Peter Weber’s season of The Bachelor is just days away, but a lot of people are saying that Mike Johnson should have been the Bachelor.
24 is a lot of seasons to go without a single black male lead. Peter is tackling that complicated discussion head-on.
Entertainment Tonight asked Peter Weber about the controversy surrounding his casting over another fan-favorite, Mike Johnson.
Peter was not in charge of casting, of course, but he’s still at the center of that contentious choice.
Before giving his full answer, he was sure to make one thing explicitly clear.
“I love Mike,” Peter states. We all do.
“A, I didn’t make this decision, right?” Peter reminded everyone.
“I was very grateful to accept it and move forward,” he acknowledged.
Peter emphasized: “But listen, regardless of race, of identity or whatnot, everybody is deserving of love.”
“And I’m not the only person,” he hastily added.
“Mike would’ve been a great Bachelor,” Peter correctly opined.
He continued: “Tyler [Cameron] could have been a great Bachelor.”
“They picked me,” Peter noted, “and I’m very excited and very humbled.”
He gushed: “And I can’t wait for this journey to begin!”
“I’m all for diversity,” Peter affirmed, “and I’m excited for this journey.”
He shared his plans “to maybe date some diverse women that I haven’t dated before.”
That’s awkwardly phrased but we understand his meaning.
“I haven’t found my person yet,” he said of his past relationships, “so maybe I just haven’t been dating the right type of person.”
Peter made it clear that he did not begrudge anyone for their choices.
“I totally get [the criticism], it’s fair,” he promised.
“All I can say is I’m so grateful to have this opportunity,” Peter stated.
He concluded: “And I wish you know Mike and everyone all the love in the world.”
“I think of diversity more than just black and white,” Mike Johnson said in a previous interview.
“And yes, Peter has a Cuban mom,” he acknowledged.
“But let’s just be honest — he’s white, right?” Mike characterized, referring to how Peter is viewed by others.
He added: “And that’s just being completely transparent.”
Cuban is a nationality, and Cubans may have a number of ethnic backgrounds. Gina Torres, Melissa Fumero, and Bella Thorne are all Cuban.
“I think that there should be an Asian lead, an Indian lead…” Mike expressed.
He emphasized: “Diversity is not just black and white. It’s not just salt and pepper.”
He’s right about that. But a black Bachelor is long, long overdue. 24 seasons without one is not a coincidence.
“After 24 seasons, a black Bachelor should have been cast,” Mike correctly stated.
He did acknowledge that “knows what they’re doing for their audience.”
Reading between the lines, he is throwing some well-deserved shade at the Bachelor Nation.
Similarly, Rachel Lindsay before him had stated that the Bachelor Nation — not America as a whole — was a shade too racist to tune in to a black lead.
ABC is still courting viewership ratings from racists who would have skipped Season 24 if Mike had been chosen.
That’s so sad, but not Peter’s fault.
