Every year since 2003, a contestant from American Broadcasting Company’s “The Bachelor” is dubbed the next “Bachelorette.” Already familiar to the audience, the Bachelorette enters the mansion in California ready to continue her search for love. Despite this proven formula, Season 22 of the hit ABC show is taking a significant deviation.
In 2026, Taylor Frankie Paul, of the network’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” will be the leading lady on “The Bachelorette.” Paul was never on “The Bachelor,” marking a stark change from the show’s previous formula. The network’s choice underlines a greater cultural shift towards conservatism in the United States and serves as a prominent example of blatant capitalist interest invading all aspects of American entertainment.
Paul rose to fame on TikTok through her and her friends’ now notorious subdivision of the app dubbed “MomTok.” Following a marital scandal involving another Mormon couple, Paul and her husband divorced. She rebounded and grew her individual notability on the now-popular ABC show, with the drama of her marriage a hot topic in the series’ first season. Audiences recognized Paul’s determination and aptitude for the spotlight and were immediately drawn to her.
The famous mothers’ social media content and its subsequent franchise gained widespread attention because it plays into traditional misogynistic ideals of how women should socially perform. The “Trad wife” has become an increasingly popular character in our social media sphere. From TikTok to Instagram, many wives and mothers produce content that romanticizes domesticity. The Mormon wives of ABC’s hit show embody these characteristics. These influencers depict motherhood as an effortless vocation. Their wealth and immense free time allow them to constantly strive to reach the next standard of beauty, making their lives appear perfect.
Many other “Trad wife” influencers, not affiliated with Paul and her friends, are also Mormons, or members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Model and social media influencer Nara Smith is yet another famous member who aggrandizes motherhood and has gained a large online following.
The correlation between Mormonism and exaggerating the ease and joy of domestic life is clear. Mormons believe in traditional gender roles and female complacency. Another undeniable feature of their doctrine is the importance of evangelization. Many Mormons take to social media to attempt to spread the message of their prophets, some more blatantly than others. Their false depiction of the lives of Mormon wives is undoubtedly an attempt at proselytization.
Paul’s casting presents a significant digression from the previous commitments of ABC executives. In recent years, “The Bachelor” franchise has made much needed strides towards diversity after continuous pressure from audiences and former contestants. In 2024, executive producers apologized for the show’s continuous lack of varied representation and vowed to do better. Following the apology, Season 21 of “The Bachelorette” featured the show’s first Asian American lead, Jenn Tran. This was a step towards greater inclusivity, but by no means a resolution to the network’s long-standing issues.
Considering this recent apology and promise, I was disappointed to see that they selected yet another white woman to lead the show’s most recent season. Paul’s casting is not only another instance of the series lacking racial diversification but an excellent example of the sense of womanhood that American culture now seeks to promote.
The culmination of these factors makes it clear that ABC is considering cultural shifts in order to engage the most viewers, rather than remaining consistent with their previous promise of increased diversification. After the popularity of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” the network is undoubtedly trying to revitalize “The Bachelorette,” via the other show’s success, by promoting its star.
Monetary achievement is at the forefront of the network’s ambitions, no matter the wider societal consequences. Two of their most popular shows will now star a Mormon woman who is promoting her traditionalist, harmful gender values to the audience and reinforcing the indoctrination young women are receiving from all spaces of the media. The decision to cast Paul as the most recent face of the series is indicative of the times we are living in and the subtle conservative messaging that pervades our society, especially in online spheres.
Consideration of the wider culture is not the only reason that ABC has shifted its priorities in the last months. In December 2024, ABC News agreed to pay $15 million to Donald Trump’s Presidential Library fund in order to avoid a defamation lawsuit. Clearly, the company’s most avid devotion is to capitalist interest. By incorporating conservative Christian voices in popular shows, the network appeals to a growing population of Americans and continues to mend its divide with the current presidential administration.
ABC is morally reprimandable for abandoning continued diversification and for the harmful messages that they are promoting by casting Paul, who is outspoken about her religious identity and traditional views on gender. Past Bachelorettes have been lawyers, pilots and entrepreneurs—inspiring, relatable women. This most recent installment will highlight an influencer who has gained her flowers through her looks, riches and the supposedly appealing orthodox features of her religion.
