Big Brother: A bad thing

[Agent Sparrow]

It's not about class or 'rotting your brain.' Hell there are enough crappy DIY and 'Let's Move To...' programmes that plumb far greater depths of repetitiveness and inanity. In many ways BB's more of an illuminating pyschological insight than 98% of the other things on the box.

I suspect BB are doing more and more careful profiling at the moment - to pick those who are just sane enough to pass the tests but who could still crack up, to pick those who will faction or clash, to create as much drama as possible. And if that isn't enough ,they up the ante themselves.

That is the aspect I do feel uncomfortable about. Yet it's also blatently what's dragging me in.

I feel dirty...

 

[Spion]

Someone on the other thread compared it to public executions from the old days, saying that we haven't changed that much and still want our bloodlust.

Reading these threads it has quite staggered me how people so quickly appear to demonstrate the traits of a baying mob.

 

[tommers]

Reading these threads it has quite staggered me how people so quickly appear to demonstrate the traits of a baying mob.

as davina says "it's only panto!"

 

[Agent Sparrow]

Reading these threads it has quite staggered me how people so quickly appear to demonstrate the traits of a baying mob.

I'm sure that there are people who are reading that thread and finding it psychologically interesting how people react to watching and discussing people reacting to being placed in a house together.

Seriously, I actually think that a lot of people have been pretty fair minded about most things on that thread. Yes there has been a mutual disgust at George and Pete, but frankly it's not like they're being unfairly picked on. They have dug their own graves.

 

[silentNate]

I agree with the OP's points, BUT this BB has been so dark and compelling - from an anthropological viewpoint ( ) - I really can't help but watch it... It's like crack!

Yeah- this ones just as good as the 'evil BB' where they had a rich/poor side...

People have remote controls and can switch off at any time- or watch something-else FFS
I've managed to avoid cobblers like Strictly Ice Dancing and Celebrity Wrestling Karoake, I don't mind BB- at least it doesn't inflict that much shite on the poor maligned pop charts

 

[Greebozz]

I am a long time BB addict, but have found this one has gone a bit, car crash TV. There are part of all our human nature, which are pretty ugly. And I felt demeaned watching Pete berate Traci, and Michael making Dennis lose face about the cigarettes. And then there is BB brother humiliating people by forcing them to lie, I found that rather nasty. unlike the dancing around in spandex with I found hilarious.

 

[tangerinedream]

People have remote controls and can switch off at any time- or watch something-else FFS

I do. I havn't watched a single moment of it since the third series (i think) and then I only watched it due to the addiction of my housemate.

I freely admit I found it compelling when I did watch it and was tempted by the appearence of Galloway to watch this time, but the doubts in my original post really and honestly stopped me from watching it.

I'd be interested in why some posters have said - 'you can't blame reality TV for how shit TV is' - It is my view that their has been a huge rise in the amount of reality TV which has no substance to it. BB is as s'nate says, better than most, but the prevalance of such shows, combined with games shows such as 'That one with Vernon Kay and some people' (Girls and Boys?) and 'Jimmy Carr is Nasty' (???) as well as stuff like certain Derrin Brown type ideas + DIY/home help/insomnia doctors type shows all seem to combine to give me the impression that a vast ammount of TV is

a) very cheap
b) of little or no artistic merit - pretentious statement, but I stand by it.
c) seems to work on the basis that 'normal people' can be on telly.
d) or celebraties doing 'normal' things

Now, I accept I could simply choose to only watch Film 4 and the National Geographic channel, but it does worry me that Terestrial TV offers very little thought provoking content, very little analysis of society and the world, very little that explores the skill of screenwriting and the art of television, very little exploration of itself that could inspire, confront or provoke analysis and thought.

There is some stuff, but not much.

 

[Reno]

I put this in the CBB thread by mistake when really I meant to post this here:

I find it depressing how reality television permeates popular culture in the UK to a degree where despite the fact that I have never watched more than 5 minutes of any permutation of BB or its ilk, I more or less know what's going on with every single participant, because from quality papers to the news the culture is saturated with BB and similar crap.

The British are always quick to point the finger at the US for dumbing down global culture, but when I lived in California I was never exposed to this kind of rubbish, in fact I was hardly aware of reality television all, despite it being successful over there as well. Most of my American friends didn't watch much television and hardly anybody I with half a brain ever talked about it. There also is much less of a tabloid culture in the US which would run a headline every time a celebrity farts.

People here may fool themselves that they enjoy BB or The X Factor or Now Magazine with an ironic distance, but they have well and truly been taken in. IQ's in this country are dropping by the minute.

 

[Masseuse]

It's still quite boring in this thread reno.

 

[tangerinedream]

I put this in the CBB thread by mistake when really I meant to post this here:

I find it depressing how reality television permeates popular culture in the UK to a degree where despite the fact that I have never watched more than 5 minutes of any permutation of BB or its ilk, I more or less know what's going on with every single participant, because from quality papers to the news the culture is saturated with BB and similar crap.

The British are always quick to point the finger at the US for dumbing down global culture, but when I lived in California I was never exposed to this kind of rubbish, in fact I was hardly aware of reality television all, despite it being successful over there as well. Most of my American friends didn't watch much television and hardly anybody I with half a brain ever talked about it. There also is much less of a tabloid culture in the US which would run a headline every time a celebrity farts.

People here may fool themselves that they enjoy BB or The X Factor or Now Magazine with an ironic distance, but they have well and truly been taken in. IQ's in this country are dropping by the minute.

I don't think watching big brother or X factor or whatever will have any effect on you at all, however I do agree that the depth to which you can immerse yourself in the media frenzy is frightening and worrying, if not worrying, then depressing

I also had a thought, for the poster who said 'it's just a bit of fun, pantomime'

Would you really want to watch a pantomime more than once a year?

 

[FridgeMagnet]

#9 is the best reason.

Hungover people sitting about smoking fags and talking ill-informed shite, it's like being a student again.

 

[tangerinedream]

Hungover people sitting about smoking fags and talking ill-informed shite

Is that urban, or BB?

*boom-tish*

 

[milesy]

People here may fool themselves that they enjoy BB with an ironic distance, but they have well and truly been taken in. IQ's in this country are dropping by the minute.

no irony from me. i enjoy watching it. i enjoy seeing how people will get on in there, how they will work together, how they will argue or form friendships. no irony involved at all.

 

[MysteryGuest]

I liked that Eddie Gumshoe I did.


A couple of weeks ago, I caught one of the episodes on cable tv.


It was thoroughly enjoyable, if a little dated.

 

[Wolfie]

Shoestring?

 

[MysteryGuest]

Oh yeah.


I always thought it was Gumshoe as well - even at the time it was originally on I kept getting it wrong.

 

[Jonathan B]

... but most people in the industry agree that most reality telly has had its day, and are looking at new programme ideas ....

new ideas like "Celebs twatting about on Ice skates" you mean?

 

[Bomber]

I voted 'it's a bit wrong' I just don't understand why so many people watch it and how they can get so excited at seeing nasty people be even nastier to each other in the name of entertainment?
It's a pile of poo

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Where's the poll option that says "who gives and damn? It's just a TV show" ?

 

[tangerinedream]

Where's the poll option that says "who gives and damn? It's just a TV show" ?

millions do. If you were eating Soylent Green you would be going mmmmmmm soylant Green, it's only food and I would be Charlton Heston going noooooooooooooooooooo! IT'S PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mrs Miggins]

That's a top movie

 

[tangerinedream]

That's a top movie

sure is

 

[miss giggles]

Big Brother is an awful phenomenon. Even the celebrity version. But in my opinion inviting celebrities to make arses of themselves is not as bad as humiliating members of the public for our entertainment.

I agree. I don't tend to watch the normal show but cbb is fascinating. Watching desperate celebs humiliate themselves, and tear into each other is great tv.

I think they should only do the celeb version now. It seems the lower down the celeb ladder they go, the more fucked up and entertaining it is.

If nothing else, it's a wonderful illustration of how messed up and deluded people who seek celeb status are. They're a great example of how not to be.