Are 'The Bachelor' and 'The Bachelorette' Racist?

Here's some food for thought: in their combined 21 seasons, "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" have never once had a non-white person in the lead role: that is, the Bachelor and the Bachelorette themselves have always been white.

So what's going on there? Is it just coincidence? Mike Fleiss, the creator of the two hit reality shows, has an explanation: "We always want to cast for ethnic diversity, it's just that for whatever reason, they don't come forward," Fleiss told Entertainment Weekly. "I wish they would."

But insiders on the show claim that the producers are more concerned with maintaining the success they have had by keeping things the same rather than try to shake things up by casting a minority in the title role.

The sources also said that the producers were concerned about "potential controversy stemming from an interracial romance."

How will they ever know if they don't try? My guess would be that even if "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" lose some of their less racially tolerant (read: "more racist") viewers and the ratings suffer, the shows aren't going anywhere. A one-season dip in ratings wouldn't destroy one of the most popular reality shows on TV.

I also find it hard to believe that minorities "don't come forward" for the role. This is America, and if there's one thing Americans want, it's to be on TV. We know that no matter our differences, no matter the color of our skin, we all share one thing in common: we want to be rich and famous and have people pay attention to us.