(Originally written on 07/04/13): I'm a fan of "
Big Brother" -- though I've been slow to get into the season this year. The American version of the show is currently in its 15th season. You probably know all about it, but essentially the Houseguests sit around all summer, occasionally competing, always scheming, and generally getting on each others' nerves with hopes that they stay in the Big Brother House all summer and win $5000,000.
It's not unheard of for Houseguests to get caught on the live-feeds making racist, heterosexist, and ableist slurs. It's much more common for Houseguests to make sexist slurs about each other. The sexist slurs make it through editing and onto the show. The other slurs rarely do. The sexism usually comes early in the show. The other slurs usually come later after the Houseguests have become more cocky with their game-play and less aware of the live-feed cameras. Usually.
This season's Houseguests have quickly become known for their rampant racism. Check out this
summary of racist, sexist, and heterosexist slurs happening within the Big Brother 15 House (pulled from the
Jokers' website):
Aaryn
•Re: Candice: Be careful what you say in the dark, you might not be able to see the bitch (6/30 ~7:45pm)
•I want to put a washcloth over her face and pour water over it (6/30 7:42pm C1/2)
•Aaryn was complaining about the Asian women who do her nails and imitated their Asian accent. Helen was right outside too.
•Said she was so drunk she made Asian eyes (6/30 ~5:20PM)
•About Helen: Dude, shut up, go make some rice (6/30 1:14AM)
•Andy will get MVP because people love the queers (6/29 11:40PM)
•No one's going to vote for whoever that QUEER puts up re: Andy
•Quick to correct Candice's pronunciation of "ask" (as opposed to axe) but is fine with GM saying it as axe
•Bragged about making Asian eyes in the DR
Spencer
•Says the C word at 6/29 4:35-4:36am Cam 3 and again 6/29 4:41am Cam 3
•Candice laid her head on Spencer's shoulder and he said "Sure you're not gonna get my shirt greasy?"
•Praised the Nazi doctors
•Called Helen "Kim Jong Un"
•calls Andy "Kermit the fag" to his face (6/29 ~4:40pm)
•Called women the c-word
•Says “Bitch, get your ass cooking” (6/30 ~1:57pm)
GinaMarie
•Candice is on the dark side because she already is dark (6/30 ~7:45pm)
•Calls welfare "nig***" insurance (6/30 1:16PM Cam 1/2)
•Said blacks stick together and that they're "tokens" in the house (6/30 ~4:18AM)
•Candice's "blackness" is showing now that she's not on the block (6/30 ~4:20AM)
•They should make Helen's eyes "straight"
•Said something about weaves being ghetto and then looked at Candice (6/29)
•Helen should kiss their asses and serve them rice (June 29, 2:42pm Cam3)
•Told Nick in the lounge that the way Candice talks is fake because she talks too white (6/29)
•Said that Candice had that black thing going; intimating that she was getting ghetto (1st night of feeds)
•Mocked Candice's voice in a stereotypical fashion
Kaitlyn
•Said “nigga” but not in a reference to black people but more like “dude” (6/27 3:28AM C3)
•says Candice came at her acting aggressive and she was thinking Candice's black side was coming out (6/27 ~5:47AM)
•Said "Gays are untrustworthy in a game like this"
Jeremy
•Re: Kaitlyn’s vagina: wants to see what he’s working with, called it her meat wallet
•Re: Elissa, said he'd cut a bitch
Amanda
•Calls herself the fag hag queen (6/29 ~5:30PM)
David
•said his sheets are dirty because "black Candice" was on them (6/30 3:05pm C1)
If you haven't guessed, Candice (as well as Howard) is black, Helen is Asian, and Andy is gay. Interestingly, I haven't heard of any slurs made against Howard. Maybe that speaks more to sexism. Maybe they're just afraid to anger the powerful black man in the Big Brother House?
So there has been a lot of pressure on the producers of
Big Brother 15 to stop sanitizing the program and broadcast the racism that has been rampant in the Big Brother House. So far, the
producers have refused, though they have admitted that there is a problem with prejudice in the House:
CBS has released a statement to TMZ ... saying, "We certainly find the statements made by several of the Houseguests on the live Internet feed to be offensive." However, The Eye points out that 24/7 live programming can sometimes reveal some bad things about people ... saying, "At times, the Houseguests reveal prejudices and other beliefs that we do not condone."
But CBS has a long history of refusing to air any of those prejudices. So Aaryn can make openly racist assertions and jokes about the show's Asian and black women on the live-feeds, but anyone watching just the CBS television program sees her as your average twenty-something girl who's flirting with an innocent showmance.
Despite CBS' refusal to actually do something about their Houseguests' racism, others have been complaining about it in the media this past week and now we are beginning to see some blowback. I learned early this morning that two of those women listed above have lost their jobs because of their racist and heterosexist slurs:
Aaryn Gries... has been dropped by her modeling agency after dropping racist and homophobic comments in the BB house... Zephyr Talent in Austin, Texas says they've seen enough -- and have decided to DROP Aaryn from the agency because of her filthy mouth. "Aaryn, season 15 cast member of Big Brother, revealed prejudices and other beliefs that we (Zephyr Talent) do not condone." Zephyr continues, "We certainly find the statements made by Aaryn on the live Internet feed to be offensive. Upon much consideration, we have decided to release Aaryn from her contract with Zephyr Talent."
And...
"Big Brother" contestant GinaMarie Zimmerman is gonna have a rude awakening when she leaves the house -- she's been FIRED from her day job after dropping the N-bomb... East Coast USA Pageant, Inc. is cutting ties with the 32-year-old pageant coordinator ... claiming they were shocked GZ could "display such acts of hate and racism..." East Coast USA says GinaMarie has been an employee for 5 years -- but insist, "We have never known this side of GinaMarie or have ever witnessed such acts of racism in the past." The pageant says, "We are actually thankful that this show let us see GinaMarie for who she truly is. We would never want her to be a role model to our future contestants."
I'm very curious if any of these other Houseguests will find themselves losing their jobs over their misbehavior? I'm also curious if Aaryn and GinaMarie will learn anything positive from all of this or if they will just blame Helen and Candice for their lost jobs?
Updated on 07/07/13: I learned late yesterday that another
Big Brother Houseguest may find himself without a job after leaving the Big Brother 15 House:
The values represented by Spencer Clawson's comments during the Big Brother show do not at all align with Union Pacific's values. Mr. Clawson is on unpaid leave of absence while participating on Big Brother. Union Pacific does not condone his comments.
Union Pacific is acting in accordance with Collective Bargaining Agreement terms regarding Mr. Clawson.
Contrary to popular opinion, being a member of a labor union doesn't protect anyone from being fired. But it does protect him from being automatically fired for repeatedly making racist, sexist, and heterosexist comments in front of the entire nation. Assuming he wants to return to his day job when he leaves the Big Brother 15 House, I assume he'll find himself operating under some sort of corrective action plan for a while.
Updated on 07/12/13: CBS finally began addressing the racist slurs that have been too prevalent on this summer's
Big Brother program during the past week. The Houseguests have been discussing some of Aaryn's slurs amongst themselves and
Big Brother host Julie Chen even cryptically asked Aarlyn about how she's being received by the general public. Check out this pretty accurate Twitter summary from last night's show between Julie Chen and Aaryn, which was followed by another segment:
Anyway, Houseguest Nick got sent home last night. This upset Aaryn, GinaMarie, Jeremy, and Kaitlin, who were all expecting Elissa to go home instead. GinaMarie cried for roughly three hours and then she and the other two women began picking on Jessie and -- more pointedly -- Candice.
First, Aaryn flipped over Candice's bed against the wall and cause all her stuff to scatter. She and GinaMarie then got into a racially-tinged heated argument with Candice. The argument ended with Howard grabbing Candice and physically carrying her from the bedroom. Check out this partial
transcript from the Joker's website:
HOWARD: What's going on...
CANDICE: I came in here and they flipped the mattress and threw all the pillows on the floor... so DO IT AGAIN Aaryan.... (Aaryn is starring at Candice with a smug look).
AARYN: Watchu gonna do girl... watchu gonna do? (same stereotypical black voice)
Howard looks in her in disbelief... and laughs.
AARYN: Class girl.... wheres yo class... (kaitlin laughing in background, GM smiling but silent)
CANDICE: Howie.... (she looks at him for help)
GM: Do you expect him to back you up at all (somewhat inaud)
KAITLIN: Okay, first of all, Howards a man...
GM: WHAT DO YOU WANNA SAY, WHAT DO YOU WANNA SAY... (gets in Candice's face)
CANDICE: I'm not gonna fight with you! I'm not gonna fight with you!
HOWARD: Candice... candice....
GM: COME ON... WATCHU GONNA SAY?? HUH? WATCHU GONNA SAY?
CANDICE: I'm not gonna say anything to you!
GM: Do you want the BLACK to come out... because the (inaud... blacks this way and the white's that way..?)
Howard jumps inbetween and grabs Candice.
You can read the entire transcript, complete with pictures at the above link. You can watch the entire exchange (plus some) in
this video clip:
Both Candice and Howard spent much of the rest of the night sobbing, praying, and segregated in the HOH room.
Updated on 09/16/13: This particular post has been quite popular recently, but I'm actually behind with one report of a
Big Brother 15 job loss, plus there has been one newer report this week.
First, the one I skipped (though I did mention it in
this post).
Amanda Zuckerman became known for being quite the bully towards the end of her time in the Big Brother House. Additionally, those who watch the feeds have seen her make racist comments (once again, read
this post). Anyway, it looks like
she lost her Florida realtor license during her stay in the Big Brother House:
Fans of the reality show are saying that couldn’t possibly be the case, as Amanda works for her mother. True. But while Amanda may have a partnership arrangement with her mother, according to the state license bureau, she was actually employed by Prudential Florida (technically by its subsidiary Watermark Realty Inc., which functions as the “sales service center” for Prudential Florida, and is apparently listed as the employer for all Prudential Florida brokers.)
Her website was taken down, and her presence removed from the Boca Raton Prudential Florida website (which is the office that she worked out of.) Prior, the state licensing board had her listed as “active”, and employed by Watermark Realty. Today, her status is “inactive, current” and there is no reference to Watermark.
We just got off the phone with the Florida license authority. In order for a license holder’s status to change, either they must request to become inactive, or the employer of record must notify the state that they are no longer affiliated with them. AND (here’s the kicker) it takes, at most, one week for a request from a licensee to be processed and their status updated. It can be done within seconds, if done on-line, if a form is submitted, it takes a week.) Since Amanda has been in the BB house for well over a month now, and thus incommunicado, SHE could not have requested that her license status be changed. The only other option (according to the person I talked to) was if “Watermark” notified the state that Amanda was no longer affiliated with them.
This is a bit of deductive processing, but there you have it.
And then there is my personal pick to win
Big Brother 15,
Andy Herren. He has spoken about being a professor/instructor at College of DuPage. In fact, he's spoken of returning there.
Maybe not (from Facebook):
Andy Herren has formerly worked for College of DuPage as a part-time instructor. He does not currently work for the College. Any behavior or language he uses on the CBS reality show “Big Brother” does not represent the opinions or values of College of DuPage.
There was a link to a much more comprehensive article on the subject, but I don't have time this morning to search it out. I do know that Andy and the others have been running their mouths off and saying things on the feeds that they really should know better about.
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