The Bachelor Has The Sex Talk With America In Season 21

For a show about love, The Bachelor has never been all that interested in sex. The Fantasy Suite, the fabled no-cameras-allowed room reserved for the final episodes, is allegedly where the dirty stuff occurs, but the contestants rarely directly address it. When they do address the birds and the bees, it's national news. Bachelor fans will recall that Nick Viall called out Andi Dorfman for "making love" to him on The Bachelorette: Men Tell All and we're still writing about it today. Similarly, Kaitlyn Bristowe famously slept with Nick Viall before the fantasy suite, and, yes, we're still writing about that today, too. But Season 21 seems to have ushered in a new era of S-E-X on the hit ABC reality show. The January 2 premiere saw the introduction of this season's villain Corinne Olympios, and Corinne is down for sex. She's also down to say the word sex. (Even when Nick Viall accused Dorfman of using him for sex, he used the words "made love." I mean, come on. What is this, high school?) "My sex ability is top notch," she says in a preview for the rest of the season. And her claim that she has a vagina made of platinum may definitely be one of the more explicit things ever said on this show. Corinne's not the only one bringing up babymaking. Contestant Elizabeth Sandoz has the unique distinction of having already slept with Viall. The two met at Bachelor couple Jade and Tanner's wedding. Sandoz dances around the ordeal at first, saying stuff like "spent the night together" and "I plead the fifth." But then she just lays it all on the limousine: "We had sex," she says in a confessional. That's not all — contestant Astrid mentioned sex in German when she got out of the limo. Her statement translates to, "I know you are very in touch with your sex life. Have you seen the breasts? They are real." More sex! Next up to the coitus-talking plate is Christen, the wedding videographer from Tulsa, Oklahoma. She hasn't had intercourse yet, but that doesn't mean she won't talk about it! "There's been anticipation building for 25 years and I'm so ready to release all of that!" she said in the "Countdown To Nick" special Sunday night. She also helpfully points out: "God loves sex. I mean, he created it. It's gonna be amazing." Granted, all the blue talk could be a ratings ploy. After all, sex sells. But it's nice to see sex finally playing a role in a show that is reportedly all about love. Sex and love aren't interchangeable, but they are inextricably linked, and it's important for The Bachelor to acknowledge that. Maybe now we can stop shaming contestants for having sex? Please? As for the rest of this season, based on what we've already seen, I'm with Christen: It's gonna be amazing.