Pete! Richard! Where are you?!?

[the_vulture]

Ya know, I have to admit that I rather miss watching Big Brother. There's been a lot of debate about what effect spending week after week cooped up in a house together would have on the housemates, and, indeed, they were even provided with a staff psychologist to assist them as need be.

But what about the effect on the viewer? We spend thirteen weeks really coming to know the people within, actually coming to care about them, and then it's over; we're cut off from the lives we were coming to know well. It's more than the end of a favourite TV series; it's almost like losing a friend.

At first, I was rather scornful of those who watched Big Brother, but, as I watched it along with die hard fan, imapunkin, I came to be fascinated by the personalities and interactions I was witnessing. I'm not sure why that is; it's not like I lead a dull life and, as such, require to live interesting ones vicariously through TV characters.

Is it perhaps because of the comedy? I have to admit, many of the housemates are very amusing to watch. But I think there is more to it than that. There's also something about the conflict involved and the drama that arises from that. It may not be the melodrama of a soap, but it's somehow more compelling, perhaps because of the perceived ingeniousness of it. So what if the housemates are placed in an artificial situation? They are still real people who are laughing and crying for real reasons, and that makes Big Brother more riveting than many program out there.

What's your thoughts on Big Brother and other "reality" TV shows?

Comments

[1grl-revolution.livejournal.com]

I'm a bit of a hypocrite- I think that reality shows are TRASHY, TRASHY, TRASHY. However, they're like a train wreak and I just can't turn away...

The only one I watch is Survivor. I was never into Big Brother- it's like a horrible copycat version of The Real Life (or whatever it's called) from MTV.

[the-vulture.livejournal.com]

Kinda like junk food, innit?