Calling a child 'baggage' on 'The Bachelorette'
In this March 2012 photo released by ABC shows Emily Maynard, a former contestant on “The Bachelor” and now the star of the latest season of “The Bachelorette,” in Charlotte, N.C. Maynard talks about what she's doing differently this time around as ABC's “Bachelorette.” She got engaged last year to Brad Womack in the season finale of “The Bachelor” but their relationship didn't work out. Credit: AP
On “The Bachelorette” this week, single mom Emily Maynard kicked contender Kalon off the show after he referred to her 6-year-old daughter as baggage.
Emily went ballistic, calling Kalon “a terrible human being” and throwing in an expletive when she invited him to use the exit door.
As a former single mom, I understand Emily’s disappointment that a man would think that taking on her child might be more responsibility than he’s looking for. When my son was in elementary school, I had a guy I was dating break up with me because he didn’t want to go through years of “lacrosse sticks next to the front door.” He'd already had his own kids, and they were grown.
I don’t agree that those kinds of feelings qualify someone as “a terrible human being.” We remained friends. I didn't take it personally as an affront to my child, like Emily did.
I think Emily was right in sending Kalon home – surely she wouldn’t want to marry someone who feels that way about her child. But I don’t think she should have skewered him the way she did on national television.
Kalon was absolutely right when he said that any dates with Emily would be a “group date” with her and her daughter, Ricki. Emily’s made it clear to the men that she’s a package deal. If it’s a situation Kalon ultimately decided he didn't want to take on, I think Emily should have just said, “OK, I understand,” and then sent him on his way -- without the barrage of anger that she said made her want to tear off his limbs and beat him with them.
