CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

Unlike The American Version, “Big Brother UK” Addresses Homophobic Houseguests In Real Time

Celebrity-Big-Brother-2014-2994617Homophobia has crossed the pond and settled into the UK’s Big Brother house, but unlike contestants on the show’s American franchise, houseguests using hateful language overseas are being warned of their behavior and told homophobia is “against the rules.”

A rapper named Dappy of the group N-Dubz is reportedly the second contestant on Celebrity BB UK‘s current season to drop homophobic slurs in the house. According to The Mirror, he frequently boasts “about the size of his manhood” and when asked by a fellow houseguest if he “pleasures himself” on a recent episode, responded “Do I look bent?” (FYI “bent” is slang for “homosexual or effeminate” in the UK.)

Dappy (whose name ironically means “stupid and/or unnecessary“) was called into the Diary Room immediately after using the slur and informed that “the language used goes against Celebrity Big Brother rules in which he’d agreed to abide by.” This is allegedly the third time he’s been warned.

Previously this season, boxer Evan Holyfield was warned about his use of anti-gay remarks when he claimed—on camera—that being gay “ain’t normal.”

Producers of Big Brother UK are handling the use of offensive language in a drastically different way than their stateside counterparts. During the last season of Big Brother here at home, producers let blatant racism and homophobia run loose in the house for several weeks before attacking racist and homophobic houseguests upon their eviction. They claimed it would have been “against the rules” to inform houseguests that all of America hated them before leaving the house.

About 25% of the most recent Big Brother US cast lost their jobs as a result of unfavorable things they said in the house.  CBS was more or less forced to air their remarks by popular demand, and literally boasted about being “the most talked-about season ever” during the finale episode.

Do you think it’s the duty of television networks to address racism and homophobia on reality competition shows in real time, or would you rather watch these folks crash and burn as a result once they leave the house?

[Photo: The Mirror]

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