Viewers were quick to react to a group date during last Tuesday’s episode of The Bachelorette. As a game of dodgeball saw Clare Crawley’s suitors strip down, fans and Bachelor Nation alum took to social media to call out a supposed double standard. One viewer even claimed Crawley was guilty of sexual harassment.
Now, the woman at the center of the drama is speaking out, responding to a tweet reading, “It’s awful you had the guys take off their clothes if The bachelor asked the women do the same things all heck would break loose. You were wrong. Juan Pablo should have had you strip.” Clare tweeted, “You mean like this?” along with a photo of former Bachelor Juan Pablo Galavis, Andi Dorfman and Lucy Aragon stripped down to their underwear in a photoshoot for pet adoption.
You mean like this? https://t.co/vq6vWYUb8c pic.twitter.com/w3JEJaLqOc
— Clare Crawley (@Clare_Crawley) October 26, 2020
Crawley appeared on Galavis’ season, coming in as runner up and famously telling him “I thought I knew what kind of man you were. What you just made me go through, I would never want my children having a father like you.”
Crawley also liked a tweet blaming production for the date.
Fans of Bachelor Nation Shared Their Displeasure on Social Media
Critics of the second group date of the season were swift in relaying their displeasure the dodgeball game featured stripping. Among the critics was former Bachelorette winner, J.P. Rosenbaum.
“I realize this ‘date’ is gonna have a lot of critics, but can you imagine the flak the show would get if this was #Thebachelor and the girls were stripping down to their underwear? #sexist” he wrote.
I realize this “date” is gonna have a lot of critics, but can you imagine the flak the show would get if this was #Thebachelor and the girls were stripping down to their underwear? #sexist #TheBachelorette #dadbod
— J.P. Rosenbaum (@JP_Rosenbaum) October 21, 2020
Other viewers also called out what they believed was a double standard, with The Bachelor unable to have a similar date.
Twitter user Marissa (@marissasayswhat), wrote, “friendly reminder if this strip dodgeball date happened on the bachelor vs. #thebachelorette, we would be furious because of the further objectification of women. So unless these dudes gave explicit consent to drop trou, no, we’re not gonna celebrate this in any way.”
friendly reminder if this strip dodgeball date happened on the bachelor vs. #thebachelorette, we would be furious because of the further objectification of women. so unless these dudes gave explicit consent to drop trou, no, we’re not gonna celebrate this in any way. pic.twitter.com/wg3MmmBW6F
— Marissa (@MarissaSaysWhat) October 21, 2020
Some took it a step further, calling the activity a form of sexual harassment. User braieswann (@ayybraiebraie) wrote on Twitter, “I dont understand how this is allowed? They should not have allowed her to do that to those men. A man would never be allowed to do that to women. Why is it’s ok if it’s a woman doing to men? This is sexual harassment.”
I dont understand how this is allowed? They should not have allowed her to do that to those men. A man would never be allowed to do that to women. Why is it’s ok if it’s a woman doing to men? This is sexual harassment. #TheBachelorette
— braieswann (@ayybraiebraie) October 21, 2020
This Is Not the First Controversial Date in Bachelor Nation
Among the outcries, some fans pointed out other controversial dates throughout the history of the dating franchise. One recent example was the lingerie pillow fight during Peter Weber’s season of The Bachelor.
At the time, fan-favorite Demi Burnett arrived to wake up the women for the group date. They wore “sexy sleepwear” as they played through rounds of pillow fights. Dorfman called the activity “10 giant steps back for feminism” on Twitter.
A pillow fight in lingerie? Our tv’s just took 10 giant steps back for feminism, wow … #thebachelor
— Andi Dorfman (@AndiDorfman) January 21, 2020
As Crawley pointed out, there was also controversy surrounding the pet adoption date on Galavis’ season which saw Dorfman and Aragon strip down for a pet adoption photoshoot.
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