If you’re a viewer of the relationship reality TV show The Bachelor, you probably already know that fan favorite, Ali Fedotwosky, left the show this Monday night, claiming that her employer wanted her back at work. Her employer isn’t just any old company, it’s Facebook, the company that just cracked 400 million users worldwide. But is there more going on than appears?
According to Silicon Alley Insider, Facebook issued Fedotwosky — a 25 year-old advertising accounts manager with the social networking giant — an ultimatum to choose between her job and the TV show. She supposedly chose her job (I guess those internal stock options are more valuable than being on the show?).
Wait, there’s more. Buzzing forums, Facebook fan pages, and entertainment magazine websites suggests that host Chris Harrison has been claiming it’s not over between Ali and the current season’s bachelor Jake Pavelka. Some viewers are speculating that Ali used the excuse of her employer, Facebook, threatening her job just to bluff Jake into picking her, and that it backfired.
Now according to another article on the Alley Insider site, Facebook says that they did not force Ali to quit. Other sources say Ali actually ran out of vacation time and had to make a decision to return or quit, with no current option for unpaid leave.
There’s further discussion below a photoshopped photo on Facebook itself that the show’s host might be right, that Ali, will return to this soap-opera like saga, but not to The Bachelor, rather as the next Bachelorette. Of course, the rumors that she has a brand new boyfriend in real-life might affect that possibility.
So maybe Facebook isn’t the monster some people were trying to suggest? Didn’t reality shows used to get taped weeks or months before they aired? I guess it’d be hard to capitalize on real-time social media feedback if that where the case. If you want to be part of that feedback, or tap the current discussion amongst Ali’s fans, check out her Facebook Fan page, which at this writing was nearing 8,000 members.
Also, check out scenes of “The Bachelor” which include Ali Fedotowsky in the video below:
