Chris Harrison Blog

[Longhornfan]

I did a search and found the interview Mesachick is referring to. Apparently Chris was with several other members of the crew. I searched "Chris Harrison skinny dipping". He also explains who actually determines the order in which the roses are given out.

Thanks, I had not seen that interview, but I don't think anyone of us was surprised to find out that the producers decide which order the lead is to hand out the roses. With Emily continually getting the last rose, they wanted to make it look like she was being punished by Ben for speaking against Courtney.

I found it quite interesting that CH referred to himself as the "sickest voyaguer" in regards to him being able to watch everything that is being said and done during the cocktail parties. I doubt that he allows his children, especially his daughter, to watch TB shows, but I could just hear him saying to her that he isn't really an a$$hole, he just plays one on television. Sorry for anyone who likes CH, but I don't.

Now in regards to the Finale and ATFR, if I record the shows and don't actually watch them on Monday night, will I still be considered part of the millions who will tune in? I intend to watch something else and would love to see a huge dip in the ratings for Monday night. That seems like the only way that we can send a message to the powers to be that this whole season was a dud. So, is recording it on my DVR and tuning into another channel enough to exclude me from the number of viewers? Anyone know?

[Photobabe]

Thanks, I had not seen that interview, but I don't think anyone of us was surprised to find out that the producers decide which order the lead is to hand out the roses. With Emily continually getting the last rose, they wanted to make it look like she was being punished by Ben for speaking against Courtney.

I found it quite interesting that CH referred to himself as the "sickest voyaguer" in regards to him being able to watch everything that is being said and done during the cocktail parties. I doubt that he allows his children, especially his daughter, to watch TB shows, but I could just hear him saying to her that he isn't really an a$$hole, he just plays one on television. Sorry for anyone who likes CH, but I don't.

Now in regards to the Finale and ATFR, if I record the shows and don't actually watch them on Monday night, will I still be considered part of the millions who will tune in? I intend to watch something else and would love to see a huge dip in the ratings for Monday night. That seems like the only way that we can send a message to the powers to be that this whole season was a dud. So, is recording it on my DVR and tuning into another channel enough to exclude me from the number of viewers? Anyone know?

If you go on the Neilson website they explain how they come up with the ratings. If you are not part of their survey, it makes no difference whether or not you watch or record the program. Nothing you do will affect the ratings.

[Florimel]

People assume a lot of things from just a few carefully-edited montages of action. Just because a lot of people make the same assumption doesn't make it accurate.

I do object to the use of "morals" above. It seems very haphazard. People can have a strong moral code, but not have a Puritanical (common to America) view of nudity. To be consistent, one could easily say appearing on The Bachelor at all implies a less stringent moral code than many.

I totally agree with you. I think that what some call a lack of morals is to others just a different belief as to what is morally wrong or right. That can vary by culture, by background, by indoctrination, or several other things.

[Arielflies]

'The Bachelor' finale: Chris Harrison's blog | PopWatch | EW.com

Chris Harrison blogs 'The Bachelor' finale and 'After the Final Rose'

by Chris Harrison

Ben has made his choice, and so this is the reality that we all have to deal with, or not deal with if that’s the way you’d like to go about it. Despite the public and private outcry against her the entire way, Ben got down on one knee and proposed to Courtney and she said yes. You all watched everything unfold in Zermatt, Switzerland. Ben said goodbye to Lindzi and hello to a life with Courtney. Before we jump into the final decision I want to talk a little bit about Lindzi. She quietly flew under the radar the entire season. She went about her business, never got caught up in the drama, and was always able to separate her life in the house with the other women and her relationship with Ben. This sounds simple and she made it look easy, but I can tell you, it’s not. As made evident by several of the women this season, it’s darn near impossible to not get caught up in the action one way or another. But Lindzi didn’t, and she didn’t ignore the other women. In fact, she was one of the most popular women in the house and she never wavered from what was really important: Ben.

I think this it made it seem like Lindzi was a bit of a dark horse, but from the moment she rode up on a regular horse, she was a front-runner. Some of you might ask why we didn’t have her on the After the Final Rose special. The truth is she was at the taping of the show, and we planned on having her on. As I told the audience right before we taped the show, we weren’t exactly sure what was going to happen between Ben and Courtney. I knew things were rocky between them so I honestly wasn’t sure what direction the show, and their relationship, would take. I usually have a very good idea and plan of what will happen on these shows, but this was very different, and there was a sense of excitement to that.

Usually we start the show with the woman who was sent home, but because of the controversy and drama surrounding Ben’s decision and their relationship, we felt like we really needed to get right into it. Once I did the emotional interviews with Ben, then Courtney, and then the two of them together, it just didn’t make sense to go back and then start talking about Lindzi. Fortunately, you really got to see everything that happened between Lindzi and Ben and there weren’t a lot of questions left to be answered. I was sorry not to be able to fit her in, but who knows maybe we’ll see her again this summer! More on the announcement of Bachelor Pad 3 a little later.

The interviews with Ben and Courtney at the beginning of the show were very telling of how much these two have struggled since that proposal in Switzerland. Once again, I ask you your feelings on Courtney and if you believe she was sincere in what she had to say. Do you believe she was there for Ben and truly cares for him? Ben, to me, seemed exhausted and emotionally spent. He admitted he hasn’t exactly been good to Courtney and pretty much abandoned her in her time of need. The two of them did break up in the middle of all of this, and they seemed to be in two different places as we brought them together for the interview. After talking to them individually I knew they cared about each other but I still wasn’t sure if they were engaged, broken up, were going to break up, or what. Ben was very cautious and guarded with me in talking about Courtney. I got the sense that he has been so beat up he just wasn’t going to really open up, but all of that changed when they were together. The first segment with them was emotional and a bit rough and maybe even a touch adversarial. I think they both did a good job of speaking their minds, and Courtney did a good job of letting Ben know she felt abandoned.

The real standout part to me came in the second segment with Ben and Courtney. Watching them watch their own proposal in person was incredibly telling to me. It was amazing to watch this transformation take place in a matter of minutes right before my eyes. Watching the proposal and going public seemed to take the weight of the world off their shoulders. They both let down their guard, their body language completely changed, and both stopped being defensive and started loving each other again. Both were in tears by the end of it, and for the first time that day I felt like they truly were together and didn’t care what was going on around them. They seem to come together and take that stance of “it’s us against the world,” which is the mentality they’ll need as they take this relationship public.

As I said at the top of this blog, Ben and Courtney have made their decision, and now it’s time for you to make yours. Do you continue to bash them and wish them ill, or do you take a “wait and see” attitude and see how this plays out? I won’t dare to go so far as to wonder if you will all support them, but we’ll take baby steps. Now the question I’ll get asked over and over is, “Will they last?” In truth, I don’t know. I know that it’s been a rocky road for these two, but what happens from here on out is up to them. I told them it’s now their decision on how they write the rest of their love story. Call me a silly optimist, but I hope they not only survive, I hope they find happiness together. Did both of them make mistakes throughout all this? Of course they did. They both personally stumbled a bit and both hopefully took away major life lessons from this. So I’ll say this: I wish them the best as they head off and try to make a life together, and I sincerely hope it does work for them.

Now that this season of The Bachelor is over it’s time to start looking ahead. The Bachelorette with Emily Maynard premieres on ABC on May 14th. And it’s now official: Bachelor Pad is back! I teased you this week with a surprise announcement. Well, how about the fact that for the first time ever, we’re opening up the door to the Bachelor Pad to our fans. We will be bringing fans off the street, into the Pad, and give them the chance to join their favorite contestants to hopefully find love and fight for a chance to win $250,000. This is going to be amazing to watch and I can’t wait to meet the fans that make it into the Pad. For more information on how you can join us this summer in Bachelor Pad 3, log onto our website, ABC.com/Bachelorpad. On another note, it was great to catch up with Ashley and J.P. I’m happy to see that they are doing so well and love that they are building their life together. I look forward to their wedding this year. As always, I’d like to take a moment to thank all of you for watching another season. It’s never lost on any of us at The Bachelor that you are the only reason we are able to do what we do. Thank you, and I’ll see you on the first night of The Bachelorette. For everyone who has been a part of this one… I’m Chris Harrison, good night!

[Arielflies]

Here is an extra: an interview with Chris at People

The Bachelor Finale - Ben 'Suffered' on a 'Darker' Season : People.com

Chris Harrison: Ben Flajnik 'Suffered' on a 'Darker' Season of The Bachelor

By Carrie Bell

Monday March 12, 2012 09:50 AM EDT

Chris Harrison believes every season of The Bachelor has "its own feel," and Ben Flajnik's – which concludes Monday on ABC – can best be summed up as "edgy, controversial and definitely not warm and fuzzy."

"It doesn't compare at all to other seasons. It's more competitive, darker and has raised a lot of debate and outrage from viewers," the host tells PEOPLE. "Ben was taken aback by the public outcry and the anger he's faced. The Courtney thing was not easy for him to endure."

Despite the drama, Harrison says this season has been a real chance for the winemaker to find his happy ending. "For him to go through so much trouble and pain, unless he's a masochist, definitely leads me to believe he wants to find love. ... A lesser guy – or a guy who didn't care – would have checked out a long time ago. But he fought like hell the entire time and ended up with a final two he really connected with and cared about."

Although very different, Harrison could see both Courtney and Lindzi fitting into Ben's romantic future. "Both offer a lifestyle Ben would love because he wants an independent strong woman," Harrison says.

Harrison knew Courtney, despite her girl problems, would make it to the end. "The moment she got out of the limo his jaw dropped to the ground and she always remained a front-runner," he says.

Until the hometown dates, he assumed Kacie B. would fill the second slot. But after the way Ben bonded with her family, Harrison says, "[Lindzi] is the easy choice. They have great charisma and fun together. Their whole relationship has been effortless. She sailed right under the radar because she's the only woman who never got caught up in the drama."

Courtney, on the other hand, was the source of most of the drama – and that could be the sticking point for Ben. "She's doesn't get along well with others and that worries Ben considerably," Harrison says. "He has a very tight-knit group of friends that he rolls with and loves dearly. I'm guessing he's thinking, 'Who can I bring into this circle of friends?' Who will be accepted?' That's a huge obstacle."

But perhaps one they could overcome, considering how well they meshed. "There's something to her relationship with Ben," Harrison says. "They have this quirky common bond. He really liked that she always challenged him and the whole Bachelor forum every step of the way."

Regardless of whom he chose on that Swiss mountaintop when filming wrapped, Ben still had to put up with months of public scrutiny, criticism about his decisions, endless Courtney bashing and the inability to go public with his choice.

"All of the Bachelors and Bachelorettes say that between the show airing and the finale is the toughest time to endure," Harrisons explains. "It can tear you apart. But it can also bring you together. In the end, he's going to be okay. There is a good chance for him to be happy."

[ButterflyFaery]

I'm not trying to defend Courtney or Ben, but why is everyone so up in arms about the skinny dipping? People who have great bodies sometimes like to show them off. Nudity shouldn't be such a big deal.

It's not like the Bachelor is some bastion of Victorian Era morality. There are 25 (24 not including Brittany) women who would have happily canoodled with Ben to their hearts' content, given the opportunity. Why is the fact that Courtney and Ben are comfortable naked so controversial?

This is a weird show. In real life, you'd be legitimately outraged if your boyfriend as much as kissed one of these women. Well, that happens every ten minutes on this show. I fail to see why the skinny-dipping episode adds controversy.

for me..it wasn't the skinny dipping as much as it was a respect issue ...I agree with Emily on this one..skinny dipping and probably sex clouds the mind and his judgement...both of them should have had more respect for themselves and for the other women...but mostly for themselves...

[Longhornfan]

Here is an extra: an interview with Chris at People

The Bachelor Finale - Ben 'Suffered' on a 'Darker' Season : People.com

Chris Harrison: Ben Flajnik 'Suffered' on a 'Darker' Season of The Bachelor

By Carrie Bell

Monday March 12, 2012 09:50 AM EDT

Chris Harrison believes every season of The Bachelor has "its own feel," and Ben Flajnik's – which concludes Monday on ABC – can best be summed up as "edgy, controversial and definitely not warm and fuzzy."

"It doesn't compare at all to other seasons. It's more competitive, darker and has raised a lot of debate and outrage from viewers," the host tells PEOPLE. "Ben was taken aback by the public outcry and the anger he's faced. The Courtney thing was not easy for him to endure."

Courtney, on the other hand, was the source of most of the drama – and that could be the sticking point for Ben. "She's doesn't get along well with others and that worries Ben considerably," Harrison says. "He has a very tight-knit group of friends that he rolls with and loves dearly. I'm guessing he's thinking, 'Who can I bring into this circle of friends?' Who will be accepted?' That's a huge obstacle."

"She (Courtney) does not get along well with others, and that worries Ben considerably. He has a very tight-knit group of friends."

So, when did Chris say those things about Courtney? It certainly sounds like present tense, as in Ben is STILL worried about Courtney's ability to fit into and get along with his close-knit group of friends. I am not convinced that Ben has put all those concerns to rest. How could he?

[cantstopwatchin]

'The Bachelor' finale: Chris Harrison's blog | PopWatch | EW.com
As I said at the top of this blog, Ben and Courtney have made their decision, and now it’s time for you to make yours. Do you continue to bash them and wish them ill, or do you take a “wait and see” attitude and see how this plays out? I won’t dare to go so far as to wonder if you will all support them, but we’ll take baby steps.

Usually I just ignore Chris but this really rubs me the wrong way - his people edited the show to where the public despises Courtney and is shocked Ben would even think of choosing her. And now Chris has the audacity to talk down to us and ask if we'll continue to bash them?!? So much more I could say on this but I'll bite my tongue. I really think I've outgrown this show to where I just don't care. And that makes me sad.

[Longhornfan]

Usually I just ignore Chris but this really rubs me the wrong way - his people edited the show to where the public despises Courtney and is shocked Ben would even think of choosing her. And now Chris has the audacity to talk down to us and ask if we'll continue to bash them?!? So much more I could say on this but I'll bite my tongue. I really think I've outgrown this show to where I just don't care. And that makes me sad.

Thank you, thank you. I could not have said it better!!! This has really bothered me too. Chris H makes me sick to my stomach.

[Fanny Mare]

Thank you, thank you. I could not have said it better!!! This has really bothered me too. Chris H makes me sick to my stomach.

He does me as well.