DePaul University

Minority Houseguests and Placement in Big Brother

Mateo Felipe

WRD 104

Professor Heather Doble

22 November 2022
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After twenty-four seasons and twenty-two years of the airing of the reality television

series Big Brother, Taylor Hale received the largest cash prize on the show, earning $800,000 for

placing first and being named “America’s Favorite Player”. However, this cash prize isn’t the

only notable thing about this win, she became the first African-American woman to win since its

premiere in 2000. A year prior, Xavier Prather became the first African-American to place first.

Ever since the COVID-19 Pandemic, both the show and racial sensitivity as a universal concept

have evolved to maintain political correctness. With both winnings being known as

“controversial” because of CBS’ new commitment to fifty percent racial minority casts across

reality series, I concluded that there must be a correlation between the success of a player

through the game and the race of said player. The premise of the show Big Brother is to progress

through each week by either gaining power or surviving the threat of being voted out by your

fellow houseguests. After every week a houseguest survives, their placement inches closer to

their goal; getting to the final two and being crowned the winner. Since the recent season of Big

Brother in 2022, the first-place prize money has raised to 750,000 dollars. With factors such as

social, physical, and strategic barriers, the addition of hidden prejudices and implicit bias is

another obstacle that can make or break a houseguest’s game. With social media’s prevalence in

communicating information in milliseconds, Twitter has become a hub for Big Brother

discussion which makes it possible to express any opinions, theories, and general speech with

only the moderation of Twitter. In my paper, I hope to explore the varying advantages and

disadvantages Black, Indigenous, and People of Color experience in real life and how it

translates into the microcosm that is the Big Brother house and determine a correlation between

race and the placement of houseguests and how has CBS’ fifty percent racial minority cast rule

combatted this correlation.

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To truly find a correlation between minority identity and placement on Big Brother, it is

crucial to understand the background of racially charged aggression and reality television’s

depictions. Post-production editing for all reality shows can alter and skew a portrayal of any

character to prolong and develop storylines, differentiate protagonists and antagonists, and create

a cohesive episode and season. However, certain implicit biases exhibited in editing both

intentionally or not can create a narrative about minority characters that perpetuate historical and

nuanced stereotypes.

In Jack Glascock and Catherine Preston-Schreck’s Verbal Aggression, Race, and Sex on

Reality TV: Is This the Way It Is? Quantitative analysis is utilized to analyze the frequency of

verbal aggression, racism, and gender represented in a sample week of reality television. The

findings indicate that African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanic people are

disproportionately portrayed as verbally aggressive and more likely to be the target of verbal

aggression. Specifically, non-caucasian women were more likely to be both the attacker and the

victim in a verbal argument than their non-caucasian male counterparts (Glascock and

Preston-Schreck 437). However, there were no discernible differences in how aggressive people

were treated based on their racial or ethnic background or sexual orientation. The majority of

verbal assaults did not result in rewards, but among those that did, peer approval and an increase

in control were the most frequently given rewards (Glascock and Preston-Schreck 438). The

most popular type of reality television, known as "docu-soaps," was only available on cable

networks and had some of the highest rates of verbal abuse. Differentiation by subgenre

emphasizes a significant difference between cable and broadcast programs (Glascock and

Preston-Schreck 438). It was discovered that verbal aggression was prevalent on reality

television, especially in the form of cable television's docu-soaps. There were roughly nineteen
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vocally violent incidents every hour on average. The number of verbally abusive acts per hour

differed significantly between cable and broadcast, with cable reality shows containing

approximately twice as many verbally abusive acts as broadcast reality shows (Glascock and

Preston-Schreck 435). Whether or not the minority personality was truly being aggressive will

forever be up for debate because of post-production altering to amplify a situation or stitching

together different clips to impose a specific reaction from an audience. This uncertainty in

perpetuating these stereotypes plays a massive role in how audiences formulate their racial

perceptions of others, especially for those who live in areas with a lack of diversity or specific

demographics. The development of these aggressive illustrations ultimately impacts the personal

lives of said personalities and subjects them to an ambush of hate on public forums where

fanbase discussions thrive with little to no filter.

Sociologist Danielle J. Lindemann’s, True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us, the

chapter entitled “‘Who Gon' Check Me, Boo?’ (Race)” explores the negative and

underrepresented portrayals of minorities in reality television, intersectionality, and the advances

of the past and present from both audiences and television personalities to acknowledge and

abolish stereotypes. Lindemann poses the idea that reality television skews storylines to the

furthest extremes with the help of editing and post-production curation (Lindemann 187),

ultimately proving how minstrelsy further perpetuates the historical American concept of

profiting off of Black people. These shows are striking audiences with the harsh reality of how

this indirect or direct choice to depict demographics in specific manners provides insight into our

implicit bias and racism as Americans are being ingrained deeply. The impact of implicit bias on

how certain races are depicted in reality television is reinforcing those stereotypes to the

audience. Real-life occurrences such as police brutality and discrimination are not shocking
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because of shows like Cops or The Real World (Lindemann 186), but programs airing these

horrendous acts allow for conversations to occur within the audiences and the casts they watch.

Through the unfortunate passing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other innocent black

lives, reality television has since shifted in determining what holds up and what is insensitive to a

viewer.

The focal example of reality television perpetuating racial stereotypes for this chapter

was the fight that took place between Shereé and Anthony in the Real Housewives of Atlanta; an

insight into how black caricatures are depicted, controlled, and capitalized off of (Lindemann

157-158). Lindemann argues how reality television demonstrates how racial segregation persists

psychologically, socially, and physically as we categorize, and relate to one another, and

ultimately reflects the “topography of race in America” (Lindemann 158). There are shows

curated with and for black audiences, but are eventually labeled as “ratchet”, and shows that

feature a minuscule amount of black personalities, both types socializing white audiences and

their perception of black people as it pertains to the real world (Lindemann 161). Another

dimension to reality television is conveyed as gender is included— subgenres of stereotypes such

as the Lazy Black Man or Sapphire that are not as integral as their white counterparts.

Lindemann clarifies that although stereotypes are not the only reason for these inequalities, they

do contribute to and strengthen the systems that uphold them (Lindemann 168) and that our

social milieu affects our perceptions of the outside world as how our internal narratives

normalize and reinforce that division. As certain reality television shows portray black people

who have combatted these predispositions by achieving success as only temporary, our social

hierarchy is made easier to accept by the myth that black women are unable to truly abandon

their “ghetto mindset” due to their flaws (Lindemann 173). Reality television reveals which
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viewpoints we consider dominant and on the periphery, as well as the stories we create to

maintain that marginality (Lindemann 176) when there’s an absence of representation of those of

Asian or Hispanic descent.

Certainly, the production behind these shows is not fully at fault; the television

personalities and those spectating from their television sets contribute to these negatively

depicted narratives by being complicit and silent or actively supporting this injustice. These

reality television shows brand black and Hispanic people as aggressive and underrepresent Asian

people but label them as subservient to their white counterparts where this specific television

genre is their main source of racial perception. Proper representation is crucial because it may be

some of the only exposure they have access to for certain racial groups. Due to that limited

exposure, whatever they manage to see will be how they perceive those racial groups as a whole.

The television industry will profit off of the minstrel shows they curate to entertain while

simultaneously representing black people extremely negatively. This pattern has never been more

prevalent than in the reality game documentary series, Big Brother as the controversies on race in

this American microcosm become more nuanced and apparent. Since CBS’ pledge for all reality

television shows to include at minimum half of the cast to be a minority (“CBS Commits To 50

Percent BIPOC”) in 2021, many new layers of race regarding gameplay are peeling back as

houseguests navigate through complicated conversations.

In Jon Caramanica’s article, Rare, but Real, a Racial Divide in Prime Time, Caramanica

analyzes the microaggressive and blatantly racist comments and their relevance to ongoing

controversial events on the fifteenth season of the reality series, Big Brother. Caramanica

contends that since the show’s debut in 2000, Big Brother has prevented uncomfortable

conversations about race from airing because of the production’s inactivity and purposeful
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exclusion in displaying diversity in their casts (Caramanica). However, during the latest season

in 2013, the implicit biases and prejudices of many of the houseguests have been broadcasted

across the United States, now prompting a disclaimer at the beginning of every episode that the

houseguests might express biases and other viewpoints that the network does not support

(Caramanica). White cast members and primary perpetrators Aaryn Gries and GinaMarie

Zimmerman verbally harassed black houseguest Candice Stewart by taunting her with a

stereotypical black woman accent, breaking her down, and lamenting to another black woman

houseguest, Howard Overby. Along with the more flagrant comments, Gries victimizes herself

by complaining how she is being targeted because of her prowess in gameplay as if it is not the

premise of the show to eliminate houseguests regardless of their abilities (Caramanica).

Because the houseguests are wholly disconnected from the public, these different

opinions and prejudices are revealed and expose the true prerogative of some. Caramanica

provides insight into how much the show relies on the fanbase’s active and tumultuous voice as it

pertains to editors deciding on broadcasting the comments Gries and Zimmerman have remarked

(Caramanica). However, Big Brother is not the first reality television show to explore this topic,

shows such as Survivor and The Real World have had their fair share of racial controversies.

Caramanica further argues how Big Brother reflects the current ideals of a portion of American

people and as the show progresses, these racial tensions are on par regarding prevalence as in the

Trayvon Martin verdict with a jury member expressing similar views like Gries (Caramanica).

As Stewart is eventually eliminated during Zimmerman’s week of power, it poses the question of

whether Zimmerman’s intent of ridding Stewart of the house was solely based on gameplay, or

rather influenced by her prejudices in some way; a concept that is not too obscure because of her

previous altercation with Stewart.

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The article, 'Big Brother: Josh Martinez Addresses His Race and the Cookout's Historic

Run by journalist Nicole Weaver reports on the response from Big Brother’s nineteenth

installment winner, Josh Martinez on his race as it pertains to the game and the success of the

all-black alliance called “The Cookout.” Weaver features a series of tweets (Weaver) from

Martinez addressing the controversy of his racial identity as well as other past players’

commentary on the twenty-third season of Big Brother’s possibility of crowning an

African-American winner. Whilst fans pondered Martinez’s win regarding whether the first black

winner has already been crowned, his family cleared up the confusion by tweeting that their

ancestors are black, Spanish, and Latino. Martinez further reinforced this claim by tweeting that

he is, “the first Latino ‘Hispanic’ to Win Big brother and only 3 POC have Won the show but

we’ve haven’t had an African American win the show” (Weaver). A fan’s tweet directed towards

Da’Vonne Rogers, a houseguest from seasons seventeen, eighteen, and twenty-two of Big

Brother, was also included in the article, responding to a fan claiming that she and Tiffany

Mitchell, a member of “The Cookout,” “would’ve done some damage together” (Weaver) if

placed on the same season. Rogers responded by declaring how Mitchell being on a season

without her would be beneficial for her gameplay.

Weaver’s article provides great insight into how race is truly a social construct, especially

considering being a Hispanic person and whether that label is racial or ethnic is perpetually up

for debate. This concept affects how viewers see themselves represented on television and how

the discussion goes about achieving landmarks such as the first African or Pacific Islander

winner. With a forever-morphing debate on what society classifies as race, ethnicity, or

nationality, there will constantly be a group of underrepresented demographics vying to at least

relate to characters on screen. However, there is no doubt a sense of pride for “The Cookout”
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alliance from Rogers, the first black houseguest to receive the award of “America’s Favorite

Player” since the show’s premiere and one of the most recurring houseguests. Regardless of the

discussion on Martinez’s classification, there seems to be a solidarity and understanding

(Weaver) with the alliance and with his followers that the current season will signify a shift in

Big Brother’s history of winners and race as it pertains to gameplay.

These racial gameplay disparities led to the reworking of the casting process but remain

controversial and problematic, sparking new conversation surrounding the fairness of CBS’

diversity pledge as the all-black alliance “The Cookout” cements itself in Big Brother history.

Despite the plethora of all-white alliances since the show's conception, the Cookout’s

controversy lies in its purpose: to ensure the first black winner of Big Brother. While this concept

of an all-black alliance is infuriating to many, primarily white viewers of the show, it poses the

idea of whether this movement would have been even needed had there been diverse casts in the

past. This topic was once more rehashed in the most recent season of Big Brother where

houseguest Kyle Capener accused the remaining minority houseguests of allying alike to the

Cookout, suggesting to counter this concept by creating an all-white alliance with houseguests

Michael Bruner and Brittany Hoopes (Donnellan). There is without a doubt a direct influence on

how a houseguest can play within the Big Brother house based on their racial identity. Reality

television imagery is a subset of a larger body of narratives, stereotypes, and presumptions about

personal effort and moral failure. They expose our deeply ingrained racism and how it intersects

with the distinctions that control our lives through caricatures.

In James Cosby’s, Why Tribalism Matters in Reality Show 'Big Brother', Cosby conveys

how many viewers of the reality series, Big Brother have not let the failure of minority

houseguests to advance as far as their white counterparts go unnoticed (Cosby). Cosby recalls a
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personal experience as a United States Army veteran where it was apparent how soldiers flocked

towards those of the same race, a prime example of tribalism. This concept as acted upon in Big

Brother has been partially attributed to institutional racism, subsequently affecting minority

success in the show in comparison to white players. Much of this purposeful and unintentional

tribalism concept was most visible in seasons twenty-one through twenty-four as the audience

views the creation of dominating white alliances, the formation of the first all-black success in

providing the first black winner, and the fear of an all-minority alliance being conceived

(Cosby).

Cosby analyzes the plethora of perspectives towards these efforts to resolve the white

tribalism bias that is inherently developed due to the countless number of failed attempts to see

minorities progress far. All is drawn back to America’s influence as Cosby poses the ideas of

whether people of color should simply accept the predisposed disadvantages and if white

houseguests combatting efforts of the creation of minority-majority alliances is just (Cosby).

Even then, there is no singular perpetrator to eliminate to equalize this dilemma, making it

impossible to rule out tribalism as a factor in how Big Brother is played. Simply put, Big Brother

has depicted the implicit biases of its houseguests but deciphering whether the grouping of

houseguests based on race is either exemplifying racism or tribalism.

In digital media journalist Vince Dixon’s, Big Brother's Diversity Problem by the

Numbers, Dixon argues how the reality series, Big Brother perpetuates racism and prejudice

through the lack of diversity within the cast, ignorant and questionable editing, and twists that

ultimately group those of the same race to increase their longevity within the game. Through

quantitative analysis, Dixon provides racial, gendered, and aged breakdowns of the casts since

the show’s debut to underline the lack of diversity in demographics and as it pertains to success
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within the game, such as how sixty-four percent of black players placed in the lower fiftieth

percentile in their respective seasons. This theory sheds light on how varying races are perceived

differently by other groups within the game because the data concur that more than sixty percent

of Asian-American players placed in the upper 50th percentile (Dixon). Despite whether

causation can be proven of success with representation, Dixon’s breakdown proves that the lack

of representation is correlated to it. Players of color are generally ostracized by their white

counterparts until they either assimilate and prove their worthiness or are voted out of the game.

Many believe that Big Brother maintains the racial breakdown of America. Yet, much of its cast

is dense in twenty to thirty-year-olds, and white people are overrepresented by twenty percent

(Dixon).

After Big Brother Season Twenty-One’s shameful first four evicted houseguests being

people of color, this pattern can also be attributed to the introduction of new twists that reveal

human nature in grouping with those alike and pushing out those differences. As having large

alliances can be beneficial towards the longevity of a player’s success in the game, tribalism and

the lack of diversity will ultimately show large groups of white players band together, regardless

of social awareness, voting out the minorities. Dixon’s data shows Big Brother’s entropy score is

less than two-to-one (Dixon), entailing that there is almost always more than twice the amount of

white houseguests than minority houseguests. Although there has been a better ratio of minority

to white players in earlier seasons, this ratio no longer stands because CBS failed to diversify its

casts up until its diversity pledge in 2021. This trend also poses the concept that since Big

Brother is a microcosm of America and a study of how people behave, these prejudices and

biases may exist within the realm of pre-production, post-production, and human psychology as

a whole.
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After a thorough synthesis of different research, I have concluded that there is a

correlation between the racial identity of a houseguest in Big Brother and their placement on the

show primarily due to a lack of diversity within casting as well as the concept of tribalism. CBS’

recent diversity pledge has combated this deeply ingrained pattern, however, new problems arise

regarding its fairness and accuracy in representation allowing viewers to open up debate. It was

only a matter of time before CBS had to make this monumental decision as the Black Lives

Matter movement and police brutality formed a new diaspora and education for the ignorant.

Reality television can now catalyze holding people accountable for their prejudices and

caricatures that they maintain and develop in their minds of racial identities. Yet, this

commitment will truly never be able to satisfy the inherent biases and almost automatic cliquing

of players. Another question is posed on what information production feeds the houseguests and

whether there is rigging taking place behind the scenes to jeopardize the gameplay and public

image of minority players. Big Brother is a social experiment that will inevitably reveal the true

prerogative of its players both as it pertains to the game and real life, being broadcast not only in

the nation but across the world. However, is it truly essential to have this escapist reality show be

an exact reflection of American demographics as those vying for their shot at 750,000 dollars are

ultimately typecasted with a predetermined placement? Will there ever be a time in Big Brother,

or reality television as a whole, where racial biases are acknowledged and eliminated from

production? The answer lies in the uncomfortable conversations that need to be held within

production teams, the casts, and the fanbases.

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Works Cited

“CBS Commits To 50 Percent BIPOC Casts Across Reality Series.” Recommended News on

CBS, 9 Nov. 2020,

https://www.cbs.com/recommended/news/1010067/cbs-commits-to-50-percent-bipoc-cas

ts-across-reality-series/.

Caramanica, Jon. “Rare, but Real, a Racial Divide in Prime Time.” The New York Times, The

New York Times, 16 July 2013,

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/17/arts/television/big-brother-becomes-a-lab-experime

nt-in-overt-racism.html.

Cosby, James A. “Why Tribalism Matters in Reality Show 'Big Brother'.” PopMatters, 27 Sept.

2022, https://www.popmatters.com/big-brother-reality-television-tribalism.

Dixon, Vince. “Big Brother's Diversity Problem by the Numbers.” Vince Dixon Portfolio, 26

Aug. 2019, https://vincedixonportfolio.com/app/big-brother-diversity/.

Donnellan, Sara. “‘Big Brother’ Houseguests Confront Kyle Capener for His Comments About

Race.” Us Weekly, 2 Sept. 2022,

https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/big-brother-cast-confronts-kyle-capene

r-for-race-comments/.

Glascock, Jack, and Catherine Preston-Schreck. “Verbal Aggression, Race, and Sex on Reality

TV: Is This the Way It Is?” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, vol. 62, no. 3,

2018, pp. 427–444., https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2018.1451859.

Lindemann, Danielle J. “‘Who Gon' Check Me, Boo?’ (Race).” True Story: What Reality TV

Says About Us, First ed., Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York City, New York, 2022, pp.

156–187.
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Weaver, Nicole. “'Big Brother': Josh Martinez Addresses His Race and the Cookout's Historic

Run.” Showbiz Cheat Sheet, 8 Sept. 2021,

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/big-brother-josh-martinez-addresses-race-the-

cookout-historic-run.html/.