Well, we’ve reached the next big controversy on The Bachelorette — when he met JoJo’s parents, Jordan didn’t ask JoJo’s father for her hand in marriage. I know, right? He may as well have locked them in the house they’re staying in and burnt it to the ground. Seriously, though, JoJo was pretty freaked out that Jordan didn't ask her father for permission to marry his daughter, because Robby did, but this is absolutely nothing to worry about — Jordan did not have to ask JoJo's father to marry her on The Bachelorette.
People know where that tradition comes from, right? It comes from a time when women were property, and men negotiated a bride price in order to take a daughter away from a family to marry her. I don't see JoJo getting traded for six oxen and a sack of flour, so I'm pretty sure that this tradition isn't really necessary anymore. Now, don't get me wrong — marrying someone that your family doesn't like can be a bad idea. Your family definitely knows you better than you know yourself, and if they have misgivings about a relationship, you should consider their feelings. But if you want to talk to a bride's family about getting her hand in marriage and this is something that is important to both of you, have a conversation with both of her parents. JoJo's mother, Soraya, who is awesome, said as much, telling her family that Jordan should have talked to her and her husband, like Robby did, instead of perpetuating the myth that it's only a dad's opinion that matters.
When confronted about why he didn't say anything to JoJo's parents, Jordan had a good point — if he knew that JoJo was definitely going to choose him, he would have asked JoJo's parents for permission. But he doesn't know that, and he doesn't want to stick his neck out if that's not what JoJo wants. Jordan isn't wrong here — JoJo wants both guys to just blindly propose without knowing what he's thinking, and that's not fair, either.
In the end, it's JoJo's decision, bad or good, who she wants to marry. Her family has given her their collective opinion, and it's up to JoJo to figure out who she will choose at the end. Her family is going to support her no matter what.
Images: Matt Klitscher/ABC
