The Bachelorette season 13 is premiering in exactly one week. If that news surprises you, you're not the only one. Usually, by this point, we'd be up to our ears in Bachelorette marketing, already overloaded with a ton of press: a barrage of titillating sneak peeks at the drama to come, ubiquitous ads, juicy interviews, press releases, etc. But the buzz leading up to the premiere of Rachel Lindsay's season is hardly audible.
You could blame this on the media, but the fact is that there's just not a lot of information about the new season out there — there's hardly anything to hype up. For example, the only photos on the ABC press sites are of Rachel Lindsay herself. And in a total departure from previous seasons, the cast has not even been revealed yet. Typically, by this point we would have photos, names, ages, occupations, and fun facts about each of the guys — allowing us to make fun of their job titles and pick out our early favorites. But the cast section of the show's site is empty, save for Lindsay and host Chris Harrison. Additionally, the official Twitter account for the show has barely been inactive. In fact, between April 24 and May 12, @BacheloretteABC did not post a single tweet promoting the show.
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When Refinery29 reached out to ABC to ask about when more promotional materials will become available, their PR director said that all press materials "will be up later this month." In a followup email, the rep added, "There are some materials up now." That consists of the standard news release ABC uploaded to their press site on May 8, in addition to the handful of photos of Rachel.
I know, I know: who cares? But the fact is that we are seven days away from the premiere of the first Black Bachelorette (or Bachelor) in the franchise's history, and the lack of promotion is worth questioning. It's a historic moment for the show, and TV, period. Plus, Lindsay is nothing less than a fan favorite. Media hype or not, we'll be tuning in Monday night, and we can't wait to see Lindsay begin her journey.
The Bachelorette premieres May 22 at 9 p.m. on ABC.
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