One of the (deeply unimportant) indignities of a year lived largely in social isolation is the lack of gossip. In the absence of office gossip, dating gossip and friendship gossip, we’ve had to rely on… Bachelor Nation gossip.

So that’s what we dive into on this week’s Rich Text pod chat. (There may be a small audio glitch at one point during our conversation thanks to Emma’s shaky Zoom connection. Apologies in advance.) We chat about Kit and Bennett’s alleged date, the joy of seeing the women of Matt James’ season finally get to be friends sans show-driven conflict, and, of course, all of the weird drama that has unfolded between Matt and Rachael this week.

Hope you enjoy this grab bag of moderately interesting gossip. Somehow we managed to talk about it for 35 whole minutes.

Call to action…

We have been outraged and heartbroken over the killing of 20-year-old Daunte Wright, yet another Black man killed at the hands of a white police officer during a routine traffic stop. There are many ways to support Wright’s family and the Brooklyn Center community, whether you live in the Minneapolis area or want to show solidarity and financial support from afar. We’ve rounded up a few:

• Directly send funds to Chyna, Wright’s girlfriend and mother of his nearly 2-year-old child, on CashApp ($hubby98). @thuy-jones is collecting funds for her on Venmo, and @holisticheaux is doing the same via PayPal.

• Donate items for Wright’s son via local wellness business Holistic Heaux. They are looking for diapers, clothing (18-24 mos.), groceries and gift cards. Items can be dropped off or shipped. Holistic Heaux is asking that people DM them on Instagram or Facebook in order to get the address.

• Donate to the verified GoFundMe that Wright’s family has set up to cover his funeral costs.

• Donate to the Brooklyn Center Mutual Aid Fund.

• Donate to a GoFundMe that has been set up to support students and families in Brooklyn Center who are struggling in the wake of this latest trauma.

And last but not least, advocate for real, systemic change when it comes to policing. American policing has always been linked to the enforcement of white supremacy. To stop these extra-judicial killings, we need more than police “reform.”

We’ve been reading…

“Police Keep Creating Black Corpses. We Are Being Crushed Under The Weight,” by Hayes Brown for MSNBC. I can’t stop thinking about this one part of his beautiful, aching piece: “I saw Wright's picture, smiling in a red Chicago ball cap at his son's first birthday, before I learned he was dead. I still knew. Black men don't have their names and pictures, frozen in random moments of happiness, go viral like that while they're alive.”

“Libertie” by Kaitlyn Greenidge, a historical novel about the dreamy, rebellious only daughter of a Black woman doctor who runs a women’s hospital in 19th century Brooklyn.

We’ve been listening to…

The “Why Are Dads?” episode about “10 Things I Hate About You,” which reminded me (Emma) why that movie is such a perfect teen rom-com.

The finale of Jo Piazza’s fantastic pod about mom influencers, “Under The Influence.” (Please, iHeart, give us a second season!)

We’ve been watching…

“Summer House” on Bravo. I (Emma) can’t stop. Also, my friend Miriam got her first story producer credit on the most recent episode, so I’m partial.

Claire’s son tear apart the apartment during a two-week break from daycare (thanks to a Covid cluster). Pray 4 us!

This week, celebrity gossip Instagram account DeuxMoi posted some blurry photos of two peoples’ backs. But these weren’t just *any* backs, they (allegedly, as DeuxMoi does not verify the claims it posts) belonged to Bachelor Matt James and his ex-girlfriend, Rachael Kirkconnell.

The last we, the viewers, had seen, Matt and Rachael were being forced to relive their relationship — and in Matt’s case, the racial trauma it wrought — on a soundstage during “After The Final Rose.” Both of them were raw and emotional, and the distance between them was palpable. But now, they appear to be just strolling around Brooklyn! Naturally, the people of Bachelor Nation had questions.

This made us think about what couples who come off of “The Bachelor” owe the public, and what they don’t. It also made us think a lot about breakups, and how sometimes you need to return to a person face-to-face in order to get some real closure. So on this week’s bonus audio chat, we talk about breakups — Bachelor Nation breakups and reunions, as well as some of our own experiences.

Happy listening!

We’re reading…

Our friend and former colleague Laura Bassett’s interview with the man who keeps posting photos of her feet to WikiFeet.

Kelsey McKinney’s propulsive, bittersweet novel “God Spare the Girls” (worth a pre-order if you’re hoping for some engrossing beach/park reading this summer).

We’re listening to…

Olivia Rodrigo’s new single, “deja vu,” trying to reclaim our youth.

“Death at the Wing,” a podcast about the NBA and a spate of deaths among young basketball stars in the ‘70s and ‘80s — which is actually about the immiseration of the Reagan era, structural racism, and the usual American bullshit.

We’re buying…

Emma recently had a whole bag of her laundry stolen, so this week she placed an order for a bunch of basics from American Eagle, like a couple of these Aerie seamless ribbed crop tanks. (Also, the Aerie underwear is seriously great!)

This Commando faux leather crop top, in the hopes of one day, “going out” again.

One of those mooned-over Lithuanian linen sack dresses (this one), which was actually purchased over a month ago and finally arrived this week. The buttons are wood, and the fabric is a summer dream.

If you are a member of Bachelor Nation, you might have seen Suzana Somers’ — better known as @bachelordata’s — charts floating around Instagram. After a season of avidly following her work, and watching her deftly crunch the data on everything from screen time to Instagram growth to overnight date order, we really wanted to talk to her.

So we did! For this newsletter! (Disclaimer: The audio was recorded last night, so we were a little bit tired and may have had a few minor audible Zoom glitches. Apologies!)

It’s always a joy to get to nerd out about this franchise, so this chat was, despite the hour and tech limitations, an absolute blast. In our conversation, Suzana shared some of the nitty-gritty details of how she tracks and visualizes the data, what this project has revealed to her about the franchise’s race and diversity problems, and how it has shaped the way she consumes the show.

We are also really excited that Suzana is letting us republish some of the ~exclusive~ data content that she reserves for her Patreon patrons right here on Rich Text. After Matt James’ season wrapped, she calculated the total screen time of each contestant, including Matt James and Chris Harrison. The results paint an illuminating picture. Like… Victoria Larson, who was eliminated about halfway through the season, got as much featured screen time as Bri Springs and Serena Pitt, two women of color who made it to the final four.

Take a look:

We hope you all enjoy listening to the conversation — and, of course, follow the @bachelordata Instagram account, and support all of Suzana’s incredible work on her Patreon.

Call to action…

It’s a pretty heavy news week. We’re following both the Derek Chauvin trial and the horrifying spate of anti-trans bills (many of which target trans kids) in state legislatures across the nation.

The first thing we can all do is just… pay attention. Talk to your friends and family about what’s going on. Take breaks, especially because this sort of news can be really triggering, but don’t tune it out.

You can also contact the Arkansas governor and ask him to veto the bill that just passed which prohibits doctors from providing gender-affirming medical care for transgender children. You can send a message to Gov. Asa Hutchinson through the ACLU's website.

If you have some money to spare, donate to organizations like the Trans Youth Equality Foundation, Intransitive, Black Lives Matter, or directly to the GoFundMe for George Floyd’s daughter.

We’re reading…

Rosie Danan’s forthcoming rom-com novel, “The Intimacy Experiment,” which features a super sexy rabbi named Ethan.

Every article about Real Housewife of Salt Lake City Jen Shah being arrested for fraud while the second season was filming. (!!!)

“Play It As It Lays” and “Slouching Towards Bethlehem”! Joan Didion: turns out she’s pretty good.

“Trashberg,” our buddy Ashley Feinberg’s newsletter, which promises to fill the neglected “weirdly attentive blog about Newt and Callista Gingrich Instagram selfies” niche.

We’re listening to…

The first two episodes of “Even The Rich’s” Jackie O and JFK mini-series.

“Lost Hills,” a podcast based on the also excellent New Yorker piece about a spree of shootings in the Malibu wilderness, and the failure of the sheriff’s department to take it seriously.

We’re watching…

“Ted Lasso,” the show everyone told me (Emma) to watch but I resisted because like, a show about a man coaching sports ball? But fine fine, it’s absolutely delightful.

“The One,” a weirdly terrifying show about true love. Started it because of the love thing, now finishing it to find out who did a murder.

“Call My Agent!”: If you haven’t watched this stylish French comedy, set in a Parisian talent agency, it’s time to binge and decide whether you’re an Andréa, a Camille, a Sofia or a Noémie. Or a Mathias or a Gabriel or an Hervé or — look, the characters are all perfection, just watch it.

We’re buying…

Chunky Fila sneakers in a light beige color that feels oddly elegant for a so-ugly-they’re-cute kind of shoe. (The ones Emma bought are mostly sold out, but here are a very similar pair on Revolve.)

Summer lounge sets! Last summer I (Claire) did very little online shopping and mostly look like a frazzled wreck in bike shorts and stretched-out tees in photos. I got addicted to lounge sets over the winter, and I’m not ready to give up looking cute and comfy at home just because it’s too hot for sweats. My first choice: this Aerie pointelle duo.

Hey everyone! We’re here with a little bonus episode for our paid subscribers (we love you!). 

Bachelor Nation never sleeps, and even though Matt James’s season is over, the fallout continues. Plus, filming is starting for Katie Thurston’s season of “The Bachelorette,” and there will be two new hosts: Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe. 

Before getting into Bachelor news, we also talk briefly about the horrific shooting spree in Atlanta spas that took the lives of 8 people, including 6 Asian women. The rise in hate crimes against Asian people -- especially Asian women -- in the U.S. is terrifying, and we should all be doing what we can to help. 

We really encourage people to find and support local charities, advocacy groups and mutual aid organizations to help the Asian-American community and sex workers. A couple we wanted to call out are Red Canary Song, an NYC-based advocacy organization focused on migrant & Asian sex workers in NYC, and to the AAPI Journalists Therapy Relief Fund hosted by Sonia Weiser on GoFundMe. (Drop more orgs that you have come across in the comments!) Claire also signed up for a free bystander intervention training next month with Hollaback!

Some housekeeping:

If you were following us on Instagram, you might have noticed that our handle changed! We are now at @claireandemmapod. Follow us there for updates on our newsletter, audio chats and future projects.

We’ve been reading…

“‘I Felt Like A Zoo Animal’”: Black Contestants Share Their Experiences On ‘The Bachelor,’” by Stephanie McNeal, BuzzFeed News

“I’ll Meet You Anywhere,” Saeed Jones, The Cut

Our former (also laid off) colleague Jamie Feldman’s new newsletter, Jamie AF. Her post about grappling with — and celebrating — the ways that our bodies may have changed during the pandemic really hit home.

We’ve been buying…

Clogs. Both of us. Emma got this Highwood Brown Oiled Nubuck pair from Lotta From Stockholm. Claire got these natural leather open-toe ones from the same brand. Yes, this means we are solidly, solidly into our 30s. Also we’re becoming the same person.

Special thanks to Sara Patterson for producing and editing this Rich Text audio chat. If you need an amazing audio producer, hire her!

This week on Rich Text we dive into the finale of Matt James season of “The Bachelor.” As you can imagine, we had *a lot* of thoughts on the bleak conclusion of a season that was meant to signal historic change for the franchise.

After you listen, check out our essay about the finale and After The Final Rose special on Cosmopolitan.com!

Want more Rich Text? Consider becoming a paid subscriber to support this now-curricular writing project, and receive subscriber-only posts and audio.

We’re trying something new today! A bonus audio chat.

On this “episode,” we discuss some of the very tepid Women Tell All drama that we didn’t get to talk about on our podcast. We also open our chat with a conversation about Chris Harrison’s Thursday morning appearance on “Good Morning America,” in which he told Michael Strahan that he did not “speak from the heart” in his interview with Rachel Lindsay. Strahan didn’t seem to particularly buy it, and honestly, neither did we.

You can watch the interview here:

As we said, this is a new format for us — one that we are hoping to repeat for newsletter subscribers — so please let us know if you like it, and if there are other things you’d want to hear us chat about!