Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
Matt Jameswas the first BlackBachelor, but his impact in the role wasn’t what he hoped for.
In his new memoirFirst Impressions: Off-Screen Conversations With a Bachelor on Race, Family, and Forgiveness, the 30-year-old explains why he was unhappy with how he was portrayed on the show, writing, “In my conversion from person to prop, key pieces of me were left behind.”
In a conversation withThe Los Angeles Times, James explained why the book didn’t delve deeper into some parts of his experience onThe Bachelor.
“There wasn’t anything left to rehash,” he said, pointing to the racism controversy surrounding his final pickRachael Kirkconnell’s past. “My relationship had been made into a sideshow, a complete circus. Rachael and I have moved on.”
He added, “We’re one of the only couples from that franchise still going strong. The reason is we’re going at things at our own pace. We’re not playing games that a lot of people play just to stay in that circle.”
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
When James' finale aired, fans witnessed an"After the Final Rose"special like none before. Kirkconnellpublicly apologizedfor her past behavior, and guest hostEmmanuel Acholed the then ex-couple (who later reconnected) into aconversation about race.
“Maybe I would have told that story if the franchise had made a more concerted effort to take part in that conversation when it was at its height,” James said. “That opportunity was lost because everyone [at ABC] was afraid and sitting on their hands. I understand it, but that’s the kind of thing that happens when you bring people of color into your space.”
James had other complaints about the show’s choice of conversations. He added that he had important chats with contestants about race and about his life as a Black man in America. However, James said they were omitted from the show’s final cut.
“It looked like I lacked substance, I lacked depth,” he said of the editing. “We had the opportunity to have those tough conversations, but the show missed the mark.”
Bri Springs and Matt James onThe Bachelor.Craig Sjodin; Getty Images
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
And for James, the lack of dialogue about race issues in America wasn’t just a missed opportunity for him or other people of color — it would have been of value to all viewers.
In his mind, the series highlighted all of the wrong things. “There was nothing to lay the framework — my background, who I was or why I’m here,” James shared. “The show went straight into seeing these women doing crazy things. It was very frustrating to watch.”
source: people.com
