Critical response Paul Abrahamian received criticism for their controversial mimicking of another HouseGuest. In Week 3, they targeted Dominique Cooper for eviction and decided to apply black facial cosmetics and clothing that resembled the skin of a snake, in regards to a metaphor that she had used in an effort to expose their strategy to other HouseGuests. Given that Cooper is
African American, Abrahamian's actions were deemed
racist when they referred to the cosmetics as "
blackface." Viewers also debated on Abrahamian's alleged
bullying tactics in which they encouraged other HouseGuests to antagonize "outcasts" in the House, especially
showmance allies Jessica Graf and Cody Nickson. Some notable incidents include Christmas Abbott propagating aspersions on Nickson's military service, and Alex Ow and Raven Walton engaging in verbal arguments with Graf. Likewise, a physical confrontation nearly transpired between
Josh Martinez and Mark Jansen (who defended Nickson), as Martinez was agitating Jansen by banging pots and pans in his face. Another fistfight almost ensued between Abrahamian and Nickson after Abrahamian silenced Graf in front of Nickson in the HoH Room. Abrahamian, who was HoH at that time, bypassed the confrontation instead by sending Nickson out of the room while screaming condescensions at him. Some fans also perceived Megan Lowder's voluntary exit on Day 8 as a result of bullying. During a backyard conversation, Lowder believed that she overheard Graf refer to Ow as a
panda, which Lowder considered to be racist due to its Asian connotation. However, Graf actually said "Pao Pao", which alluded to the nickname of
Big Brother 16 HouseGuest Paola Shea, of whom Ow reminded Graf due to them both being
Asian Americans. After being informed of the comment by Lowder, Ow clarified the issue with Graf, but they both later assumed that Lowder had fabricated the comment for game-related purposes, prompting them to confront her. Lowder felt overwhelmed by the confrontation and retreated to the Diary Room where she brought up her history of
posttraumatic stress disorder with the show's producers. Concerned of her mental health, Lowder decided that it would be best for her to withdraw from the game. Viewers called for Jason Dent's expulsion from the House after he was caught on the live feeds making rape and assault jokes in front of other HouseGuests. In one instance, Dent commented on having sex with Kevin Schlehuber's wife, Deborah, while all their daughters would be tied up and forced to watch the act. In an interview with
TMZ, Deborah said that Dent's comments were disturbing and "the worst thing she's ever seen." On
Twitter, Dent's family apologized for the comments but stated that they were taken out of context, which Deborah doubted as she believed her husband would never joke as such about anyone in any situation. Dent also made similar jokes earlier in the competition, such as suggesting to restrain contestant Raven Walton and have male HouseGuests "take turns" on her, and once telling cops about sexually assaulting women at a nursing home. Jason Dent and Cody Nickson sparked backlash after footage of remarks regarded as
transphobic was depicted on the live feeds. During a conversation in the hot tub, Graf informed Dent and Nickson about Audrey Middleton of
Big Brother 17 as the first
transgender contestant in the show's history. Nickson proceeded to mock the
gender identity of Middleton, for whom Dent was also confused about the appropriate
pronoun. Middleton addressed the controversy through a Twitter post, urging people not to vilify both male HouseGuests but rather, educate them on the value of
emotional intelligence. Nickson was also criticized for using the derogatory term "
tranny" several times earlier in the game. The extent of Raven Walton's lies in the House became a heavily contested debate among fans throughout the season. She often spoke about suffering from
gastroparesis (GP), on which she made several inaccurate or false statements, including its hereditary nature, sterility effect, and terminal prognosis. Walton also claimed that she and her mother were members of
Mensa but their names were disproven to be found in the organization's current directory. In one episode of the show, Ow shared with Martinez how the rampant "touching" in the House, particularly her experience with Graf, made her uncomfortable because it was reminiscent of her cousin who had been raped and murdered.
Viewing figures • : Episode 22 was delayed to 8:18 PM
ET (7:18 PM
CT) due to the
PGA Tour golf event running long. == References ==