Big Brother Season 28 is currently underway, and already causing controversy. While some viewers have felt certain cast members have ostracized others, it is now the behavior of one BB28 houseguest outside of the game that has left many with a sour taste in their mouths. That houseguest is Kamu Kirk.
Kamu is a jacked MMA fighter with 12 wins and 7 losses to his name. At 32-years-old, he surely knows exactly how the world works. So, when I and other Big Brother fans found a video of Kamu seemingly mocking the death of George Floyd on social media, we were horrified. In a short 13-second clip, Kamu laughs while filming someone being arrested, who is shouting that they cannot breathe. Kamu then says, “Bro thinks he’s George Floyd.”
Doing a deeper dive into Kamu’s Instagram, it’s worse than anyone could imagine. He has liked a number of posts that could be deemed racist, homophobic, and bigoted in nature. Those actions are disappointing, to say the very least, and questions now need to be asked about CBS and their casting choices.
Big Brother has a longstanding history of platforming awful people, and it’s time that changed
Kamu isn’t the first controversial casting choice for Big Brother on CBS. There have been plenty of other houseguests who have been called out for their behavior both on and off the show. Still, the team responsible for casting bring people like Kamu into the game. And social media keyboard warrior MAGA conservatives will say that this is the reality of America. Sure is, and nobody’s stifling your freedom of speech on that. But freedom of speech should never mean freedom from consequence. Plus, there’s a big difference between being a conservative, and being a bigot.
Putting people like Kamu in the house with those from minority backgrounds feels like a sloppy move. Every houseguest should feel a level of comfort and safety with those they are forced to be around and play the game with. If everyone in the BB28 house knew of Kamu’s George Floyd video, and indeed his other social media activity, would they feel safe around him? I highly doubt it.
Personally, I think the self-proclaimed “wingman” of Jesus Christ should make better choices. Positioning yourself as one of God’s soldiers and marketing a huge chunk of your social media around your faith, while simultaneously mocking the murder of a Black man, isn’t something that really adds up. If you’re going to talk the talk of Christianity, Kamu, you should perhaps try to walk the walk, too. None of us are perfect, but that is no excuse.
And CBS? Remove this man from the game. Giving someone like Kamu the opportunity to win a huge amount of money is tasteless, at best. But beyond that, you owe the other houseguests still in the game a comfortable environment to compete in.
Reality Tea has reached out to CBS for comment. You can learn more about George Floyd here.
TELL US – SHOULD CBS BE STRICTER WITH THEIR CASTING CHOICES FOR BIG BROTHER AND OTHER REALITY SHOWS? OR SHOULD ALL TYPES OF PEOPLE BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE?
