Live house feeds of the CBS reality series Big Brother have captured several anti-gay, racist, sexist remarks from cast members of the show's 15th season, some of which have now been included in the show's national broadcast following outrage from viewers. Several cast members have now lost their real life jobs due to their offensive remarks.
"As we've seen time and again, the racist, sexist, and homophobic words someone chooses to say can have lasting consequences, and the swell of public anger being directed at these Big Brother contestants shows that the American public finds this type of hateful, bigoted language unacceptable," said GLAAD Vice President of Communications Rich Ferraro.
Julie Chen, host of Big Brother and co-host of the LGBT-inclusive daytime series The Talk, yesterday spoke out about the house members' remarks and those she found personally hurtful:
CBS last week released a statement saying:
“'Big Brother' is a reality show about watching a group of people who have no privacy 24/7 -- and seeing every moment of their lives. At times, the Houseguests reveal prejudices and other beliefs that we do not condone. We certainly find the statements made by several of the Houseguests on the live Internet feed to be offensive. Any views or opinions expressed in personal commentary by a Houseguest appearing on 'Big Brother,' either on any live feed from the House or during the broadcast, are those of the individual(s) speaking and do not represent the views or opinions of CBS or the producers of the program.”
