secret History of Miss America.

To hear the full episode, follow This Is Critical wherever you listen to podcasts.

Who’s catching feelings? Who’s literally catching the most feelings? This week on the fantasy suites episode, Michelle goes on three INTIMATE, ROMANTIC, AND SEXY dates with Brandon, Joe, and Nayte. Here to analyze that with us are writers Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin. They're also hosts of the podcast Just Between Us!

According to some men there are two -- no, three levels to understanding any situation, and none of those levels involves apologizing for being an asshole on TV. We’re here to discuss The Bachelorette: Men Tell All with author Kelsey McKinney, Defector Media co-owner and co-host of the new podcast Normal Gossip!

We're back with another Bachelor news and gossip episode. And boy, is there a lot to discuss. Tayshia and Zac ran the New York City Marathon together, and then, two weeks later they abruptly broke up. Also, two weeks after announcing her split with Blake and jointly requesting privacy, Katie kicked off an Instagram event she called "12 Days of Messy," in which she assigned Taylor Swift songs to men from her season. It began by assigning her recent ex "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and it ended by announcing that she is now dating John Hersey, a contestant who barely made it to week two. The chaos! There's so much to analyze, unpack, critique, and for wild speculation.

It’s hometown week for Michelle’s final four! But everything will be taking place in HER hometown. So, we’ll be visiting three pretend hometowns, meeting three red-headed moms, and watching Michelle effortlessly win over four families. Who could resist her? Certainly not us.

This week on Michelle's... sorry, Ms. Young’s journey to find love, the kids are in charge! These plucky fifth graders just want to find a nice man for their teacher -- one with lots of muscles and good fort-building skills. Meanwhile, Ms. Young is taking her dudes on a final whirlwind tour of her hometown. Here to share her insights is writer Esmé Weijun Wang!

Welcome to another episode of Love To See It, a podcast about high-maintenance females and the men who generously tolerate them. Joining us to discuss this particular brand of unruly females is new friend of the pod, author of Cultish and co-host of the Sounds Like A Cult podcast, Amanda Montell!

It’s week four of Michelle’s journey, and already she’s feeling taken for granted by this group of scrubs. We had two one-on-one dates, one group date that was more like a group bro hang, and a brand new villain: Chris S. Here to recap with us is Traci Thomas, host of the literary podcast The Stacks!

Time to recap Bachelor news and gossip! That’s right, we’re here with takes on the breakup of recent Bachelorette Katie Thurston and Blake Moynes, some Deuxmoi chatter and a mildly spoiler-y consideration of the future Bachelor.

We’re in the Danger Zone. It’s week three of Michelle's journey, and we’ve already had like three drama-splosions! Here to discuss this week of dates is friend of the pod, and our former colleague, HuffPost senior enterprise editor Erin Evans!

The first cuts have been made! Now, onto balls and explosions... Get your head out of the gutter. We’re obviously talking about basketballs and science experiments because we’re here to discuss Michelle’s first group dates! And here to talk about this week’s episode is Stephanie McNeal, a BuzzFeed reporter who covers internet culture.

It’s the 18th season of The Bachelorette! It’s about basketball, and a shot at love -- specifically Michelle Young’s shot at love! And here to help us ring in the season is a BFF of the pod, who we have missed dearly, actor Allison Williams.

There are still so many storylines and scandals from the past season that we’re desperate to know more about, and so we definitely wanted to chat with one of the women at the center of some of the juiciest moments of the season -- model, icon Chelsea Vaughn! Chelsea was on Matt’s season of The Bachelor, and when she arrived on the beach, she quickly got caught up in a love triangle -- and perhaps even love tripod -- with Aaron Clancy and some of the other dudes on the beach.

FINALLY, season 18 of The Bachelorette, starring the one and only Michelle Young!! Yeah, it’s cast bios, baby. Today we’re going to look at, make fun of, thirst over and generally pick apart the cast bios and photos of Michelle’s 30 contestants.

One thing we’ve really missed has been gossip. You just simply don’t get as much of the good stuff when you’re trapped in quarantine. Luckily, we can always count on our Bach Nation internet friends to provide. So today we’ll be gossiping. About people we don’t know who went on reality TV.

Welcome to Love to See It, where it’s no longer almost paradise. We’re here. Paradise has been consummated.

And we’re here to figure out who our person is. And, sadly, who is not.

Joining us to bid farewell to BIP 7 is host of the podcast Vice News Reports, Arielle Duhaime-Ross.

Welcome to Love to See It, a podcast that would NEVER circumvent the system.

Unless we made a mistake.

Here to discuss the various violations to the system that we witnessed this week in Paradise is Liviya Kraemer, the VP of Television for Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino’s production company.

Welcome to Bachelor in Paradise, where metaphors become reality.

After weeks of Hurricanes Demi, Mari, Tammy, and so on, a very real tropical storm makes landfall and causes the same amount of damage and disturbance as a woman having negative emotions in public.

Joining us to recap this week are romance novelists Tessa Dare and Rebekah Weatherspoon.

We talk to Suzana Somers, the numbers wizard behind the account that makes data just as entertaining as reality TV.

Welcome back to another beautiful week in Paradise. There’s a posse out looking for justice, and after last week, there’s still one more crime that needs to be solved on this beach…

Here to make a red-yarn-and-pushpin conspiracy board with us is Justin Cole Adams of Justin Takes The Bach.

Welcome back to the beaches of Paradise, which are growing more hellish by the hour. From Brendan and Pieper to Chris and Alanna, this week’s two episodes were a nonstop trash fire.

The beach is ablaze with drama, the flames of betrayal are licking at our feet, and the smoke of the wrong reasons is filling our lungs. With BIP on the precipice of full collapse into the sea, we’re joined by Erin Darke and Daniel Radcliffe.

Emma and Claire answer your questions about hypothetical Bachelor strategies, the importance (and difficulty) of friendship, and their favorite Bachelor In Paradise characters so far.

It’s week 3 of Bachelor in Paradise, and right on schedule, Bachelor in Paradise is turning into Bachelor in Hell.

There’s no show if there’s no drama, and there’s no drama if people don’t start betraying, backstabbing, breaking up, and generally acting badly, so that’s exactly what this week is all about.

Joining us for this recap is Mr. Mayor star and friend of the pod Vella Lovell!

Welcome to Love to See It, a podcast about a bunch of people who already know each other who show up on a beach and pretend they’re strangers so that someone can make out with their boyfriend 15 feet away from them.

Here to plow through the second week of Bachelor in Paradise is Bachelor and BIP veteran, friend of the pod, Ph.D. student of clinical psychology and host of “A Little Help for Our Friends” Jacqueline Trumbull!

Welcome to our final recap of FBOY Island, in which we learn who is smart enough to take a mere $50k and a sterling reputation and who is an unredeemable FBOY.

Welcome to Paradise! We are vaxed and ready to watch some waxed people have a long-awaited hot Bach summer.

From our couches, with air conditioning. And chilled rosé.

Paradise 2021 kicked off Monday night, bringing fan faves like Serena P, Ivan, Abigail, and Brendan to the beach. Also Queen Victoria and Karl.

Here to help us get settled on the beaches of Sayulita is friend of the pod, Vulture recapper, and Last Week Tonight writer Ali Barthwell!

Joining us to discuss episodes 4–6 of HBO Max’s reality hit is Xandra Ellin, who writes the truly great newsletter for On the Media.

Katie’s journey as Bachelorette has come to an end, in much the same fashion as Hemingway once said he went bankrupt: gradually and then suddenly.

We’re joined by longtime friend of the pod Brett Vergara.

F Boy? F Hi! It’s the HBO Max reality show that sounds like a “30 Rock” subplot that culminates in Jack Donaghy winning sweeps week — but it’s so, so real. And thank F for that.

We’re recapping the first three episodes of the season with the hosts of Watch What Crappens, Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam.

Welcome to a very difficult and complicated episode that has left us completely shattered.

Welcome to Love to See It with Emma and Claire, a podcast about bro tears and bromance.

This week on The Bachelorette, it was Men Tell All time, and we were blessed with lots of both. Plus, some aggressive confrontations, a surprise French kiss, and a gut-wrenching, unexpected departure.

Joining us is actor and Bachelor parody recapper Kelly Johns.

Welcome to Love to See It with Emma and Claire, a podcast where we dive deep into the world of modern art and floral vulvas. Or as burgeoning painter and art critic Blake Moynes would say, “flowery… with a twist!”

Welcome to Love to See It with Emma and Claire, a podcast about throwing shade and BLEEPing off.

We’re delving deep into the taboo and the edgy, as we get into the later stages of Katie Thurston’s journey to find love.

We’re joined by Aubrey Gordon, cohost of the wellness podcast Maintenance Phase and the author of What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat.

We’re back for part two of the sexiest, most prudish, show on TV: Too Hot To Handle!

Kristen Meinzer — host of Movie Therapy and By The Book — is joining us for this very important episode.

Welcome to Love to See It, where we go to the bashball field and beyond to find the perfect strains of masculinity to accompany your commute.

Yes, this week was bursting with rippling, muscular aggression — but also, to be fair, some refreshingly non-toxic notes of manhood as well. We’re talking cuddling. We’re talking emotional vulnerability. We’re talking tears shared in brotherhood.

And that’s just the beginning! We’re going to discuss all the masculine courting behaviors on display and more with our guests, Victoria Price and Mikayla Bartholomew of The Blckchelorettes podcast!

We’re talking about our favorite super sexy, super prudish, super anti-hot-vax-summer Netflix reality show, Too Hot to Handle!

Season 2 has finally dropped, and today we’re sinking our teeth into the juicy first four episodes. Joining us like a hyena sharing some of the lion’s meat (as Cam would say), is Daryn Carp, host of PeopleTV’s Reality Check, Scissoring Isn’t A Thing and Shaken And Disturbed.

Welcome to Love to See It with Emma and Claire, a true crime podcast about a man with a dark secret… a man who was open to the possibility of one day becoming Bachelor.

The darkest, dirtiest deed imaginable. This week, the investigation of Thomas’s crimes culminates in a dramatic show trial.

This whole episode is one group date and a rose ceremony nested amid hours of angst over Thomas and a suitor’s return. Even if it felt like a lot of filler, that didn’t stop us from having over 12 pages of notes to discuss between just the two of us!

When in the course of Bachelor events it becomes necessary for a former Bachelorette to dissolve the bonds that tie her to the franchise and write a piercing, heart-wrenching essay about the racism she experienced during her time being affiliated with the show... we must talk about it, with help from HuffPost's senior national editor Erin Evans.

Read Rachel Lindsay's full piece here: https://www.vulture.com/article/rachel-lindsay-the-bachelor-franchise.html

Trigger warning: In this episode, we talk about sexual assault in the context of Katie’s discussion of it in this week’s episode of The Bachelorette. This discussion starts around 40:00.

If you or someone you know have been affected by sexual assault, you are not alone. RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline is here 24/7 with free, anonymous help. Call 800-656-HOPE or visit online.rainn.org.

Welcome to Love to See It with Emma and Claire, a podcast about labor organizing in the entertainment industry.

It’s so difficult to unionize the Bachelorette contestants because of high turnover and the fact that they aren’t technically employees, but solidarity finds a way. Last night, not for the first time and hopefully not for the last, the show’s contestants tried to come together as one unit to meet management at the bargaining table.

It was a beautiful moment for unions, but also a brief one. Today we will chart the rise and fall of this Bachelorette union, which quickly fell apart once the men were made aware that they couldn’t negotiate to each have a full Katie.

We’re joined today by Bachelor alum, blogger, and opera singer Sharleen Joynt and her husband and cohost of their fantastic podcast, Dear Shandy, Andy Levine!

You can listen to Dear Shandy here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dear-shandy/id1525795747

Learn more about the Santa Ana Pueblo and their lands here:

https://nativeamerica.travel/tribes/pueblo-of-santa-ana and https://santaana-nsn.gov/about/

Welcome to Love to See It with Emma and Claire, a podcast about Western-themed erotic cinema. This week, we’re examining a modern classic: season 17, episode 2 of The Bachelorette.

Katie’s search for a lover begins in earnest this week, and she’s ready to lasso herself a muddy cowboy with purple fluffy handcuffs. This episode was very sex-positive, very cowboy-positive, and of course, very dramatic.

To dig through this week’s recap with us, we’re joined by longtime friend of the pod, Bachelorette alum and attorney Michael Garofola.

It’s that time of year. 82% humidity in the 90-degree air, hordes of shrieking cicadas roaming the Eastern Seaboard, the dawning realization that you waited too long to reinstall your window AC unit — and, of course, the return of The Bachelorette.

Now with 100% less Chris Harrison and 100% more forced references to sex toys! That’s right, Katie Thurston’s season premiere, baby. We’re here to dig into it with our wonderful guest, Molly Bernard!

After over half a decade podcasting about The Bachelor as Here to Make Friends, we have a new home and a new name! We’re extremely happy to be here at Stitcher, and to be launching Love to See It, a weekly podcast about The Bachelor and beyond.

You may be wondering, what is this show going to be? We hope it will be a space for the same kind of free flowing commentary, snark and analysis about The Bachelor that we’ve always done, a space where we can chat with our favorite comedians, podcasters, critics, and Bachelor alums about all the minutiae of each episode.

And to kick it off, we introduce you to the cast of Katie’s season!

We’d love to hear from you about what you’d like to hear more of on the show! You can reach us at [email protected].

We’re going to begin this week’s podcast with a discussion on Taylor Nolan’s old tweets that resurfaced over the weekend and what accountability, consequence and empathy look like within the community of The Bachelor franchise. The tweets, which included hateful language toward a plethora of communities, were shocking, harmful, hurtful, triggering and absolutely indefensible.

Later in the episode, we discuss the Women Tell All special with style icon and contestant on this season of The Bachelor, Chelsea Vaughn.

Our Calls to Action this week:

• Stop AAPI Hate, an organization which includes a hate crime tracker, founded in the wake of rising and alarming violence toward Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic https://donate.givedirect.org/?cid=14711
• The Asian American Federation, which specifically helps fight racism and for equality for NYC’s Asian community https://www.classy.org/give/253719/#!/donation/checkout
• Center for Disability Rights, a not-for-profit, community-based advocacy and service organization for people with all types of disabilities. https://cdrnys.org/donate/
• The Disability Justice Culture Club, a collective of disabled and/or neurodivergent queer people of color operating out of East Oakland. https://bit.ly/3hONYqp
• The Trevor Project, which provides resources, support and a crisis hotline for LGBTQ+ youth. https://give.thetrevorproject.org/give/63307/#!/donation/checkout?c_src=EOY20&c_src2=headerdonatebutton 
• The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, a non-profit, all volunteer, fat-rights organization dedicated to protecting the rights and improving the quality of life for fat people. https://naafa.org/joindonate
• Jews For Racial and Economic Justice, a NYC-based progressive Jewish organization that fights against anti-Semitism alongside other marginalized communities. https://secure.everyaction.com/MItl2aYLe0-_DmwDEiGULA2
• The Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial and museum, http://auschwitz.org/en/donate/
• The Native American Rights Fund, which provides legal assistance to Indian tribes, organizations, and individuals nationwide who might otherwise have gone without adequate representation. https://secure.narf.org/page/71129/donate/1?_ga=2.154578488.1462526717.1614619917-1113695369.1614619917
  
  

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SPOILERS ALERT
We will be discussing reporting that includes spoilers. Please be warned. Skip forward to approximately 16:00 to get to the spoiler-free recap. Joining us to discuss our reporting on Matt James’ statement from last night is HuffPost Senior Enterprise Editor Erin Evans. Read our piece: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/matt-james-the-bachelor-race-problem_n_60342be7c5b67c32961fef84?7jk

It’s hometowns week on The Bachelor, and you know what they say: home is in Nemacolin, where you all live forever now.

And so do your families! It’s like Noah’s ark -- each woman gets to save 2-3 loved ones from the pandemic.

Just like Tayshia, Matt doesn’t get to actually travel to his ladies’ hometowns, but he does get to meet some parents this week.

Here to discuss all the moms and all the sisters, we’re joined by Caroline Moss, host of the podcast Gee Thanks, Just Bought It!

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It’s been a hell of a week, and before we recap the episode, we need to discuss what’s been going on offscreen.

For that discussion and our normal episode recap, we’re joined by the amazing comedian, author, podcaster, producer Phoebe Robinson and her wonderful boyfriend, British Baekoff.

You can read our coverage of Chris Harrison, his remarks and the push to hold the franchise accountable here:

• https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chris-harrison-interview-the-bachelor-rachael-kirkconnell_n_602437e6c5b6ddb3581568ab
• https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-bachelor-chris-harrison-racial-reckoning_n_602aaee2c5b6d667582eb47e
  
  

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Welcome to Here to Make Friends, where we preach harmony and peace, and lead by example, because actions speak louder than words.

All the great lessons we learned from The Bachelor.

We’re halfway into Matt’s season and there is actually a distinct lack of harmony and peace. The drama has never been more intense. When will we be able to rest?

Possibly never. To recap another week of escalating, production-fueled sniping between the contestants, and Matt’s occasional breaks from mediating the conflict in order to make out with 23-year-olds, we’re joined by expert Bachelor recapper and “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” writer Ali Barthwell.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week’s episode of The Bachelor may find a second life as a training video for teachers to recognize bullying dynamics in middle and high schools. Matt’s love journey was essentially on the backburner this week while he played Whack-a-Mole with the house bullies, so that’s what we’ll be doing as well.

Here to unpack all the truly distressing scenes with us is content creator, YouTuber and woman about town, Alexa Losey.

Link to the TikTok we reference: https://www.reddit.com/r/thebachelor/comments/l5qjs0/tiktok_about_rachaels_alleged_racism/

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This week on Matt James’s journey to find love, we took one step forward and two giant steps back. We actually ended this episode with, somehow, more women than we started with -- and they even managed to jack up the already high level of unpleasantness in the house.
Matt’s task is truly Sisyphean … as is our own, as audience members in search of a happy ending. So on this episode we have a new friend of the pod joining us, Zara Rahim. She is a communications strategist who has formidable experience approaching her work through the lens of diversity, equity and inclusion. She’s worked for Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Vogue, the list goes on.
Our call to action:
In light of all of the sex work shaming that went on during last night's episode, we want to encourage people to donate to the the Urban Justice Center Sex Workers Project to support advocacy for the human rights of sex workers. Because sex work is work. Period.

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This week, much like Chris Harrison and Matt’s women, we tried out our own Bachelor-centric erotica, full of turtleneck-clad abs and girthy arms. And then, of course, we couldn’t avoid addressing the girl-on-girl crimes that filled this episode of The Bachelor.

Joining us this week is Correspondent & Host of the VICE News Reports podcast, Arielle Duhaime-Ross.

Our call to action this week:
In honor of MLK Day, it’s a great week to set up a recurring donation to an organization that promotes racial justice and healing! Some ideas include:

• Color of Change
• Black Lives Matter (their PAC or local chapter)
• Undocu Black
• Black Trans Travel Fund
• The Loveland Foundation
  
  

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This week, honestly, we have a lot of questions about what we’re all doing here in Bachelor Nation. Like, is this a sorority? Are we here to make friends? We need more clarity on this! Maybe next week Victoria can shed a little light on whether this is, actually, a sorority.

Until then, we’ll just have to muddle through. To help us sort through the second episode of Matt’s season, we’re joined by a very special guest -- HuffPost’s senior culture editor and our wonderful boss, Erin Evans!

Read Erin’s HuffPost article ‘For Black Americans, The White Terror in D.C. Looks Familiar’ https://www.huffpost.com/entry/white-terror-capitol-riots-america_n_5ff7802ac5b6644fa210a0a7

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Let our lead Matt James be clothed in earth-tone turtlenecks and let his roses be given in wisdom. Amen, and a-women. And now, let’s get to some heavy drinking and light making out! The 25th Bachelor season kicked off last night, and things are already getting to be, as Tayshia would put it, a LOT.
Joining us this episode to dig into the season premiere is BFF of the pod and co-host of the relationship podcast “Dear Shandy,” Sharleen Joynt.

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Welcome to our recap of what will go down in history as one of the greatest love stories of our time. We can’t remember the last time this show gave us a proposal as romantic as the one we got last night. This very unusual season of The Bachelorette gave us two great love stories and we really can’t ask for anything more.

Joining us to recap the end of Tayshia’s journey is friend of the pod and star of the upcoming sitcom ‘Mr. Mayor,’ Vella Lovell!

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It’s finale week, and on today’s episode, the fantasy suites! We’re down to three potential partners for Tayshia, and sorry – we can’t choose. She’s going to have to marry all of them.
In a just world, these sweet gentle boys would get to hang out with each other and Tayshia, all the time. No one has to have their heart broken! Except that they do have to. Hearts will be broken, and by this time tomorrow, we will know whose.
Note: We will be discussing sexual assault at the beginning of this episode, until around the 8:00 minute mark.
Need help? In the U.S., visit the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline operated by RAINN. [link: https://ohl.rainn.org/online/ ] For more resources, visit the National Sexual Violence Resource Center's website. [link: http://www.nsvrc.org/resources ]
Read Claire and Emma’s story here.

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We get right into it this week because we have to cover four hours of The Bachelorette! We have to go from 8 guys down to 3. We have to talk about a Men Tell All held in a hermetically sealed chamber and a hometown episode held not in anyone’s hometown, but on the same vacant Palm Springs resort where the cast has spent the entire season.

And we have to talk about the Top Chef and Bachelorette crossover episode finally happening!

Joining us this week to go through all of it is friend of the pod, Erin Darke!

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We will be discussing depression and suicide during this episode from around 39:00 to 58:00.

If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741-741 for free, 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.

This week on The Bachelorette…. It’s Bennett vs. Noah: Two men enter the arena, one man leaves. And then a bunch of other guys also leave.

It’s almost hometowns, and Tayshia still has NINE guys, so that can only mean one thing: an elimination bloodbath.

Here to break down everything with us is Bachelor Season 24 alum and cohost of the podcast Click Bait with Bachelor Nation, Natasha Parker

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This episode contains a discussion on eating disorders from 58:20 to 1:10:00. If you're struggling with an eating disorder, call the National Eating Disorder Association hotline at 1-800-931-2237 or visit https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/help-support

Welcome to Tayshia’s 4th week as the Bachelorette!

And wouldn’t you know it, that just happens to be Very Sad Personal Story week -- not to mention I’m Starting To Fall In Love week. Like very romantic clockwork.

Here to help us unpack all the drama and trauma is friend of the pod and cohost of the forthcoming Bachelor podcast “Baby Got Bach,” Brett Vergara!

Our call to action this week:

Good friend of the pod Ashley Spivey lost her baby over Thanksgiving weekend. In addition to this inexplicably cruel and painful loss, she has also experienced harassment from the anti-vaxx community.
If you want to donate in Ashley and her baby CJ’s names, we’d like to suggest the Star Legacy Foundation, which funds research about stillbirth, and provides families dealing with the grief of pregnancy loss with resources, education and support. https://starlegacyfoundation.org/

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It’s Thanksgiving week and for many of us, it may feel like there’s less to be thankful for than ever.

This has been a year filled with loneliness and loss for so many Americans. But we do want to take a leaf from Bachelor Nation sweetheart -- eliminated but never forgotten -- Dr. Joe and focus on the good, and what we do have to be grateful for this week.

Specifically, a very good episode of The Bachelorette. It seems like they cracked the code of quarantine bubble Bachelorette production and finally brought us an episode of that good, classic, frothy Bachelor fun.

Here to discuss it all with us, we have BFF of the pod, Allison Williams.

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Welcome to our grown-ass podcast. It’s a grown-ass show, where we discuss grown-ass men and grown-ass women and their grown-ass adventures on a grown-ass show called “The Bachelorette.”

And last night, we closed the door on grown-ass woman Clare Crawley and devoted 100% of our attention to fellow grown-ass woman Tayshia Adams.

Joining us to talk about this episode is Correspondent & Host of the VICE News Reports podcast, Arielle Duhaime-Ross.

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Sometimes, you just need your reality TV to be more boring than reality. A peaceful transition, new Bachelorette leadership installed without incident -- it feels good.

Tayshia’s season began in earnest last night, and despite a couple of twists, it was really a back-to-basics episode. To discuss the season reset with us, we are joined today by author, journalist and commentator Liz Plank!

Our calls to action this week:

• Fair Fight: The nationwide group combats voter suppression and promotes “free and fair elections” from its home base in Georgia. Donate here.
• The New Georgia Project. A well-regarded effort to register and engage voters, credited with enrolling over 500,000 people. A nonpartisan 501(c)3. Donate here.
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice Atlanta: Before the November 3 election, the nonpartisan group called 92% of Asian American and Pacific Islander voters in Georgia. They’ll do it again leading up to January. Donate here.
  
  

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Well, at least we got to witness one peaceful transfer of power in this nation last night.

It’s not the one we hoped for, personally, but hey. It’s something.

We took a brief break from watching the votes trickle in in Georgia and Pennsylvania to watch Clare conclude her Bachelorette journey and pass the sceptre to Tayshia.

And to talk about the big, climactic episode, and, obviously, election feelings, we’re joined by Bachelor alum, commentator, podcaster, and politics buff Ashley Spivey.

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We are so excited to be here today to recap a dramatic episode of the hit game show “What Did Dale Say About Me, Exactly?” Truly action-packed, and this week we did learn a lot about what Dale said about Clare, and what Clare said about Dale.

We're joined on this episode by Kate Stayman-London, author of the delightful Bachelor-themed romcom One to Watch, to talk about Yosef’s many feminism fails, that one-on-one date with Zach J and, of course, Dale.

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Every week we tune into a new episode of The Bachelorette, and we simply don’t know what we’re going to get. Some episodes are really rich texts, with so much to unpack and examine… others are maybe more like pamphlets. This week, though, we got a truly rich text. Genre-bending twists, complex characters, the plumbing of psychological depths.

Here to help us close read the drama of this week’s episode is Cosmopolitan op-ed editor, and author of the hit Y.A. drama 'They Wish They Were Us' -- Jessica Goodman!

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We’ve waited so long for this and it’s finally here! Seven years after she first appeared on The Bachelor, Clare Crawley is our Bachelorette. We’re diving into a Bachelorette season that looks a lot different than we expected. Quarantines! Face masks! Nasal swabs! If we learned one thing last night, it’s that the men of The Bachelorette are much better at modeling public safety than the entirety of the Republican party.
On this episode, author, podcaster, and political commentator extraordinaire Alyssa Mastromonaco joins us to talk about the first night in 'The Bachelorette' bubble.

Our calls to action this week:

• Make sure you are registered to vote and have a voting plan! Go to iamavoter.com or votesaveamerica.com to check your registration, sign up for election text reminders, see what’s on your ballot and make a plan to vote!
• Given that voter suppression still runs rampant in the country, consider donating to organizations fighting against it.
• Fair Vote, a nonpartisan organization fighting for proportional representation (https://www.fairvote.org/)
• The Campaign Legal Center, fights partisan gerrymandering and also focuses on issues like voting rights and campaign finance through litigation and public education, (https://campaignlegal.org/about/support)
• Fair Fight, founded by former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams (https://fairfight.com/)
  
  

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We’ve come to the end of this pandemic summer and this seat-of-the-pants pandemic Bachelor show. So long, The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons -- Ever!

And for once the show has made a decision we can really get behind: ending with the best worst season in recent memory. Juan Pablo Galavis, the Bachelor even the bachelorettes ended up not liking all that much.

After the recap, we talk to friend of the pod, Sharleen Joynt about what led her to The Bachelor, being a Juan Pablo defender and how the show deals with representation of non-Black people of color.

Our calls to action this week:

• Volunteer to work the polls! The majority of poll workers are over 60 and COVID-19 has left the country with a nationwide shortage of poll workers. If you are young, healthy and able, fill out an application to be a poll worker in your area. Save our democracy! https://www.powerthepolls.org/

• Look up opportunities in your state to be a voter protection volunteer to combat voter suppression -- especially if you have a legal background! https://votesaveamerica.com/everylastvote/#be-a-voter-teaser
  
  

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This week, we took a trip all the way back to the dark days of early 2017 to revisit Nick Viall’s season of The Bachelor. And after suffering through Peter’s season with us, our colleague Leigh Blickley is back this week to fill in for Claire as guest host. Later in the episode, we’re joined by BFF of the pod and host of ‘Let’s Talk About It With Taylor’, Taylor Nolan, to talk about her experience on Nick’s season.

Our calls to action this week:

• Donate to the GoFundMe for Jacob Blake’s medical bills

• Call or email local officials in Kenosha to demand they are held fully responsible:
  Kenosha City Attorney⁣⁣: 262-653-4170
  ⁣⁣Email: [email protected] or City Attorney Edward Antaramian at [email protected].
  Kenosha Mayor and City Administration: 262-653-4000
  ⁣⁣Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
  Prompt: “Hi, my name is [first and last name] and I am [calling/emailing] to demand justice for Jacob Blake who was shot multiple times on Sunday, Aug. 23. I demand that [what you think should happen]. Thank you for your time.”

• Donate to the Milwaukee Freedom Fund to support protesters
  
  

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Time to take a virtual trip back to 2009. We were still youthful college students who hadn’t been swept up into Bachelor Nation’s inescapable pull though we did have the same ill-advised layers and flat-ironed side bangs as some of the contestants – and a handsome single dad was learning just how fickle reality TV fame can be.

That’s right, we’re revisiting Jason Mesnick’s season! The first, and to our knowledge only, Jewish Bachelor, he was also the first but far from only Bachelor to dump his winner and then pursue his runner-up for the cameras. A groundbreaker. And on this episode we’re joined by the man himself, Jason Mesnick, for our spotlight interview.

Our calls to action this week:

The Loveland Foundation Therapy Fund

National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network

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It’s been two weeks since our last episode And we can’t believe how much has happened since then. Like… the whole Bachelorette season might be different?

But before we get to that, we need to take a trip down memory lane to 2010. Obama was still president, none of us were yet addicted to Instagram, and the word “influencer” had barely entered the lexicon. And former Facebook employee Ali Fedotowsky was wearing many layered tank tops on her televised journey to find love.

Our calls to action this week:
Liberty Hill COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund for Community Organizing:

• “This emergency fund is designed to support immediate community organizing needs on the frontlines and fuel emergency advocacy efforts in Los Angeles County to protect the most vulnerable (Black, Brown, Asian, Indigenous and queer communities) during this time of unimaginable upheaval due to the COVID-19 crisis.”
• https://www.libertyhill.org/form/covid-19-rapid-response-fund-for-community-organizing

Native Americans in Philanthropy COVID-19 emergency response fund

• The COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund is designed to distribute funds efficiently and swiftly to Native nonprofit organizations and tribal programs that need it most. Initially, funds are being prioritized in high-concentration areas – California, New Mexico, the Pacific Northwest, New York, Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe and COVID-19 hotspots.
• https://www.firstnations.org/covid-19-emergency-response-fund/

Know Your Rights Camp COVID-19 relief fund

• The fund helps black and brown communities, which are disproportionately affected by Covid-19 by focusing on food, shelter relief, education, PPE equipment and incarcerated populations.
• https://www.knowyourrightscamp.com/covid19?form=KYRC-Covid-19-Relief-Fund
  
  

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It’s 2007. The era of sweetheart necklines, poorly-structured empire waists, and, of course, the most hated man in America. No, not George W. Bush. Brad Womack, the slow-talking, monotone, chiseled Texan who walked onto our TV screens and away with zero lady hearts.

This week, we dive deep into his TWO seasons with Ashley Spivey. Ashley has been a vocal part of Bachelor Nation for so long that it’s almost hard to remember where it all began -- as a contestant on Brad Womack’s second season of The Bachelor.

Our calls to action this week:
Riot Ribs feeds people and protesters in Portland, Oregon. Find $riotribs on CashApp or @riotribs on Venmo.
Oregon Justice Center is fighting for criminal justice reform and providing legal services: https://ojrc.info/donate

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There was no new episode this week, so instead, we’re here to introduce you to a new member of the HuffPost podcast family.

D Is For Desire is hosted by our colleague Noah Michelson and explores sex, sexuality, relationships and love from angles you could have never imagined in health class.

You may have heard a trailer for the show play during a break on last week’s podcast, but we’re here to give you a chance to listen to a full episode about a topic Bachelor fans know all too well: Romance! And the lack of it! And questioning the very concept of it!

In this episode of D Is For Desire, we hear from Joci, a woman who thought there was something wrong with her until she was 46 years old, when she discovered the term “Aromantic.”

The first three episodes of D Is For Desire are already available, with more episodes premiering on Fridays, this summer.

You can listen and subscribe to D Is For Desire on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d-is-for-desire/id1516511773 Or wherever you get your podcasts:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/d-is-for-desire-aromantic-romantic-orientation_n_5efb6598c5b612083c537b08

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The year was 2002. We had it all: Dark neutral lipsticks, blurry camera phones, and, of course, The Bachelor!

We’re not saying that The Bachelor took our live show ideas, but we’re just saying, that if you liked Monday’s recap of Alex Michel’s season, you’ll REALLY like the deep dives that we did as part of our live tour last year. Way to steal our thunder, ABC.

But, alas, we persevere. We also got to revisit a slightly less familiar season -- one we don’t know better than our home phone numbers -- the first-ever Bachelorette season starring Trista Rehn.

This week, we talked to LaNease Adams, who made history with Alex Michel as the first-ever on-screen kiss in Bachelor history. We wanted to dive even deeper with LaNease, so we reached out and chatted with her about her time on the show, that kiss, the racism she dealt with from viewers, and more.

Our call to action this week: donate to organizations that are responding to COVID-19 related evictions.

• The Human Utility, which helps people pay water bills in Michigan and Baltimore https://www.detroitwaterproject.org/
• The National Low Income Housing coalition has collected emergency rental assistance programs, state by state https://nlihc.org/rental-assistance
  
  

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This week on The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons -- Ever!, ABC is keeping us in the purgatory of 2016 with JoJo’s brutal season of The Bachelorette (aka the Trumpiest season of “The Bachelorette” ever.)

We covered some highlights -- and lowlights -- from JoJo’s season during Monday night’s special, but we wanted to continue digging deeper into the stories of contestants who didn’t get as much screen time. This week we chatted with Grant Kemp, who appeared on JoJo’s season of The Bachelorette and season three of Bachelor in Paradise.

Our call to action this week:
Black Trans Travel fund, “a grassroots, mutual aid based organization developed for the purpose of providing Black transgender women with the financial resources necessary for them to be able to self-determine and access their safest travel options.” https://www.blacktranstravelfund.com/donate

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This week, we took a trip back to 2016 to revisit the last pre-Trump season of “The Bachelor.”

Though we got to relive some of the good, bad and cringeworthy times of Ben’s season on Monday’s Bachelor special, we wanted to continue speaking to contestants whose stories haven’t been in the spotlight.

We had the pleasure of chatting with Amber James, who was on both Chris Soules’ and Ben Higgins’ seasons of The Bachelor, AND the second season of Bachelor In Paradise, as well as Jami Letain, who was on Ben’s season of The Bachelor and BIP 3.

Our call to action this week: go to tinyurl.com/EmailBreonnaTaylor to email the Kentucky Attorney General & Governor demanding that the officers who killed Breonna Taylor all be fired and charged.

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A lot has happened in the weeks since then-police officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd. This horrifying event sparked mass protests against racism and police brutality, around the country and around the globe.
Since then, arrests have been made, public schools have cut ties with police departments, white CEOs and Editors In Chief have been forced to step down, and famous reality TV stars have been fired. And it seems – maybe – that space has finally been opened up for anti-racist fans of The Bachelor franchise to not just demand real change, but actually get it.
Bachelor alumni who often avoid politics on their feeds in favor of shilling products, were suddenly put in a position where they had to speak up or signal complicity. Their comments sections became spaces for full-blown debate. Rachel Lindsay and Becca Kufrin had a candid, raw, difficult conversation about race on the official Bachelor podcast feed.
Just days after a grassroots campaign for Bachelor diversity was launched and Rachel threatened to sever ties with the franchise altogether, “The Bachelor” named Matt James – the founder of nonprofit ABC Food Tours who was supposed to be a contestant on Clare Crawley’s season – as the first Black Bachelor.
Because so much has been going on, we wanted to dedicate a whole podcast episode to diving a bit deeper into this current moment of Black Lives Matter activism, and how it is playing out in Bachelor Nation. First, we spoke to two of the Bachelor Diversity Campaign's co-creators, Ria Ali and friend of the pod Brett Vergara about the grassroots campaign that now has more than 100,000 signatures. Then we caught up with Rachel Lindsay, the morning that the news about Matt James becoming the franchise’s first Black Bachelor broke. Finally, Taylor Nolan, who has been an outspoken voice for change within The Bachelor franchise, shared some very practical advice for white people who want to be actively anti-racist.

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This week, we go back to where it all started – for this podcast that is. Kaitlyn’s season was the first one that Here to Make Friends recapped, all the way back in 2015.

By then, The Bachelor was more consistently casting people of color on the show – but they didn’t often get far or have very positive portrayals on the show. Of Kaitlyn’s contestants of color, only Ian Thomson – who had a very rough exit – got any real screen time during Monday’s recap. Once again, the supercut approach made the show even whiter.

But Ian wasn’t the only Black man to have a very unflattering storyline on the show. Kupah James left at the beginning of episode four, after a painful conversation with Kaitlyn about their lack of connection and a dramatic exit interview. Jonathan Holloway, a soft-spoken single dad, made it a bit further despite being #TeamBritt. To find out more about that messy exit and what it was like in Kaitlyn’s Bachelorette mansion, we talked to Kupah and Jonathan about their time on the show.

It may seem like the protests are simmering down, or at least like they’re out of the news cycle or your Twitter feed. But people are still in the streets, fighting for a better world, and it’s incumbent on us to stay tuned in and to keep doing what we can. As promised, we are going to give our community calls to action each week:

(1) The Okra Project – “The Okra Project is a collective that seeks to address the global crisis faced by Black Trans people by bringing home cooked, healthy, and culturally specific meals and resources to Black Trans People wherever we can reach them.”

• https://www.theokraproject.com/
  (2) Native Women’s Association of Canada – Canada is having its own difficult conversations about racism and police brutality, and many of these dialogues center around police violence against First Nations peoples
• https://www.nwac.ca/
  (3) Subscribe to 2 Black Girls 1, support their Patreon
• https://www.patreon.com/2blackgirls1rose
  
  

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We are coming back in the midst of a global pandemic and a series of nationwide (and global!) protests against racism and specifically police brutality. We always want the podcast to feel like it’s adding something to the world, not taking up space. So the context of the world has changed how we will be approaching this season.

On this episode, we have a short discussion about Sean Lowe’s season, which was the first Bachelor season after a class-action lawsuit was filed against the show by two men, Nathaniel Claybrooks and Christopher Johnson, alleging that “the deliberate exclusion of people of color from the roles of the Bachelor and Bachelorette” violated their civil rights.

One of the results of trimming the season down to spotlights on its final six or so contestants – and fan fave Sarah Herron – was that the only woman of color spotlighted was Catherine. None of the black contestants really got any screen time.

But two black women actually had notable arcs on the season – Leslie Hughes, who made it to week four, and Robyn Howard, who made it to week five. Leslie garnered a glam one-on-one, the annual Pretty Woman shopping spree date, and Robyn, when she wasn’t getting mixed up in Tierra drama, had a pretty frank conversation with Sean about race.

To look back at that season, the first for several years that even had any black contestants, we talked to Leslie and Robyn about their time on the show.

Links:
National Bail Fund - https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory
Bachelor Diversity Campaign - https://www.change.org/p/abc-a-campaign-for-anti-racism-in-the-bachelor-franchise
Follow @bachdiversity on Instagram and Twitter

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In an alternate reality, in a 2020 not derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Clare Crawley might already have been engaged -- and we would be getting ready to tear into her cast’s bios and rate limo exits.

Instead, Clare is -- presumably -- single and waiting to mingle, and we’re gearing up for a much different Bachelor summer: no Bachelorette, no Paradise.

But, to fill the void, ABC will be airing a journey into the show’s archives called “The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons -- Ever!” which premieres Monday, June 8. Each episode will recap, at dizzying speed, the highs and lows of a single classic season, kicking off with the most successful Bachelor ever: Sean Lowe.

Last week, we spoke with Senior Vice President of Alternative Programming for ABC Rob Mills about plans for Clare’s season, what to expect from the upcoming greatest hits series, and the future of the franchise as a whole.

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After vowing on this very podcast to never watch 'The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart', we have to eat our words and admit, we really loved it! The spin-off wrapped up its first season this past Monday with Chris Watson and Bri Stauss being named the winners.

We talked to the couple over Zoom about what drew them to each other, what we didn’t see on the show, and the process of recording a whole album in quarantine.

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We’re dropping in today to check in - while we’ve been in quarantine, we’re still talking about all things The Bachelor on our Facebook and Instagram.

And last week we had an amazing interview with Julia Rae from Listen To Your Heart. We talked to Julia about her eventful episode this week, her choice between Sheridan and Brandon, and what it's like to watch yourself date on TV while stuck in quarantine.

We also have some exciting news: Here To Make Friends is nominated for a Webby, and we need your help! Click this link to vote for us for People's Voice Best TV & Film Podcast: https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2020/podcasts/general-series/television-film

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Can you believe it's been four long years since we recorded our episode on Peter's finale? Ok, it's only been four weeks, but while being in quarantine, it feels like a lifetime ago.

We won't be doing the podcast again until May, but in the meantime, we'll be doing a new video series on Wednesdays on Instagram and Facebook called Here To Make Friends In Quarantine. We'll talk about the latest on Clare Crawley's season and all about how our Bachelor Nation faves are social distancing. Our first episode, premiering this Wednesday, April 15th, features an interview with Colton Underwood. Check out HTMF in Quarantine on Wednesdays on @heretomakefriendspod on Instagram and Here To Make Friends on Facebook

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We’re speechless. Hannah Ann left it all on the floor. Madison shared her truth. Barb was out for blood.

We’re joined by former contestant-turned recapper, Sharleen Joynt to break down the dramatic ending to Peter’s journey. We talk about Peter’s decision and his boundaries with his family before getting into a quick discussion about our first look at the men of Clare Crawley’s season

Check out Sharleen's recaps and blog below:

https://www.flare.com/bachelor/bachelor-episode-12-recap-peter-season-24-finale-2020/

http://www.alltheprettypandas.com/

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Look, bud. We gotta talk about this finale, bud. We didn’t feel much of anything for the women this season. But, let me tell you, bud, the most dramatic finale in Bachelor history had us feeling a whole lot of sympathy for Hannah Ann. That was a doozy, bud.

We have a little treat before we dive into the recap. We called up the one and only Claire Fallon to get her prediction for what will unfold during tonight’s conclusion, where she ranks Pete on a scale of other Bachelors, and her thoughts on Clare Crawley as our next Bachelorette.

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We are still not over our obsession with Netflix's 'Love Is Blind' and especially the couple at the center of it, Cameron Hamilton and Lauren Speed. Lucky us, we had the happy couple in studio to talk about their unconventional courtship, representation of interracial relationships on reality TV, and whether or not they're interested in hosting a possible season two.

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Dear Peter Weber, we boarded your flight. We ate our free snacks and beverages. We watched lots of drama unfold on our in-seat screens. But now, we need you to ace this landing and welcome us home, please? Because, like you, we’re drained…

Joining us to talk about the chaotic Women Tell All special and our excitement over the news that Clare Crawley is our next Bachelorette is our dear friend of the pod, actress Allison Williams.

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A ’90s boy band star. A streaming service. LED-lighted personal pods. A deep well of underlying sadness. What do all of these things have in common? “Love Is Blind,” an addictive and slightly dystopian reality show on Netflix.

We’ve received soooooo many messages about this show, that we decided we owed it to you and ourselves to discuss it.

On this episode, we started out with a spoiler-free (other than light discussion of characters) conversation about the show and its structure, and then dove deeper -- including some spoilers about the finale -- with Guardian columnist and author Jessa Crispin.

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G’day, Sheilas! The Bachelor went to Gold Coast, Australia for Fantasy Suites and, just like Pete, we can’t help but speak in horrific Australian accents.

This week, we’re joined by Daryn Carp, host of PeopleTV’s Reality Check and Andy Cohen’s assistant, to talk about Pete’s time Down Under, the ladies’ new living situation, and Madi’s confusing ultimatum.

In case you need more Bachelor content, check out Reset - a tech podcast by Vox. Emma stopped by the show this week to talk about how influencer culture has infiltrated the world of The Bachelor. Check out the episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bachelor-here-for-the-wrong-reasons/id1479107698?i=1000466402360

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It’s already Hometowns!

Joining us this week is actress and friend of the pod, Erin Darke. On this episode, we talk about Madison’s purity, Iowan wine, and the mysterious warning about Victoria F.

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We know that we have been spending a lot of time -- more time than usual -- talking about The Bachelor, but there is STILL MORE POD CONTENT.

One of our other obsessions as of late has been with Netflix’s “The Circle.” So we decided to take a break from woman-on-woman crime and focus instead on alerts, influencers, and sweet sweet Joey Sasso.

We had HuffPost Trends Reporter Jenna Amatulli and The Circle cast member Sean Taylor in studio to talk all things The Circle. We hope you enjoy this bonus pod!

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We’ve really been praying and reflecting, and thinking about what’s on our hearts. And the thing that’s on our hearts tell us that we need to recap last night’s episode of The Bachelor.

On this episode, we’re joined by attorney, Bachelorette alum and BFF of the pod, Michael Garofola to talk about Madison’s priorities, Kelley’s confidence, and whether or not the ladies of Peter’s season have seen Ghost.

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Enough is enough. Really. Peter and the remaining women have had enough, and frankly, so have we.

We are recapping this week’s second episode guest-less. On this episode, we talk about Leigh’s interview with Peter and his disappointing response to Victoria F.’s White Lives Matter modeling past, Mykenna and Tammy’s telenovela-worthy fight, and Victoria P.’s goodbye.

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Well, we learned one thing last night: the only thing more incompetent than Pilot Pete is the Iowa Democratic Party. The most dramatic caucuses ever overlapped in spectacularly painful fashion with the most exhausting Bachelor episode ever.

We’re joined by GQ columnist, political reporter and former HuffPoster, Laura Bassett to recap the first three hours of The Bachelor we’re getting this week. We talked about our disappointment in Tammy, our love for Kelley, and Cosmo’s decision to cut their digital cover with Victoria F.

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We caught up with Ben Higgins and Becca Kufrin backstage at BUILD studios before they set off on tour with The Bachelor Live On Stage. They gave us their thoughts on how Peter’s season is going so far as well as the Bachelor to Influencer pipeline and how it’s changed since their time on the show. And, of course, they filled us in on what to expect from The Bachelor Live On Stage, which kicks off next month in Mesa, Arizona.

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We just want to tell you a little bit about what we perceived to be the truth in the moment that we were asked for the truth. We have a responsibility to tell you, beloved podcast listeners, the truth that we felt in our hearts was the truth then. And the truth is… this season is rough.

While Leigh is off at Sundance this week, we're joined by HuffPost’s deputy enterprise editor Elise Foley to talk about Peter unknowingly becoming bro’s with Victoria F.’s ex, the drama between Victoria P. and Alayah, and how Peter’s people-pleasing will be his downfall.

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This episode was a complete “fidasco.” Coming off of last week’s Champagne-gate, this episode of The Bachelor was full of women being mean to each other and we were not into it. This week, we’re joined by journalist and author of the new novel “Followers,” Megan Angelo, to sort out who’s being real, who’s being fake, and how one can become a pilot wife.

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