Two big brother posts in one here.
Last night, while the wife was out, I watched 1984 (the movie, not the year). Much like the book, the movie is brilliant. John Hurt is perfectly cast as Winston Smith, the poor unfortunate who dreams of a better future without The Party and Big Brother.
For those of you who haven’t read the book or seen the film, I’m not going to spoil it for you (well, not too much). But I am going to tell you about Room 101.
Now some of you may only know Room 101 as the series on BBC Two in which celebrities consign those things that they hate to Room 101.
But Room 101, as George Orwell tells it in 1984, is where the thing which you fear the most is kept. It might be spiders, it might be needles, it might be rats; whatever it is you’ll find it in Room 101.
And with that in mind, on to the other Big Brother.
I’m avoiding Big Brother (the Channel 4 series, for those of you lucky enough not to know) as it is one of the worst television series ever to be aired. It represents everything that is wrong with society (and with television) and the less we see of it, the happier we’ll all be.
So if people must be on Big Brother and if the show must produce another batch of z-list celebrities then I suggest that they do it right.
Introduce Room 101 into Big Brother.
Every week give the outgoing housemate a chance to win their minor celebrity status (and some money, because that’s what it’s all about – money and fame) by making them face their worse nightmare. If they’re shallow enough to want all the material stuff that BB brings then put them through hell.
Stick them on a rack, dangle them from extreme heights, put the cage of rats on their head. If they want the money and fame that much then they should suffer for it.
Too extreme? Maybe.
I know I’m having an extremely right-wing moment here but that’s just the way I feel about it. Big Brother offers very little in the way of entertainment value and shouldn’t be encouraged.
Do yourself a favour. Switch off the tv and read a book.
BigAl
Nah, it’s not too extreme to do that – after all, they don’t have to enter the house – and if they’re that bothered about having more money than the whole of Somalia, then as far as I’m concerned, anything goes (as long as they come out the other side).
Nothing right wing about that. Right wing views are characterised by /unfair/ treatment and cruel & unusual punishment.
I think the extension of the Orwellian reference in this context can only be A Good Thing.
Reality TV in general is basically an untrue concept. If the plebs who choose to humiliate themselves on TV were not aware they were being filmed then maybe it would make an interesting experiment (Stanford Prison Experiment anyone??!?!?). But these shameless wannabe camera whores invent some 2 bit acting skills to attempt to shock, suprise, impress their way on to some ‘F’ class celeb list. I don’t remeber anyone from that show going on to do anything of any noticable significance.
Society is as much to blame, we encourage this sort of shit, we tune in to watch this moronic form of entertainment, are our lives so dull and miserable that we need to revel in the misfortune of others to get some sort of kick out of life??!?!?!!? NO THANKS
Why not have a house hold where we put different races, cultures and religions and see if we can get them to work out there differences, thus making the world a better place for everyone, but of course who wants to watch something like that when you can watch some daft bimbo take a shower, talk to a bunch of strangers about her sexual experience, or watch to grown men act like children and argue over something stupid?!?!?!!?
Big Brother is watching you….. watching you degrade human existence to 10 minutes of minor fame for the entertainment for people equally as sad. He is watching and laughing his ass off.
Rant over
G.I
Incredible.
I know you don’t actually watch the show but Davina announced last night – all be it cryptically – about Room 101 and about “hell for the housemate”.
Just thought I’d let you know you clever bunny you…