After being addressed by name during Nick Viall’s tirade, an outraged Love Is Blind season 2 alum calls him out. Nick, a well-known face of Bachelor Nation, discusses the ins and outs of reality TV on his podcast, The Viall Files. In recent weeks, a trending topic has been the stars who have accused Love Is Blind’s production company of violating fundamental human rights, one of the spearheads being Nick Thompson from season 2. Viall was somewhat cynical when addressing Thompson and the others’ claims, calling them “entitled” and noting that these accusations against the show only came about when their media attention began to fade.
Following The Bachelor star turned podcaster’s controversial take, Love Is Blind’s Nick Thompson decided to address him for his harsh words. Thompson shared an Instagram video beginning with a clip of Viall mocking the Love Is Blind complainants. Tagging Viall’s profile, Thompson says taking the side of production companies is “propaganda at its finest.”
Thompson pointed out the insulting nature of Viall’s comments, saying they were irrelevant to the accusations he has made. “It’s clear that you do not believe reality TV stars deserve to be treated as human beings.” Thompson vows to continue fighting for future cast members’ human rights and that he’s open to a conversation with Viall when he comes to his senses.
Nick Viall Responds With Silence
Viall has been under fire for his comments on the matter but has yet to acknowledge it. Instead, Thompson claims that Viall blocked him from being able to tag his page on Instagram. Thompson shared a screenshot of him attempting to tag Viall, and it looks to be true. He wrote, “I guess it takes too much character to debate on the merits of an issue.” It sounds like Thompson wants to be acknowledged by Viall, but it is probably best if they don’t engage in conversation, considering how fiery they have both been on the topic.
There is a sad list of issues surrounding dating shows. Contestants are filmed during their most vulnerable moments, put through arrangements frequently intended to induce heartache, all for a good viewer experience and ratings. Viall’s take on the matter is undoubtedly contentious, and the delivery was more than poor. Thompson is organizing to better the future for reality TV stars, which is commendable. Regardless of Viall’s opinions, there isn’t a good reason to argue against Thompson’s call for humane conditions.
With that being said, there is some validity to Viall’s reasoning. To play devil’s advocate, Love Is Blind is a reality TV show, the genre known for demoralizing and inducing emotional stress. And although it was probably unnecessary usage of the word “entitled,” it is reasonable to identify participants’ expectations in a filmed social experiment. Dating show appearances are not comparable to ordinary occupations. For example, bank tellers don’t sign an NDA as a condition of their employment. That doesn’t mean that infringing on human rights suddenly becomes acceptable or that fighting for those rights makes a person entitled; however, it adds context.
Viall probably won’t be the only one Thompson will have to defend himself against, but the topic is being discussed, which is a step in the right direction. Many of Viall’s comments were unnecessary and hurtful, but an upside is that they brought more conversation to Thompson’s efforts. Aside from anyone’s thoughts on the matter, reality stars deserve a safe and comfortable environment with their rights still in place. If the claims against Love Is Blind are true and go unresolved, Thompson won’t be the last to bring it to light.
Source: Nick Thompson/Instagram
