Media Thread

[fluff]

We've decided another media thread is in order since there's been a lot of articles around over the past week.

Please use this thread to post and discuss print or online articles, or to discuss tv appearances by the cast from Jillian's season.

As per our rules, we do not allow articles from other reality sites.
Online articles must be accompanied by a link to the original source, please.

Please do not use this thread to rehash events from the season.

Thank you

[Google]

 

[I'msotired]

Thank you, fluff!

'The Bachelorette''s Chris Harrison: Jillian Has Not Dumped Ed

The last two seasons of "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" have been filled with drama. The most recent being Ed Swiderski, the man that Jillian Harris chose, and the man who proposed to her, who reportedly cheated on her. Now ET talks to host Chris Harrison, who spoke to Jillian, who was in Las Vegas with Ed last last week, to get his take on this latest scandal.

ET: Did we have the wrong guy? Was it Ed who had the girlfriend, not Wes Hayden?

Chris Harrison: I've talked to Jillian twice in the last two days. She is definitely upset. Everything has been turned upside down for them. They are stressed out with all the publicity, because they kind of thought they were done and could live their lives. Now they have had this jump up on them. It is tough, but they are still together; they are still engaged. That has not changed. Someone reported she dumped him in Las Vegas. That is not true.

ET: But the two women in US magazine are saying they have e-mails from Ed?

Chris Harrison: The problem is the two girls cashed in and took a paycheck for the story in US, so, they kind of sold out, which is unfortunate. They sold out at the expense of Ed and Jillian. The problem is there is a shred of truth in there, which Jillian already knew about. But if there is a shred of truth, you can't fight the bull!@#$, so what are you going to do? There is not much she can do.

ET: Do you think all this controversy helps or hurts the show?

Chris Harrison: I was hoping with Jillian we would be hitting one right down the middle. I knew she was safe. She still is obviously. When she picked Ed, I thought, 'Great. We got a wedding. They will get married in a year. I think it will rekindle everybody's belief in the show and that it works.' One thing she told me on the phone the other day: 'Chris, I love this guy. I feel more for him than any man I ever have in my life.' So I know it works, and my faith in the show isn't shaken at all, but I hate that it might be for some of our fans.

They say there is no such thing as bad publicity, but it is weird, Jillian is a friend of mine. I hate for it to happen for them.

ET: We have three great guys from last season: Reid Rosenthal, Kiptyn Locke and Jake Pavelka. Who would you like to see as the next "The Bachelor?"

Chris Harrison: The thing is, there are some other guys -- I saw four or five resumes and tapes of people we have never heard of. Obviously, Kiptyn, Reid, Jake and, even Michael Stagliano, although I heard he is dating Holly Durst, one of our former bachelorettes. I don't know if that is true, but that is what I heard, so maybe he is off the market, but he was a favorite. So, Reid and Jake and Kiptyn are viable candidates. Like I told Jillian, you can't go wrong with any of those guys, because they would each give us very different shows.

ET: And, the question everyone wants a definite answer to: Did Wes have a girlfriend?

Chris Harrison: Honest, I don't know. But I do know this: Regardless of whether he was just breaking up or whatever the situation was, he was pretty insincere. And I will say this about Wes, who complained a lot about being edited. He should thank us and kiss our feet for how he was edited, because, believe me, we could have made him seem a lot worse than we did. We made him seem as good as we could. He should actually be thanking us.

The only way I see they were successful at "hitting one down the middle" was to divide the audience into two camps, lol. Although, I guess if the latest polls are to be believed, the "Ed was the right pick" is down to almost 20%, so the two "halves" are a bit lopsided.

[cfck2222]

Chris Harrison:

The problem is there is a shred of truth in there, which Jillian already knew about.

This appears to be the party line - since there is photographic evidence, they can't deny what Ed was up to during his hiatus from the show. So the goalposts have moved to when the engagement started, as affirmed by the Calgary Herald article which interviews Jillian's friends.

Bachelorette Harris 'weathers storm'

Harris goes on to say that she isn't worried about what happened before she became engaged to Swiderski. It's what has happened since then that counts.

Since they've moved the goalposts to after the engagement, it's he said/she said unless the friends of Ed/L/B speak up or unless B/L can provide more photographic evidence. I expect the story will die unless the friends speak up or there is another woman coming out of the woodwork.

But even with the moved goalposts, Chris Harrison inadvertently admitted part of this season was a sham. I admit that although I believed sdl was generally right, I thought sdl was exaggerating when he said the reason Ed left had nothing to do with work but was because of his girlfriend situation. But now with Chris Harrison's admission of even a "shred of truth" and the party line being that May 24th is Day One of the J/Ed relationship, I think it's fair to say the show is copping to Ed's hiatus being because of his personal life not his professional life.

Edit: OK I don't know if the above is considered a rehash of this season's events because if it is then I know it doesn't belong here. I was trying to make a comment about the party line based on 2 articles and then use that to look back at the show presentation.

[Zao]

Jillian and Ed in Vancouver at the moment.

Bachelorette Harris 'weathers storm'

While gossip-mongers lambast Ed Swiderski for cheating on Bachelorette Jillian Harris, her closest friends say the reality TV couple have already moved past the scandal.

"I just talked to her a few minutes ago and they are hanging out in Vancouver meeting her friends and exploring her world," says Peace River native Shannon Long, 29, speaking exclusively with the Calgary Herald on Sunday.

"Jill was aware that there was a risk of this kind of tabloid attention when she got involved with the show. But this is crazy."

In an e-mail to the Herald on Sunday, Harris was exasperated by the tabloid attention, saying: "I want my sweet little simple Canadian life back where people treat others with respect." Adding: "I am doing great, though . . . We are just trying to weather this storm."

Reports surfaced last week that Swiderski was sending suggestive texts to two other women while he was charming Harris on the ABC reality dating show.

Recent tabloid cover stories also claim--in horrific detail--that he continued relationships with Lindsey Johnson and Bethany Steffen after he proposed to Harris May 24.

Harris and Swiderski were spotted dining in Las Vegas late Friday evening, and have since flown to Vancouver to spend time in Harris's adopted hometown before she packs up and moves to Chicago at the beginning of next month.

Although some tabloid reports claim otherwise, the Peace River native doesn't appear to have any delusions about the origins of her relationship.

"I was falling in love with two other guys two days before we got engaged," she told People magazine.

"That's a double standard. If he had feelings for these two other girls while he was on the show, that's normal."

Harris goes on to say that she isn't worried about what happened before she became engaged to Swiderski. It's what has happened since then that counts.

Back in Alberta, Harris's friends are more upset about the barrage of media attention than Swiderski's alleged philandering.

"I just hope this tabloid stuff isn't getting to them to much," says Harris's longtime friend Brad Bell, who owns Calgary's Crush restaurant and lounge where she went to watch The Bachelorette with girlfriends in July. Although Bell did not want to be specific about Harris's updates on her private Facebook page, he says the gossip --including the cover story in Us Weekly--is running well after the fact.

"I'm looking at a message that she just posted on Facebook. They look very happy and very much together and everyone here is so excited to meet him.

"I think they have already talked about it and moved on. She's got it under control."

For a reality TV couple "control" can mean a very public round of crisis management appearances.

Both Harris and Swiderski appeared on ABC's Good Morning America Aug. 5 to deny the allegations. The two women in question countered in tabloids maintaining their story.

"It's all crap," says Long, who has been friends with Harris since kindergarten and chats with her daily by phone.

"I am going to Chicago in October to visit them. I just finished planning the trip," says Long, who has been nicknamed "Shannanigans" by Swiderski.

"Jill is in love. I've never seen her so happy in my entire life."

[skatingfan09]

I can't believe how gullible and naive Jillian and her girlfriends are. I wonder if Jillian's potential TV career opportunities will be limited now because she's "standing by her man". I would think a lot of the female viewing public will have lost a lot of respect for Jillian lately.

[Alanna]

Originally Posted by Zao

Jillian and Ed in Vancouver at the moment.

Bachelorette Harris 'weathers storm'

I'm absolutely stunned (in a good way) that he's in Vancouver with her helping to pack up her life to move to Chicago and that her friends have already planned trips to visit. Whatever I may feel about Ed, it's awesome for Jilly that maybe she did find exactly what she was looking for from this crazy show. I sincerely hope it lasts for her sake.

[HillCntryGrl]

When Jillian is quoted as saying, "I want my sweet little simple Canadian life back where people treat others with respect." is she insinuating that nobody in America treated her with respect? If so, I think this was an odd statement and way out of line considering her main viewing audience and fan base is in the States. Any thoughts anyone?

[lavender1960]

Bachelorette cast-offs hang around Ranch 616 tonight

A curious creation of our current era of televised voyeurism, the reality show reject is often relegated to a post-show life of spin-offs, non-starting acting careers, and getting paid for just showing up to places. Tonight, recent The Bachelorette cast-offs Jesse Kovacs (the one who co-owns a winery), Wes Hayden (the Austin-based country singer who may or may not have had a girlfriend while he was on the show), Mike Stagliano (the guy who got rejected for the eventual winner, who had previously quit the competition), and Tanner Pope (the guy who leaked that big twist after being ousted) fall into that latter category as they stand around making stilted small talk for two hours at Ranch 616. Well, it won't be all stilted—Kovacs will probably chat you up about his winery (which is sponsoring the event), while Hayden and fellow musician Stagliano will woo attendees with melodies that say, "I swear I didn't go on this show to further my music career." Hey, at least they weren't accused of sleeping with two other women after proposing to the show's Bachelorette, Jillian Harris. Form a single line, ladies.

[AvalonR]

A nice slice of irony from The Huffington Post.

Richard Sine: "The Bachelorette" Betrayed? What About ME?

I am shocked and appalled by the allegations posed in this week's Us Weekly that the man who proposed to Jillian Harris in the finale of the The Bachelorette was cheating on her with not one, but two women -- even sleeping with one of them after the proposal.

Is it true, as Us Weekly says on its cover, that Jillian's "dreams are destroyed?" I wouldn't lose hope too quickly, Jillian! If you ask me, these "other" women are just bitter, spotlight-grubbing liars. I mean, we watched Ed and Jillian fall in love on national television, amidst beautiful backdrops in Vancouver, Spain and even Maui. How could their love be anything less than genuine?

Everyone dreams of finding a soul mate. A search that commences in high school hallways and campus quads extends into an endless succession of offices, nightclubs, churches, grocery stores, and online dating services. So who would have guessed that, for 29-year-old Jillian, that search would finally end on a television show in which she would find not one or two, but three potential lifelong loves, all from a group of 25 guys chosen by some TV producers?

The coincidence is even more amazing for the guys. After all, they only had one girl to choose from. Yet all it took was a dance, or a deep gaze into Jillian's eyes, for most of them to declare their love, or at least profound attraction and interest. And at the end of less than two months of shooting, three of them proposed to her. They, too, had found their lifelong companion!

I'll tell you, all these coincidences certainly make for great television. The thrilling competition for this amazing girl! The heartbreaking decisions she faced! Above all, it is such a powerful experience to hear these men and this woman speak from the heart about the experience of true love.

Of course, the show had a couple of losers. I mean, look at Wes, who only joined the show to get exposure for his music career. When Jillian found out Wes had a girlfriend, it was time for him to go. But once she finally narrowed it down to her top guys--that's when the show really had me on the edge of my seat.

Jillian obviously had profound feelings for these guys, and vice verse. But I think the winner was clear all along. The other guys wavered in their commitment, or had a hard time showing their true feelings -- all guys are the same, don't you know it? Only Ed was willing to come straight out and declare his love, and his willingness to close the deal after only a few weeks with his beloved Jillian.

Only Ed was willing to go the distance. Therefore, only Ed deserved Jillian's heart (as well as the extra airtime, instant celebrity and promotional opportunities that go along with being the Bachelorette's top pick).

For all those reasons, I believe that Ed was telling the truth. I believe he and Jillian were meant for each other. And I don't believe those lying shrews. Because if you believe those girls, you might conclude that the whole show was just a cynical charade that cheapens the significance of proposals, of marriage, maybe even of love itself, all for the sake of a ratings grab. And that would be so wrong!

[TrailingWife]

Originally Posted by HillCntryGrl

When Jillian is quoted as saying, "I want my sweet little simple Canadian life back where people treat others with respect." is she insinuating that nobody in America treated her with respect? If so, I think this was an odd statement and way out of line considering her main viewing audience and fan base is in the States. Any thoughts anyone?

Of course that's what she meant. I wish she would stay in Canada, but I doubt she will. If she moves to Chicago I hope the media there skewers her. She deserves it.