The Golden Bachelorette star Pascal Ibgui shouldn't have described a rival suitor, Chock Chapple, as a "stalker," and this scandal, as well as the restraining order drama involving Guy Gansert, makes me believe (rightly or wrongly) that producers were fully aware of some suitors' personality problems before they were they cast. What I'm saying is that I think they evaluate their personalities carefully, and may actually select people who set off alarm bells because they will bring the drama.
Reality TV producers aren't unsophisticated people. They know better than anyone that narcissistic traits are practically essential to watchable seasons. I'm fully confident that they can recognize the bad apples in the bunch, and that they want some of these bad apples to appear on shows like The Golden Bachelorette. Of course, I could be wrong, but my gut feeling is that producers knew exactly what they were dealing with from the start.
Why Would Producers Cast Rude & Problematic People?
There Are So Many Good Reasons
A cast full of decent people might put viewers to sleep. While viewers may want to see authentic romances, they also want a taste of the rawer emotions, including anger, jealousy and bitterness. When cast members have glaring personality flaws, such as callous and unemotional traits (these traits are linked with narcissism and antisocial personal disorder, which is also called sociopathy), there's just no way that The Golden Bachelorette casting directors don't notice.
They are trained to assess candidates - they aren't just thinking about looks, or employment histories, or Instagram followers. I believe they're out there hunting for cast members who will be electric onscreen because they are bad people. Producers are more than able to afford background checks and personality tests, and all other things which provide valuable insights about candidates. Corporations use these tools all the time, so why wouldn't a big TV network do the same thing? That being said, many times, criminal records and rude, bombastic attitudes seem to go undetected.
I find all of this implausible. To me, it's more likely that such things were found and then swept under the rug. I have no proof of this, I'm just speculating. It's important to make this crystal clear. This is simply my opinion, and I could be way off base
Of course, no one's going to admit that they cast people who were jerks on purpose, just to ramp up entertainment value. However, it's hard to dispute the fact that villains drive ratings, commentary and all the other things that help a franchise to gain traction. So, why would producers overlook "bad people" and choose good ones instead? That would be counter-productive.
As an example, consider Survivor - would an obvious narcissist like Richard Hatch, who swanned around nude even though people complained, really seem like a good guy during his audition? No, of course not.
His arrogance would shine like a beacon, just as it ALWAYS does. It's not something that Richard could ever hide.
The same is probably true of The Golden Bachelorette suitors. Pascal's brashness was surely noted from day one, and it was likely the main reason why he was short-listed for the series, and eventually cast. Later, he turned on producers, accusing them of interfering. That's what people like that do. In terms of Guy Gansert, maybe producers knew about the restraining order all along - isn't it their job to look into things like that? It seems like it should be.
Villains Are Good For Business
They Keep Restless Viewers From Tuning Out
So, in my opinion, it may not be about a casting director dropping a ball. It may be about them finding villains and making sure they appear on reality dating series, but concealing certain details so they don't look bad. Who knows what treasure troves of information that actually have? That's all top secret. See probable villain Pascal pondering his journey above, via Instagram.
Is it morally wrong to cast obviously bad people on reality shows? Not really. However, when it comes to The Golden Bachelor and its spin-off, The Golden Bachelorette, which stars Joan Vassos, there are vulnerable people involved. Joan, who seems like a sensitive and earnest person, is one example. Joan is a widow and she has suffered. She's not openly narcissistic. In fact, she seems to care about others - she is a sensitive woman. So, putting her in a pool that features at least a couple of sharks seems cruel.
This type of possible setup could wreak emotional havoc - it could conceivably ruin someone's life. For this reason, the methods that producers used before bringing in cast members should be considered, and possibly criticized. More transparency on the part of producers might assure the viewing public that they aren't bringing in villains who might really hurt people, just for the sake of entertainment, and the money that successful shows generate.
The Golden Bachelorette's Joan has lived and learned - she's a mature woman who's intelligent. However, she may not have realized that some of her suitors were wolves in sheeps' clothing, and that the deck was stacked against her from the beginning. While she may find lasting love on the show, it's worth thinking about the fact that producers may choose villains on purpose, even for the most romantic and heartfelt series. Why wouldn't they? Their ultimate goal is to keep viewers glued to their screens, and kindness doesn't always create that kind of high-drama entertainment.
The Golden Bachelorette airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.
