Bachelor 19 - Chris Soules - General Discussion - *Spoilers*

charriotoffire wrote:A farmer who lives in the farm can't find a wife.

I think that line was the "hold up". They needed to be sure at least five contestants were genuinely committed to uprooting themselves to Iowa. (The other twenty can be here for "storyline" and drama.) Not that the ladies have to sacrifice everything since there are plenty of urban opportunities within an hour commute. Yet we have all discussed here that, yes, Chris is no ordinary Bachelor whom any gal can casually date post-show.

This is what Harrison said to TV Guide (full article on other thread) and I had better quote it EXACTLY before stating my "interpretation" of it.

"There were rumors that it was confirmed, but the truth is until this week, everybody was wrong. It's not like we waited this long to hold on to this little nugget. We confirmed it [on Good Morning America] two days after we could. But, of course, he's been the front-runner. That wasn't hard to figure out."

Harrison then compares him to Sean... "When you're one of 25, you get a very small glimpse. Sean Lowe is the best example. He was not that popular on Emily's season. He wasn't the hero that he was when he was The Bachelor. But we knew Sean was a star and that he had a great sense of humor and was smart. It's the same thing with Chris. He's very smart, articulate and he's professional. Like Andi, he'll approach 'the job' the same way."

(Considering all of the hullabaloo over Andi's finale, he may wish to choose different wording there... LOL! Then again, Harrison liked her despite how some viewers are as critical of her as they were Juan.)

"I don't know if we would've had that same attitude with anybody else at the top of our list. He's also sincere and I know he's looking for love. If there was ever guy we'd say will walk away with someone, it's Chris. So, for those who are worried, you just haven't seen what you'll see during the show."


Personally I think Arie would have made a good Bachelor... and an easier one to set up. Yet Harrison is insinuating here that there wasn't the same level of... shall we say confidence?... as with Chris. The primary obstacle was finding the right range of contestants for Chris and this may have been another reason Arie, Marquel... and possibly (since he was advertized in a GMA preview) Nick as "buffers". In addition, Arie's popularity when he was announced as a prospect may have taken them by surprise... and, again, there may have been some more debating back and forth in that final week.

Yet I do suspect Chris was always both Harrison's and Fleiss' personal choice, only Harrison doesn't want us to know that.

Ha ha! You know... they could reference Ashley's season here. There could be a few contestants who were hoping it was Arie and give him trouble like Bentley did Ashley.

While Arie has the sex appeal, after last season Bachelor fiasco with Juan Pablo, they needed a sure bet. Plus he's has been around and around the Bachelor Family Circuit. And his job is in the so called fast lane. Not as securely middle-America as an Iowan farmer. Chris delivers on all fronts - those DUIs from long ago will be written off as sowing his oats. Now that he's a successful businessman, those sins will be forgiven.

Norcalgal wrote:While Arie has the sex appeal, after last season Bachelor fiasco with Juan Pablo, they needed a sure bet.  Plus he's has been around and around the Bachelor Family Circuit.  And his job is in the so called fast lane.  Not as securely middle-America as an Iowan farmer.  Chris delivers on all fronts - those DUIs from long ago will be written off as sowing his oats.  Now that he's a successful businessman, those sins will be forgiven.

This point has been widely overlooked in this discussion of Chris and his "suitability" as the lead. It could be argued that he has been largely marginalized as a "farmer", with all the negative overall-wearing, pig-smelling, dirt under the finger nails images that conjures. In fact, if one thinks back to his hometown date and listens to what his sisters said, looks at the actual farm, house,landscaping, outbuildings etc, it is fairly evident that Chris is extremely successful in business operations with both his own farm and managing other properties. He is not out "slopping" pigs at 4 am and neither will his wife. Even RS stated at the beginning of Andi's season that this guy was no ordinary farmer. Quite the opposite. I don't know if he is a millionaire, as RS suggests, but that tractor he was driving is a six-figure piece of equipment.

The real question is someone willing to move to Iowa and being happy with the man, the lifestyle and life they would build together. Chris has stated he is willing to make compromises. He has stated in interviews that he was looking for someone to compliment his lifestyle and also to bring new things to it. Someone who he could learn and explore new things with. Did you know there are cyclical periods in farming where you are very busy and need to be hands on (planting and harvest seasons) and ALSO significant "slow" periods (Dec-Feb/Mar)? A woman who ends up with Chris would have plenty of opportunity to travel ("down" periods). Chicago is an easy 4.5 hr drive for a weekend, Mpls is 3.5 hrs, and of course Cedar Rapids much closer (1 hr). Life on the farm would be quiet, maybe a little isolated, but it would definitely have sweet aspects as well.

Now let's hope they found some intelligent, funny, articulate and open-hearted/minded women!

Well said. Let's hope tptb have found women to cast who are confident and who have the imagination to picture what their lives might look like- would they continue to pursue what they already do? Or are they open and flexible enough to grasp the opportunities presented to the new couple (if they have seen the opportunities that Sean and Catherine have- and the travel that has come as a result- they would know they won't be on the farm 24/7- at least not at first). It's very possible that Chris' family owns property away from Iowa where they spend time in the "off" season. My cousin is a "farmer" and he has blocks of time, summer and winter, which aren't so demanding and he takes off for places far and wide.

Will there be compromise? Of course. That's what happens in love and marriage.

Northstargirl wrote:

Norcalgal wrote:While Arie has the sex appeal, after last season Bachelor fiasco with Juan Pablo, they needed a sure bet.  Plus he's has been around and around the Bachelor Family Circuit.  And his job is in the so called fast lane.  Not as securely middle-America as an Iowan farmer.  Chris delivers on all fronts - those DUIs from long ago will be written off as sowing his oats.  Now that he's a successful businessman, those sins will be forgiven.

This point has been widely overlooked in this discussion of Chris and his "suitability" as the lead.  It could be argued that he has been largely marginalized as a "farmer", with all the negative overall-wearing, pig-smelling, dirt under the finger nails images that conjures.  In fact, if one thinks back to his hometown date and listens to what his sisters said, looks at the actual farm, house,landscaping, outbuildings etc, it is fairly evident that Chris is extremely successful in business operations with both his own farm and managing other properties.  He is not out "slopping" pigs at 4 am and neither will his wife. Even RS stated at the beginning of Andi's season that this guy was no ordinary farmer.  Quite the opposite. I don't know if he is a millionaire, as RS suggests, but that tractor he was driving is a six-figure piece of equipment.

The real question is someone willing to move to Iowa and being happy with the man, the lifestyle and life they would build together.  Chris has stated he is willing to make compromises. He has stated in interviews that he was looking for someone to compliment his lifestyle and also to bring new things to it.  Someone who he could learn and explore new things with.  Did you know there are cyclical periods in farming where you are very busy and need to be hands on (planting and harvest seasons) and ALSO significant "slow" periods (Dec-Feb/Mar)?  A woman who ends up with Chris would have plenty of opportunity to travel ("down" periods).  Chicago is an easy 4.5 hr drive for a weekend, Mpls is 3.5 hrs, and of course Cedar Rapids much closer (1 hr).  Life on the farm would be quiet, maybe a little isolated, but it would definitely have sweet aspects as well.  

Now let's hope they found some intelligent, funny, articulate and open-hearted/minded women!

nutty1 wrote:

Northstargirl wrote:

Norcalgal wrote:While Arie has the sex appeal, after last season Bachelor fiasco with Juan Pablo, they needed a sure bet.  Plus he's has been around and around the Bachelor Family Circuit.  And his job is in the so called fast lane.  Not as securely middle-America as an Iowan farmer.  Chris delivers on all fronts - those DUIs from long ago will be written off as sowing his oats.  Now that he's a successful businessman, those sins will be forgiven.

This point has been widely overlooked in this discussion of Chris and his "suitability" as the lead.  It could be argued that he has been largely marginalized as a "farmer", with all the negative overall-wearing, pig-smelling, dirt under the finger nails images that conjures.  In fact, if one thinks back to his hometown date and listens to what his sisters said, looks at the actual farm, house,landscaping, outbuildings etc, it is fairly evident that Chris is extremely successful in business operations with both his own farm and managing other properties.  He is not out "slopping" pigs at 4 am and neither will his wife. Even RS stated at the beginning of Andi's season that this guy was no ordinary farmer.  Quite the opposite. I don't know if he is a millionaire, as RS suggests, but that tractor he was driving is a six-figure piece of equipment.

The real question is someone willing to move to Iowa and being happy with the man, the lifestyle and life they would build together.  Chris has stated he is willing to make compromises. He has stated in interviews that he was looking for someone to compliment his lifestyle and also to bring new things to it.  Someone who he could learn and explore new things with.  Did you know there are cyclical periods in farming where you are very busy and need to be hands on (planting and harvest seasons) and ALSO significant "slow" periods (Dec-Feb/Mar)?  A woman who ends up with Chris would have plenty of opportunity to travel ("down" periods).  Chicago is an easy 4.5 hr drive for a weekend, Mpls is 3.5 hrs, and of course Cedar Rapids much closer (1 hr).  Life on the farm would be quiet, maybe a little isolated, but it would definitely have sweet aspects as well.  

Now let's hope they found some intelligent, funny, articulate and open-hearted/minded women!

We all just need to be as enthusiastic as Cody... bouncy bouncy bouncy...
(I can't believe I overlooked this hilarious tweet the other day.)

Cody Sattler @cody_sattler  ·  Aug 27
Retweet if you are freaking super excited to watch this guy's journey of finding LOVE as the next #bachelor

I would love it if they did a format similar to Emily's season where they dismissed home base being LA for the first few episodes and utilized Chris' home base in Iowa instead.
I would love to see some dates that focused less on over the top crazy in LA and focus more on the simpler life.
Filming will be during Autumn which is a spectacular time in the midwest. Dates could be hayrides, apple picking, pumpkin themed---dare I say--harvesting and giving thanks, ice cream socials, bake offs for charity, homecoming, old theme movie theaters or drive ins. There are so many innovative things TPTB could do with this season and could make it successful if they took a turn from the stale format.

They did that with Ben's season too... moving northward in California.

What overseas countries would be appropriate for this season? Ireland? Definitely the UK again, but not London as Emily's. Soules is a British-French name after all. Just as Clare Bear was embracing her "half Mexican" heritage on BIP... LOL!

Kashathediva wrote:I would love it if they did a format similar to Emily's season where they dismissed home base being LA for the first few episodes and utilized Chris' home base in Iowa instead.
I would love to see some dates that focused less on over the top crazy in LA and focus more on the simpler life.
Filming will be during Autumn which is a spectacular time in the midwest. Dates could be hayrides, apple picking, pumpkin themed---dare I say--harvesting and giving thanks, ice cream socials, bake offs for charity, homecoming, old theme movie theaters or drive ins. There are so many innovative things TPTB could do with this season and could make it successful if they took a turn from the stale format.  

This is exactly what I'd like to see as well. That will be the lifestyle for his chosen one. This would eliminate the diva's that can't see themselves living in that environment.

They can visit farms in other countries too. Group dates need plenty of activities to keep the ladies too exhausted to catfight. Picking grapes in Tuscany and what-not.

A little Ghost in the Graveyard in one of these locales would be a scream...

http://www.hauntedrooms.co.uk/top-10-haunted-places-in-england

Yup, definitely England for Christopher. Maybe Scotland too. Wonder what Loch Ness must be like that time of year. Maybe Stonehenge along the way.

I also think they should get an elderly local couple to crash each date to give him and the current lady advice. Maybe mess with his head a little.

Good idea JBF. Visiting farms in different countries would be awesome. Maybe it's just me, because I want to be a rich farmers wife.

I could go for all the haunting visits too! I'm into all that sort of creepy stuff!