Kareem Abdul-Jabbar thinks ‘The Bachelor’ is bad for society

The outspoken NBA legend has a few issues with the reality show.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar thinks ‘The Bachelor’ is bad for society
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar thinks ‘The Bachelor’ is bad for society /

NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has a few issues with ABC’s reality dating competition, The Bachelor.

In a new guest column for The Hollywood Reporter, Abdul-Jabbar accused the show of favoring certain contestants based on race or body type, and promoting unrealistic romantic standards.

“You’re not even in the running for love unless you fit a very narrow ideal of Ken and Barbie doll physical beauty,” he wrote.

“These shows promote the scorched-earth effects of raising females to be continually judged physically above all other attributes and then measured against impossible physical standards that has marginalized a majority of girls and women — and made billions for the beauty products, clothing, and cosmetic surgery industries.”

Abdul-Jabbar also called for more racial diversity on the show, writing, “If you're black on The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, you're usually kept around as a courtesy for a few weeks before being ejected.”

The new season of The Bachelor premiered on Monday night, and airs at 8 p.m. ET weekly.


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