Twenty-One years ago, CBS launched its summer hit reality TV show Big Brother. This is a game in which 16 houseguests are put into a house and cut off from the outside world. There are no TVs, news, radio, internet or phones. Other than brief conversations with the show’s host Julie Chen, they have only each other for company. They are recorded visually and audibly the entire time. The premise is simple: Each week, someone becomes Head of Household and nominates 2 houseguests to be evicted, and the remaining houseguests vote on eviction. There are many twists, turns and competitions that allow contestants to survive their potential evictions, get various rewards, inflict punishments, etc. This is a game both of physical endurance, mental acuity and social manipulation. It has captivated millions.
Press play to hear a narrated version of this story, presented by AudioHopper.
After 21 regular seasons, including Celebrity Big Brother and Big Brother All Stars, the Big Brother House is full again with 16 houseguests chosen from around the country, jockeying each week to be the last one standing in pursuit of $750,000. This year, in light of the countrywide protests in 2020 and the entertainment industry’s devotion to anti-racism, CBS chose some of houseguests based on race.
CBS announced last November that its flagship reality shows, “Survivor”, “Love Island” and “Big Brother” will include at least 50% people of color starting in 2021. This will include the show’s participants, but will also involve hiring production personnel based on skin color to promote diversity. CBS rep George Cheeks explained, “The commitments announced today are important first steps in sourcing new voices to create content and further expanding the diversity in our unscripted programming, as well as on our network.”
Throughout the show’s run, the winner of Big Brother is most often a white male, winning 13 times. The second most winning group is a white female, who account for 4 wins. An Asian woman has won twice as well and a Latino man once. These winners include a variety of sexual orientations, biracial heritages and culturally diverse backgrounds.
Big Brother was hit with its first real accusation of racism during their 2019 season, in which fans heard select houseguests using racial slurs during their time in the House. Julie Chen brought this up on the live Finale in which she questioned whether the winner’s actions were based on the other houseguest’s minority status. The winner, Jackson Michie, he denied all allegations and appeared thoroughly embarrassed. ET Canada, in the video referenced above suggested, “If you go looking for racism, you’re going to find it.”
Fast forward to 2021. With CBS’ new diversity rule in effect, something eye-popping has already occurred on the reality show and it did not even take a week. After only four days in the house, the five Black houseguests formed an “all Black” alliance in the Big Brother house. The members of this alliance say, “Not everything in here is about the game. We were brought here to change the culture. Think about the year we just had… It’s important for us to be here and stick together.” This was then followed by clear implications that they needed to find “opposite” (white) people to be close with in order to not let people catch on to the fact that they were forming their alliances solely based on race. They are using race a strategy to win.
Not one news outlet has dared ask, “Had a group of white people in past seasons made an alliance solely based on the color of their skin, wouldn’t CBS have had to publicly address this if not pull the plug on the show entirely for promoting racism?” My request for comment to Julie Holland, Vice President for Entertainment Communications at CBS went unanswered.
The fact of the matter is that this race-essentialist behavior from the houseguests is precisely the outcome promoted by Critical Race Theory and propagated by organizations such as Black Lives Matter as well as the establishment media. When race becomes the most important thing, it becomes the only thing people see.
Big Brother is not only promoting the opposite of what the Civil Rights Movement was looking to rectify, but this is also in direct opposition to what Hollywood used to promote. Samuel L Jackson, Denzel Washington, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Whoopi Goldberg, Will Smith, Kerry Washington, Viola Davis and countless others in Hollywood did not receive their stardom because of their race. They became global superstars because of their talent and hard work. All of them, regardless of their varying degrees of actorvism, are superbly talented.
While Big Brother will continue its season through the end of September, it is unclear whether one of the Black houseguests will make it to the end. In years past, various alliances have formed on the base of gender, some more successful than others, but never was race something to be considered. They have already made history by becoming the first Big Brother alliance based solely on the color of their skin. Fan reaction on Twitter have remained mixed to this development, the network has stayed silent, and other news outlets have yet to ask if this is a healthy direction for reality television and Hollywood at large.
Has America’s pursuit of racial equity begun its destruction of reality television? The show’s ratings, which so far show a 23% increase compared to last season, will be the final tell. Stay tuned.
View Comments (334)
This article is absolutely absurd. Never has there ever been an all-black alliance on Big Brother because in every season prior there have only been two or three black houseguests in a cast of sixteen. Moreover, Big Brother has had several racism scandals every year since Big Brother 15, against the FEW black houseguests that have been cast. On top of that, the many black houseguests that we have this season are also arguably already the most aware gameplayers that the show has seen in years. The celebrities you've listed haven't gained their stardom because of their race, but with every celebrity you've listed their race is something that is celebrated about them, and is a large part of their identities. The insinuation that houseguests have only been cast solely for their race is, in itself, racist. This really "hot take" that casting more than three black people out of a sixteen person cast is ruining reality TV is clearly anti-black, and written entirely from a place of white privilege.
Uh oh. Looks like the lefties have found out about this site and are now full force into their keyboard social justice warrior shenanigans. Guess they have to ruin everything.
I knew this would happen. Guess I stop watching these shows. What's the point when you know it will be a gang up on the whites scenario every time
I agree. My husband and myself refuse to watch our favorite show any further. It is clear Big Brother is trying to force a winner of color. If there were ever an alliance of all white because they are all “white skinned” that would be racist…so too is an alliance of blacks who only allow “black skinned” people. RACIST! Not watching CBS reality period.
I agree 100% with your remarks. I understand why a black skinned person wants to win BB, but if all of the white skinned people had formed an alliance to get out the black skinned people, there would have been a riot outside the doors of the BB house. The fact that each black group member has agreed to use one white skinned person to protect them is also very disturbing. Wow CBS, what were you thinking and why do you condone this? My wife and I refuse to watch this reverse racist filth anymore.
I am so glad you guys won't be among the viewers of Bog Brother!
I’m done watching big brother as well! They would never allow another race to do this, so why are they allowing it to be done for the Africa American race??? This is only contributing to the problem of racism!
So glad to see so many others have dumped this show. Saw this coming a while ago but had no idea so many have expressed the same. It’s bad enough that this has been allowed to continue but the incredibly obvious tactics are an insult to anyone with average intelligence. How the evicted people didn’t see this coming is beyond me. Since they were such “sheep”, maybe they deserved their fate.
6 of us meet every week but have now stopped watching Big Brother.
We will start meeting again when Survivor comes.
Totally agree.
I totally agree with Margie. My wife and I are longtime watchers of BB and Survivor but not anymore because it has become so racist and admittedly promoting race over friends.
But you had no problem when white people bullied, and kick out poc during the first few weeks.
I didn’t see any of the white people form an all white alliance like this season of blacks did, and it’s not all right!! This is racist in every letter of the word. I will not be watching another show, and as of voting out Claire I will not be watching the rest of the season!!
thats exactly what is going on ! getting pushed hard enough they can have it ,
still got the off button.
You can obviously see that this was all set up from the start, why not let a black person win the game fairly instead of planning “the cookout” to buddy up with a white to pick them off 1 at a time, is that not racism too!!Oh no thats right being a white its ok we can do what ever we want with them!!!Im so sick of having this bull oon every station , bye bye big brother another one bites the dust !!!Why not keep it a fair game instead of this shit!!!!
Goodbye!
You are a racist Rupert .
Totally right. I actually have pretty much stopped watching tv. Newscasters, every commercial, every storyline.. bs
Agree! Bad bad TV ! This stinks of racism. Must be boycotted!!!
Racism not is not right for either race not just black. I see they are going to try to rig the outcome and I'll be one of the many not watching this year for the first time.
I agree! Yes, this ruined the show. This is not fair in any way. This cast was clearly designed to ENSURE a black person won 1st, 2nd & 3rd place. Where’s the equality in that? THIS is racist. Who WANTS to win this way?! Way to completely ruin a once great show CBS! Their is absolutely NO justice with the “social justice” BS. Derek F doesn’t even try because he knows he’s covered by the majority of the house, the all black alliance. The only personthis alliance has outsmarted was SB-who made the dumbest move in BB history by targeting the one person (along with the other 2 whites) she should have aligned with. Derek X could have kept her safe, How couldn’t she see that the 6 blacks were all aligned, as they said themselves,”for the culture”. How dumb. I’m done with this lame season. I’d have loved to see a black win, by playing the best game, NOT by having it handed to the beacon their color.
SB went after Derek X because it never would have occurred to her to keep him solely because he's not black because racism....
I totally agree this show has become a 100% racist. Anti-White Is the name of their game. I urge everybody to boycott so they get the message. 13% of the population is black, let's use that number . Wake up stupidos You you're losing...lost your white audience. I'm contacting each of your advertisers to let them know I'm boycotting them as well. You went woke and to go woke is to go broke. That's my final message to you. You're lost fan.
I'm very disappointed in the direction this show is going. Tiffany is running (ruining) the show and no one seems to care!
yes
there has never before been a group on BB come together & openly admitted they came together solely based on race- never. This is racist, plain and simple, there is no way to paint over or sugar coat it (to call it anything else you would openly be admitting you are for racism against white people)
Several black people have been in alliances with each other bayleigh and devone black girl magic alliance is just one example and it's going to be black people alliance from here on out if white people have an alliance they would be racist I'm afraid this will cause more racism because every season from here on out will always have black alliance which is the definition of racism when one race come together as one based on skin color
Yeah and god forbid one of the white contestants realizes that there is a all black alliance and says some thing about it! The white contestant will be the raciest one smh I’m over this season already.
This happened with Kyle a season later. He brought it up as a possibility and got absolutely murdered by everyone, lost his girlfriend, and got kicked off the show. He's an ignorant kid now dubbed a racist and now has to live life with a ruined reputation so that woke Americans can feel better about themselves. Shameful.
I could not have said it better! You are so correct. What would have happened 5 years ago if we as white people came out and said us white ppl need to stay or stick together. They would have been running around like chickens with their heads cut off to see who was going to be first to pull the plug!
I can understand the cookout coming together just based on their race because this is the future of our country. We are laser focused to make sure we divide on that one trait alone. It may have started with good intentions but It’s very majorly flawed and will not end well. Most intelligent people can see this, but Hollywood and main stream media is pushing this agenda so hard. For me, I just don’t find the houseguests interesting any longer. I loved some of the seasons, but this season has been a snooze fest. My recommendation is to hire a better casting person.
Owen, do you know any other reality show where a white or black contestant has openly (airing that discussion on TV) went after each other based on race. The very fact that CBS allowing this to occur creates further division. I cant wait for the white contestants on the show find out what is happening. They will be crushed. Think about the next time Big Brother takes applications. CBS should change the name of the show if you get my drift. I am tuned out.
white people are dumb and naive to not see what's going on with the blacks on here this week. No white person on BB has ever purposely targeted black people...ever.
I've seen every minute of BB since season one but this year it's ibvious what is hoing on at CBS. When only 14% of the country considers themselves black, why would you go out of your way to cast such a high percentage of the 16 black. CBS is creating a race issue just like the Democrats and this season just proves it. Hell, I can't even watch Law and Order anymore either.
Absolutely 100% accurate.
Over the next few years the "Woke" mentality influencing our culture in general (originating from a small but influential percentage of the population) will wane as the larger percentage of rational-thinking people will have had enough and things will return to normal.
Great points. . . . . .have stopped watching BB, but can't wait to see if others agree. . . . . .and the ratings for the show tank! So tired of this "game" with diversity! This was soooo blatant. . . . .and the boy did America get a peek at racism from the other side! Oh well. . . . . .have loved watching BB in the past. . . . . .but this too shall pass!
How many black people in a cast of 16 would represent the % of black people in the country???
The answer is 2.08.
Is it racist to know that?
Lol, no. Its being aware. But you know and I know, it’s not about the show reflecting what society looks like. No matter how often producers say it.
CBS openly admits to castings this years big brother by skin color !!! They said ahead of casting the it would be 50% colored this year. How is that not openly racist?
Total crap ,I will not watch that show again.I am so sick of the double standard!!!!CBS,ABC,NBC are all causing the division.They all suck!
I agree, every show that has a white host has been replaced with a black host.The bachelor, let's make a deal, family feud ,ect....Let's stop watching.
Just fuck off, lol. “50% of contestants will be of color starting in 2021”. Thats fucking racism, Owen you stupid fucking clown, lol. Seriously did your mom drink when she was pregnant?
This isnt up for debate -- CBS has MANDATED that all casts from now on will be 50% people of color, as they say. There shouldn't be BLACK PRIVILEGE. The ratings will tank with this obvious racist decision, as it should.
How can you not call the “Cook Out” alliance “racist” when they come out and admit it will be all black and a black winner. The funny thing about all this is that it’s no different than when schools were integrated over 50 years ago. All learned quickly to win an election (e.g. class President, etc) a race would have to all vote together and BOTH white and black did that by meeting prior to the election and voting on whom all would vote for. After this season that will always happen on this reality tv show.
I don’t plan to finish this season or the future seasons. Sad, I’ve watched all the previous.
I totally agree with you. I have been watching Big Brother since it first aired but this newest season has left me feeling very angry. I am also sad that I won’t continue to watch the show anymore. All good things come to a end. Shame on you CBS
The biggest issue facing all people of all races, colors, creeds, sexes, economic class (except the super wealthy), are the class divisions that are rapidly rising. The Haves and the Have Nots. The Haves have always existed, but they are consolidating their control and power like never before in human history. We truly have 2 clearly defined classes in this country now.
Media, Big Tech, and 99 percent of all politicians are owned by corporate/banking elite Robber Barons. They are 100 percent behind all the divisions being promoted in societies today.
BB is no different.... just playing into the narrative. Last year they tried very hard to force a black winner. But they did it using a white boy to help them! Pretty dumb to start with. And what does that say about what they really think? This year they were so desperate they came up with this 50 percent equality gibberish as a flimsy cover for what they are doing this year to guarantee a black winner. It's open and blatant racism for the first time on television in modern times.
I have no interest in this season. I'm happy to see a black person win BB. But only by merit. Forcing a black winner is sad, racist, pathetic, and divisive. For a long time I've said "propaganda kills creativity". This season is a perfect example of that.
CBS has always been racist. Come on,they replaced Nora O Donnell with Gail King.Even CBS sister station put Gail Kings sister in charge. They have no journalists skills whatsoever. Just wait and see what this season of Survivor has in store. Bet you there all blacks maybe 1 or two others will be white or Asian. They are being given the wins without having to compete. Just stay black together and vote out the white and Asian and others out.Im done watching this racist crap. When I see a majority black people on a reality show, I turn the radio on.
same here !!!
White privilege??? Are you serious?? Whites are being eliminated due to the color of their skin, no other reason.
That's RACIST.
yes, this is serious racism going on in front of our eyes. Blacks always ASSUME whites are racist, even when 99% aren't. Yet here you are, black people being OPENLY and APOLOGETICALLY RACIST.
It's disgusting when white people are racist and its equally disgusting when black people are racist. It seems clear to me who the real racists are.
With the riots, BLM, looting, violence and now the Big Brother flagrant racism that is allowed, it has changed how I look at things.... and that is very unfortunate. :(
You noticed. Congrats. 19% of the pop is black, but on Black Brother it was 50% this year. Talk about stacking the decks. If it weren't for racism, the black members wouldn't have gone tribalistic and celebrated the voting out of white people and the one Asian. Is this what we can expect on a societal level when blacks become a majority. Scary stuff. Instead of individualism, we get an eye full of tribalism. May as well just have another Big Brother, with all black contestants. FUCK CBS and FUCK reality TV.
look what happens the first time there are more than 3 black people, which is already over-respresentation relative to population size. what a train wreck
That’s bull! Not a lot of color people want to be on reality shows. I’m black and what the guys that are left was uncalled for. This isn’t the way. It should never be blacks against whites ever. People say whites are bullies but what are we doing now????? We are being bullies. We should all work together. There are more black gangs then white gangs. We should work as equals in this nation. Not fighting for rights. In Chicago, there were more kids killed in gang shooting that kids getting covid.
2 or 3 house guests are proportional to the percentage of blacks in America. Reverse racism is just as bad as racism and should not be tolerated. CBS and Big Brother have sent a message to the viewing public that racism is acceptable, great lesson for the younger generation!
People should win or succeed because of talent and ability, not because of their race or sexual orientation.
The BIPOC population is 13% of America.CBS now says at least 50% of cast and crew need to be BIPOC.I don’t have a PHD in mathematics but those numbers don’t add up.
Is BET going to start hiring white people to appear on their shows now..
As soon as the ratings drop,and they already are,advertisers will pressure the networks and the pendulum will start to swing the other way.
What happened to just playing the game and leaving the PC BS at the door.
This is insane. And it’s on EVERY SHOW. It’s like when white people showed up to support George Floyd, Hollywood decided we ALL want to see 75% blacks on tv. I am so sick of being force fed WOKE shit that I am no longer a democrat. I used to be a woke person. It’s TOO MUCH and IT IS RASCSM! Not reverse but PLAIN RACISM and blacks are able to do and say whatever they want…but if a WHITE person even calls Racism when it is OBVIOUS, we are Cancelled. I hate Democrats now and even though I despised Trump, I now am WOKE, WOKE to the RACISM against WHITES! Systemic racism says All Whites are Racist, and that is BS. I never thought about race until recently. And I sometimes feel guilty or did UNTIL I read ROOT magazine and our new GOVERNMENT Civil rights person who is A RACIST and tells WHITES to donate their homes to blacks while BLM leaders buy 1000000 homes and 4 extra ones. They fooled us and now we are all paying ….. I am WOKE. I am no longer a DEMOCRAT!
Lol Owen you're an idiot. Groups do that women do that against the men, the men have become too stupid to see it for some damn reason. Blacks they will win the game by simply voting the white people out. end of story. As far as I'm concerned big brother is dead. You can look at the people in the beginning of the show and know exactly how it's going to turn out.
To think that no prior BB hg made an alliances based on race is laughable. Countless times we have watched the "young white Bro's" and "pretty young white girls" form alliances that excluded black hg. Always they stated "I just don't connect with them." Year after year we watched many white hg inability to work with black hg, always claiming that race had never had anything to do with it. Sometimes, like in season 21 with Jack and Jackson it was overt. Watch the vids of Jack imitating black hg David by walking like and ape, and watch Jackson laughing and encouraging him. That's just one of dozens of examples that you don't have "to look very hard" to find.
Maybe everyone else who has been on the show was a horrible racist. That would be something I would want to know and I would be against them.
The issue is that NEVER has an alliance been made SOLELY on the color of one's skin!
I am against that mindset no matter the color of the person who holds that mindset!
Do you agree with me in opposing that mindset???
Yes. Like critical race theory, it divides people and sows the seeds of mistrust.
What is your race??? Just curious
Thank you, nobody ever had a problem with it before all white Alliance.
What a stupid article. He obviously has no idea what the CRT is and makes so many false and absurd statements. Has this guy ever watched previous BB's.?
This season is already been figured out. They reported that there will be a black winner so why watch.....
Exactly. First time in all the seasons I’m done. Seems like CBS has propagated racism. Never watch again and I’ve been loyal 22 seasons
I agree BBLM not fair to all players. You know an alliance of all white cast would not be allowed to talk about them selves. But add 7 all black payers to the "cookout: " is okay. Will not watch BBLM this season. How dumb are these players?
by the way if 13% of the population should be 50% of the show what is up with that that's ridiculous that is corporations cow-towing and concerned about looking like they care when it's not reality 13% of the population should be what maybe two of the people on the show come on when are people going to realize their actions reflect on themselves and no one else
Where was this passionate argument for the 20+ seasons were people of color are picked off first? Where was all this fiery speech for all of the all white male/ female alliances ? Seems like when black people band together “the others” start whipping out their keyboards to discuss how scary it feels for them. I coulda burst into tears when they formed that alliance. Truly a beautiful moment.
Um, who cares what the skin color of people "picked off" is? Why is skin color so damn important? Stop. Please just stop.
Thank you!
shut up, you are probably one if those dumb white people laying down on the ground apologizing for being white. you are an embarrassment to all white people, your wokewhitea$$ won't say that when you get robbed in your craphole democrat run city you live in.
shut up, Julie E. you are probably one if those dumb white people laying down on the ground apologizing for being white. you are an embarrassment to all white people, your wokewhitea$$ won't say that when you get robbed in your craphole democrat run city you live in.
Are these white people idiots? I mean come on. How obvious can you get. The whites that are left and even the ones that just got voted off are totally naïve. They are thinking "Oh, the black people would never do this against us white people because we would never target them." Are you STUPID? Don't you know that color is what motivates them? That's all they see. Get real. Well, you've waited too long now. A black is a winner of this season for sure. I will never watch this show again. What a shame because I've watched every season before this one.. Bye BB
The "scary feeling" I get is how people don't see how truly shortsighted it is to band together based on one's skin color.
You mentioned previous seasons where black people were voted out, surely you can understand that their fellow housemates banning together based SOLELY on their common skin color and voting them out because they didn't share that skin color would have been worse, right???
yeah cause your anti white which means your a racist. julie the racist; probably part of the black panthers group
And did those alliences ever stated that they can have only white members and their only purpose is to get all black people out of the game? No, because that was never their goal. And yet that is exactly what Cookout did as early as on episode 3.
Watched the first or second episodes 21 years ago an haven't watched since...
In fact, reading this article lowered my IQ 25 points...
NOTHING quite like a show that CELEBRATES "The Seven Deadly Sins" under the guise of "entertainment"...
I am sure the producers floated the idea to them early on.. the reality is not many people are interested in that culture so i expect the ratings to suffer. Hopefully the show will be cancelled.
White liberals and white woketards are black people's worst enemies. I've known quite a few. They pander to minority groups for their own self-satisfaction. They see themselves as superior to blacks. Therefore blacks need them to fight on their behalf. Otherwise blacks won't succeed because they're just too stupid and incompetent to do things themselves, while white liberals are sophisticated and savvy. This program sucks anyway. I hope it implodes.
Exactly, pretty much how the Biden administration feels about them too. It's ridiculous.
I disagree with a race based alliance, but in the end the best person will win. If I feel that it's hedged for any particular group or person I will never watch again, and cancel my subscription to their streaming services. This show above all others, in the past has shown proper diversity, based on American makeup of race and gender identity.