Spoiler alert! This story contains spoilers from the February 19 episode of The Bachelor.
So far Bachelor Nation seems to be enjoying Joey Graziadei’s season of The Bachelor, with the cast members giving us the dumb drama we crave and going above and beyond for group date challenges (like that wild game of musical chairs). But one aspect of Season 28 hasn’t been so welcomed by fans. Every contestant seems to have a tragic story to share with the Bachelor, and social media users expressed their concern for the emotional toll the “trauma dumping” was taking on Joey. The Bachelor superfan David Spade, meanwhile, had a different take, sharing why he feels for Joey’s women. Let’s break it all down.
Bachelor Nation Is Concerned For Joey Amid The ‘Trauma Dumping’
It’s not unusual for The Bachelor contestants to come on the show with some kind of obstacle to overcome, but this season has featured way more than the typical, “My last boyfriend cheated on me,” stories. The experiences they’ve gone through are truly heartbreaking, and their trauma is certainly valid. Bachelor Nation’s issue largely seems to be that Joey Graziadei is shouldering a lot, as evidenced by him breaking down in tears at the beginning of the February 19 episode. One fan tweeted:
Joey after five straight weeks of being trauma dumped on #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/m9ISNcVpMUFebruary 20, 2024
The contestants of Season 28 have been through some serious life events, including Daisy Kent’s hearing loss from Ménière’s disease, Lexi Young being diagnosed with endometriosis and several cast members opening up about the deaths of their parents. These things are relevant to their personal journeys and important to share with someone they hope to get engaged to, but it’s just a lot all around. As one X (Twitter user said):
These poor girls are going through it and poor Joey can’t have a single one on one without getting trauma dumped #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/I1zJSUcT57February 14, 2024
Other fans appealed to producers to “Quit making this the standard of advancing on this show,” because it made it seem like the women were getting a “pity rose.” Joey Graziadei isn’t the only one drawing the sympathies of the audience, though, as comedian David Spade shared his views on the latest episode and one of the most recent eliminations.
David Spade Weighs In On The Bachelor: ‘They’re All Crushed’
David Spade is a longtime Bachelor superfan — his love of the franchise even got him a gig guest-hosting Bachelor in Paradise Season 7 — and he regularly provides commentary on social media during episodes. He seemed particularly affected by Lexi Young’s self-elimination, as she chose to leave because Joey Graziadei’s timeline for having children wasn’t realistic for her due to her fertility issues. The comedian said on Instagram Stories:
That girl just poured her heart out, said she wants to have kids. He’s like, ‘Yeah, I feel like it’s a five-year engagement, then 10 years of just kind of cheating on you, then maybe kids,’ and she’s like, ‘All right, I’m gonna tap out.’ And now she’s crushed. Everyone has cried so far, every single one, because they’re all emotional wrecks. She thinks, ‘Why did I wear my leather pants to a breakup?’ Fine. She’s gonna go get on her fucking crummy ass dogshit Southwest flight. This guy who’s got like Dave Portnoy vibes. I don’t know what’s going on. I just feel for everyone on the show. All the women poured out… It’s so odd, it should be illegal. They’re all crushed and battered and tortured, and he just ships them off, one by one.
Sometimes the reality of what The Bachelor is hits a little too hard, it seems! The latest episode was super emotional for all involved — both Joey Graziadei and the remaining contestants — and it seems Bachelor Nation really felt the weight of that through their screens.
You can continue to watch Joey’s search for love with new episodes airing each Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The Bachelor can also be streamed the next day with a Hulu subscription, and stay up to date on all of the upcoming premieres with our 2024 TV schedule.
