I just wanted to know if there are any Big Brother fans out there, or if there's anyone who dislikes it. I personally like it, but I just wanna know...
For those who don't know, BB is a game show where 13 individuals stay in a house for 11 weeks and each week 1 person is evicted. The winner receives a large sum of money. It comes from that book, "Big Brother" written by that guy(don't know the name), because they are constantly being watched by the public.
I dont know if it airs in America, though, so sorry to those who can't watch it...
Sooooooooo, who watches BB?
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Big Brother, anyone?
No thanks.
Not even if you paid me to watch. I've had rants on this subject on multiple occasions - I'll have to see if I have any stored in Notepad format somewhere.
And the book was called 1984 - not Big Brother - and was written by George Orwell.
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And the book was called 1984 - not Big Brother
Yeah, whatever...
And why don't you like it?
Never watched it, nor have I wanted to. I'm more of a Survivor fan myself.
Like I said - I'm just looking around for one of my previous longer rants on the subject, since I'm a little pressed for time at the moment and I've had several, as most people here can vouch.
If I can't find one by tomorrow evening, I'll type a new one out. I spend too much time pressing people for reasons myself to deliberately leave people in the lurch.
I really didn't mean to come across as offensive. It's just that Big Brother is something that particularly irks me, and the English Language and Literature graduate in me gets hit right in a raw spot by seeing an internationally recognised English classic described as "Big Brother" by "that guy" - which may be a "whatever" to you, but'd probably get you laughed out of a self-respecting bookshop or library. :-/
But my semi-Marxist rants on how popular culture and mass marketing've been dumbing things down for years're a whole other ballgame. It just startled me a little to see someone recognise the pop culture derivative but have an apparently tenuous grasp of the source or the original message.
They used to study that book in secondary schools. I think it's probably too controversial these days. 🙁
Yeah, whatever...
See, this is why half of all North American adults are damn-near illiterate. All they have to say about one of the great novels of the twentieth century is "Yeah, whatever." Christ almighty.
They used to study that book in secondary schools. I think it's probably too controversial these days.
We still do it in Canada. Not too sure about the States though.
AJ's English. Although you can probably guess from my last post that I wholeheartedly echo your sentiments.
Since I was a precocious brat at thirteen (Orwell be darned - I was quoting Voltaire at twelve), I'm not going to comment on whether or not a lack of knowledge of Orwell's usual at that age - but since GCSE studies start at fourteen, it's hard to say anyway.
*peers around for AJ, feeling slightly sheepish that we're all probably coming across as so old and crochety*
Wooo... I don't get to watch re-runs of Scrubs for another 3/4 months and lose any chance of decent movies or prime-time viewing on Channel 4 for a while.
Wait a sec, what am I talking about?! Scrubs is on Sky One and Channel 4 have never put on anything I've wanted to watch.
I'm not a fan of BB, the idea of a human fish-bowl is interesting, however the way they go about it is just a ridiculous excercise of shooting for the main-stream, which these days is the lowest common denominator, who managed to make Crazy Frog number 1.
If I felt like watching some people in a fish-bowl, I'd buy The Sims, it's much more fun and if one of them annoy me, rather than voting off, I can make them starve/burn/drown to death.
They used to study that book in secondary schools. I think it's probably too controversial these days.
We still do it in Canada. Not too sure about the States though.
Well I know for a fact they still do in my school. I'm gonna read it next year, so yeah.
I agree though; too many people just shrug off some of the best written novels of... any time, really... not just twentieth century. X_o; It's a real shame.
~Shadowed Spirit Sage
Hmm, their a bit, i dunoo, set up this year...
It's an improvement on last year, but the originality's gone.
I also find it rather amusing that Doctor Who's parody of Big Brother, featuring Davina McCall beat the real thing...
Still, I'd rather Big Brother than the celebrity Trash ITV puts out.
It seems to be one of those things that people either love or hate. I very rarely find someone ambivalent about it.
I'm probably skirting the edge of the censor here (I'm basing my judgment on the content of films that I've heard passed as PG-13 in the US), but I found this quote on a LRP forum I frequent, and it rather struck me:
"Evil masterminds are more fun than random muggers" is a subjective statement as is anything about what constitutes "fun". There are people who think watching Big Brother is more fun than filling all your bodily orifices with molten lead whilst gouging your eyes out with your own frozen snapped off penis, but I say those people are insane.
"Ouch!" I thought.
Apparently Im a minority then...
If there's nothing else on, no books in the house and m REALLY REALLY bored i'll watch it, if there's somone else watching it ai'll sit with them but, to be honest, im just not interested.
Hence I thought that your ambivalence was worth mentioning. 🙂
If I want to watch reality, I'll look out of my window. As far as I'm concerned, BB has nothing to do with reality, and everything to do with locking up the most desperate bunch of fractious oddballs that C4 can find, in the hope that they'll either crack under the psychological torture (last series' brawl for instance - I felt sorry for that poor girl they evicted afrer keeping her in solitary confinement for two days; but obviously, having the thug who started it stay in the house would be more interesting...), do something deviant with each other, or hopefully both.
An awful lot of people I know refer to it as Big Bedlam for that reason.
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We still do it in Canada. Not too sure about the States though.
1984, no, but we probably should. Animal Farm, though, is pretty much mandatory.
Figures we get the Commie one.
Yeah, Animal Farm is also mandatory. As are The Stranger, Life of Pi, and others.
We still do it in Canada. Not too sure about the States though.
Yeah, my High School requires. I think it was Freshman year... Eh, I read the book about 3 times before then anyways. Absolutely unbelievably great masterpiece of literature. Definatly up there on my favorite books of all time.
And Big Brother, such as all other reality shows, is a falsity. They're actors. Even so, it still sucks ass. Incredibly predictable... Utter morons.... And taking up a time slot that could very well be used for more Fresh Prince.
Don't speak for the entire country Shadow Hog. It'll vary. I never had to read Animal Farm, but I did have to read 1984 in my public school due to teacher's choice. Right now, I think it's still the choice of the teacher which one is read in my old public school district.
Trust me, their not, not in the UK version anyway...
Channel 4 sets everything up and contrves things to try and drive them insane, but apart from the missions one or two of them are given "If you dont wind up every other member so they nominate you, then you will be nominated for the next eviction."
It's horribly contrived, but the housemates are NOT in on it...
It's quite sad seeing them mumble around actually.
With the kind of people that go on it, i like Dr Who's way to evict people better.
No, I dont watch it.
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See, this is why half of all North American adults are damn-near illiterate
#1: I'm British
#2: I'm thirteen
#3:You could offend many North American adults by saying that
Thank you.
Now anywayz, by reading the replies, I get the feeling the majority(sp?)of the boards DO NOT watch BB.
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*peers around for AJ, feeling slightly sheepish that we're all probably coming across as so old and crochety*
Nah, you're not. I'll understand when I'm older.
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Still, I'd rather Big Brother than the celebrity Trash ITV puts out.
AMEN to that! Celebrity Wrestling is utter nonsense
I find it mildly ironic, and highly worrying, that the majority of a board would consist of intellegant, or at least psuedo-intellegent in some (my) cases;
I mean, since when was a gaming mascot aimed at 8 year olds synoymous with Orwell reading 20-somethings who don't get dragged into everything that is designed to pull in a gullible audience via cheap excercises of feeding to the mainstream, especially noting the fact that Sonic himself is a constant excercise of this, with Sonic being the embodiment of the 90's "eat my shorts" cool attitude, which Turtles, Bart Simpson and other such icons were born of, Knuckles being the proverbial hard-nut of 4 years later and of course Shadow.
Infact, after stopping to think about it, I'm wondering how the heck we manage to NOT suffocate on the irony, half the time 
Actually, that kind of struck me as weird too. I had no idea that a post about a silly tv show would open up a debate for well-written adults.
But then again, I guess Sonic is something loads of people like.
especially noting the fact that Sonic himself is a constant excercise of this, with Sonic being the embodiment of the 90's "eat my shorts" cool attitude, which Turtles, Bart Simpson and other such icons were born of,
Yes, but Bart Simpson was semi-designed to extract the Michael out of it.
And who're you calling a Sonic fan?
I'm a Tails fan - in terms of attitude, there's a big difference. 😉
*read through the pages*
Hmmmm... Funny how the topic changes and spawns mini-topics within them....
Anyway, being honest, everyone already knows that the people who watch it are waiting for either the sex or nudity... That's the only reason why I could think of watching it... (BUT I DON'T, IT'S JUST TV TRASH!) But as Have I Got News For You suggested, if ITV (meh, channel 4 can rot for all I care) put on the TV show;
MONKEYS DRIVING BUSSES
I'd be watching THAT reality TV show!
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I'm a Tails fan
I kind of guessed that due to your picture/s
I'm not a Sonic fan either; Knuckles is my guy
Who wants Sonic when you can write smutfics about Shadow?
Heh... anyway, it is kinda weird. Maybe Sonic is also now cool to enjoy when you're 20 now.
You know, if it was me who;d dragged this topic so far off topic, I'd get a right getting at from Craig or someone else. But what the hey...
I had a feeling this post was missing something...
Honestly, Harley, I was expecting you here a long time ago
*kicks Abi*
And back to Big Brother!!!
Why do they only choose attractive single people in their mid twenties for Big Brother? You can't tell me you haven't noticed it too.
*rubs leg*
(why do you people always hurt me? Look on the Pink Floyd post if you don't understand)
Maybe because...well...some younger adults can also be as niave as teenagers sometimes, but older adults COULD be a bit boring coz they'd be able to get along with eachother and try to solve solutions to problems and stuff.
I'm not sure about the 'attractive' part, though. I don't really look at that. But the single bit? Come ON we all know why they do THAT...
(no more kicks, plz, that one hurt
)
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Why do they only choose attractive single people in their mid twenties for Big Brother? You can't tell me you haven't noticed it too.
*points at my earlier comment*
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Anyway, being honest, everyone already knows that the people who watch it are waiting for either the sex or nudity...
Good looking people, quite young, having it off. It makes sense when you add it all up.....
You could offend many North American adults by saying that
Yes. Yes I could.
You know, if it was me who;d dragged this topic so far off topic, I'd get a right getting at from Craig or someone else. But what the hey...
Harley, this is nothing personal and I honestly don't like being blunt, but: drop the pity party, please.
All that saying stuff like that does is make you look silly.
And besides, I don't see how starting a debate on Big Brother and discussing 1984 and reality TV within it count as "off topic".
Cyc: give it a rest. You made your point.
And there was a guy in his sixties on BB a couple of series ago, but they go for what they think the target demographic weant to see.
And a twenty-two year old size ten (that's size eight if you're in the US) blonde bimbette getting blind drunk off her head and cartwheeling naked around the garden makes better footage than someone's granny doing likewise.
I dunno, cartwheeling grannies would be pretty interesting...
Naked cartwheeling grannies, SH. No, that wouldn't be interesting. >____<
Well, A) it'd be censored (TV channels have no trouble showing violence, but the instance a nipple gets shown it's all OMG CENSOR IT) and B) even if it's nasty, it's still interesting.
Not here in the UK, it isn't. Not after 9pm, anyway.
I was under the impression Europe was, in general, more open about nudity than the US was.
And I could still be wrong, too.
Like I just said: we're fairly open.
But don't forget that we're not in Europe in the literal sense, and we're still the only country in the EU where pornography's illegal.
Which you wouldn't know, looking at some of BB.
Not here in the UK, it isn't. Not after 9pm, anyway.
You mean that still exists.
I sometimes wonder nowadays <<
Allegedly, the watershed's still in effect. Not that you'd notice.
Yeah, what you said.
What you said all the way...
Though I do laugh sometimes when programs time it just right so that anything remotely 'bad' is played to run just as 9pm hits.
Goldeneye is one of those which I believe is run for that time frame.
either that or its an extreme coincidence.
I still can't believe that My Dad's the Prime Minister managed to get away with male full frontal nudity at about 8.59pm.
It must have been the writers deliberately challenging the censors - you can't fluke that.
I can't believe My Dad's the Prime Minister managed to get shown at all. If you ask me, it was about as funny as a lump of concrete.
On topic, I've never been interested in Big Brother. To be honest, I thought that the producers were being ironic when they first started advertising it when the first series started. If it were some kind of Truman Show type fiction, then it'd be vaguely interesting - I can't see the fascination of normal people being, you know, normal people. Then again, I suppose you can always count on people's morbid voyeuristic curiosities to get some cheap ratings.
Id never watched it, so well, I cant comment....
Why do they only choose attractive single people in their mid twenties for Big Brother?
Because I, for one, would much rather watch a bunch of hot chicks then a bunch of ugly middle-aged average people.
And you can put that on a shirt!
Big Brother is okay, but I think other reality shows like survivor and the amazing race would hook you better.
How long has it been since drew won bb5? lol and BB6 Will PREMEIRE July 7. To me, Survivor and the amazing race seem more interesting, but big brother's still an okay show.
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I still can't believe that My Dad's the Prime Minister managed to get away with male full frontal nudity at about 8.59pm.
Well, naked men are never looked at as frontal nudity, they put it to the censor level of (slightly less than) breats for some reason...
Although Lady Chatterley's Lover pushed the boundaries of what can be shown on the dot of nine back about ten years ago, full frontal nudity - without so much as a couple of tactfully placed daises, as Sean Bean had - is still a no-no at 8.59pm.
I'm sure they'd let the full frontal nudity in the evening be shown on PBS...
*wishes I could find that cartoon of PBS and Barney*
