-- Thomas Folz, Assistant Director of Communications, NSP. 1488!
'Big Brother' airs out controversy in latest episode
Producers, contestants don't shy away from addressing houseguest's racist remarks
WENN
"Big Brother" producers decided to air houseguest Aaryn Gries' racist comments about her co-stars on Sunday's episode, following an uproar from viewers. Nearly a week after Gries was caught during the online live feeds throwing around racial and homophobic slurs at her housemates, show producers finally addressed the controversy on Sunday, when Gries was named the Head of Household (HOH) and won the power to nominate which two contestants would be up for eviction.
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After winning HOH, contestant Howard Overby mentioned Gries' offensive comments to a few of his castmates, who agreed that, while she does have an upper hand in the game, her true colors will eventually come out. During a confessional, Overby, who is African-American, stated, "I heard Aaryn say some derogatory comments towards some of the people in the house in certain situations. Granted it does affect me indirectly, but it's not directed toward me ... Even when these comments are made in fun, they still hurt and are disrespectful. Especially when that person isn't there to hear it and back themselves up. I could lose my temper, but that is a no-no in this game. I have to have eyes down the field for the bigger prize: winning this competition." His housemate Amanda Zuckerman added, "On top of Aaryn being a raging b--ch, she's very naive and sheltered, and she makes comments that are completely inappropriate. She makes fun of other people for what they look like and their ethnicity, and I think it's going to hurt her a lot. Inside the game and outside the game." Gries was recorded saying, "I look probably like a squinty Asian right now" and "No one's going to vote for whoever that queer puts up," in reference to housemates Helen Kim and Andy Herren. She has since been let go by Zephyr Talent, the Texas-based modeling agency she was signed to. Gries' ally, GinaMarie Zimmerman, who made racist remarks on camera as well, has been fired by East Coast USA Pageant, Inc., where she served as a coordinator for the past five years.
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