A CBS executive reprimanded a Big Brother producer who encouraged stereotypical reactions from Kemi Fakunle in an attempt to get a soundbite for the show. Kemi, who has since been evicted, is not the first castmate tied to controversy, either with the film crew or castmates on Big Brother 21.
This popular CBS summer reality competition is a surveillance-style show where houseguests battle it out to stay in the house in the hopes of winning the $500,000 prize. Big Brother's concept is about bringing people from different backgrounds to live in a house for several months with no contact from the outside world. Diehard fans can watch cast on the 24/7 live feed which streams footage online of the contestants’ unfiltered moments in the house. Although the show is meant to be dramatic, this season has been a bit of a mess for the franchise as there have been many incidences of bullying and racism in the house that was caught on the live feed.
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CBS is in hot water again, this time for a producer who allegedly encouraged Kemi to behave in a stereotypical manner. According to EW, Kemi told her other housemates that a producer named Christine tried to get her to behave in a stereotypical and inauthentic way in order to get a soundbite for the show. Kemi spoke about the incident to other housemates, saying:
“They were like, ‘Oh, why don’t you, like, wag your finger and be like, Uh uh, girlfriend. I’m like, I don’t even talk like that, so maybe try again, Christine.’ And she was like, ‘Oh, I mean, I just thought that was an option.' Why are you trying to - I literally don’t talk like that, so, like, what are you trying to do?”
Kemi spoke about the way the show had edited her, saying, "I think I’m portrayed as a bitch. 100 percent." She thinks it has a lot to do with the way the producers ask them to act. CBS programming executive Thom Sherman said that a producer “overstepped” in an attempt to get a soundbite from Kemi and has since undergone “unconscious bias training.”
Big Brother 21 has been a season of controversy, and to prevent this from becoming a trend, producers may want consider reevaluating why this season has been so controversial. There have been very few seasons of Big Brother that have stirred up this much controversy since the infamous 15th season when Aaryn Gries made racist comments. It's unfortunate that this season also includes the producers allegedly perpetuating the racism. The one positive takeaway is that CBS seems to be taking some preventative action to present the show in a more positive light.
Big Brother airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9pm EST and Sundays at 8pm EST on CBS.
Source: EW