September 10, 2025 • 21 mins
Bachelor Nation weighs in!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast
with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
It's almost Fens podcast. We're here tonight with a breaking episode.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Is late.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
It's so late, it's like morning time on the East
Coast and a little bit better in Mountain and Pacific time.
People are dreaming right now, but we're not because you
have some breaking news. Trista is here with me today
to break down this news. It's crazy and maybe that's
(00:32):
the name for the episode. This is crazy.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
Perfect title, Trista.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
You started this whole thing, so you're the blame at
some level. We're gonna announcement. Let me just name it here.
Taylor Frankie Paul is named the Bachelorette for season twenty two.
It's official. The next star the Bachelorette, Taylor Frankie Paul.
(01:02):
You may know her as the star of Hulu's Secret
Lives of Mormon Wives. She has a huge TikTok following.
In fact, I remember three years ago, I think laying
in a bed with my wife as she showed me
these tiktoks, trying to explain to me what in the
(01:23):
world all the fuss was about. Remember then thinking, goodness, gracious,
this is entertaining for no other reason than it's sometimes
enjoyable to live vicariously through other humans who seem to
love to mix life up in a way that I've
(01:43):
never been familiar with. Now, goodness gracious joining the franchise
Trista thoughts.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Okay, so let me just say that I don't watch,
or I haven't watched Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. I
know that it is extremely popular. I know that she
is extremely popular. She's a beautiful girl. I think she's
thirty one years old, has three gorgeous children. She I
(02:20):
was doing a little research with what Heather sent and
it seems she's been divorced twice and was involved in
what they're calling the soft swinging scandal.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
Do you know about that?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
I do, But I would love for you to explain
she's been divorced once.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
Just let you know you want me. Okay, she's been
divorced once.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
I would love for you to explain soft swinging to her.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
You so want me to explain, Okay.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
So what I don't understand is why is it soft
swinging compared to swinging? Just because they had an agreement
that they weren't going to have sex with the people
that they were swinging with. Is that what makes swinging? Yes, exactly.
So if they don't have sex with their swinging partner,
(03:11):
then that's called soft swinging.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
No penetration would be the official no penetration.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
I just feel like it will be very interesting to
me to see what happens. She is very popular. Secret
Lives is very popular. It's a Hulu show, so it
makes sense that she is, you know, coming over to
Bachelorette World. They've never had somebody who's famous right from
(03:41):
ever as a lead, have they?
Speaker 2 (03:44):
I mean they used to do. They used to do
like you know, back in your day. They're picking people
kind of.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
Out of the firestone.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Yeah, a prince a prince, true, but she's like pop
culture famous, you know, like ever had someone who's not
already been on the show. So it's a change. Who
is This is definitely a big change, And I will
be very very interested to see if Bachelor Nation rallies
(04:12):
around her or doesn't or actually doesn't watch because it's her,
because she does. We just found out both of us,
Ben and I don't watch the show. So this is all,
you know, coming from people who don't watch her show.
So I don't know her per se. I've never met her.
(04:35):
I don't follow her on TikTok, but I am going
to now or Instagram. I am very curious to know
whether people are going to be turned off by the
fact that she was in jail.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
All the show is used to this. We've had a
couple of we've had a couple of issues in the
last few years when it comes to legal matters. So
this show's cool with it.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
It's fine, okay, great, okay, great, great on legal matter
and then the winning thing.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Restraining right, Yeah, not a thing.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
The fact that she basically cheated on her husband even
though they were in an open relationship, but she cheated
on him because she.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
There was penetration.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
So I am really interested to just see how Bachelor
Nation reacts to it being her. Because she is part
of the ABC Hulu family and the show is really
really popular. My guess is that the older generation, like
my generation, may not watch, and then the younger generation,
(05:43):
who actually you know, they're big followers of her, are
going to watch because she's super famous in pop culture.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Okay, A couple thoughts. First, is a question to you,
when does she join the Bachelor at text chain.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
I'm literal.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Ohie was thinking this earlier. I'm like, how do we
get her number? I mean, I will just be texting
Millsie and say hey, we.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
Need to add her to the chain. She will be
added for sure.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Yeah, she's a part of She's a part of the group.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Now.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
I have a couple thoughts. From the small amount of
polls that I've taken. People are fans of her, so
that's great. I don't know enough to make a judgment
either way. It does seem to me trista people are
fans of her because I don't know how else to
say it. I'll say it and get in trouble for it.
She's messy. She's messy. That's how people know her from
(06:48):
her show and her current time is. People have followed
along because of the storylines that have existed around her,
right soft swinging, the arrest, the probation and the pause
in filming, to the chaos that's caused with other people
on her show. It's messy, I think, is the way
I'm going to say it. Get mad at me for
(07:09):
it if you don't feel that way. I don't know
enough to make a strong statement on this. I have
never known the Bachelorette to be cheered for and watched
because of messiness. I think that changes the franchise drastically.
The franchise has always been about a pursuit of love,
even if people that are watching really don't believe you
(07:30):
can fall in love with the amount of time that
it takes to film The Bachelorette, it has always been
at the core of it. People have tuned in as
a family with their moms, as a sister group, whatever,
because it's the romanticized idea that possibly something could work
from this show. Messiness has never been the core driver.
(07:50):
It might be this season. I'm not saying it's not
going to pick up attention. It's one hundred percent going
to pick up attention. Is that what we want? And
so my question for the audience for Taylor, for whoever
great Taylor, I'm welcoming you into this thing. I hope
you find love from this thing, if that's what you're
really after here. I don't want anybody to come on
(08:13):
this show and their lives become worse for it. That
is not the hope, that is not the dream. That
is not why we've done what we've done on this
show for the last ten years, So I'm getting behind you, kid,
But where does the franchise go from here? If this
is this launching pad for this new era of The
(08:34):
Bachelor and Bachelorette to bring in a whole new audience
of viewers that they need to do, I'm not mad
at them for changing this up. They had to change
it up. They have to try to hit a home
run here, because if they don't, I don't think we're
talking about The Bachelor in a year. I don't. I
think they're already showing warning signs of that. But where
(08:55):
does the franchise go from here? How do they top
a Taylor Frankie Paul? How do they have a season
that is going to be more polarizing than any season
we've probably seen before. That's why people are gonna watch it,
That's why people are going to tune in. How do
you top it year over year over year? Right, Trista,
(09:16):
the show failed? I would I think even when Chris
Harrison was the host, because the tagline became this is
the most dramatic season ever, and they always try to
top the drama year over year over year, and they did.
Goodness gracious, they did for ten years straight. They topped
the drama. It might even been in the last episode
(09:37):
of the season, but there was something the fence, jump,
the podium, getting moved, cheating, scandals, whatever it may be.
They topped it year every year year. And my stance,
and I think many people's stances, the popular stance, was
that trying to top drama year over year took away
(09:59):
from the show. It took away from what the show
was always about. It pushed away viewership. So now we're
not fixing that. Instead, we're going a whole different different
direction where we're saying, we're going polarizing. We're going to
a character to lead the show that is going to
be a shocking person for so many of your core audience,
(10:25):
which is middle us. So my question is where do
we go from here? This might be a great season.
I actually think it will be. I think they're going
to get a ton of viewers. I think it's going
to be captivating. I think my wife is going to
watch because she's following this stuff on TikTok. Interested in
it maybe is a word, But where do we go
(10:47):
from here?
Speaker 3 (10:47):
You're so right, You're so right, but you know, I
don't know. I feel like that's been a conversation for
a really long time, and they've been able to sustain.
They always figure something out, so I don't doubt that
they can't.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
Figure out where to go from here.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
But I, like I was trying to say, if I
didn't convey it clearly, is I just I feel like
the people who are traditional Bachelor og like you know,
and you don't have to have watched since the first season,
but who believe and watch because they love love like
(11:26):
I do. That's kind of like the you know, the
traditional Bachelor fan who like appreciate Ryan and I and
watch from the beginning and maybe not from the beginning,
but still appreciate it because it's love. I feel like
we've lost a lot of that because of the drama
(11:47):
I get. You know, I'm sure you do too, about
dms about the show. I get dms all the time,
or comments on any posts that I do related to
The Bachelor that say, you know, I don't watch since
whenever because there's just so much drama. It's just all
about all about the drama, like you said, the most
dramatic whatever, And so I feel like if they could
(12:11):
get back to just having it be about love. But
then there's like, well, is that going to be too boring?
I don't know, We'll have to find out. Like this season,
what's going to happen.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
The new area of television is definitely not what it
was when the love stories propelled the audience to watch.
I get that right, And that's why I think the
show probably is looking at this going we have to
figure out something because we have a franchise that is
super valuable and has a namesake and a brand that
(12:42):
we want to last for the next twenty years. And
what we've been doing isn't working right. The Zach Shawcross
and Katie Bigger seasons that are love stories at its
core didn't work right. Love them, They're great, but people
didn't in They aren't following along. Those storylines are not
(13:04):
compelling an audience to watch like we hoped and wanted.
So maybe the switch up will be what the franchise
needs and desires, but it's going to be hard to
top it. It's going to bring in a whole new audience.
It is going those those poor ladies from the nursing
(13:25):
home that's so many of us from the Bachelor franchise
would go and visit during the premiere dates and pass
out roses to these people are gone, like where the
franchise is saying goodbye to them. That makes me sad.
I think this is a night no matter what, this
is an announcement that is pivoting the franchise in a
(13:46):
new direction. Good or bad. We don't know yet. We
don't know. I'm not going to make that statement yet.
We don't know. But it's pivoting to having our first
celebrity announced as the leader a show, and not just
so celebrity, somebody who is polarizing to this audience, the
(14:06):
audience that has known the franchise.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
It is.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
It is a switch up. It is, it's a change.
There's gonna be a lot of catch up. There's gonna
be a lot of searches on Google of soft swinging
and what does that mean? And these seventy five to
eighty five year old people are going to be learning
about what it means to watch your partner have sex
with somebody, well with you, with somebody watching? Right? Is
(14:34):
that what this is make an appen?
Speaker 4 (14:36):
No, I don't think. I don't think soft swinging is watching.
It's just being with somebody else.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
No, it is watching Trista, It is watching yeah, you're
I mean it's watching. See you're learning as we go.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
I mean, I know about soaking, but I don't know
about soft swinging.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
I thought it was just you were allowed.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
It was like an open relationship agreement where you could
cheat on your partner, not cheat on your partner, but
you both agreed that you could go have relations with
somebody else. I thought it was like you just couldn't
have sex was the soft swinging part. I didn't know
that soft swinging meant you were watching.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Somebody could watch. You're still with your partner. Okay, you're
still with your partner, but somebody else can watch you.
Speaker 4 (15:29):
Oh lord, do you know or do you know what?
Do you know what soakin is?
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (15:33):
I do.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
I'd love you to try to explain that to the audience. Trista,
this is wild, I'm changing, this is a pivot, this
is a this is a whole new world.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
Yeah for us.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
To get behind. I'm telling you, though, there's a level
to me when like, I think my wife is going
to watch, I think millions are going to watch. I
think they're going to view it, they're going to be
entertained by it. I think they're ultimately my stance in
the show doesn't change. I hope she finds everlasting love
from this. Whatever agreement they have and whatever dance they
(16:18):
have in their relationship is not mine to interfere with totally.
I can be confused by it. I can be entertained
by it. I can be intrigued by it. I can
google as much as I want about what in the
world these terms mean and why they they invest into them.
But ultimately I can still root for Taylor Frankie Paul
(16:41):
to find everlasting love from this show. Yes, and in
the meantime, if it blows up on the way, so
be it.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Yeah, I'm wondering about the guys because like who is
going to be cast as her crew of men, you know,
and like are they gonna like swinging is gonna come
up in the conversations that are had on the show,
you know what I mean, It's going to be a conversation.
(17:12):
So are like there are going to be guys on
there that like want to participate with other guys on
the show, Like is that going to be a thing
that happens, like, you know, against.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
It could be the starting point to interest into a
whole new world. Yeah, The Bachelor I want to hear
the conversations. I want to hear the agreements. One thing
we know about the Bachelor franchise is they love to
overdo a storyline, and so we know that this is
going to be an overdone storyline throughout the season. There's
gonna be jokes, there's gonna be her promo video is
(17:46):
going to be outrageous.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Oh gosh, right, Yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Going to be so overdone to the point that we
as an audience become almost I'm in I don't know
whatever in the month is that this area is. I'm
wondering if I'll become desensitized to this Right now, it's
shocking to me. It's late, yeah, but it's shocking in
a lot of ways. I wonder in a few months
(18:12):
after this season's done, if I'm going to become desensitized
to the shock of these storylines, which will be very interesting.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
Because we all will do it's because yeah, you're right,
you're so right, And you know what, like this storyline,
like you said, it's behind closed doors.
Speaker 4 (18:33):
It's what they decided as a couple. Whatever.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
That's their that's their relationship, that's their life, and I
fully fully support her. I believe everyone deserves love, and
you know I'm here for it. I'm here to support
her as I do all of the Bachelorette leeds. But
I'm just really interested to see how she'll be like
(18:56):
not accepted, how she'll be portrayed, and how people will
will think of her and.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
What goes down.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
I mean, we're all gonna be talking about her around
the water cooler, that is for sure.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Hopefully the show brings in millions of new viewers and
we have another ten year run on the Almost Famous podcast,
because goodness gracious, it keeps the lights on in my house,
and I am thankful for that. No matter what's happening
behind the scenes, as long as this thing exists, I'm
gonna have a boy. The Bachelorette is rumored right now.
(19:31):
We don't have a clear date, but it's rumored to
be airing premiering early twenty twenty six. That's kind of
our guesses, so let's just keep it easy. Somewhere in
the first six months of twenty twenty six, The Bachelorette
with Taylor Frankie Paul as the lead, will be premiering
on ABC. Trista, thanks for jumping on so late. Tonight again,
(19:52):
we have a big announcement from the Secret Lives of
Mormon Wives. The lead, the mom talker, the one that
rings the headlines out, Taylor Frankie Paul is our next bachelorette.
I'm excited to meet her, a lot to learn along
the way, but I won't hold anything back and saying
(20:13):
I am surprised, I am shocked. I am very curious
about not just this season, but where the franchise goes
from here. Is this the new thing, Trista, where celebrities
become our leads, influencers become our leads for this franchise
for the next how many years? I'm curious. It seems
(20:37):
to be with the show's needing and wanting and desiring
and again, as long as they get viewers, we still exist.
And I'm here for that, Trista. Until next time. This
has been the Almost Famous podcast.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
I've Been Ben, I've Been Trista.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Follow the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast on
iHeartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
This is the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast
with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
It's almost Fens podcast. We're here tonight with a breaking episode.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Is late.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
It's so late, it's like morning time on the East
Coast and a little bit better in Mountain and Pacific time.
People are dreaming right now, but we're not because you
have some breaking news. Trista is here with me today
to break down this news. It's crazy and maybe that's
(00:32):
the name for the episode. This is crazy.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
Perfect title, Trista.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
You started this whole thing, so you're the blame at
some level. We're gonna announcement. Let me just name it here.
Taylor Frankie Paul is named the Bachelorette for season twenty two.
It's official. The next star the Bachelorette, Taylor Frankie Paul.
(01:02):
You may know her as the star of Hulu's Secret
Lives of Mormon Wives. She has a huge TikTok following.
In fact, I remember three years ago, I think laying
in a bed with my wife as she showed me
these tiktoks, trying to explain to me what in the
(01:23):
world all the fuss was about. Remember then thinking, goodness, gracious,
this is entertaining for no other reason than it's sometimes
enjoyable to live vicariously through other humans who seem to
love to mix life up in a way that I've
(01:43):
never been familiar with. Now, goodness gracious joining the franchise
Trista thoughts.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Okay, so let me just say that I don't watch,
or I haven't watched Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. I
know that it is extremely popular. I know that she
is extremely popular. She's a beautiful girl. I think she's
thirty one years old, has three gorgeous children. She I
(02:20):
was doing a little research with what Heather sent and
it seems she's been divorced twice and was involved in
what they're calling the soft swinging scandal.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
Do you know about that?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
I do, But I would love for you to explain
she's been divorced once.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
Just let you know you want me. Okay, she's been
divorced once.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
I would love for you to explain soft swinging to her.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
You so want me to explain, Okay.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
So what I don't understand is why is it soft
swinging compared to swinging? Just because they had an agreement
that they weren't going to have sex with the people
that they were swinging with. Is that what makes swinging? Yes, exactly.
So if they don't have sex with their swinging partner,
(03:11):
then that's called soft swinging.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
No penetration would be the official no penetration.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
I just feel like it will be very interesting to
me to see what happens. She is very popular. Secret
Lives is very popular. It's a Hulu show, so it
makes sense that she is, you know, coming over to
Bachelorette World. They've never had somebody who's famous right from
(03:41):
ever as a lead, have they?
Speaker 2 (03:44):
I mean they used to do. They used to do
like you know, back in your day. They're picking people
kind of.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
Out of the firestone.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Yeah, a prince a prince, true, but she's like pop
culture famous, you know, like ever had someone who's not
already been on the show. So it's a change. Who
is This is definitely a big change, And I will
be very very interested to see if Bachelor Nation rallies
(04:12):
around her or doesn't or actually doesn't watch because it's her,
because she does. We just found out both of us,
Ben and I don't watch the show. So this is all,
you know, coming from people who don't watch her show.
So I don't know her per se. I've never met her.
(04:35):
I don't follow her on TikTok, but I am going
to now or Instagram. I am very curious to know
whether people are going to be turned off by the
fact that she was in jail.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
All the show is used to this. We've had a
couple of we've had a couple of issues in the
last few years when it comes to legal matters. So
this show's cool with it.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
It's fine, okay, great, okay, great, great on legal matter
and then the winning thing.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Restraining right, Yeah, not a thing.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
The fact that she basically cheated on her husband even
though they were in an open relationship, but she cheated
on him because she.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
There was penetration.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
So I am really interested to just see how Bachelor
Nation reacts to it being her. Because she is part
of the ABC Hulu family and the show is really
really popular. My guess is that the older generation, like
my generation, may not watch, and then the younger generation,
(05:43):
who actually you know, they're big followers of her, are
going to watch because she's super famous in pop culture.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Okay, A couple thoughts. First, is a question to you,
when does she join the Bachelor at text chain.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
I'm literal.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Ohie was thinking this earlier. I'm like, how do we
get her number? I mean, I will just be texting
Millsie and say hey, we.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
Need to add her to the chain. She will be
added for sure.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Yeah, she's a part of She's a part of the group.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Now.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
I have a couple thoughts. From the small amount of
polls that I've taken. People are fans of her, so
that's great. I don't know enough to make a judgment
either way. It does seem to me trista people are
fans of her because I don't know how else to
say it. I'll say it and get in trouble for it.
She's messy. She's messy. That's how people know her from
(06:48):
her show and her current time is. People have followed
along because of the storylines that have existed around her,
right soft swinging, the arrest, the probation and the pause
in filming, to the chaos that's caused with other people
on her show. It's messy, I think, is the way
I'm going to say it. Get mad at me for
(07:09):
it if you don't feel that way. I don't know
enough to make a strong statement on this. I have
never known the Bachelorette to be cheered for and watched
because of messiness. I think that changes the franchise drastically.
The franchise has always been about a pursuit of love,
even if people that are watching really don't believe you
(07:30):
can fall in love with the amount of time that
it takes to film The Bachelorette, it has always been
at the core of it. People have tuned in as
a family with their moms, as a sister group, whatever,
because it's the romanticized idea that possibly something could work
from this show. Messiness has never been the core driver.
(07:50):
It might be this season. I'm not saying it's not
going to pick up attention. It's one hundred percent going
to pick up attention. Is that what we want? And
so my question for the audience for Taylor, for whoever
great Taylor, I'm welcoming you into this thing. I hope
you find love from this thing, if that's what you're
really after here. I don't want anybody to come on
(08:13):
this show and their lives become worse for it. That
is not the hope, that is not the dream. That
is not why we've done what we've done on this
show for the last ten years, So I'm getting behind you, kid,
But where does the franchise go from here? If this
is this launching pad for this new era of The
(08:34):
Bachelor and Bachelorette to bring in a whole new audience
of viewers that they need to do, I'm not mad
at them for changing this up. They had to change
it up. They have to try to hit a home
run here, because if they don't, I don't think we're
talking about The Bachelor in a year. I don't. I
think they're already showing warning signs of that. But where
(08:55):
does the franchise go from here? How do they top
a Taylor Frankie Paul? How do they have a season
that is going to be more polarizing than any season
we've probably seen before. That's why people are gonna watch it,
That's why people are going to tune in. How do
you top it year over year over year? Right, Trista,
(09:16):
the show failed? I would I think even when Chris
Harrison was the host, because the tagline became this is
the most dramatic season ever, and they always try to
top the drama year over year over year, and they did.
Goodness gracious, they did for ten years straight. They topped
the drama. It might even been in the last episode
(09:37):
of the season, but there was something the fence, jump,
the podium, getting moved, cheating, scandals, whatever it may be.
They topped it year every year year. And my stance,
and I think many people's stances, the popular stance, was
that trying to top drama year over year took away
(09:59):
from the show. It took away from what the show
was always about. It pushed away viewership. So now we're
not fixing that. Instead, we're going a whole different different
direction where we're saying, we're going polarizing. We're going to
a character to lead the show that is going to
be a shocking person for so many of your core audience,
(10:25):
which is middle us. So my question is where do
we go from here? This might be a great season.
I actually think it will be. I think they're going
to get a ton of viewers. I think it's going
to be captivating. I think my wife is going to
watch because she's following this stuff on TikTok. Interested in
it maybe is a word, But where do we go
(10:47):
from here?
Speaker 3 (10:47):
You're so right, You're so right, but you know, I
don't know. I feel like that's been a conversation for
a really long time, and they've been able to sustain.
They always figure something out, so I don't doubt that
they can't.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
Figure out where to go from here.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
But I, like I was trying to say, if I
didn't convey it clearly, is I just I feel like
the people who are traditional Bachelor og like you know,
and you don't have to have watched since the first season,
but who believe and watch because they love love like
(11:26):
I do. That's kind of like the you know, the
traditional Bachelor fan who like appreciate Ryan and I and
watch from the beginning and maybe not from the beginning,
but still appreciate it because it's love. I feel like
we've lost a lot of that because of the drama
(11:47):
I get. You know, I'm sure you do too, about
dms about the show. I get dms all the time,
or comments on any posts that I do related to
The Bachelor that say, you know, I don't watch since
whenever because there's just so much drama. It's just all
about all about the drama, like you said, the most
dramatic whatever, And so I feel like if they could
(12:11):
get back to just having it be about love. But
then there's like, well, is that going to be too boring?
I don't know, We'll have to find out. Like this season,
what's going to happen.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
The new area of television is definitely not what it
was when the love stories propelled the audience to watch.
I get that right, And that's why I think the
show probably is looking at this going we have to
figure out something because we have a franchise that is
super valuable and has a namesake and a brand that
(12:42):
we want to last for the next twenty years. And
what we've been doing isn't working right. The Zach Shawcross
and Katie Bigger seasons that are love stories at its
core didn't work right. Love them, They're great, but people
didn't in They aren't following along. Those storylines are not
(13:04):
compelling an audience to watch like we hoped and wanted.
So maybe the switch up will be what the franchise
needs and desires, but it's going to be hard to
top it. It's going to bring in a whole new audience.
It is going those those poor ladies from the nursing
(13:25):
home that's so many of us from the Bachelor franchise
would go and visit during the premiere dates and pass
out roses to these people are gone, like where the
franchise is saying goodbye to them. That makes me sad.
I think this is a night no matter what, this
is an announcement that is pivoting the franchise in a
(13:46):
new direction. Good or bad. We don't know yet. We
don't know. I'm not going to make that statement yet.
We don't know. But it's pivoting to having our first
celebrity announced as the leader a show, and not just
so celebrity, somebody who is polarizing to this audience, the
(14:06):
audience that has known the franchise.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
It is.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
It is a switch up. It is, it's a change.
There's gonna be a lot of catch up. There's gonna
be a lot of searches on Google of soft swinging
and what does that mean? And these seventy five to
eighty five year old people are going to be learning
about what it means to watch your partner have sex
with somebody, well with you, with somebody watching? Right? Is
(14:34):
that what this is make an appen?
Speaker 4 (14:36):
No, I don't think. I don't think soft swinging is watching.
It's just being with somebody else.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
No, it is watching Trista, It is watching yeah, you're
I mean it's watching. See you're learning as we go.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
I mean, I know about soaking, but I don't know
about soft swinging.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
I thought it was just you were allowed.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
It was like an open relationship agreement where you could
cheat on your partner, not cheat on your partner, but
you both agreed that you could go have relations with
somebody else. I thought it was like you just couldn't
have sex was the soft swinging part. I didn't know
that soft swinging meant you were watching.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Somebody could watch. You're still with your partner. Okay, you're
still with your partner, but somebody else can watch you.
Speaker 4 (15:29):
Oh lord, do you know or do you know what?
Do you know what soakin is?
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (15:33):
I do.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
I'd love you to try to explain that to the audience. Trista,
this is wild, I'm changing, this is a pivot, this
is a this is a whole new world.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
Yeah for us.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
To get behind. I'm telling you, though, there's a level
to me when like, I think my wife is going
to watch, I think millions are going to watch. I
think they're going to view it, they're going to be
entertained by it. I think they're ultimately my stance in
the show doesn't change. I hope she finds everlasting love
from this. Whatever agreement they have and whatever dance they
(16:18):
have in their relationship is not mine to interfere with totally.
I can be confused by it. I can be entertained
by it. I can be intrigued by it. I can
google as much as I want about what in the
world these terms mean and why they they invest into them.
But ultimately I can still root for Taylor Frankie Paul
(16:41):
to find everlasting love from this show. Yes, and in
the meantime, if it blows up on the way, so
be it.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Yeah, I'm wondering about the guys because like who is
going to be cast as her crew of men, you know,
and like are they gonna like swinging is gonna come
up in the conversations that are had on the show,
you know what I mean, It's going to be a conversation.
(17:12):
So are like there are going to be guys on
there that like want to participate with other guys on
the show, Like is that going to be a thing
that happens, like, you know, against.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
It could be the starting point to interest into a
whole new world. Yeah, The Bachelor I want to hear
the conversations. I want to hear the agreements. One thing
we know about the Bachelor franchise is they love to
overdo a storyline, and so we know that this is
going to be an overdone storyline throughout the season. There's
gonna be jokes, there's gonna be her promo video is
(17:46):
going to be outrageous.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Oh gosh, right, Yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Going to be so overdone to the point that we
as an audience become almost I'm in I don't know
whatever in the month is that this area is. I'm
wondering if I'll become desensitized to this Right now, it's
shocking to me. It's late, yeah, but it's shocking in
a lot of ways. I wonder in a few months
(18:12):
after this season's done, if I'm going to become desensitized
to the shock of these storylines, which will be very interesting.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
Because we all will do it's because yeah, you're right,
you're so right, And you know what, like this storyline,
like you said, it's behind closed doors.
Speaker 4 (18:33):
It's what they decided as a couple. Whatever.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
That's their that's their relationship, that's their life, and I
fully fully support her. I believe everyone deserves love, and
you know I'm here for it. I'm here to support
her as I do all of the Bachelorette leeds. But
I'm just really interested to see how she'll be like
(18:56):
not accepted, how she'll be portrayed, and how people will
will think of her and.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
What goes down.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
I mean, we're all gonna be talking about her around
the water cooler, that is for sure.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Hopefully the show brings in millions of new viewers and
we have another ten year run on the Almost Famous podcast,
because goodness gracious, it keeps the lights on in my house,
and I am thankful for that. No matter what's happening
behind the scenes, as long as this thing exists, I'm
gonna have a boy. The Bachelorette is rumored right now.
(19:31):
We don't have a clear date, but it's rumored to
be airing premiering early twenty twenty six. That's kind of
our guesses, so let's just keep it easy. Somewhere in
the first six months of twenty twenty six, The Bachelorette
with Taylor Frankie Paul as the lead, will be premiering
on ABC. Trista, thanks for jumping on so late. Tonight again,
(19:52):
we have a big announcement from the Secret Lives of
Mormon Wives. The lead, the mom talker, the one that
rings the headlines out, Taylor Frankie Paul is our next bachelorette.
I'm excited to meet her, a lot to learn along
the way, but I won't hold anything back and saying
(20:13):
I am surprised, I am shocked. I am very curious
about not just this season, but where the franchise goes
from here. Is this the new thing, Trista, where celebrities
become our leads, influencers become our leads for this franchise
for the next how many years? I'm curious. It seems
(20:37):
to be with the show's needing and wanting and desiring
and again, as long as they get viewers, we still exist.
And I'm here for that, Trista. Until next time. This
has been the Almost Famous podcast.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
I've Been Ben, I've Been Trista.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Follow the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast on
iHeartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
Hosts And Creators
Lauren Zima
Chris Harrison
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