Were Big Brother Right To Remove Emily Parr
I woke up this morning to the shock news that Emily Parr had been removed from the Big Brother house during the early hours. When I heard that Emily had used a racist term towards Charley I was shocked and sure that she deserved the punishment, now I’m not so vehement.
I know that the Big Brother team had no choice. After the racism fiasco in January’s Celebrity Big Brother, they couldn’t risk another racism scandal.
Yet one has to have some sympathy for Emily, it almost feels as if she is paying for Jade Goody’s mistakes.
Emily should never have used the word “n**ger”, it cannot be excused in anyway, and yet it was not meant to be offensive as far as I can ascertain. It was said during a period of dancing and was not intended to be derogatory. Big Brother had to remove Emily, I believe they had no other choice unless they wanted OFCOM to come down on them like a ton of bricks, however I do have a small amount of sympathy for Emily who will now emerge to a public who hate her.
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June 7th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
I think youre right in some ways, but how could she be so stupid after what went on before. i was reading this transcript http://www.unrealitytv.co.uk/big-brother/big-brother-8-emily-parr-not-so-single/#comment-38083 and wasnt sure what to make of it!
June 7th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
I do not think that Emily made this remark racially. After reading the transcript I actually think a lot of it was clever stirring by Charley. Emily when she realised how it might look apologised, Nikki says not to go on about it, but of course |Charley goes on and on, you are in so much trouble, etc. When Emily commented that Charley had previously said this word, Charley said it was alright for her to use it, why? if it is an offensive word then it should not be said by anyone, any colour. I do feel sorry for Emily, she is being used as a scapegoat by BB because of CBB, and Charley has been using Emily during the programme telling her to play the game, tell the other this, that etc and Emily ends up in rows because of it. Charley reminds me of Adele from previous BB, very underhand, sly and manipulative but in a way that is not obvious to other housemates who do not see as much as the public. Now people will be frightened to nominate Charley case they are thought of as racist. Yes racism is wrong, but sometimes things need putting into context of what ishappening at the time.
June 7th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
It does not sound as if this was meant to be a racial insult. If they were both “dancing” and “rapping” - of course that is a genre of music that quite often uses the term “n..ger”, also if it is acceptable for non-caucasian people to use this term in a friendly/banter kind of way it should be acceptable for all. I personally think that for historic reasons no one should use this term but unless EVERYONE does this people like Emily should not be pulled up for using it unless it is used in an aggressive/offensive-”racist” way!
June 7th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
I don’t think she meant in a racist way but it was an unbelievably naive and stupid thing to say.
June 7th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
It was stupid, incredibly so, but I honestly don’t think Emnily is racist, she hasn’t displayed any racist tendencies so far. But to be fair to BB they couldn’t let this go after Shilpa’s treatment in january.
June 7th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
You can read the full transcript of the remarks here
http://www.unrealitytv.co.uk/big-brother/big-brother-8-the-full-transcript-of-emilys-racial-remarks/
June 7th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
This whole thing is dumb. While Shilpa was persistently harrassed, Emily said a word with strong racist connotations during an activity that was not racially charged. It is unfair to brand the encounter as discrimatory. It could have even been edited out since it did not contribute to an uncomfortable environment. How are we in diverse societies allowed to come together if we cannot tolerate negotiating these types of encounters. Is it not better to show Emily and Charley enjoying themselves and being understanding than blocking it?
June 8th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Though what Emily said was incredibly silly, I do not think she ment it in a racist or offensive way. I also think that she would not have been evicted if the whole Jade Goody fiasco hadn’t happened earlier this year. Effectively she is in a way paying for Jade’s mistakes. I do think she should have been punished, but maybe ejection from the house was too severe.