Trista Sutter weighed in on the state of The Bachelorette, nearly two decades after putting the program on the pop culture map. She was the spinoff’s first lead and found love with firefighter Ryan Sutter. They share two children and are one of four Bachelorette couples still together after 19 seasons. In an interview with Vulture, Trista said what longtime viewers all think: that producers manipulate storylines too much these days and there’s a lack of real intimacy.
“There was a lot more depth in the first few seasons,” she shared. “Last night I was watching a new episode with my daughter, and my husband watched the episode with us. He’ll rarely watch anymore. He was mimicking what was going on in the episode. ‘Now, can we make out? Oh yeah, we had such a fun day today. Can we make out?’ It’s all about making out.”
As much as Trista’s first instinct was to tell Ryan to be quiet, she noted that “there’s some truth to it.”
“For my season, I kissed four guys. It’s now become pretty standard to be like, ‘Oh, we just met. Can we kiss just to see?’ It’s speed-dating on steroids,” she continued. “I think people realize there’s only so much time, so let’s see if we’re compatible in the way that we kiss because kissing is an important part of relationships.”
When Vulture noted the “fundamental tenets” of the show “are kissing and trauma bonding,” Trista agreed.
“Things are sped up and that’s contributing to the lack of depth in the beginning. To me that’s a little more superficial — the kissing — even though it’s a very important part of a relationship. If Ryan had been a bad kisser, I don’t know that we would’ve ended up together,” she admitted.
“Personally, for my individual tastes as a viewer, I would love to see less of the make-outs and more of the conversations about things that matter,” she added. “That’s where I see connection with people. If my daughter were ever on the show, I would want to make sure she gets to know the other person before going in for the smooches.”
One thing Trista doesn’t like, though, is the double standard between Bachelor and Bachelorette seasons when it comes to sex.
“When I was named the first Bachelorette, a lot of the press wrote that they thought I was going to look like a slut or a hussy. Was the Bachelor ever called those things? Nope. Kaitlyn Bristowe has talked about getting death threats after sleeping with Nick Viall on her season,” Trista shared. “I think it’s unfortunate that women can’t … I hesitate to say all this, because who knows if my children are going to read it. But I would love for there to not be a double standard when it comes to sex. It still exists. It would be nice for women to feel like they can speak their mind without getting judged in that realm. I don’t think we’re there yet.”
Although Trista has some issues with the franchise, particularly the current season of The Bachelorette‘s “lack of structure and format” with two leads, she still has faith the process works.
“I wouldn’t be as much of a fan if I didn’t see authenticity. Admittedly, you might have to look harder for it than in years past. But I do still think it’s there and it’ll continue to be,” she noted. “If there wasn’t any authenticity, that’s when the show will have to say goodbye.”
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