Perhaps no name in Big Brother history will send chills down a producer's spine quicker than that of Aaryn Gries. Aaryn, now 29, competed on Big Brother 15 back in 2013 at the age of 22. She lasted 70 days in the house, finishing in eighth place. However, it is not her performance as a player that has come to define Aaryn's Big Brother legacy. Rather, Aaryn is remembered for a series of racist and homophobic remarks, particularly those directed at fellow houseguests Candice Stewart, Helen Kim, and Andy Herren. While Aaryn was not the only controversial figure on Big Brother 15 (Ginamarie Zimmerman and Spencer Clawson made similarly offensive comments), she is a large part of the reason why CBS would rather forget her season altogether.
Aaryn entered the Big Brother house as a college student and model. However, her modeling agency, Zephyr Talent, dropped her after she made such disparaging remarks inside the BB house. As Aaryn competed inside the house, distaste for her outside of the house continued to fester. At one point, fans even put together a petition to have Aaryn expelled from the game. It received over 27,000 signatures. Seven years later, Aaryn is married with three children.
In some ways, it is a shame that Aaryn had to tarnish her legacy with such vile behavior. Particularly considering the weak gameplay of Big Brother 15, Aaryn was one of the season's best competitors. According to her BB Wiki page, Aaryn won more competitions than any other female on her season with a total of five. In fact, she is one of only four women ever to win 4 HOH competitions in a single season, tying with Janelle Pierzina, Rachel Reilly, and Vanessa Ruosso. Of course, Aaryn's success pales in comparison to the derogatory comments that will continue to define her time on Big Brother. Julie Chen has even referred to Aaryn as her least favorite houseguest of all time, harsh criticism considering Julie's admiration for so many others.
Aaryn was not the first controversial houseguest to play Big Brother, and she certainly was not the last. With that being said, she, unlike any player before her, truly opened both players' and viewers' eyes to the importance of demonstrating respect and inclusivity in the Big Brother house. After all, no other show on television allows its contestants to be seen 24/7 by the outside world. Aaryn revealed an ugly side to this dynamic, one that has continued to haunt Big Brother in recent years as it struggles to promote diversity or cut down on more subtle yet equally as harmful forms of racism and homophobia.
All things considered, Aaryn was an accomplished Big Brother player. But the game of Big Brother cannot be divorced from the social experiment at its core. Aaryn failed wholeheartedly at the social component of the game and suffered the consequences as a result.
Source: BB Wiki
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