Explainers

Big Brother: What is gaslighting? Jackson Michie angers fans

Jackson Michie As HOH
Jackson Michie speaking inside the Big Brother 21 house. Pic credit: CBS/YouTube

Gaslighting involving Big Brother 21 was a hot topic of conversation this week. During the latest episode of the show, many fans felt that Jackson Michie, who is a member of the BB21 cast, was gaslighting Holly Allen.

What is gaslighting?

The term gaslighting boils down to a few key components. It centers on one person trying to manipulate another person through psychological means. It can be seen as a really cruel way to argue with a significant other.

The summer 2019 season featured a lot of showmances, and the Big Brother 21 cast is certainly not the first one to have the term gaslighting used against them.

And let’s be clear, not every houseguest does it, nor does every member of a BB showmance partake in it.

Was Jackson Michie gaslighting Holly Allen on Big Brother 21?

The first stage of gaslighting someone is for the person doing it to put doubt in the other person’s mind. This example starts with Jackson giving Holly the silent treatment or acting mean to her without giving a specific reason why he was doing it.

From there, the person doing the gaslighting continues to instill doubt in the other person. This tactic includes, but is not limited to making them question their memory of events, how they perceived a situation, or how they are dealing with something emotionally.

One example from the footage shown during Episode 31 could be when Holly called Jackson a name due to his behavior. When Jackson re-told his version of the story, he claimed Holly did it three or four times (she didn’t).

He did it again by saying he was “done with her” during their fight. Or when he said “when have I ever dismissed you” soon after that.

There are always two sides to disagreements and fights like this one in the Big Brother house, where both sides look bad because everything is televised for the world to see.

It’s also not the first time that Jackson Michie has been in hot water with Big Brother 21 fans. Will it be the last?

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