Big Brother, Oh Brother
Big Brother 22, Mocking the Handicapped and More Racism
If you are not familiar, Big Brother is C.B.S.’ long running reality t.v. show. Contestants, called House guests compete for prizes, and the right to remain in a television set that resembles one large home. Each week, there are selection ceremonies where house guests vote each other out of the house until a winner is chosen. There is more to the idea of the show. The goal is to remain the last two people in the house and complete with that person to win half a million dollars. Second place wins $ 35,000.00.
This game has not been without controversy. A previous Big Brother Season was plagued with some House guests using inflammatory racist language.
This season has had its fair share of controversy as well, but unlike the last Season, these episodes have not been drawing attention at the ending ceremonies. At the conclusion of the last season, house guests were questioned regarding their racist language and misogyny. It made for an arresting season finale.
Season 22 did include some very questionable actions that fall under the banner of being at the least insensitivity and at worst plane out right racist.
The surprising episode that draw considerable fan attention regarded how one house guest was mocked for his disability literally behind his back.
Ian Terry informed all of the house guests that he lives with Autism, and uses “rocking” as a means to help control his illness.
Apparently, his rocking back and forth not only drew criticism, it drew derision.
In what looked like a classic “mean girls moment,” Houseguests Dani Briones, Nicole Franzel and Christmas Abbott, were actually laughing at Ian and his affliction and his coping tools. Adding to this “laugh fest,” Memphis Garrett, yes these are real names, added that Ian’s behavior scared him and made him wonder if Ian would go violent. Not wanting to stop there, Garrett said he wondered if Ian would behave like the boy in the film “The Shinning” repeating the words “redrum,” which is murder spelled backwards.
In a demonstration of grown people acting like “insensitive” high school students, everyone had a good laugh, at Ian’s expense without his knowledge.
Fans of the show were not amused.
A campaign started where viewers approach all of the companies that Nicole Franzel has professional relationships to express their displeasure at her behavior.
Faster that you can say lightening, Franzel lost all of her sponsors with a quickness. Being that Franzel is some type of media influencer, her lively hood depends on both her image and ability to secure sponsors. Being that large companies do not want to be seen as “handicapped hostile,” all of her corporate sponsors to the best of my knowledge separated themselves from Franzel, and at least a few I know of made it clear future relationships would not be.
Fans of Big Brother, many of whom are influencers and follow Big Brother closely, they expressed their displeasure. Compounding the matter, Franzle was a trauma nurse. This was clearly not a good look for her.
In addition, mocking the handicapped was not the only subject on the table. Christmas Abbott spoke about her “Black Alter Ego,” named ‘Towanda.” This is not exactly a “good look” in light of Black Lives Matter and the recent racial climate in which we live. Remember, all of these “Houseguests,” know that cameras are omnipresent in the house they reside in during the course of the season.
Aside from her highly questionable optics, Christmas got into a very heated argument with the only other African-American women in the house, Da’Vonne Rogers and Bayleigh Dayton. Both attempted to neutralize the situation, but Christmas kept antagonizing both women.
In a series that has been plagued with blatant racism, and the inability of Black, Gay and Alternative Peoples to form coalitions, they frequently become the first House Guests evicted.
What made this current series problematic is that neither the abuse Bayleigh and Rogers experienced was raised at the end of the season. Terry’s being mocked for his Autism was not addressed either. It was as if nothing happened.
Interestingly enough when the show ended, Franzel expressed in an interview with Canadian E.T. her confusion that her remarks had an impact on her online presence. She stated that she apologized to Terry, privately. She added that it was accepted. It is not known if Abbott, Briones or Garrett have followed with apologies to Terry, or addressed the subject openly.
