Why CBS made the right call in removing contestant who used the N-word on ‘Big Brother’
OPINION: The show, in its 25th season, continues to deal with the issue of race, but the network’s stance in this case is a step in the right direction.
Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
The name Luke was trending on Twitter on Wednesday.
Not crazy-ass Uncle Luke, not singing-ass Luke James and not even Owen Wilson’s brother — it was Luke Valentine. (Who?) A Luke that no one knew — except for the fact that he decided to take his merry behind from Florida (Is anyone surprised?) to compete on a national reality TV show — with live cameras broadcasting his every move — and say the N-word.
The 25th season of CBS’s reality TV game show “Big Brother’” has only been on the air for about a week, and the N-word was so deeply embedded in this man’s lexicon that he couldn’t even restrain himself long enough to make it through the first week’s eviction. In fact, through his use of the N-word, he has become this week’s first eviction.
CBS announced Wednesday that Luke was being removed from the game for his use of the N-word and that his departure would be addressed on Thursday’s live eviction show. CBS’s response to Luke’s actions took less than 24 hours, and it was the absolute right call.
“Big Brother” has had a very real history of contestants saying and doing racist and culturally insensitive things. From one Black woman being called “Aunt Jemima,” in Season 15 to last season’s uproar about one player trying to form an all-white alliance to combat a madeup all-Black alliance and even to allegations of the use of the N-word in Season 20. Not to mention the fact that it took 23 seasons for the show to have its first Black winner (or its first Black woman winner having to go through hell on her season).
So, needless to say, there have been a lot of articles about houseguests and race over the years. And while some of this is just a byproduct of us living in America and the racism that already exists simply having a world stage with the live feed cameras, there is a role that CBS has to play in all of this. They are the gatekeepers. They decide who gets on the show and who doesn’t. And once someone is on the show, CBS decides who stays on the show and who doesn’t. That’s a lot of power — and responsibility.
Given the history, it was important that its decision be swift and set a clear precedent for what will be tolerated in this game moving forward. The players in the house shouldn’t have to exist in a space cloudy with that kind of offensive energy, and the fans shouldn’t have to watch offensive conduct either. We shouldn’t have to rely on hoping that the houseguests willingly evict the offending contestant sooner than later. That onus should not be placed on the other contestants. That’s CBS’ job. And if Luke is doing this in week one of a 100-day season, what else would have been in store for us if they kept him? (Or God forbid he won the game.) There was no other call for CBS to make here.
There has been some debate on Twitter about whether this situation with Luke warranted CBS removing him from the game given that there seemingly was a lack of malicious intent in his statement. The N-word was used at the end of a sentence in a “bro” or “dude” type fashion rather than seeming to be intended as a direct insult.
And while there’s more to discuss about the incident, can we pause, right there? (Since Florida isn’t educating ya’ll, I’m gon’ have to do it.) Please say this with me — a non-member of a discriminated group using a slur at any time for any reason is a direct insult to everyone in that group. The end.
It doesn’t matter if every person in that group uses that term — you cannot. (Florida, stay with me.) For example, folks outside of the LGBTQ+ community should not be using the F-word. Non-women should not be calling women the B-word or the C-word. And if you are not Black, do not use the N-word. This is not “White Chicks,” and the “nobody’s around” policy is not a real thing. Take the N-word out of your mouth — completely.
It’s not your word. You have not had to bear the weight of the ugliness of the word. Generations of bearing the weight of the ugliness of that word. And furthermore, not only have you, as a white person, not had to deal with the financial, cultural, and emotional effects of historical racism that that word conjures up for Black people, but you presently don’t have to deal with the ongoing and active racism that still exists today. That word brings with it all of this weightiness that has yet to truly heal for many.
So, yeah, I’m sure it was easy for Luke to use the word so casually when he literally has the privilege of being able to ignore the entire history of the word because that history likely means nothing to him.
But the use of the word wasn’t even his only offensive conduct. His entire joking attitude around the incident was itself offensive. It was part of what made the incident even more difficult to stomach.
He seemed to have no genuine remorse for saying the word. He gave us an “oopsie” while smiling the entire time. Literally. From ear to ear. He jokingly called it “a slip of the tongue.” He played it off in such a joking, nonchalant manner and then later continued to joke about how bad his punishment should be, even noting that he’d been in worse trouble before. (For what, buddy? Pray tell.)
This sort of comical attitude drives home how dismissive his actions were to Black people. He’s dismissing the pain and history that the word conjures up for an entire group of people simply because that history and pain have zero effect on his life. He’s treating the word like it’s an accessory that he can put on and take off (a very privileged sort of thing to do) while Black people have to operate with it more like a tattoo.
If CBS had left Luke in the house with just a slap on the wrist, it would have set the tone that it’s OK to continue being offensive to Blacks and other cultures on this show. There were plenty of times in the past when a call such as this probably should have been made but wasn’t. For 2023 and beyond, however, we need to be better. We have been through too much over the past few years as a nation — the Black Lives Matter movement and the George Floyd protests just to name a few — for people to act like they don’t know what’s offensive in this day and age. Nah. Educate yourself and do better.
The last part of the incident that has caused a lot of discussion on Twitter was the actions of the one Black contestant in the room at the time the N-word was used. Folks pointed out that he seemed to be OK with the usage and essentially said as much. First, I will emphasize that in a game about pretending and having flawless social strategy so that you can win three-quarters of a million dollars, someone “seeming” OK with the word’s usage can literally just be a social strategy to not make yourself a target for eviction.
Two, Black people don’t always feel comfortable responding to offensive statements in situations where speaking could mean risk. Three, it’s not on Black people to educate, correct or react to white people’s racism. It’s just not. And lastly, even if the Black player is OK with the word being used, he is not the spokesperson for all Black people. His outrage is not the measuring stick for whether CBS should have removed Luke or not. CBS has a duty to everyone, viewers included, to be clear that offensive language and actions will not be tolerated, and I think they accomplished that with Luke’s boot.
So, Luke can join the rest of us in watching Thursday night’s episode from home and educate himself on why saying the N-word is not a good idea.
Kamaria is an attorney, poet, writer, and lover of all things created #ForTheCulture. She runs a blog, ‘Words of My Mother,’ has lived all over the DMV (heavy on the V), and enjoys skating, debating, and car karaoke. (Because, why not?!) She can be reached on Twitter at @like_tha_moon.
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