The Big Brother row
I never thought I'd say this but Big Brother has actually made a serious point about the way we live now in Britain.
The row about racism that has exploded this week into a major diplomatic incident should remind us of the social responsibility we all have to respect other people and use language that is not disrespectful to others - no matter what their race, colour, creed or faith.
I've never been very impressed by the housemates in the Big Brother house over the last several years. The current bunch seem a rather sad lot of losers and the way the have behaved to an Indian housemate, Shilpa Shetty, just confirms that view.
Posted in Television & Radio on 18 January 2007 by David Ruffley
Comments
I thought Cameron's suggestion for outraged Big Brother viewers was a good one - just switch it off!
Posted 19 January 2007 by Andrew Papworth
It is easy to write this off as trash (and 99% of reality TV is) but for once I think this has actually raised important issues facing the UK. We have moved on from blatent and open racism of the past but still many - possibly the majority? - in this society are prejudice even if only at the unconscious level and I think this needs to be debated openly.
Posted 21 January 2007 by Chris Mower
I choose not to watch any 'reality' shows such as Big Brother because I expect no entertainment or pleasure from listening to the type of people who would choose to take part in such a show. I have heard enough of Jade Goody on the news to feel justified in my choice. The problem is the national voice given to such people. If she were in my work arena, or my local pub and made such comments she would be challenged and made to feel how out of step she was. She would NOT be paid large amounts of money and given even more news time to stumble her way through her limited vocabulary towards self-justification and insincere apologies. Channel 4 is not to blame. We are. The collective we. 'We' watch this rubbish and the more we (actually 'you'!) watch it, the more money the channels will get from the advertisers and so the more shows of this type will get commissioned. So, we should challenge ourself. How many documentaries or nature programmes do we REALLY watch and how many 'reality' shows? And telling ourself we watch it because 'it is fascinating from an intellectual, anthropological point of view' won't cut it either! Don't try that one! I'm sure that's what 'nice, smart' people used to say when they paid to see traveling circus 'freaks'. It is voyerism, we shouldn't dress it up as intellectual curiority! If we watch these shows this is our fault. If we don't like hearing the idiotic pronouncements made by these people we should stop watching. The shows will then make no money, and no more such shows will be made. These people will then fall back into obscurity and when they then make their unpleasant remarks in a bar or an office they can be challenged. (Oh dear, has this turned into a rant?!)
Posted 23 January 2007 by Jax Devonshire
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