The ‘Golden Bachelorette’ took a stand on fantasy suites. Here’s why it matters

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“The Bachelor” franchise has long been associated with Christian viewers.
That’s one reason why it downplayed the religious experiences of non-Christian participants for many years, as I previously reported.
But beyond generally emphasizing the value of marriage, the franchise is not built on the beliefs of more conservative people of faith. Instead, it relishes contestants’ wildest moments — and likely pulls strings behind the scenes to get people out of their potentially faith-based comfort zones.
One way the franchise is out-of-step with many more conservative religious viewers is with the stock it puts in physical connections. Nearly every season involves kissing challenges and what’s called the “fantasy suite.”
During fantasy suite week, the lead can spend private, off-camera time with remaining contestants. Often, the lead uses the time to discuss sensitive topics, including religion, but the show’s edit of their experience typically focuses on whether the various pairs did or didn’t have sex.
The current star in the “Bachelor” franchise, Joan Vassos, the first “Golden Bachelorette,” was well aware of that history when she signed on to lead the current season. But, unlike most leads before her, she rejected the typical set-up, making it clear that she wants her season to stay focused on emotional, rather than physical, intimacy.
“I decided … that fantasy suites needed to be my own personal version of them, that I didn’t feel comfortable having a physical relationship with more than one person. … I said I don’t want a bed in the room. I want this to be known that this was really about emotional intimacy and about talking about the things you know before,” Vassos told Parade magazine.
Vassos hasn’t said if faith informed her decision. She’s talked about trying to protect her loved ones, who weren’t thrilled about watching her kiss a bunch of different men on TV.
“(My kids) were terrified about fantasy suites,” she explained during an interview on “Live with Kelly and Mark.”
During that interview and elsewhere, Vassos was applauded for advocating for herself. I’m excited to see how religious viewers react to the fantasy suites episode later this fall.
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Around 180,000 people in Portugal took part in a unique pilgrimage over the weekend when they traveled to the Our Lady of Fatima shrine to have their motorcycle helmets blessed by Catholic priests, according to The Associated Press.
During the event, participants seek assurances of their own safety on the road and honor friends who’ve died in motorcycle crashes, the article said.
“The pilgrimage is organized by Blessing of Helmets Association and by numerous national and international motorcycle clubs,” The Associated Press reported.
In July, Pew Research Center released a report on Americans without kids. It explored many aspects of their lives, including their financial status and how they compare to the parents in their social circles. I was surprised to learn that, when asked about why they don’t have kids, more than twice as many childless Americans under age 50 said “they just didn’t want to” than said “they didn’t find the right partner.”
Pew also recently looked at what Americans talk about with their loved ones. Topics like what’s happening at work, at school or in life in general get talked about the most, according to the research, but more than half of U.S. adults say they talk about “faith and religion” at least a little with their family and friends.
Religious groups have an important role to play in connecting people with mental health resources. But few embrace that role by talking openly about the potential value of therapy, Religion News Service reports.
One of the most famous reporters in the world of sports journalism has retired from ESPN to work at a religious school. I wrote about St. Bonaventure’s Catholic identity when news of Adrian Wojnarowski’s big move hit the internet.
My list of religion cases that the Supreme Court could hear soon was missing at least one contender: Hittle v. City of Stockton, which centers on a former fire chief, Ron Hittle, who lost his job after he attended a Christian leadership summit. Hittle’s law firm, First Liberty, recently announced that it will appeal Hittle’s case to the Supreme Court this fall.