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Does Big Brother make us racist?

After 3 evictions a pattern is emerging in the BB house....

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If Big Brother is a social experiment into human behaviour then the first 3 evictions tell us two things.

Threats are eliminated. Diverse Australians are the biggest threat.

Three of three eliminations have been of Fijian, Chinese and South Korean heritage. A further housemate, of African heritage was also nominated.

Laura, a vegan choreographer described as a “#bossbitch” who doesn’t back down in an argument, was first to go. She was followed by Allan, a self-described master manipulator with “tiger parents.” Third to leave was “fit as hell” Soobong.

All three were perceived overwhelmingly by housemates, as a threat.

Yet according to the show’s media kit they were also “fabulous and unique” (Laura), “happy to showcase his culture, values and belief” (Allan) and “one of the happiest human beings you’ll ever meet” (Soobong).

But in the frenzy of Reality TV, not everything makes it to air. Especially, in the case of Soobong, when you are up for nomination not long after being inserted into the house. In previous Big Brother seasons, newest housemates were always immune from nomination so that viewers could get to know them first.

While Seven’s season is actually more diverse than most previous seasons, did producers ensure heroes and villains were balanced in the mix? Or does the show make us look at the best and worst in humankind?

Regardless, last night some viewers were not happy with an emerging trend, taking to social media to question the casting.

But if there is room for optimism, perhaps it lays with Kenyan-born Angela, who arrived with some fury but whose unfiltered personality is now making her one of the show’s early stars.

As Trevor Butler, winner of BB 2004, reminds us, sometimes the show can surprise even the most cynical critic.

https://twitter.com/whereismissamer/status/1270678302391324672

https://twitter.com/NathanDukee/status/1270677650504183808

https://twitter.com/itslozrob/status/1270680210057261056

58 Responses

  1. To be fair who knows how each housemate projected themselves at auditions verses how they react to the actual situation of being in the house with 15 other people. The fact is Laura didn’t seem to connect with many people, Allan was over the top and “game playing” to the extreme, then SooBong didn’t keep quiet enough about how fit and agile he was, even showing off to the extreme – big mistake. And if any of those 3 won the challenges they would’ve been safe. Do we have to ruin what’s been a fun start by playing the race card. I’d like to think there are valid reasons behind the evictions. And well, there are as I see it.

    1. Except that we appear to be about 2-3 days between each challenge / eviction. So to say someone didn’t keep quiet about their fitness is to overlook the other 23 hours of the day? If he mentioned it 4 times as show suggests is that a true depiction or a master edit?

      1. First impressions count and he was already doing finger pull ups in the cage. You’re right we don’t know the full story but we do know he was doing some very physically challenging exercises and then even said he was a physical threat in the eviction room before everyone voted.

  2. The new housemates should never have been up for eviction so soon after arriving. Saying Sòobong would win all the challenges was a lame excuse for eviction when he had actually just lost his first challenge? The same thing happened on the last US BB. Huge uproar over African Americans being the first evicted.

    1. SooBong was paired with another weaker contestant so the losing the challenge argument goes out the door there. He had proven himself to be extremely fit and strong by showing off to everyone earlier. It wasn’t a smart move.

  4. I don’t think Big Brother makes us racist. The constant focus about why we should be outraged when the probability of life skews in any way which highlights something like this, is the thing that brings out racist comments.

  5. Sure…in the current climate its easy to focus on race. But we could also focus on the fact that Laura was abrasive, Allan was annoyingly overconfident and SooBong was a serious physical threat in terms of challenges – none of which has anything to do with race.

      1. Well as viewers, we have to follow the edit, especially since we get so little of their day to day conversations. But from what I saw, I stand by my comment.

        1. Was thinking the same, Laura didn’t make herself likeable to other housemates telling them off for not cleaning up as per her standards, being gruff, I don’t care what others think, well if you want the $250K you might have to, Soobong was clearly so physically fit it scared everyone and he didn’t try to hide it, and Allan well how annoying did he come across yelling his own name and I’m a winner as he entered, treating his grandmother and mother the way he does because he’s a winner, over confidence brought him down.

          My favourite has to be Angela, thank god she got that cup of tee, and every diary room moment she’s had has been gold..

  6. 80 percent of housemates are white, 3/4 POC are voted off first because of ‘threat’ .If that was true some of the big strong guys would be up for elimination, then there is “they don’t fit in”well that speaks for itself.This is unconscious bias and plays out in many reality shows like Survivor and the Bachelor.It should be acknowledged it happens and changes should be made for future shows.

  7. MMM, I think it’s not a good look, but I also think that there’s logic to the strategy of evicting Laura, Allan and Soobong (the former two were more abrasive personalities, while Laura and Soo were challenge threats)

    However, while I see the logic of those decisions, it was a poor gameplay in evicting challenge threats – a smart player should bring them in, align with them and basically have them do your Nomination dirty work if they win a challenge.

  8. The poor producers can’t win.
    On Masterchef there’s too many Asians. On neighbours there’s too many gay storyline’s, on home and away there’s not enough. Home and away too white, neighbours to over top.
    No ones happy about anything

    1. So true. Perhaps we should highlight the fact that a Australia, the UK, the US and most of the westernised have the only countries that portray diversity and lifestyles. Where is the unrest over middle eastern, asian and African nations not representing the world ,-of races and lifestyles! If anything those Twitter commentators onky show their ignorance and bigotry. There aim is to disect tv shows and create their own stereotypes whilst calling others out!!

      1. This is incorrect. Game of Thrones is basically popular everywhere it screens. Shows like Friends, Baywatch, Sesame Street and NCIS have been amongst the biggest selling shows in territories around the world. MasterChef Australia is huge in India and Africa, those judges can’t step foot in those countries without being mobbed. Aussie shows like McLeod’s Daughters, Blue Heelers, Mother & Son, Hi-5…etc. Neighbours screened in Kenya? MKR sold to South Africa…Google is your friend.

  9. I agree there is definitely an unconscious bias amongst the housemates. The only one that appeared to make an effort to make a connection with the first 3 evictees was Angela.

    The same thing has happened every year on Survivor, also produced by endemol shine. the one or 2 non-whites are the first to go because they “just don’t connect”.

  10. Well, it’s not a good look. I am devastated Soobong is gone so soon. And if the next one out is Marissa, then it seems they’re perhaps unthinkingly ageist as well as racist.

    1. On the other hand, if the next one out is Kieran, it will mean 3 of the first 4 evictees are male, so it would seem almost certain a sexist agenda has reared it’s head.

  11. I’m on the fence here, because we don’t really know what’s behind peoples reasons for voting certain people out. Although racism is a possible reason, I’d like to think it is just coincidence.

  13. If you’re constantly seeing race as the motive behind decisions made by white people, you probably need to take a long, hard look at yourself in the mirror. I wouldn’t be surprised to see riots in the streets if a white person wins this considering the stupidity that permeates this new woke world.

      1. riots in the street about a white winning Big Brother? yeah that’s going to happen LOL
        If this is your idea of “scary times”, people need to get out more …

        1. Tongue in cheek comment, Andrew, to highlight the absurdity of it all. Very sick of people throwing out the “R” word for no reason. It has gotten to the point where you’re considered racist just for having a negative thought about someone that doesn’t even involve their heritage.

  14. Hang on… so if the cast is all Anglo and white – terrible, why aren’t there any contestants from other races.

    If there are contestants from other races – omg see racists I told you! They are eliminating people based on race.

    Where does this all end?

  15. I know the discussion is on BB, but I haven’t and don’t intend to watch. At work we were discussing our favorites at work on MC. I said my favorites were Poh, Reece, Brendan and Callum as they seem genuine nice people . I thought Tessa and Laura are bland, Khan is a bit annoying and Reynold arrogant. I was told I was being a bit racist! How? I mean are you required to like everyone of a different race, no matter what. Ridiculous!

    2. If you don’t like someone that isn’t a white male then you are a racist or sexist. Don’t even think about saying a character is bad, annoying, unfunny or the actor/actress is bad because if they aren’t a white male you’ll be labelled racist or sexist and get a lot of abuse.

  16. I dont really agree with this! Abit far fetched if you ask me.
    1. Laura was a threat at the first challenge, did not socially get into it and did not try to save herself in episode 1.
    2. Allan was playing way to hard and it didnt go unnoticed by people. He really thought he was controlling the core group and they blindsided him after Kieran apologised and worked his way back into peoples good books.
    3. Soobong was a challenge threat. Did everyone see him showing off his psychical attributes? Doing push ups with 1 finger in the cage, being able to hold his body up soing push ups infront of the group.

    1. I they would openly say they are voting someone out because they are black or asian, they might not even know they are doing it. Doesn’t mean there isn’t an unconscious bias.

  17. This is so laughable! These people were voted out because they were hard, tough players and they were there to win $250,000! Nothing to do with race!

  19. The biggest problem with this Big Brother is that there is no fun.
    2012 = Secrets was Funny.
    2013 = Split House was Funny.
    2014 = The $10,000 bribe so no other housemates could eat was Funny.
    2020 = High five everyone and a snoring story on night 1 and boot someone out eveyday = Not Funny.

  21. If you go back to season 8 of Big Brother, the winner Terri was a self-confessed Pauline Hanson supporter. I remember her picking on an Asian housemate and it did seem unreasonable from the viewers perspective, my perspective anyway.

    In the new season, it could be either coincidence, unfavourable opinion of the behaviour of the foreign heritage housemates evicted or xenophobia.

  22. I was not surprised that Allan went he was so annoying. From the moment they showed his audition tape he drove me crazy. I don’t know why the snoring guy is still there.

  24. I logged on to your site to make a comment EE this issue and to my surprise you had an article about it. Happy to see that many others noticed this and thought along the same lines. Just shows how POC are singled out and not let to have their voices heard amongst the larger group of white people.

  25. The people on the show are after the cash so of course the people with the best chance of winning will get evicted first. The public won’t vote for boring people that stay in the background so they will probably be the safest. I don’t think race has anything to do with this it’s just people getting rid of the strongest so they will have a better chance at winning.

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