Why mad at Jason and not ABC/Fleiss?

[blue valentine]

I'm not mad at him, I'm laughing at Jason and I would like to publicly thank him for bawling over the balcony. Best.TV.in.a.long.time! Jason is a pathetic, whiny little bitch but then he was that during DeAnna's season already. Not much has changed except he's now gotten even whinier. If he breaks down crying again tonight, I'm emailing ABC a virtual box of chocolates. If he bawls on Ellen too... well, that will just be pure gold!

To add to this very hilarious and delicious comment I just want to add that any way you slice it Jason is either an idiot or a money hungry douche who went along with everything for a paycheck. What a great "prize," I feel sorry for Molly if she's not getting paid to go along with all of this.

[girlsmom]

This is what bothers me about Jason. For a guy who is so emotional and cries at the drop of a hat, he is very insensitve when it comes to other people's feelings.

Agreed. Jason is an SUCH a sensitive soul,, yet he leaves train wrecks wherever he goes. What a egomaniac. At the end of the day it's ALWAYS all about Jason in his own mind. He even seems to feel that HIS pain is worse than his victims. I've always thought he was an obnoxious little famewho', woosie, now everyone can see the proof. He put himself out there and enjoyed the fame, now he can face the criticism.

[Jinxie]

I am seeing so much venom towards Jason. Do we know for a fact that contractually he had the choice to, if a plan, not go along with it? He looked like a man who truly loved Molly, and was devastated when he knew he had hurt her. He looked genuinely ticked last night when he had to play this out on tv. Now everyone can say that he was all over the other women, but so was every other bachelor on the show. That is the point to keep us guessing. Until I see proof that he had a choice to go along with this, or that it was somehow his idea I am giving him the benefit of the doubt. There is a reason that there is a lawsuit clause in their contracts, there is a reason no other contestant has come forward, and there is a reason Jason was kept over Graham and Jeremy last season and that is Fleiss and the others in charge. I know it is easy to only feel for Melissa, but how about giving Jason some benefit of the doubt, and remembering we all fell for him as a nice guy. Well one thing that might not have been his choice will not make me go crazy angry on him. Melissa is a big girl, she signed up for this garbage. It stinks it happened and I feel badly for her, but I also think Jason got the sham, and is now taking the fall for ABC/Fleiss. They got their ratings, they promoted and used him now they throw him to the wolves. Well I will not be a wolf, I will continue to give him the benefit of the doubt until I see for a fact he was ok with this when he did not have to be.

You make some great points and one great post all together! In any case I don't give much credence to this whole scheme/conspiracy theory at all. What I saw were real people, with real and genuine feelings last night. In the real world this happens-people can and do fall in love with more than one person, and while dating more than one person, and also do change their minds after proposing. (I won't go into my very long story but will say that we're still married 27 years later, and I know for certain it wouldn't have lasted with the other person because my heart wasn't really there)

All three of them are adults who went into this with their eyes wide open, and understood all of the contractual obligations as well as the potential for emotional pain and very public ramifications! I am also certain that Melissa had a pretty good idea of what was coming. It was still heartbreaking to see and I simply cannot imagine how awful it was all the way around! That part really stinks! It was clear that he struggled last night and that it did hurt him a great deal.

I knew all along that it should be Molly. It was very clear and oblvious to me. Where Jason went wrong was to take Deanna'a advice. I firmly believe he'd have chosen Molly otherwise to beging with! I am not angry with Jason, I am really happy for him and Molly and truly hope that it does go the distance. This is about the experience of finding love. Sometimes people get hurt in love. But when you choose to do it on t.v. you have to be prepared for what could inevitably happen. I think Melissa is an adorable young woman who will find her Mr. Right one of these days.

IMO it is so much better that this happens now rather than later!

[blue valentine]

Where Jason went wrong was to take Deanna'a advice.

Jason is a big boy he made all of his decisions on his own and if he truly is that naive, and easily swayed he has no business proposing to girls and being on this type of show anyway.

If we're going to pretend to take this show at face value (meaning not a scam) then Jason clearly wanted his cake and to eat it too. It's obvious if he had picked Molly the same thing would have happened, he would have dumped Molly at the ATFR and the dufus would have been begging Melissa for another chance instead of the way it played out. It's so obvious to me.

[madlyophelia]

I find it very hard to believe that Fleiss asked Jason to choose Melissa even though he wanted to pick Molly.

It's not hard to believe that Fleiss asked, but harder to believe that Jason would go along with what amounts to a terribly cruel act toward Melissa. While all have contracts, I sincerely doubt that there's any legal language that would compel Jason to go along with something like this, especially when he was on the losing end before.

While I can believe that Fleiss is a misogynist, I don't think Jason knowingly participated in this cruel charade from the outset. Maybe he bought into what Deanna said about going with the safe one, rather than the wild card. Maybe he fell back on the fact that Melissa was just the type he always liked and that Molly might have been a temp infatuation, likely to dissipate once they were out of their "fantasy" settings.

[snooky]

All I know is if Fleiss got Jason to agree to do this up for the ratings, it worked. 17 million people watched the After the Final Rose last night!

I can't blame a TV producer for exploiting the situation, but Jason made his own bed. He's the one who spoke the words. He agreed to do this. He sucks.

It's obvious if he had picked Molly the same thing would have happened, he would have dumped Molly at the ATFR and the dufus would have been begging Melissa for another chance instead of the way it played out. It's so obvious to me.

I said the same thing to my husband last night.

[norealityhere]

I have no idea whether or not Jason atually chose Molly from the beginning, but decided to go along with the producers, have him propose to Melissa and then break up with her and start a new relationship with Molly, all in the name of drama.
I do know that what ABC showed us last night was crass, humiliating and sick. Perhaps, they will decide next to show us an execution or a suicide in prime time. And, this courtesy of the Disneyland network! Very sick, indeed.

[SoIndianaViewer]

Like I posted in another thread. What Jason did makes me angry. BUT -- I do give him credit for NOT committing to Melissa if he was not really in love with her.

Sorry when he put the ring on her finger and said "Will you marry me" he committed himself to her. I find it very low class and insensitive of him to do it on the air - taped or not. HE could have said - NO this has to be done in private. I would love to see the wording in the contract that says "if you change your mind you must dump the girl on film."

[Nova14]

Jason is absolutely accountable here. That doesn't mean Fleiss isn't scum for allowing this to happen on tv, but if Jason hadn't been completely and utterly spineless they never would have been able to proceed in this fashion. Jason gave them the means to carry this debacle out.

I wouldn't feel too bad for Jason. He thought nothing of being broken up for two minutes and sticking his tongue down Molly's throat two minutes after that. He seems like he is just fine.

[LoveVioletFlame]

CH looked like he was about to bust up at any moment on the AFTR. I found that tasteless. The whole thing was tasteless..... it should have been done in private and then Jason could have come on and met with Chris, talked about what happened, returned the ring and met Molly.

I agree, buglover-completely tasteless. This was no surprise to Chris or the studio, else why arrange for no audience? What you proposed has taste and compassion, dignity and honor and AFTR showed none of that. What was ABC/Fleiss thinking?
They have completely manuvered and manipulated themselves out of this audience of one. Bravo Reality Steve for neutralizing the 'shock.'
There were so many other ways Jason choosing Molly could have been handled.