Julie Chen Addresses 'BB15' Racism
Big Brother 15 has attracted a lot of headlines this season as a result of the racist, homophobic and misogynistic comments several of the houseguests have been overheard saying on the live feeds. Last night the show featured some of Aryn Gries and GinaMarie Zimmerman's comments in a "Worst Of" compilation (they've both been, unknowingly, fired from their jobs as a result of these comments) that you can watch here.
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This morning, Big Brother host Julie Chen finally spoke out on the matter during a live taping of CBS' The Talk. "I have to be honest, it stung," she said. "Those things, in my opinion ... it felt mean-spirited. It felt ugly and it felt mean."
Chen continued, "When I first found out that Aryan, who is a 22-year-old girl, made anti-gay, anti-black and anti-Asian comments, I have to be honest, the Asian ones hit me the most. It stung. I took it personally. I’m a human being. The really sad part, it took me back to the '70s when I was growing up in Queens and I was 7-years-old getting bullied, being called a chink. I thought, 'Wow, I haven't heard comments like that [in years].' The year is 2013. I felt ignorant, there are still people in the country who feel and act that way? Yes there [are]. It made me sad. She’s 22 and she’s college educated."
Prior to actually airing the comments, CBS released the following statement:
"Big Brother is a reality show about watching a group of people who have no privacy 24/7 -- and seeing every moment of their lives," the statement reads. "At times, the houseguests reveal prejudices and other beliefs that we do not condone. We certainly find the statements made by several of the houseguests on the live Internet feed to be offensive. Any views or opinions expressed in personal commentary by a houseguest appearing on Big Brother, either on any live feed from the House or during the broadcast, are those of the individual(s) speaking and do not represent the views or opinions of CBS or the producers of the program."
The Talk airs daily on CBS and Big Brother airs Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, also on CBS.