Rosechasing: Former bachelorette Hannah Brown sets poor example during pandemic

A little over two weeks ago, the 24th season of “The Bachelor” came to a close in truly dramatic fashion. In a roller coaster of events and emotions, bachelor Peter Weber decided to propose to Hannah Ann, but quickly realized that he couldn’t get over his feelings for Madi. The show ended with Madi and Peter deciding to give their relationship another shot, much to the chagrin of the Weber family. 

While this season of “The Bachelor” was one of the wildest seasons ever, the ending was overshadowed by a much bigger event: the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Bachelor” and the coronavirus may have almost nothing in common, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn something valuable from some former contestants. While some former members of “The Bachelor” understand the gravity of this situation (such as season 23 bachelor Colton Underwood, who is currently recovering from the coronavirus), former bachelorette and season 23 “Bachelor” contestant Hannah Brown is acting quite carelessly amid this pandemic, serving as a perfect example of what not to do. 

To start things off, Brown recently put up a highly controversial post on Instagram March 21 that drew backlash due to her caption which read, “What’s more contagious than a smile.” 

That was a mistake. Although she tried to defend her words by saying that she was, “Just trying to spread some love,” Brown still faced an overwhelmingly negative response to her caption. Many felt that Brown’s comment was inappropriate and insensitive toward the tens of thousands of people directly affected by the disease. 

I would have to agree with these people. There is a time and place for jokes, but in this case, it was clearly the wrong situation. When one of my friends sent me her post, I was honestly a bit taken aback. What could have been going through her mind for this to be an acceptable thing to say to her 2.8 million followers?

People are suffering as a result of the coronavirus, yet Brown somehow thought a joke was the right response. During this time, it’s important to be mindful of what others are going through every single day. For some, the pandemic has caused immeasurable pain as people have lost loved ones or have fallen ill themselves. 

In addition to her insensitive Instagram post, Brown has also drawn heat for engaging in activities that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has strongly discouraged. Instead of staying inside and practicing social distancing, Brown seems to be quite active, going to the beach and hanging out with friends. Unlike everyone else, Brown and her buddies seem to be having the time of their lives in Florida. 

“The Quarantine Crew” (this is absurdly cheesy), as Brown and her friends have dubbed themselves, seems to be quite the misnomer as their TikTok makes it look as though the group has been doing whatever it wants. Her friend group, which includes former “Bachelorette” contestant Tyler Cameron, has thrown small pool parties, inviting other friends to come hang out, have fun and enjoy the freedom that everyone else wishes they could have.

Although Brown claims that she is “not making light of the situation,” her actions prove otherwise. The CDC has discouraged people from meeting with others, but Brown and her squad have ignored this recommendation and seem to be intent on gaining more attention and popularity during this difficult time. Season 21 bachelor Nick Viall disapproved of Brown and her crew and called them out for their reckless behavior in an Instagram live stream with influencer Claudia Oshry saying, “Stay the fuck home. Stop doing TikTok videos with groups of people in the pool.” 

So what can we learn from this? 

Please don’t be like Brown and her friends. We are in the midst of a global health crisis unlike any we have seen in our lifetimes; right now, safety and health should be everyone’s priority. 

Unfortunately, this does not seem to be the case for some millennials and members of Gen Z. Many college students and young adults appear to be following in the same steps as Brown and her friends by choosing to ignore the severity of this pandemic. A video from NBC Los Angeles released March 21 showed myriad people gathering with others, playing basketball and drinking games at several southern California beaches, blatantly disregarding the state’s stay-at-home order. I am still witnessing many of my own close friends continue to hang out with others and consistently leave their house on a daily basis. 

Yes, it’s true that the coronavirus poses a lower risk to young, healthy people than it does to others. However, that doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want during this crisis. The truth is by going out and hanging out with your friends, you are putting countless lives at risk. 

We have to understand that this situation is bigger than ourselves and our personal pleasure. Social distancing and self-quarantining are definitely not fun, but they are for the greater good of your community.

Please stay home and don’t be like Brown.

Harrison Cho is a sophomore writing about  “The Bachelor” and American pop culture. His column, “Rosechasing,” runs every other Friday.