Week Two and I Already Cancelled my CBS All Access Subscription
It’s really hard being Black and trying to stay invested in this Season enough to make content. Every time I flip on the Live Feeds to make a video I just see Jack’s smug face and how even after being warned (which is so unfair that he gets to learn about his perception and be cautioned on it - which can only help his game) he still carries on.
It’s strange because the fanbase at-large abhors him and his behavior, but his presence in the show still demoralizes me enough to the point that I had to get a friend to help me run Twitter/Tumblr/Reddit/Video Production because I just don’t want to be exposed to the chance of seeing another fucked up “joke”. I thought bringing someone in would make it more fun as we could do it together but it really only brings out my insecurities with not wanting to let a “business partner” down by taking time away from the Live Feeds and content creation. (I realize we have twelve subscribers on YouTube and it really is not that serious; and he doesn’t mind trying to wrangle things himself but these thoughts just come up sometimes.)
And I don’t fault anybody in the House for not saying something, sometimes I don’t even blame them for laughing along because..... Jack’s in power. It’s what they have to do to survive. It’s good social game to pretend like they agree and to not stand up to him, it’s not the real world they’re living in. We can see that when Christie says she would Backdoor Jack but it’s just such a big move to do in Week 1, and when Bella talks shit about him with Sam and Nick who wants to send him home but now this Camp Comeback Twist means they can’t because he’ll basically win against anyone and be that much more threatening towards them. They’re valuing playing the game over being true to themselves and that’s not at all problematic, if I were in that House I’d do the same damn thing and plot to take him out later like they’re doing. (Of course I doubt Jack would act such as he has with me in the room to find out first-hand.)
I know this is a bit of a ramble but it just sucks that I can’t engage with this Season at this specific point in the game because of the circumstances (Jack winning HOH so everyone is at his mercy, the structure of the game protecting him because publicly making enemies can destroy not only your chance to win but also your allys’ chances). I just wish that this “Summer fun” show I grew up loving and wanting to do in-depth gameplay analysis on wasn’t plagued with a person like this (and Jackson) who Kassting sees no problem with putting in the game. Her statement in response to the outcry against Jack and Jackson was to “not watch”, so she doesn’t even get it; she doesn’t even take in the message that no one wants to see this trash on TV, these people shouldn’t be provided a platform simply because they’re “controversial” and “against the grain” - you can find these qualities in people who aren’t bigots AND you’ll actually be able to air the fucking drama because it’s not going to crop up feelings of BB15.
Because Robyn Kass refuses to acknowledge this, we know the Casting Process itself isn’t changing any time soon, which scares me because what if I really get in the groove of where I want to be with my content and then suddenly I just.. can’t anymore? Every white person on RHAP is largely unaffected by any of this, (even though I genuinely believe they’re all sympathetic to PoC viewers being shafted Season after Season), but as an example they never wake up being afraid or hesitant to turn on the Live Feeds because something might happen that will hurt them to their core. That’s not a luxury I have, and it’s just so worrying because it’s my dream to be a voice in the community and really Speak Truth to Producers Power, but if I get the fun and joy sucked out of me because Kassting will always intentionally put a bigoted person in the House then how am I ever going to reach that dream?
