Coast is Clare

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Benn and Ashley I almost famous podcast
with our radio. Oh my gosh, Ashley, there's so much
to talk about this week. Every single week there is
a top pop culture headline that comes out of the show. Yeah,
there is. But like, here's the thing. We're gonna break
down this week's episode, and we're gonna do it in
a way that we've never done it before. I have

(00:22):
some strong opinions about this week's episode, like strong opinion.
Oh yeah, from the group date from Um, you know
how Claire handled some of these breakups. I mean I
would I think, uh that a fan favorite initially got
let go. We have to talk about that. I mean,
he was your fame because he was like aesthetically pleasing exactly.

(00:44):
So let's let's we're gonna talk all about this. In
addition to that, Uh, it's great to be here with you.
Um is another week of Claire season. This is week two.
We were excited to be with all of you listeners,
and uh, I think we dive into it with a story.
UM that is that is not fun to talk about,
but it is one that has been all over the

(01:05):
headlines and and really all of the headlines this week
in multiple ways. The story is this Ashley a Bear
and JP Rosenbaum split after eight years of marriage. The
quote is this, our differences have taken a toll. This
was so crazy last week when this broke was probably

(01:25):
on Wednesday. I'm just like texting all of my friends.
It's everywhere on Instagram and on Twitter. And it's funny
because like, these two have lived relatively private lives for
I'd definitely almost since they got married, right, Uh, they
you know, continue with their regular jobs. She's a dentist,
he worked in construction. And it's amazing how connected we

(01:51):
feel to these people that we were introduced to on
the show. But even even though we haven't seen them
for so long. I remember being in the Bachelor mansion
on Chris Souls this season and she was do with
the first baby any moment and the girls in the
house where like, you guys have to let us know
when she has the baby, and it was like a
big deal, and she had the baby, and it's just

(02:14):
crazy to think that was six years ago and we
still feel very attached to their love story even though
it aired ten years ago. It's uh, yeah, you know,
it is weird and and I know you. You and
I have talked about before, like when we break down
couples who have been married from the franchise, they're always
brought up, but there's this mystery behind like around them,

(02:36):
right like they're celebrated, they're they're they're beloved UM and
completely respected within Bachelor Nation, but there's always been a
mystery behind them because I don't know, call it like
the first generation kind of a bachelor and bachelor It's
like they kind of sat in that generation where where
you couldn't keep up with their daily lives via social media. Yeah,

(02:56):
they definitely had more privacy, they weren't there still to
this day, aren't expected to be sharing so much of
their relationship. Yeah, definitely. Yeah, so it's it's pre social media,
but they're still known. And this headline came out and
and it came out of nowhere. I mean obviously we
we wouldn't be in the know and we wouldn't have

(03:16):
had like hints at this um and they have asked
everybody to respect their privacy. So you know, let's not
jump into details about it. But as the week went on,
we do have some headlines that were reported from US Weekly. Uh,
their house when on the market for one point one
million in Pine Crest, Florida. They have came out publicly
with a statement. From everything I know, and I've only

(03:40):
met JP and Ashley one time. Uh, JP especially is
a voice that I know a lot of guys within
the franchise still listened to and still lean on, like
he was a guy that they really respected. Not to
say that one person is more motion the other one,
but jps Instagram message about this was a was a

(04:00):
little bit more detailed. I feel like it was slightly
more heartfelt and not. But yeah, here we are. We're
going to speculate. We are a podcast talk about hot
topics of postnations. So I'm sorry that we're going to
speculate a little bit. But I had my sister, you know,
my sister read the messages that they had on Instagram

(04:21):
and the press release and all that, and then she said,
it sounds like politics. To me, it sounds like they
were disagreeing in politics. And then, um, I sent the
article to my best friend who I watched that season
like so wholeheartedly with, and she said, separately, it sounds
like politics. And then I was like, oh, wow, that's
so interesting. And then I read it again, and I'm like,

(04:42):
maybe it is, Maybe it was. Maybe in this divisive
climate that we are that we're living in, it's interesting.
I mean, we've we've seen this now a couple of times.
We've heard stories about this, and I think this is
a good time to throw to our listeners. UM, listeners
who are in relationships or or even if you aren't,
please email us at ben in Ashley i heeart media

(05:03):
dot com or hashtag us Almost Famous Podcast. Do you
feel like now more than ever, for however old you are,
you've obviously seen and been a part of an election cycle? Uh,
do you feel like now things are more divisive than
ever and so divisive that they could cause internal conflict
within your relationship? I mean, this is a serious question

(05:24):
that I think we're hearing about, especially in Bachelor Nation,
where couples are splitting or couples are having these disagreements. Uh.
And then the follow up question that if you could
write us, how do you work through these massive issues
if both sides are very passionate about one side or
the other. This is Uh, this is something that could
be helpful not only for us, but also I think

(05:45):
our listeners and I think we should totally mention that
both of them made a very big deal to the
fact that there was no one moment, no incident that
broke up this marriage. And while it seems sudden to
us as fans, it's a no, it was in no
way a sudden thing for them. They said, it's that

(06:06):
they're The tension between them or their their arguments have
been lasting for years and now they just don't feel
like it's a healthy environment for their children to be
living in. Well, uh, we're wishing them the best, it's
super said. Um, it's never it's never ideal to hear this,
but we wish them both. Um, you know, I don't.

(06:27):
I guess I don't even know what to say in
in the midst of a split, but it's it's what
I do know is we wish them both that this
is the right decision for them, and that they're both
able to move forward, um and still have a life
that is healing and they can process all this and
move on in whatever way they choose to. But it
is a shock to the system, I think, Uh, I

(06:50):
think I would say that for me, it was a
shock to the system to see this coming through. It
was not what I expected um at all. Well, speaking
of things not expected, uh uh. I think Clear season,
we're getting the more as we go on through the podcast.
We're gonna break it down later on with Michelle Money
and Ashley and I are going to break it down.
But Claire season is definitely a shock to the system

(07:11):
as well. It feels like we're getting we're hinting at
something that we've never seen before. In fact, Claire speaks
to it. She says, um she was asked a question
about how she blew up the Bachelorette and her quote is,
I didn't let anybody tell me what to do this
according to people, Yeah, she said, I didn't let anybody
tell me what to do because I know what's best
for myself. She said that she did do what she

(07:35):
wanted to do. Looking back on her season, she has
no regrets. Uh. She said that she wasn't talked into
or even encouraged to do something that she didn't want
to do. And she says that she thinks that, um,
it goes so far in the world of the Bachelor
because of the past that people always wonder did the
producers make you do this? And she says that never

(07:57):
once did I do something that I didn't want to do.
This was the season that I got to do things
my own way. So I mean that's great. I think
that with this season, especially being that there's this major,
uh teased twist in the middle of it, I think
a lot of people are going to think, like, oh,
like what she was being a diva? She you know,

(08:18):
they probably wanted her out of it and they encouraged
her to go one direction to the other. Or even
in last night's episode, Um, you see the way that
she reacts to the guys, um when they didn't stand
up and asked to have time with her, and part
of me even things like did somebody set her off

(08:40):
behind the scenes even more than what we just saw,
because like that was a very big reaction. Um. But
she's saying here that like everything was her her say,
her decision. Yeah, I mean, we we knew we were
going to get something unique with clear Like we knew
this was going to look different in a lot of ways.
She's been around the show for years now. She knows

(09:01):
how it works, she knows um what she wants. I
mean we see her saying it on you know, on
the teaser of the episode, like she's here for one
reason because she hasn't settled before. She doesn't want to
settle now. And we're definitely seeing a new type of
lead this season, Like Claire is definitely um more outspoken
from the get go. Uh, she definitely has a direction

(09:25):
in mind. You can see that like, Hey, I want
this to go this way, and if you're not on
board with that, like I'm gonna ask you to go home.
And I don't know what it means when she blew
up the Bachelorette, but I I'm I'm now intrigued more
than ever with how she's kind of walking through this
season and knowing that, like the rumors out there that

(09:46):
she blew up the Bachelorette, Like was this part of
her doing? Was this forced onto her? You know? Did
this come out of nowhere? Like I'm super interested in
the storyline now to see how did this culminate to
an end for Claire if it did, and was is
it something that ended happily for her or not? Yeah,
it's almost like she's jumping the gun here by saying, like,

(10:07):
what you're going to see unfold in the next couple
of weeks was me it was? Don't ever think that
it was it was, Yeah, that's interesting. Well, uh, you
know Tassia Adams, who are rumored to step in at
some point. We still don't know if that's true or
not or anything about that. But Tashia Adam weighs in
on this and she says, uh, weighs in on Clear
season and says, it's just like a bizarre event watching

(10:30):
this season unfold. She she says a couple of things like,
it's it's weird to see people kiss, It's weird to
see people get close to each other. I agree, that's
been odd. Like I mean, even when I'm watching movies
that were recorded and even like put Out to Fear
as pre COVID anything on TV where people are like
in close proximity to each other, I'm like, what, you

(10:52):
gotta back up. There's like there's this little thing in
my head that's just like bbbb back up. Uh. It
just feels weird. But but with the bad to right,
I mean, I feel like it's not as weird because
you you just they were so open about the steps
that they went through. But the Chase is saying, it
is funny the way that we are finally able to
see human interaction on TV without mass without separation. And
I don't think we can, like as fans, just completely

(11:15):
forget that these people were locked in quarantine no matter what,
for months leading up to this show. So like there
is a lot of like built up energy and there
is a lot of like I would say this. I mean,
I don't know if you feel this way, actually, but
like talking to people right out of quarantine felt weird,
like in person, like I had a hard time making
eye contact. I had a hard time like yeah, like

(11:38):
it was weird because I spent so much time alone
and so much time like locked in the house that
when I was introduced to the public again, it took
me a bit to kind of get my like social skills.
I guess if you want to call them that, like
back and what's his name? Is it Brandon? Maybe Brandon
suffered from this, Yeah, could be look to was that

(12:00):
were it's super prockerad. We'll get into that in a
little bit. And I mean it's it is true, like ash,
It's just it's a weird show to be watching right
now because it's going against everything we're used to in
the world. We're getting used to masks, we're getting used
to not hugging, getting used to not hands. We can't
even handshake. These people are making out and I'm watching
it's going whoa, Like this feels like hard to watch

(12:24):
more than ever. It's always hard for me to watch.
I always have to look through my hands the way
it is. But like it feels weirder now because we're
just not used to it. Yeah, I got it, um
recently or because we move on to the next headline
that I feel like, I don't know if I'm gonna
be able to articulate this. Well, I have a lot
of feelings about it. Yeah, I know you would, and

(12:44):
hopefully you hopefully you can talk about it better than
I can. But go for it. Read the headline. Yeah,
So actually I want to put you on the spot
a little because I want to understand who he's coming from.
Well you can, you can, but I'll understand. I'll let
you know why. Here the headline eat this bachelor at
front runner. Dale Moss, who we've seen a lot of
in the first couple of weeks of this season, said

(13:06):
he wants a Ryan Seacrest career in recent interviews. So
my first thought to this is, um, you know, if
I'm if I'm gonna be negative it's Hey, let's not
like Ryan Seacrest has worked his butt off to get
where he's at, so like, this doesn't come easy, not
staring saying Dale is not willing to work that hard,
but like Ryan has grinded for years of his life,

(13:28):
and he is a busy, busy man. He is probably
the busiest man a ton part of life. So yeah,
I mean, like that's a big statement. Now, obviously Dale
is shooting for the stars. Ashley to understand where Dale
is coming from, because I think for most listeners immediately
they go, hey, uh, this feels weird because he went

(13:50):
on a show and he's already talking about like kind
of what's next now to relate with this though, Actually,
you went on the show excited about the opportunity, but
you've been very open about it. Hey, you have you
have your masters and journalism. Uh, you really wanted this
to help your career. You weren't against idea of finding love.
Obviously you found love on it, but you really wanted

(14:12):
this to be an enhancement to the things that you've
always dreamed of. So when you read this headline as
somebody that can relate, what's your first thought, Well, I
don't know if it's my first thought, but when I
think deeply on it, I have to say that I
would be completely hypocritical if I was saying this sounds
like he's there for the wrong reasons. This is how

(14:33):
I always always articulated it, and I hope this is
how Dale feels. I said, yes, I just graduated with
my masters and broadcast journalism I used. I wanted to
go on the show to gain a platform for doors
to open for me in that field. However, I always
said that if I met my husband and that wasn't

(14:55):
the direction that our life was pointed in together, and
I met him on the show, I definitely said that
I would drop that dream and have my ultimate dream,
which would be to have to be married and have
a family. So I prioritize love and family marriage over

(15:17):
the career aspirations going into the show. But I said, hey,
the more realistic the way of thinking about going to
the show is that you're not going to find your
person through it, but you're gonna, you know, gain a
lot of character skills. Perhaps that you're going to travel,
make friendships, get experience, get out of your comfort zone. Um,

(15:41):
but I know it's unrealistic especially on The Bachelor, to
be like, I'm going to be the one of the
thirty that ends up with this person and then not
only ends up with him at the end of the show,
but like ends up actually getting married. So I had
like a realistic approach and then like a dream approach
to it, and amazing, I ended up with both. Yeah.

(16:03):
I know, I'm definitely an exception to the rule there,
and as I am in many instances. So I guess
the bottom line is I hope that Dale has the
same sort of intentions. Of course, like I don't think
that you should completely abandon any career aspirations for a relationship.
I think you should find a relationship that allows you
to do both, which is how I should have been

(16:25):
thinking and feeling beforehand too. But yeah, so I hope
Dale it's prioritizing Claire and whatever may come of their
life if they end up together together, then he is
prioritizing becoming the next Ryan Seacrest, because I at the
time when I signed up for the show was like,
I hope to be the next Juliana Ransack or Maria Minnos. Yeah.

(16:48):
Well right, I also, uh, and I didn't realize this,
but as this headline came out, there's obviously an article
about Dale, and it's he says that he is obviously
a model, that we knew that, but I didn't realize
that he was a sports and entertainment host. That was
something I didn't know was on his resume and I

(17:08):
didn't know that was what he was working for. You know,
I think for me, this comes at a weird time
because we're seeing clips of the men getting upset with Dale.
We see clips of the men saying Dale is not
who you think he is, and so, like I'm on
edge right now, right like Claire is a friend, she
he obviously is the front runner. It's not a secret

(17:29):
to anybody that he's the front runner. And so, like
we said last week, like it targets on his back.
He's going to be criticized for everything. We'll see how
this plays out. But the hope is that like he's
in this uh for Claire, and if a career comes
from it, which it has for me, it has for you,
and that's fantastic, then great, But um let's make sure

(17:53):
that the priorities online because I know you and I
gave it about our best shots also to to find
love or to at least progresses person and this wasn't
a career like ambition first and foremost. Yes, and I
always say this season after season, But there is some
sort of magic of being in the Bachelor bubble, and

(18:13):
that is even when COVID's not around. That if you
are in the Bachelor bubble, you're filming and you are
not thinking mostly about the person there, and you're thinking
more about the after effects of what the show can
get you afterward, then I think that's the definition of
not being there for the right reasons. If you're not

(18:35):
totally your your thoughts aren't completely consumed by that one person,
and that could I'd say, Yep, you probably shouldn't be
there anymore. We haven't heard the right reasons deal in
a while yet, but it will come. It will um,
it will come, and it's always interesting when it happens,
and it's always interesting now when it happens because it

(18:56):
was social media, like a lot of people aren't there
for the right reasons. We know that now their feelings
may enhance and it might change to be there for
the right reasons over time. But I think I do.
I think it would be crazy to go on the
show going, Oh my gosh, I'm going on this to
find my wife. I'm going on this to find my husband.
Because the chances that you do that are so low. However,
they're always the backup plan, and sometimes that backup plan

(19:18):
uh is the only thing you walk away from uh
the show with. So we'll see how this plays out.
Interesting headline from et uh Now Ashley, we're gonna move
in here, Claire season something. We're gonna break down here
in just a bit and uh and we're really excited
to do so. This episode really, like I said, really
sparked um some deep thoughts in me. But before we

(19:39):
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(20:00):
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com slash famous. Well skipping away from Clear Season for
a bit, moving on to another season that we do

(21:49):
now know is filming. Uh, Matt James's Bachelor season again
is filming right now, and we know a lot Ashley,
what do we know about Matt james A season. Well,
we know allegedly that it's recording the entire ship bang
at nimicolon Woodland Resort in Pennsylvania. And Jason Tartik said

(22:12):
that he is a fan of this vacation spot, and uh,
it's it looks beautiful in pictures. I think it's gonna
be a really nice fall setting. Um, you know we're
used to seeing like l A. This season, we're gonna
see all of Palm Spring or you know, we're gonna
the entire season is saying taking place in Palm Springs. Uh,
So I think it'll be nice to kind of change

(22:34):
up the atmosphere a bit. They're going if you go online, basically,
this is where all the rumors have come from. If
you go online and try to book stay at the
resort in any time in October and November, you can't
book it. So people are like, oh, that's a red flag.
Plus it's a pretty strong sign. Maybe it's on a

(22:56):
red flag is a strong sign. And uh we know
that the production has a relationship with the Nemicolon resort
because they filmed an episode of Joe Joe Season there.
If you guys remember this is where I think this
is where Chad had like the moment where he had
the two on one and they were in the creek
and he said, milk is delicious and then he like

(23:16):
kind of tried to go back to the guy's cabin
house thing and like scare them. Uh So, so it's
kind of an epic place. It's kind of a place
in Bachelor history already. Well, and it's a huge compliment too,
like the resort if The Bachelor goes Okay, we have

(23:37):
one season to film that we have to be in
a bubble. Let's choose this place in Pennsylvania. Like, what
a compliment to them as a resource. So it's got
to be beautiful, it's got to sit up right for
what they want. I'm excited to watch it. I mean
it's kind of going to be like a three month
long commercial, uh from the McCollen resort. But like, if
it's beautiful and it's well done, I mean, it's impressive

(23:58):
that the show can kind of pull it off. So
we do know that. We also know that it has
kind of been released that forty three suitors, that there's
forty three potential suitors for Matt James this season. We
ABC hasn't released them officially yet, um, but we are
getting probably pretty close to that. As soon as Clear
season gets a little bit farther along, we'll probably release

(24:21):
probably mid December. I feel like that's when they usually
announced the Bachelor Girls and uh, they say that the
season is on track to air out a regular schedule,
which would be probably the first week of January. And
I've said it before. I mean I've gotten to talk
to Matt. Matt is I think he's gonna be great.
I'm really excited for his season. I know it's gonna
be a little bit weird for him because he's never

(24:42):
been on the show before. I think we're all going
to have to kind of expect kind of that newbie
feel and him getting a little nervous and a little anxious.
I think he's gonna do fantastic and uh, and I
mean I'm excited that, you know, the season gets to
play out. I you know, I was nervous maybe a
couple months ago that this was never going to happened
for him or Claire. But now we have confirmed that

(25:03):
they have started filming. So far, so good. No big
news from there, but there is big news from Bachelor
Nation with the lead of the show. Yes, the one
that keeps everything moving, the man who is famous for
helping singles navigate the ups and downs of relationships and
trying to match people together. Well, he is matched together. Uh.

(25:23):
Bachelor Chris Harrison says that quarantining with his girlfriend was
a kind of a godsend and his girlfriend is Yes,
Lauren Sima. Yeah. Chris and Lauren have been together for
almost two and a half years, and the two of
them are constantly on the go, whether it's actually traveling
or just working NonStop. Both of them are kind of workaholics.

(25:44):
Lauren gets excited about going to work every day. I
talked to her about this. I'm like, you're telling me
that you don't get like kind of annoyed that you
have to get in the car, get to be constantly
camera ready, that you're going this way in that way
in l A traffic. And She's like, no, I get
like a high off it. I love going to work
every day. I feel like Chris does feel the same.
So I'm thinking that the reason that he says it's
a godsend is that it really pushed He says, it

(26:08):
pushed the pause button for them. They got to spend
a lot of intimate time together and it was great.
But yeah, it was just really nice for them to
be able to have this time together instead of being
these busy bees all the time, right, I mean, it
is it's a change of rhythm, it's a change of
pace for them. They both get each other's lifestyles, which
is important, and I think, uh, they support each other's lifestyles.

(26:29):
There into you know, two different careers, but both within entertainment.
Both have a lot of demands on them and it's
great to see. I mean, honestly, as somebody who has
a lot of respect for both of them. Lauren Zima
was my very first interview when I became the Bachelor,
and Chris is obviously somebody that just means a ton
to me as a human and he's been great to
me on and off camera. Uh, it's just good to

(26:51):
see them happy and smiling and enjoying each other's company. UM,
I'll be honest, I never saw this coming, like when
they announced that, I never like saw this becoming a couple,
But now that it has, it makes a lot of sense.
And Uh, if you can make it through quarantine, you
can make it through a lot of things. And I'm
pumped that this is the headline where Chris says it's

(27:12):
a godsen to be with Lauren because he spent a
few years of his life single. And you know what
that's like. You get used to it, you get used
to kind of just doing your own thing when you
want to do it. But it's obviously working for the
both of them. I feel for them, being that they
are going to be really apart for the next two months,
probably like they have never been apart. I think that
when he was in Palm Springs he saw her a

(27:34):
couple of times. Um, when he brought his son to
college in Texas. Well, somebody who is another fan favorite,
and I would say another leader of the franchise. Uh.
Emily Maynard gives birth to baby number five, her fourth
child with husband Tyler Johnson. This according to an US article,

(27:56):
This was crazy. So Emily posted on Instagram a couple
of days go saying like here comes number five. And
I think some of us were like, Okay, so she's
announcing that she's pregnant. Well, little did we know she
was pretty much in labor with number five at that point. Yeah,
and she delivered the day after that post, or at

(28:16):
least she announced the birth of their daughter, um right
after the post. And man, five kids. She's thirty four,
thirty four, so she's a young mom. Got her hands full.
This is her fourth child with her husband Tyler. Like
Ben said, and um, she posted some one Instagram the
way the she had a c section and she posted

(28:38):
some of her reactions. And Emily rocks. We wish we
could have her on the podcast sometimes she's she's hard
one to get ahold of. I'll tell you that. Yeah,
she said, Well she's a busy understandably, so a busy mom. Well,
more baby news. We've talked to Leslie Murphy quite recently
about her announcement that that you know, her and Alex,
her fiance, have moved to Arkansas. That also she was pregnant,

(29:01):
and now she's revealed the sex of the baby and
the future child of Alex and Leslie will be a girl,
a girl, so the two of them. She surprised him
in a little gender reveal. He came home one day
and she had a whole bunch of balloons, a pink

(29:22):
confetti and uh, yeah, she's surprised him right there at
the door. A lot of surprises for Alex, a lot
of surprises. We were you guys, remember he was. He
threw up after he found out that he was having
a child. So that was a happy throw of two.

(29:42):
I think, a very joyful a very joyful release of
the system to say, Okay, well things are gonna be
changing a bit. Uh, they will have a baby girl.
Congratulations to them and uh and also congratulations to Courtney Robertson.
You remember her. Uh she uh again was a very
popular name in the bachelor nation. Uh she uh now

(30:05):
is is married to her fiancee and uh and they
are celebrating as we speak. Yep, they got married. At
this past weekend. They just had their baby boy. I
think it's been about four months ago. So they had
a Corrantine. You know, they had a COVID wedding. It

(30:25):
was a I'm sure a very intimate h ordeal. It's uh,
it's something exciting. There's a lot of great news and
Batchel Nation. Obviously some sad ones as well. Um, but
we are moving on from hot topics. We're gonna take
a break first. When we come back, we're gonna have
Grocery Store Joe on the podcast talking about some things

(30:49):
he's been up to recently and what dating is like
outside of television. We'll be back with the Almost Famous
podcast as promised. We won't keep you waiting any longer.
A fan favorite has been around a bit. We've seen

(31:09):
him on Dancing with the Stars, We've seen him on Paradise.
We've also seen him for just a brief period of
time on the Bachelor, and uh, he's so much more
than all those things we know him as grocery Store Joe. Joe,
Welcome to almost name his podcast. Thank you, thank you
for having me. I'm excited to be here. Oh, we
are so excited to have you here. Joe, So, I'm

(31:30):
sure you're aware actually in JP split this week? Are
They announced their split this week and they cite differences
that they just could not get over. Um, you and
Kendall split because you just could not You could not
live in l A. And she she could not live
in Chicago. Do you do you feel this on a

(31:53):
certain level. I came right out of it. I'm sorry,
h R. That's fair. That's fair. Um, I mean listen,
I mean Kendall and I did it for a year
and a half. We weren't married, we didn't have kids, um,

(32:15):
and you know, we we broke up. I think there
was other things just besides location. Ashley and JP they
have two children. They were married for what but eight years?
Your relationships, so, I mean I could relate in the
breakup sense of it, but um, there's clearly deeper than ours. Yeah,

(32:42):
there's obviously. I mean, anytime there's a breakup, there's a
thousand reasons why, and some of them you don't even know,
like it's just like a feeling or you're just not
seeing out an eye. Now, Joe, we we fired out
of the gate with this because that's obviously a popular topic. Um,
it's one that's been all over you know, the I
guess the gossip headlines here in the last couple of weeks.

(33:03):
You're starting a project right now to cover these exact topics. Right.
It's called Clickbait. Uh, it's a new podcast. Tell everybody
about what this is and what they can look forward to.
So Clickbait I have two co hosts from Bachelor Nation,
Hannah and Sluss and Tatia Adams, and we are a
pop culture podcast that clicks through all the headlines so

(33:26):
you don't have to. That's our little clickbait saying. But
we'd like to get deeper. We want to have real
conversations with each other, see how we could relate to
what is going on in pop culture. I think pop
culture has shaped all of us in a certain way.
And a question we'd like to ask that I kind
of want to throw it back to you guys, what
is a pop culture moment that has shaped your life?

(33:48):
I know mine, go for it. A few years ago,
it was announced that Kid Rock was going to run
for president and I had a freak out moment, just
completely lost my mind. I was like, he has a
chance of winning, Like people could actually vote Kid Rock
in the office and that would be really, really scary.
So I think it was the first time in my
life that like pop culture also felt like it directly

(34:10):
affected my life, like it could actually have a uh
some type of recourse on my day to day life.
And it made me realize that pop culture actually at
some level is pretty important because it shapes culture, shapes
are understanding and also can at times cross over to
affect our daily lives. And that's my big moment that
I'll never forget because I could not understand how this

(34:32):
was happening. Okay, that's a good one. Um. Mine is
definitely the Jonas brothers being open about being virgins um
when they were, you know, in their upper teens and
early twenties and you know they're they're wearing of their
purity rings made me feel a lot more included a
lot less weird when it came to waiting for sex myself.

(34:57):
Can I can I add one more? Yeah? One, that's
that's fairly recent because I just have a lot of
respect and I'll be honest, I wasn't a huge fan
of this um for a while, and I'm sorry. I
felt fairly convicted this week personally about pop culture and
I don't feel that way often. And this is how
and why Justin Bieber song Lonely on SNL. As I

(35:18):
listened to the words and I hear his cry, and
I've seen his life and I've seen kind of how
he's trying to navigate child stardom to becoming an adult
and becoming a husband, his song Lonely for Me really
struck with me because it made me realize that, yes,
you know, I always say and preach it on here,
like people on this show are real people too, and
I and Justin Bieber and like those A list celebrities

(35:39):
kind of always like I just feel even above that,
And that song Lonely this week has sat in my
heart all week because it just made me realize that
this kid was a star and he felt lonely, and
as a thirty one year old man, I feel lonely
too sometimes based on the criticism, judgments and being pushed

(36:01):
aside and like, so that's one moment for me to
again crossed over to my life. And I'm I don't
know if I'll ever forget that performance on SNL this week,
because it just like it brought me to tears. Yeah,
do you guys let the criticism get to you. For me,
it's just like a quick vent session, Like it could
just be like five or ten minutes. If I'm reading

(36:21):
message boards and I've vented out and then I'm done
with it. I really don't let it sink in. Um. Yeah,
I I actually I am with you. Actually, that's kind
of if I if I start reading, it'll be like
a five ten minute thing and then I just I
go on with my life. Yeah, it hits me hard.
I'm not made for it. I'm not I get it.

(36:42):
I get it. And and you see the way it
affects people and people that people from the franchise that
we know how affective they are from it. So I
wanted to ask you, knowing that you had this podcast,
what is a pop culture event that's happened since you've
been doing it that you've just been like this is
wacky or one that you just felt uncomfortable talking about.

(37:08):
You know something I just read and I was reading
I think it was on TMZ posted it, but there
was They called him and social media influencer. I think
he's from I think you Poland and he just passed
away of coronavirus. But the way they headed it was

(37:29):
social media influencer jokes about coronavirus now passes away from it.
Like it's like, how insensitive is that headline? Like this
guy joked about it. Ah, now you're dead. It's like,
I don't know, I just I found that that kind
of disturbed me a little bit. Yeah, very click baity.

(37:53):
Yeah that is very quick baity. That's true, it is,
but it isn't sensitive, Joe. I. We've done this podcast
for a bit. Uh, Ashley and I are always messing
up and learning and messing up and learning, and it's
just like part of the rhythm and the cycle. It's
made me, I think a better, better person for it.
But you're diving into like some really controversial topics. You're

(38:15):
discussing topics that are are definitely I'm not going to
think of a better word here, uh, but like it's
their triggers for a lot of people. How what is
your kind of strategy? What is your method behind approaching
these topics talking about them without like really messing up
the masses. Yeah that's um yeah, because a lot of

(38:38):
the topics are definitely heavier topics. I I kind of
you know, I'm thirty four years old, I trust who
I am and I trust my opinion. So I feel
like I'm always coming from a good place or a
place where I'm at least trying to learn. So I

(38:59):
trust at how I answer, Like I trust myself to
answer pretty much anything because I trust who I am. Yeah,
It's it's gonna be an interesting ride for you and
your co host. What's the chemistry gonna be like there?
I mean you Ashley and I, Uh, it's taken a while.
We've always had chemistry and we've always gotten along really well,

(39:21):
but like three years and we're better now than we
were three years ago because our chemistry build. How what's
your plan for building this chemistry with Hannayan and Tasha. Yeah,
something that I love working with them is every podcast
that we do, you could feel it, like you could
feel the chemistry growing and we're we're picking up on

(39:43):
our you know, the different sense of humorous and just
who we are as people. So it's exciting to actually
grow with the team. Um, but it's I mean, doing
it over zoom definitely makes it more difficult. Like I
feel like it would be even that much better quicker
if we were together in a room. But I mean

(40:04):
these are the times we're living here right now. So um,
I'm just excited to keep growing with them and learning
more about that because we're totally get the zoom issue.
How do you deal with somebody who is a click
baity hot topic herself Tasha and not address the elephant
in the room. Uh see, Ashley, I don't really know

(40:27):
what you're talking about there, because right now you know
I I don't know. I don't know what's going on
with Tasha. She right now is my friend and my
co host, and she's just a great person. I don't know.
Let's let's let's ask this question. Then. Is she glowing
that she seemed more happy than usual? Is their age

(40:49):
like a bachelor at just like, for example, like a
bachelor at type shine to Tasia right now that we
haven't seen before. Tasha is always glowing and she's always smiling.
And I don't know if they choose if if she
becomes I don't know what she's gonna becoming. She becomes
the bachelorette, who knows, but I think she'd be great

(41:11):
at it. Speaking of bachelorettes, have you spoken to Caitlin
at all about her dancing with the Star's Journey since
you were such a success on that show. And I
say that partial sarcasm, because you got pretty far despite
you even being self admittedly not the greatest dancer. No,
it was definitely not the greatest dancer. But it's all

(41:31):
about the scoreboard, and I made it pretty damn I've
I have not spoken with Caitlin. I spoke with Jason
a few times. I'm friends with Jason. I don't really
know Caitlin on that level, but it seems like she's
doing great. Like she's got she gets good scores every week,
she looks good, she's a good dancer. She is and
and Joe, I I was enjoyed watching you. Um you're like,

(41:53):
you know, I don't know you're older than me, but
you kind of felt like the little brother I was
always cheering for each week, like, hey, don't don't mess up,
try your best, keep smiling. You're gonna be fine. Yeah, Joe,
let's move into dating now. And I know this is
a topic that you've opened up to to some people
about recently. What is dating like outside of this bachelor world? Okay,

(42:20):
let's talk about that. Since COVID nineteen it definitely makes
it more difficult but being a guy coming off of
a show that's watched by mainly women, dating isn't the
hardest thing, you know. I mean it's not. It's definitely not.
It's definitely not the hardest thing. I am someone who

(42:43):
likes it to happen organically, So I like to be
at a restaurant or a bar around the street and
have more of a situation where I approach the woman.
Because of the climate we're living in, that that makes
it more difficult. So yeah, I mean it's just not
that hard. Okay, Okay, So this is fair to say

(43:07):
that you've gone on a date since Kendall. Yeah, I
mean I've been on a few dates, I um and
very you know, very cool girls. I just I haven't
I'm not dating anyone right now, but I like to.
I mean, I'm not looking to be a single forever. Now.
We know that you were a super shy guy going

(43:29):
into the show, and like we've joked about this on
the podcast, how like you are a hard interview at first,
and now you've really come into your own How does
Joe grocery store Joe grocery Store, Romabla, How does he
approach a girl out of bar? Like, is it like
an all shucks type of thing, well shock? Or is

(43:51):
it smooth moves? Um? Well, yeah, you know what. I
was definitely. I know I was a hard interviewee at
the beginning because I was I'm not really a shy person,
but I was very nervous because I remember going on
almost famous podcasts and sitting there like freaking out inside
and feeling that anxiety that's gone away after all that

(44:14):
I've done. But how I approach a woman at a bar.
I usually hit him with like a hello, I'm a
high or hello and I buy you a drink? Hi?
Did you see me on Dancing with the Stars? Oh no,
Well here's a YouTube clip that I hit him with.

(44:35):
I hit him with. Do you watch The Bachelor? You
might Hey, if I look familiar, you might know me
from The Bachelor. When guys are cute and charming, all
they have to do is say hi, these poor guys
who aren't so fortunate. What would you do Ben, before

(44:57):
you were engaged? What would you do because you were
single for a period? Yeah, you have a corny pickup line?
Or you just say hello? Oh man? I was I
was so much better on text? Um, I would I
play that would you rather game? Um, would you rather
go on a date with me? Or see a Lozard giraffe?

(45:18):
And they'd be like, what's a Lozard? Draft be like,
it doesn't matter, answer my question, and then they'd be like, well,
I don't know, go on a date with you? Okay? Perfect?
And that's usually how that's usually I played it. I
was always like, I don't have great like game, but
what I can do is be weird enough for people
to be curious enough to go I gotta figure this

(45:39):
guy out, or you guys are just cute enough that
you can get away with it. I don't know, I
don't know. It's been yeah, I mean that's a good topic.
I've been out of it now for a couple of years.
I'm happy to be out of it. I don't really remember.
I actually, right before this podcast, I called my fiance
and I said, hey, we have a gone on a

(46:00):
date in a while due to quarantine. Uh, you're gonna
come visit me here in just a few weeks. Can
I take you on a date when you come out?
And she hung up and texting me and says, I
don't know why, but I just got like nervous about
our date and I was like, that's amazing. So like
I'm still you know, excited to date Jess and like
I still get like the butterflies about it. Um, but

(46:23):
what is it like being in the dating world? Like
what are you looking for? How do you are you
just kind of leaving it up in the air or
you looking for like a commitment now? Like where are
you at? Like I can help you here if you like.
And I'm just holding out that I'm hoping, you know,
in about three years they still want me to be,
you know, the best? Um, what am I? You don't?

(46:45):
I don't know. I think I'm just looking for someone
that I could just have a comfortable conversation with, you
know when that when that clicks, like you kind of
know when the clicks and you could just get along
with someone. Uh, personality is really really big, and I
want to be attracted to him as well. That's important.

(47:06):
But I don't know, Like I don't really I'm not
like a big slider into d M. Did you slide
into d M? Yeah, I slid into Jesse's d M.
And I mean I think in my whole single time,
there wasn't more than two or three people that I
ever messaged, and Jess was like the one that I
messaged and I was like, so excited to see a

(47:27):
shooter respond back, and she did and then we never
stopped talking after that, Like so yes, I did. Uh.
And it was an advice given to me by Dean
and Nick uh And they said, hey, like why aren't
you dating more? And I was like, I just don't
know where to meet people? And they said you gotta
go into the d M s like that's the way
you do this, and I was like, well that, I've
never even thought about that, and then I did, and

(47:48):
I mean it worked, I got engaged, So I guess
it happened. Yeah, but I would say I would say
looking for that then that that because you guys started
talking and never stop, so it's happening. That interesting conversation
with someone that keeps you drawn to them and finding like,
you know, I like girls that are a little weird

(48:11):
because I'm kind of weird. I have a great quirky
friend for you who what's her name? As what's her name?
Set him up? I'll send you a picture when we
get off the phone, you'd let me know. Um, I
do want to talk to you about like a couple

(48:32):
of hard hitting questions and if you get a little
too uncomfortable, it's okay to say no, But I gotta
ask them for the sake of Bachelor Nation. Okay, it
seemed as if you and Kendall hung out during the
depths of quarantine during the spring, Like maybe she flew
out to you in Chicago, true or false? False? Just

(48:56):
so you flew out to her. There could have been
a area it at the beginning of quarantine where I
might have been in l A for a few days
and we could have spoke. But um, we are we're
friends friendly. Uh it's hard to be really close with

(49:17):
somebody that you were in love with and you guys
were in love with each other and YadA, YadA, YadA.
It's hard to keep like a really close friendship. But
we are friendly. Okay. So it didn't really come of anything.
Maybe it was a closure moment. I'll just leave it
at that. You guys, is it true, like do you
feel now with time in between, that distance was the

(49:40):
breaking up factor or do you think that there was more. Um,
we'll talk about bed and timing, I mean, going becoming single,
going into quarantine. You know, it's hard because location like it.

(50:08):
It was definitely a big factor, and a big thing
for me was she's from l A. So she has
all our friends and all our family, and they're great people.
But when it came to holiday season or just weekends
in general, hanging out with all her friends and her
family made me become a little resentful because I missed mine. Yeah. Uh,

(50:31):
it's hard to look at a future where oh we'll
just split time half and half, especially after the show,
because you know, once I got casting on Dancing with
the Stars, I quit my job, so my career is
kind of all up in there as well. Um, I
would say location, if if we could have broke up,

(50:54):
we wouldn't have broke up if it wasn't for location,
got it. And you guys got a dog right before
you split up. I guess it wasn't enough time to
get really attached to the little thing. I mean, I
when it comes to the timing, I just might be
the worst. I was gonna say, man, you're really if
I like, if we were if we weren't on a
podcast and we were sitting down for beers and be like, dude,

(51:15):
you really suck at this breaking up thing. Terrible timing.
It's it was pretty bad. I mean, I love the
dog Pistachio. You named him. I did name him my name.
I said, I'm gonna get a dog and name a Walnut.
But yeah, I mean it was it was. It was

(51:40):
big timing. We're both pretty stubborn people, and you know
that that's that's what it was. And Kendall is clearly
very happy in Los Angeles and I don't know if
she would have been happy in Chicago. Where's Pistachio at
now with Kendall. Yeah, Kendall Statio. I mean all you know,

(52:01):
he bit me all the time. I've got one final
question for you. Uh, you are doing something really cool
on your Instagram where you're going to all these awesome
food places hot you know, hot spots in in Chicago,
and you make me want to go to Chicago just

(52:23):
to eat you. And I actually we were on a
double date ones with Kendall and Jared, and I was like, well,
you guys can like talk about the universe and Joe
and I can go and talk, like we can go
eat in an entire city together. So if you guys,
so you and I understand each other in the foodie realm,
and you need somebody who appreciates food, right, So do

(52:44):
you take girls that you're going on these first or
second dates with to these hot spots, because like you're
really in the know. So I added the dating element
to my food videos because I realized that majority of
people that follow me are interested in dating and not food.
So I figured that would be a good way to
incorporate both, incorporate both worlds um and both the girls

(53:08):
that I do bring on our friends and everything. They like,
you know, to eat good food as well. So we
just go out there and I like to showcase the
restaurant and show my favorite things to eat in the city.
I was actually in Denver and at your restaurant then.
It was very good. What and I didn't know this?
Yeah you I don't think. I don't think you were

(53:29):
in town or maybe you were, I don't, I don't know.
It was it was like a month back, maybe a
month and a half. We had the jerk chicken. Uh yeah,
you're down at Mr OsO was that. It was a
beautiful little restaurant. It was great. Oh man, I wish

(53:49):
I would have know you there. Next time. Please let
me know dinner on me? Okay, thanks? For coming in man,
Thank you. Yeah, that's awesome. Dinner on me at both spots,
Mr Nashcar when you come to dinn for next So
are we gonna see like from this show? Then? I
think it'd be awesome if all of a sudden, you're
go on a date with somebody on this show, and
then we see a second day in a third day,

(54:11):
and everybody is watching your love story play out with
my friend, I'm going to set him up with now, Yeah,
a blind day. I think that's great. I mean, Astley,
why not, let's set him up. It's a blind days.
He has to have a date to these things anyways,
he's got to be running out of options, so let's
let's set him up and hook him up with a
nice date. Sounds good and pretty much just made myself

(54:34):
the bachelor on my own instagrams. We've always wanted to
do this on this show is create like our own
little mini bachelor, almost famous bachelor. So it's a lot
more work, imagine though, Yeah, so much work. Uh, Joe,
you're the man, Thanks again for coming on. Best of
luck with this brand new project not only on your Instagram,

(54:55):
which is hilarious and really fun to watch I think
it's awesome that you're highlighting local restaurants around the country,
especially during this time as a restaurant under myself. I
know we need it and and your support means a ton,
but also in your endeavors on Clickbait, which is again
a podcast wherever you listen to podcast, Uh, Joe, Hannah
and and Tasia will be hosting that breaking down pop

(55:18):
culture and everything going on in your world. Joe Grocery Store,
Joe the Man, Joe, thanks for coming on the Almost
Miss podcast. Thanks for having me. Well. Uh, Bachelor Nation

(55:38):
all time favorite Michelle Money is on the line right now.
She's gonna help us break down this last episode of
Claire season. But Michelle, before we get started, I just
want to say congratulations to you and uh your boyfriend
Mike Weir finished this week cotulations. Hey, Uh for anybody

(55:59):
out there listening doesn't know, Uh, Michelle and Mike have
been dating for a while, and Mike finished second this week,
uh in his tournament, only losing to Phil Nicholson, which
I would say is a pretty respectable uh finish. But yeah, Mike,
we had a great round. UH was leading after three days.

(56:19):
Just an impressive performance. So I gotta give a shout
out to him now on the Bachelor Talk. I love it.
That was really nice. Thank you, No problem. We want
to go in chronological order here as far as the
episode goes, So let's start with the words of Affirmation
group date. So the it was actually a very cute
idea for our date. I loved that the rightis the

(56:40):
touching the awards of affirmation with her in the tower.
I can't believe they actually haven't done a date like
that before. But the drama started during the night portion
when the uh like Claire was like, all right, so
it's time, you know, in mental issues, like it's time
for one of you to steal me away, and then
nobody got up in asked her now to me, I liked.

(57:04):
I think the guys just they were on their first
group date. They didn't know too that it was up
to right them to start taking her away. I think
they thought, like, oh, she's the lead, Like, she's the
woman in power here, she can take us away. I
thought it was a very innocent mistake on the guy's part,
but she seemed to not think. So, what's your take

(57:26):
on that? I I think that like and I don't
know if this was just editing, but like it did
seem like uncomfortably awkward, like there was this like very
strange like where you do I think? And I think
this is the deal with Claire's like she wants someone
who's going to step up. That's just her personality. So
I think it's like you could have easily looked at

(57:49):
that and just said, like, oh, innocent mistake. But I
actually think it's cool that she's like, this is how
I'm feeling, this is what's going on, and I want
someone who's gonna jump at any opportunity to be with me.
So do I think that it was an intentional thing
like no one wanted to spend time with her? No,
I don't, But I did think it was an opportunity

(58:09):
that was missed. And I think that she is just
in a place in her life where she's like, uh, yeah,
we're not doing this, like yeah, you know what. I
don't think it was malicious on the men's on the
men's part at all, Like you're like, you're right when
you said that. It wasn't as if they didn't want
to spend time with her, but it's certainly set this
the precedent now, so that going forward, they'll know what

(58:32):
she is trying she's trying to find. Yeah, she said,
I feel like she set a tone from the beginning,
and um, yeah, and I think it was the most
opportunity to Now I think this all gets fixed, though
I don't know how much of a problem it was
for any of them. If these guys respond better, Like

(58:52):
I think that first guy was like, oh, sorry, we
were just having so much fun with each other. We
really didn't even think about how like that didn't help anything.
It's just confused everything more and probably angered her more personal. God,
when Joseph said you you must be crazy to think
that we don't want to spend time with you, was like,

(59:13):
oh your word choice, You're like, no, wrong choice of
the b Yeah. And then he was speaking on behalf
of the other guys, which um was who was that?
Who like that? Riley was the one who did not. Yeah,
he was not into that. And then Riley came and
made that moment. I mean, I know that Dale really

(59:36):
made the moment his when he he said the all
the perfect words, unbelievable. Dale just showing up like this
night in shining Armor. You're just like, where did you
had some skepticism about Dale Man did I did I
really like him in that moment? I feel like he was.

(59:58):
He really was just like and and the way that
he explained it, it was almost like, I'm not going
to hold back anymore. Okay, here I am. I'm going
to show up for you, and we all just need
to show up, you know, more authentically to who we are,
because you can tell that. And you guys know, when
you're in those situations you want to be respectful of
the other, like you know, contestants and the other people,

(01:00:21):
and you don't there's that line where you're like, I
don't want to, don't be too you know, forcefull, So yeah,
to show me. And it's almost like they were all
kind of maybe feeling that and and being mind a
little maybe too mindful of each other and not as
much they didn't want to get the target on their back.
And then he kind of in that moment was like, Oh,
I don't even care if I have a target on

(01:00:41):
my back as long as it means that, like I'm
getting your attention and we're vibing. So what a shining
moment for him. Another shining moment for Day. And then
Riley also really stood up. I love the way that
he treated her, that whole little play on the high
school dates, slow dancing. He had game. I liked it.

(01:01:02):
He had game, Like it was, yeah, there's I have
to say, there's amazing men on this season. Like this
episode was really a great episode to get to know
these guys better. And at the end of the episode,
I was like, Wow, these are really really solid, good
dudes for the most part. Brandon, which will get to
in a minute, Okay, okay, so let's go to the

(01:01:23):
one on one now. The one on one with Jason
was they got deep that was way deeper than you
get on a normal day, and I loved how Jason
embraced it all. It was a great day and it
made me feel watching it like, oh man, if this
is a good guy, I hope that everybody like she

(01:01:45):
really did think through any possible decision that she leaves early. Well.
It's interesting because when you're in those moments, like I
remember having experiences like that where I wanted to open
up and be vulnerable, but you're like, this is like
national television, so it's not like you're just having this
intimate conversation with this one person. It's like millions of people,

(01:02:06):
and the fact that he as reluctant as he was initially,
like the fact that he just kind of surrendered to
the moment and declare and just like allowed himself to
go there just speaks volumes about what kind of guy
he is, because that is so scary to do, just
aloneless and one let alone, knowing that it's going to
be televised. Um. I have to say, though, I think

(01:02:30):
that like the one thing I'm loving seeing with this
season with an older and more mature bachelorette is you know,
you're you're seeing the evolution of a very strong woman
who's been down a really dark path where a lot
of times it's almost like and I think that's what
we're seeing is like when you're in your twenties and

(01:02:50):
they're casting these younger um men and women in their twenties,
Like it's almost like it's not until you get to
your thirties that you're able to kind of reflect and
look back and like find the those powerful moments within
you where you are showing up for yourself more. And
I think that like what Claire is bringing is that
maturity and that like um emotional maturity, And I think

(01:03:13):
it's refreshing. Like I I would much rather watch a
show where we're talking about like the love languages and
like you know, like dealing with kind of like traumas
from our past and like how we're showing up differently
in the world. And I just I think that what
Claire is bringing is so beautiful and authentic and needed,
especially like now with everything going on in the world. Yeah,

(01:03:34):
it felt like it felt like just such an intimate date,
even it being nighttime and them doing nothing other than
sitting around a fire. It felt like we were watching
a regular date out in real life where they were
getting to know each other and there was just no
small talk. Because I get so frustrated sometimes watching dates

(01:03:54):
where it's just like, Okay, I'm getting to know nothing
about this human on this like horseback riding eight or
like this a t V day, so totally, so I
felt like it's it's usually a waste of my time,
and I'm assuming it's the waste of the leads time
until they actually sit down, so they kind of just
skip the small talk, and I like that. Then I
loved it. It's refreshing. I mean what my takeaway was,

(01:04:15):
like I watched it I was like, well, this is
a good exercise for me to do personally, like now,
like totally now. I don't know if it's a complete
healing practice like just writing them down and throwing them away.
But what it does do is it, like you said,
like it shows us that vulnerability is something important to Claire.
It also shows me, hey, like this is a good
practice to get those things that are like that are
kind of haunting me or I feel like I can't

(01:04:37):
share out there. I watched it, you know, so many
times we go, oh, this is like just fantasy land.
And I think one cool part about having this in
a bubble is it's making these dates less luxurious and
making them more relatable. And I'm really enjoying that. Yeah,
I agree on I think it. That was totally well said,
and I think that I think that there does need

(01:04:59):
to be a lot more healing around the masculine. I
feel like there's so many men who are so um
unable to express their emotions and it's it's like making
it harder for the feminine to kind of you know,
be more vulnerable. And it's a cycle, right, But I
think that what I think that's so cool about Claire

(01:05:19):
as the bachelorette is, we're seeing a more mature like
approach to dating that I think is really needed right
now in the world. I mean, she embraces herself so
much and I love seeing it, Like she doesn't care
what she looks like. No, and by the way she looks,
and she physically stunning, I mean physically. I know that's

(01:05:41):
not what you were saying, but like physically, and my
girlfriend is looking hot, so hot, so hot. I guess.
On that note, let's go to Brandon, which on the
On the next group date, he says, I am really
I signed up. I was so excited when I found
out it was you, Like I wanted to be here
for you. And then she said, well, what is it
about me that resonated with you? And then he really

(01:06:03):
couldn't say anything other than that he was physically attracted
to her, which of course a girl wants to hear,
but not in this circumstance you want you want to
go well, of course you're beautiful, but there's this and
that and that, and he had nothing behind you're beautiful.
I couldn't believe that he couldn't just pick something out
of his brain that would apply to anyone that you

(01:06:26):
can really you can pin you can pinpoint a couple
of qualities about somebody within twenty minutes of knowing them,
and he could. He froze. Yes, Ben Again, it feels
like it's just this emotional immaturity, right, it's like this
inability to go deeper than the surface level that you know.
I think for some people that works, and I think

(01:06:47):
for Clara just doesn't. It's just not happening for her.
We're not She's like, we're just not doing this. So
you're so by Well last week, it's interesting, Ashley, you
mentioned on the podcast that he was aesthetically one of
your favorites. He was, Yeah, but he turned it didn't
matter anymore. Yeah, isn't that funny? He froze. I mean
what happened though, I have a little bit of grace

(01:07:09):
from him and hear me out because I know that
he did not mean this to be anything uh intentionally bad.
He didn't mean to offend her like no, I know
there are a few days in like, you're so nervous,
and I know I don't want to just like excuses.
You're so nervous, and you have this absolutely stunning, stunning

(01:07:30):
person sitting across from you that you're like, I don't
know what else to say right now other the fact
that you're beautiful. You're beautiful, like I know you were
a lot more than that, but like I just I'm
I think you're gorgeous. I don't know how to talk
to you right now. Just give me a few days
to help me realize. Even if he showed that humility,
he would have been better off to be like okay,
like I know that, Like I am just so nervous

(01:07:52):
in this moment that I'm blanking. If he even said
that it would been better, which again I think comes
back to like, yeah, like emotional, like not quite able
to put words to your feelings, right, And I think
that it's like, yes, I'm sure, poor guy, he's probably
the greatest, nicest guy and we never got to see
that part of him. But um, you know it's like, yeah,

(01:08:15):
I think that I think it was a good move
for Claire to just be proactive and just say this,
this just isn't gonna work, Like I'm gonna say, I'm
gonna walk out. You know, I respected that move. Why
do you think so it's for both of you? Though? Um,
why do you think this was like that language was
something for Claire that she was just right away like
this is a sign, this is a red flag. I

(01:08:37):
have to send you home now. Like why, out of
everything that like the Joseph's of the world had been
doing and saying and and everything that happened on night
one and kind of the controversy that happened at the
group date, why do you think that sit down with
him was such a wait, you're gone, Like this is
just it was just a demonstration of the emotional intelligence
intelligence that he has and that it's needs a lot

(01:08:59):
more maturing to catch up to her well. And I
think she clarified that too. I think that she was like, listen,
I I'm in a place in my life where I
want more substance. If that's the only thing that you can.
I mean, I think she I think that she expressed herself,
she explained where she was coming from, and yeah, I

(01:09:19):
would never want to speak for her, but I do
think that she she did clarify that to a small degree.
I mean, I'm sure there's a lot more to it. Huh.
It's interesting. It was a it was a a big
moment in this show because I came off of I
watched this episode so Michelle. Last week on the podcast,
we we had a couple of people on talking about
all right, who is your favorites, and all the girls

(01:09:40):
are like, oh, that Brandon. He's so cute, so good looking.
I was like, Okay, this week, I'm gonna watch Brandon, like,
I'm gonna focus on this guy because I feel like
he's a front runner, right if everybody's loving on him.
And so this was a big moment for me. When
all of a sudden, I'm like, oh, he gets to
sit down. This is gonna be his shining moment. The
music is gonna start playing the background, it's gonna be beautiful,
and it's gonna and then all of suddens like, all right,
he's going home, And I'm like, well, oh that was it.

(01:10:02):
I remember remember this. Before that scene, he said that
even night one, he got off to an awkward start
and he wasn't proud of his solo time with her, Right, guy,
just guys just freezing under the lights. Maybe we'll see
him come back to paradise though, since physically he might
be so desired. Yeah, yes, you're right, all right. So

(01:10:27):
then I think the final thing we have to talk
about is the strip date it was? So it was
then I'm dying to know. This is what Ben has
most to say about, So we'll let him take that over. Yeah, so,
first off, shocking, I think we can all be cleared.

(01:10:47):
There's a double standard right now. It's very very obvious
double standard that was presented, and that I don't know
if the show is trying to send a message saying, hey,
there is an obvious double standard or not. But I
this and like, let's for a second reverse course and say, Okay,
if this was a Bachelor season, no way this happens,
No way they get away with it, no way it's appropriate,

(01:11:09):
no way that this is just becomes a weekly topic.
This literally, this is the type of thing that I
don't think the show. I think the show is super smart,
but like they knew this wouldn't shut down the show.
But like it's pushing the envelope here a little bit, right, Um,
next is and and maybe because like outside of like, okay,

(01:11:30):
the idea of this is kind of funny, Like I
don't know the last like you can't even relate to
this in the real world because like my buddies and
I don't get together together and get naked and play
do so so you can't even say like, oh, this
is like a fun like fun game that you can
play with your friends. Here's my point to all of this.
I personally and like I don't think like I have

(01:11:51):
the worst body in the world. I work out hard
to keep like in shape. Um, I do my best
to stay fit. I am Eastern European, like I am
as pale as pale can be from the waist down
like there, and I have hair in places that I
just said it on Chris's caption like that are not ideal. Um.

(01:12:13):
So I'm looking at this going if you asked me
to get naked with a bunch of ripped, buff, testosterone
driven men and like play like dodgeball, there is nothing
impressive about what's happening for me, and I would feel it.
Oh no, there's no shot. There's no shot. I could
have done it. You wouldn't have done it. I think
I would have done it with the intention of winning,

(01:12:35):
and then once it comes down to like all right,
time to get naked, I would have said, hey, like no,
like this is this is all funny games until like
my buddies and I are naked on national television, like, okay,
so let me ask you this, do you do you?
I mean, because they were wearing something. They were wearing
something and then they censored that out right. This is
my like a jock strap, where I thought that they
were wearing like a cup stuck to them. The way

(01:12:56):
the actors do, it looks like maybe some of them
just vited to go naked, and it looks like they
have the sensor thing over it to make it look
like they were naked, but they were clearly wearing something.
That's I mean, that's better, I guess, but but I
thought at the very end, one of the guys goes, okay,
if you wanted to see it all, I'm gonna show
you all think he just went for very confident man,

(01:13:20):
just like, yeah, I'm the guy in the corner like
I don't want to and he's like, no, scut Like
he obviously is very confident in what he has and
what he wants to show. I watched this this Maybe
I'm crazy and maybe you guys can remind me, but
this felt like it was pushing the envelope more than
any other day I can remember on the Bachelor, and

(01:13:40):
they pushed the envelope. Every season there's always that controversial
thing that happens that goes, oh, next you know, next
year it's not going to be as much or whatever.
But like this felt, this felt like a lot okay.
So I'm thinking that it wasn't there. The excuse here
that it wasn't as my as we could make it

(01:14:02):
is that it seemed playful. It didn't seem sexual, and
it seemed like if there wasn't peer pressure involved. And
this maybe just my viewing of it, it seems like
if one of the guys was not okay, he could
humorously be like, sorry, guys, gonna skip this one out
and walked off. Yeah. Yeah, I agree with you, Ashley.
I think that, like I think, when you go on

(01:14:22):
this show, there has to be and correct me if
I'm wrong then, But like from your perspective, like there
there's always starts coming off for the guys, there's always
some sort of like stuck. And I know that it's
a different story when you're like censoring body parts and stuff.
But it did seem like it was done in in

(01:14:43):
fun and no one felt pressured except I guess if
Yosef would have been there, he wouldn't have done it.
And that's another thing too. It's when you have a
child and it changes things, you know. Like I remember
when I was on Bachelor Pad and it was this
kissing contest and I was like, ah, I don't know
if I want my daughter to see me kiss being like,
you know, fourteen guys in one day. So and but yeah,

(01:15:06):
I think I think it'll be interesting to see how
people respond to it and what people are feeling and
thinking about it, and um, how do you think Claire
handled it? What do you what do you think of Claire?
Kind of think Claire instigated it. I also don't think
she like really gave praise to the guys who did it.
I think she was like, these are guys being guys.

(01:15:28):
And that's where the Yoseph thing is the issue where
he says Claire was being tasteless for being okay with that,
because I don't think Claire had anything to do with this.
This was well what do you think? Well, I don't know, Ben,
you tell us, like you've been in her position, Like,
do you think she had the option to say like no,

(01:15:49):
I don't feel comfortable with them getting naked or she
definitely did. Um, However, I get the playful side, so
like I get like, hey, you know it's is just
dodgeball or how can we make dodgeball more funny or
fun now. I don't know if at the time she
realized that, like the guys would own up to and
she's like, yeah, screw it, I'll take it down to

(01:16:10):
my whatever you want. Um, I don't So here's something
I'm gonna say. And I don't know how, if how
it will come off like I didn't watch this and
feel uncomfortable or like as because but I did feel
like it wasn't it wouldn't have been right if these
guys if there was any peer pressure in it, and
there was none, and they all agreed to it, like

(01:16:32):
they all consented to say like you didn't see one
guy go I don't really want to do this, Like
I think if if that would have happened, she would
have said, Okay, that's fair, like that's and I know
Chris would have stepped in and said that's fine, like
that's good. And so it was, and it was kind
of just like an agreement amongst them all to say,
let's see what happens and it but it's definitely gonna

(01:16:53):
be talked about and it's definitely going to be controversial,
and you're right, it is a double standard around that,
and UM, yeah, it'll be interesting to hear kind of
some of the feedback people give. I would say, though,
like this would not have been a dat I participated in,
not because necessarily, like I even have a problem with
the whole like get naked and run around thing like

(01:17:15):
I don't I don't know like personally, like if that's
wrong or right, I would have just been so uncomfortable,
Like I those dudes are jacked. They're like just like
ripped their their tan. They are, And I'm like, there's
your Usian minded getting naked. They're probably like I haven't
working out for this, like I'm here for Like I

(01:17:36):
don't think anybody was bombed out about taking their clothes on.
And I guess you say that you're like, Okay, well
you can show off your entire body and everything you
work for with the song on to take the song off.
Then it goes into a whole other territory like I'm
showing off my junk. Yeah. Well, and then I think
it's really interesting that the producers like made them do
their interviews like while they're holding their junk. How did

(01:17:59):
you guys noticed that? Like, you're just like, all right,
put the guy, poor Blake, let the guy get dressed,
you know, going back to the house without their clothes
on and sitting there with a pillows. You're just like
who has never been comfortable being around other people naked?
So I know I wouldn't be okay with this date,

(01:18:21):
But I also think I would have been the kind
of person that just would have said, I don't really
care if you guys think I'm a loser for not
doing Yeah, I don't think I do. I just had
a girls trip and we all played pickleball naked. We
did have our tennis shoes on fish but it was
not being videotaped, and it was not to watch it back.

(01:18:44):
You're not gonna have to watch it back. Now. There
are some things of some kind of more funny things.
Now to close that note, it is going to be controversial.
I'm not an expert on the subject. I think people
are gonna have some really strong opinions. I think people
are going to be uh offended. I think others are
gonna find it funny. I think some are just gonna
find it weird. Um, and we'll be interested to hear
kind of how that plays out. However, there is some

(01:19:05):
more humorous stuff to this, Like I don't know why
I find this funny. It's kind of sad. But like Blake,
who is like almost in tears, who's super upset and
sad that these have a date with Claire is standing
outside covering his junk having this like super intimate interview
as all I can see is just having his hands
over his balls, and it's so sad to watch. But

(01:19:27):
you know that producers are like just one more, a
little cut and then you can go get dressed, like
just one more, you know, and you're just like, poor guy.
I have to mention Blake before we go ble. You know,
he made a big splash last week for being open
about communicating with Claire earlier before the season started. She liked.

(01:19:48):
This week he was like, I'm going to continue to
not play by the rules, which I respected, because I
don't think for Claire she wants a guy who's going
to play by the rules because she wants the but
you to pursue her so hard, like we were talking
about before, So when he comes and crashes that date
even though his team didn't win, you know, the evening

(01:20:08):
part of the date, I was like, nope, I think
Claire's gonna like this. Of course the guys are going
to you know, be up in arms about it, but
I think this is going to teach them all lesson that.
Claire's go it's all about you pursue me in any
way you can figure out. I don't care whether or
not it's for the rules or what. Um. I think

(01:20:31):
it was really really cool that she didn't kiss him.
I thought that it said a lot about like where
her energy was at with the guys that won. I mean,
I thought that's a that was a bold move because
he really went in for it and she was clearly
like not now. And then I thought, um, I think

(01:20:52):
that she was just put in a bad position because
I think at the end of I think at the
end of the day, and we all know that because
he got the rose is I think that she really
appreciates that and like it. But I think that out
of respect for the guys that she was with, she
stirred her ground, which is again, you guys, like, what
is so amazing about Claire is like she doesn't compromise,
She doesn't she she's really able to like set clear

(01:21:15):
boundaries and be respectful and mindful of everyone involved um
and own her truth like she owned it. And so
I thought it was really cool that she didn't let
him kiss her. As far as being the ringmaster of
all of this, she's handling it like a total pro,
like she knows what to do in every situation. Yeah,

(01:21:36):
she's been really great. I mean she's had some experience,
so it helps, right, you know, like it literally does. Yeah,
it does. Now the final thought before we let you go, Michelle,
I noticed something that I found to be one of
the Bachelor funnies that I just have to point out
because I'm really proud of myself for like finding this.
So Joseph goes off and he's pretty upset about the

(01:21:59):
dodgeball day and again like a very little opinion on
on that it's gonna be interesting to hear how people react.
But he's talking about I cannot believe that these guys
like got naked, they took off their shirts, they took
off whatever for this dodgeball day, and and the voiceover
is happening as he has his shirt off putting on
his dress shirt for the evening portion of the day,

(01:22:20):
and I'm like, you know, the Bachelor is so good
because that is just like who knows how that's gonna
be caught. But he's literally shirtless putting on his shirt
as the voice overs like, I can't believe these guys
got shirtless contradiction. It was also funny because if we're

(01:22:41):
going to call out like a little bit of editing play,
there was a time where she was like, I'm thinking
about Chasing, I'm thinking about um whoever else was on
that second date, and then she goes, I'm thinking about Dale,
and you're like, you definitely added that in there because
she was talking specifically about the guys on that group day.
And then they're like, oh no, let's just think it

(01:23:02):
seems like she's never not thinking about Dale exactly. Well,
you're right, she isn't. I am so excited for next week,
for this next episode, Michelle, you're the best. Thanks for
coming on again, Thank you corner or something, because she

(01:23:25):
just has the best feedback, and you know Claire, so
personally that's it's, oh my gosh. Well I'm so happy
for her and I'm so glad to be on the show.
So anytime calling. Thanks by al Right, Ben, before we
sign off, should we break? Should we have a break? There? No,
because we have two spots, and do we only have

(01:23:45):
two spots? Guys to break four? Okay, so we did?
We did two already, two breaks? Yeah, well one break
has two spots. Okay, okay, Well, but before we wrap
up the podcast, you know what time it is, Ben,
It's time for you to share a story that you

(01:24:06):
didn't tell in your book. So today we are going
to be talking about the time that you fell under
a bus on your first day of school. Oh that's
a good one. Yeah, we can tell this one. Man.
They're just gonna get more and more intimate every week,
and and I'm not gonna hold anything back. I feel
like this is a safe space. We have our loyal listeners,

(01:24:28):
some of which are very kind, some of which not
so much. But all of them are gonna hear it,
and they're gonna to judge themselves. So this is an
easy story. I'm an only child, as you do know.
Uh and uh, my very first day of school was
obviously a big day for me, but also my parents
is my very it's the very first day that their
kid is going to school. And my mom decides to
put me on the bus for my first day of

(01:24:49):
school because this is something that she wanted me to
get in the habit of. She also wanted me to
mingle with other kids from all the different neighborhoods, and
so I was excited for she was excited for it.
L on my on the when the bus comes down
the lane. I still remember these moments, so excited to
see my mom after a day of school. And the
bus would come around the corner and there would be
my house. My mom would be standing um outside kind

(01:25:10):
of waiting for me. But on this day she had
like her photo or her camera with her and uh,
and she was taking a picture of me getting off
the bus. And I'm so excited to get off the
bus and tell my mom. By my first day school,
I still remember this moment. I had my purple backpack
on that I'm running off the bus and I missed
the last step and I fall ashley flat on my

(01:25:33):
face out of the bus. And there's a picture of
me that my mom took, just like sprawled out, face
on the ground, backpack in the air, on my very
first day of school. It's a sad story, one that's
still with me still sits with me, so you didn't
get like you weren't under the bus in the sense
that you were getting rolled run over by No. No, no,

(01:25:56):
we talked about getting hit by a car uh last week.
Um no, I've only been hit by one car walking.
So this was just me getting under the bus and
having uh and having a picture taken of me as
I flew off. So that's the second story. I think
we probably have like three or four more to go. Um,
there's gonna be stories about rashes, there's gonna be stories

(01:26:17):
about like my problems toilet paper. Uh. Yeah, you're private.
Uh if you if you're down with that, we have
a couple of stories about your private area. It's gonna
be a while. It's gonna be a wild couple of weeks.
And uh and if you don't listen to almost as
podcast at the very end, you're never gonna hear it.
So you gotta come back and join Ashley and I
as we talked about Claire's third episode next week with
some great guests. Ashley and I will be here obviously

(01:26:40):
as well. Uh. Thanks for joining us. Another great week
of the Bachelorette. Tune in uh next week, same time,
same place. With that I've been been by guys. Followed
the Benn and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast on iHeart
Radio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Ben Higgins

Ashley Iaconetti

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