Big Brotherseason 27’s first evictee, Zae Friedrich, finally broke his silence about using a slur in thehouse with an apology that leaves a lot to be desired. Zae, who was evicted from theBig Brotherseason 27house by a vote of 9-5, spent his first days in the house hopeful to build a strong men’s alliance.
Throughout the week,Zae developed a rivalry withBig Brotherlegend Rachel Reilly, who returned to play the game for a third time. Zae’s interactions with Rachel were heated, but his time in more isolated momentsheard Zae using an ableist slurmore than once, which he was informed of after his eviction.
After his Big Brother 27 eviction, Zae addressed the slur he used on the live feeds.
When asked about his decision,Zae offered an apology.“Obviously, I apologize. It was not my intention to offend anybody,“he explained toParade. “I tried to correct myself as soon as I could and move on from it,“he continued. While Zae shared an apology for his behavior, he also didn’t seem to fully understand the gravity of casually using a slur in front of millions of viewers.
What Zae’s Apology Means For Big Brother 27
Zae Didn’t Offer Much Explanation
Although Zae did offer an understanding that using the slur was a poor choice in the moment,his apology doesn’t necessarily seem to grasp the gravity of what he did wrong. While Zae took accountability, he didn’t shed actual light on what happened or why it was wrong, instead apologizing to those who may feel offended by his difficult word choice.
Zae’s apology continues along history ofBig Brotherhouseguestsfailing to truly take accountability for their actions as they move through the show’s aftermath. While the first evictedBig Brotherhouseguest has surely had a tough few hours after his eviction,choosing not to fully own up to his actions and apologize thoroughly was a misstepthat Zae shouldn’t have made.
Moving into theBig Brother houseis an experience like no other, and the cameras typically pick up houseguests in their most vulnerable moments. TheBig Brotherhouse has a high stress level that pushes houseguests to the edge of their emotional capacity, but the reality is thatderogatory terms aren’t hard to avoid and should be genuinely apologized forif used.
Our Take On Big Brother 27 Evictee Zae’s Apology
Zae’s Apology Is On Par With Others, But It’s Not Enough
Zae’s apology, while doing what it was meant to, felt a bit lackluster. Offering his sincere apologies for being offensive, Zae’s behavior should’ve been disciplined in the house. While Zae may have been able to walk away from hisBig Brotherexperience with new opportunities from the game, his use of a slur shouldn’t have been something producers overlooked.
ThroughoutBig Brotherhistory, houseguests have faced consequences for their actions, albeit to different degrees.Zae facing zero accountability or consequences in the house for his use of the derogatory termwasn’t the right movefromBig Brother, even though they were using the same policy they have in the past. Moving forward,Big Brother’s policies should change to hold houseguests accountable.
Big Brotherairs Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (and Fridays every other week) at 8 p.m. EDT on CBS.
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Big Brotheris a reality game show that is based on a Dutch series of the same name. Each season, contestants, known as HouseGuests, live in the same house and compete for upwards of $500,000. Contestants are constantly monitored by cameras placed throughout the house and are voted out each week in an eviction
