Spitty’s Note – Yes, it has been a while since I last posted. It’s been a busy/rough time since I last posted, so please don’t hate on me for now choosing to write and update the blog. It will get updated a bit more regularly. If you would like to know more, we can talk privately.
Content Warning – This latest entry of “Nice Things And Why We Can’t Have Them” does have a bit of inappropriate content, but that shouldn’t give you a reason to stop reading. Please read at your own risk.
Dear CBS/Big Brother 15,
I’m leaving you.
At first, I was excited because I do actively watch your show (it’s a guilty pleasure, don’t judge) and I was especially excited to see that your show would be coming back for the summer of 2013. However, I must say, I’m taking a break from watching the program. I don’t care if I’m one of the minority choosing to not actively watch the program this summer. But why am I doing so?
I was happy to see your show coming on again, mostly because after taking my psychology courses my senior year, I wanted to see if I could apply these skills towards the program; maybe I could get more insight on why alliances are formed, why people freak out the way the do, etc. What I wasn’t expecting though, was to see the psychology of nothing but a bunch of racist, misogynistic and homophobic people bunched together in a house. Yes, there have been incidents like this in the past, but it’s normally been 1 out of 14 people (for example), but when you have 8 of the 16 contestants this season making such offensive comments, it’s appalling.
Let’s start, shall we? Apparently the summer of 2013, will now be known as the “Summer of Race.” CBS, three of your contestants have been fired for their jobs for their comments towards the minority contestants this season. You have had one person refer to welfare as “n----r insurance,” another contestant openly state that the Asian contestant “should go make some rice,” and a third contestant call the first two contestants out, but yet, she also constantly makes very prejudiced comments herself.
You have had a couple of male contestants openly make derogatory comments toward the only gay houseguest, both behind his back, and to his face. These same contestants have also made openly derogatory remarks towards women as well, with one comment referring to a female contestant’s “meat wallet,” and another male contestant saying at another female contestant, “Yeah, women need to shut up, especially when they need to listen.”
One of these male contestants took someone’s personal possession and essentially wiped their butt with said personal item. Another contestant joked about child pornography. This is not acceptable in any context.
CBS, your responses to the situation have also been nothing short of appalling. It’s downright mediocre. The host of the show is furious over the comments made, but your CEO is pretty much saying, “I’m appalled, but it happens.” Your apologies from the past seasons, including this season have been pretty much summarized as, “We’re sorry, but whatever, it happens.” Adding the disclaimer to the beginning of each of your shows does little to alleviate the situation. In fact, you have had a Big Brother alum open state that you need to show everyone in the same light, yet you choose to not show some of the biggest offenders of this season in the same light as you have shown a couple of contestants; in fact, you are giving them the most positive edits. What the hell?! I agree with this alum, amidst the racial controversies this summer, CBS should capitalize on this in a positive light, not trying to act like it happened, and capitalizing on the controversies only in order to gain ratings. But that’s the media I guess.
While I will do checks on the show (as of now, the only decent person won a spot back in the house, but even with that, I will choose to not watch) to see what happens, I will not be watching your 15th season of Big Brother as a result of your passive actions and the approach you are taking towards it.
CBS, you need to take into account of what happened this season, and learn from it. I’ll return for Season 16.
This is why we can’t have nice things, CBS. I guess I’ll take a look at the Big Brother house again in a year or so.
