Big Brother Anyone

sarahcyn

Doodledog

What did you make of Uncle Gary’s comments about the RF, Sarahcyn?

You'll have to enlighten me...I'm not watching tbh!

Oh, I assumed you must have seen it to have a strong opinion.

He said how lovely they all were. I'm not a royalist, so am not really bothered either way, but there was no question of his making the P of W's life more difficult or affecting her recovery from surgery.

Dr W, my comment about 'the cool people' was, of course a joke. Most people with a sense of humour will have realised that, I'm sure. We all have different outlooks of course, but IMO anyone who makes judgements based on tiny snippets of anything and decides it is 'unmitigated tripe' is more in need of psychiatric help than people who put the telly on in the evening for a bit of light entertainment. Thanks for the media studies lesson, but I'm sure that all the fans on this thread are well aware of how reality TV works, without needing a tenuous link with someone whose hairdresser's cousin knows someone who helps with the catering or something. We enjoy it because of the complex links between the audience, the contestants and the media. It is Brechtian at times, and Eagletonion at others, and allows, as has been pointed out on this thread, for vicarious discussion of human psychology. That, as well as the fact that it makes good TV, and we have fun (remember that?) discussing it.

Anyway. I am out tonight, so won't be here for the live show, but will catch it when I get back. I'm off to a poetry reading, should anyone still be concerned about my intellectual development. I shall catch up as soon as possible though. Enjoy, everyone.

I don’t think you can dictate who posts what on the thread rafichagran. We are a broad church here and everyone is entitled to give their opinion. Your thread doesn’t say ‘fans only’. Some people will like BB, others would rather stick pins in their eyes than watch it. I’m sure you understand that you can’t restrict a thread to those who share your tastes.

Yes, I will be watching regularly, because I like BB. It’s an easy watch….. strangely, I also like a ‘tough’. watch. Just finished ‘The Push’ - tragic 🥲

No, that's very true, GSM, but I'd really like to know what the motivation is for people to be so deeply unpleasant as to say viewers of a popular show need psychiatric help. It's so clearly OTT and venomous that it's fascinating.

The role of the BBC, and by extension other channels is to educate, inform and entertain. People get entertainment in various ways, and many people who spend the day reading professional papers, or working in various ways simply want to enjoy the entertainment part of that role in the evenings.

If anyone prefers to challenge their intellect at all times, there is a whole section on Audience Theory in most academic libraries. Maybe they could read up a bit on that before making inane comments about 'unmitigated tripe' and openly mocking others? that would at least add to the thread in a useful manner.

Someone posting to ask why people enjoy it would no doubt get a polite answer explaining what fans get out of it all. that could make an interesting discussion, as people will have different answers, I'm sure. But when we are told that it is rubbish, that people would rather watch paint dry and similar, the chances of real discussion with non-fans are greatly reduced, aren't they?

Many don't like BB. Many others do. It's not political, and those who enjoy it have no impact on those who don't. So why spoil it?

crazyH

Yes, I will be watching regularly, because I like BB. It’s an easy watch….. strangely, I also like a ‘tough’. watch. Just finished ‘The Push’ - tragic 🥲

I saw that too, crazyH. It was so sad to see Fawzhia's mother's reaction. It really brought home the way in which it's not just the victims who suffer from crime. In some ways that was another sort of reality TV, too, but with a very different focus.

I guess, Doodledog, some of us simply can’t identify the person who watches this kind of programme (and soaps such as Corrie) with the one who makes intelligent comments and cogent arguments on GN. To be blasphemous, it ‘passeth all understanding’.

I agree GSM people are free to post,but why be unpleasant and say people need phyciatic help or they could read books no need for that and it is rude.
People have posted its not for them and the second post just said no thankyou, I replied fair enough.
People like different things, fair enough in your post you said you cannot understand people watching it that's OK but another post has been deeply unpleasant.

I think it’s the sort of programme that makes some people incapable of understanding the appeal to intelligent people. I am one of those people who could understand its appeal to a Daily Star reader, but not someone who posts intelligent comments on GN. A total mystery.

Germanshepherdsmum

I think it’s the sort of programme that makes some people incapable of understanding the appeal to intelligent people. I am one of those people who could understand its appeal to a Daily Star reader, but not someone who posts intelligent comments on GN. A total mystery.

I dip in and out of it purely because I like watching people (on the beach, over a leisurely coffee, lunch, anywhere really)

I find the dynamics in groups fascinating, the posturing to be top dog, there is always one bitching, one playing the victim etc.

It is light relief from some of the political shenanigans along with the dreadful events happening around the world that I and most others have no control over.

But people are a mix of things. If you are suggesting (and forgive me if I am being presumptuous ) that I am someone who makes the odd cogent argument on GN, yet enjoy TV as relaxation, then to me the answer is easy. I still work, albeit not as many hours as I used to, and my work is fairly intellectually demanding. I do watch so-called 'intelligent' TV (I think - I'd need a definition to be sure) but sometimes I just want to switch my head off, and watch.

I do think that there is more to watching soap and reality TV than is often credited though. I alluded to some of it in my previous post, but there is a complex relationship between the audience and the programmes, particularly when the actors have media lives of their own, too. Soaps are (or used to be) multi-layered, with several storylines going on at once, and if, say, we know that an actress is pregnant, or an actor is in panto, we second guess how that will be dealt with in the plots. We also know, if we are long-standing viewers, as much about the backstories of the characters as many people do about their friends and family. Who has had an affair with whom, who is the real father of someone's baby, what happened to the money that went missing and so on. That is also factored in to an understanding of what's happening.

The discussions of plots in soap and happenings on reality TV (I only watch BB, and even then, mostly the celebrity ones, but I assume the others afford the same opportunities) are part of the pleasure. Viewers can discuss 'real' people with no harm being done, and bind with others over their opinions on human behaviour. It's much less harmful than actual gossip or online nastiness, which can hurt others, and allows people to gauge their own reactions and opinions in terms of what others think.

Anyway, Mr D is twiddling his car keys, so I am definitely off now. Have a good evening everyone, in whatever form it takes.

Germanshepherdsmum

I guess, Doodledog, some of us simply can’t identify the person who watches this kind of programme (and soaps such as Corrie) with the one who makes intelligent comments and cogent arguments on GN. To be blasphemous, it ‘passeth all understanding’.

And that’s not patronising at all 😂😂😂

I watched BB for the first time last night. Can’t say it was riveting viewing but I was glad to see Fern Britton looking well and by that I mean ‘normal’. Sharon Osbourne’s appearance was startling to say the least and Kate’s Uncle looked like he’d wandered into the wrong party. I like Levi Roots’ recipes and recognised Nikita from Strictly.

That’s about it really so I don’t think I’m going to need therapy but you never can tell. 🤫

Shinamae

Germanshepherdsmum

I guess, Doodledog, some of us simply can’t identify the person who watches this kind of programme (and soaps such as Corrie) with the one who makes intelligent comments and cogent arguments on GN. To be blasphemous, it ‘passeth all understanding’.

And that’s not patronising at all 😂😂😂

No, it’s the truth.

Well, I said no! But, here I am with daughter watching it on catch up! Louis and Mrs O about to find their “lair” 😂😂

Germanshepherdsmum It's your truth - not everyone's - and that's fine.

Germanshepherdsmum

I think it’s the sort of programme that makes some people incapable of understanding the appeal to intelligent people. I am one of those people who could understand its appeal to a Daily Star reader, but not someone who posts intelligent comments on GN. A total mystery.

This made me laugh, my partner reads the Guadian, likes the Daily Star for sport, and hates Big Brother.
We are all different with our likes and dislikes.

I think some people on here need to get back to News and Politics and all that terribly serious stuff.

CBB is just a bit of light relief.

No therapy needed here.

I'm in too. Love a bit of people watching... especially their interactions. Almost as good as people reading on GN!

Sharon looks absolutely awful

Fern is certainly questioning Uncle Gary. I like her and Colson, he seems very genuine.

That was so funny and very silly.

Sharon made the right desition. I don't think Gary will go though.

Uncle Gary is deluded. He went in to the BB house to dispel the myth that he’s the black sheep of the royal family 🤣

He knows no more about the RF than we do. He’s just regurgitating the usual stuff from the tabloids .

Louis is all about himself, boring! Fern leaving if Philip Schofield is a late entry, loved her to have been more explicit! Nikita determined to win horse race, true characters starting to come out, love it!

I don’t think I like Louie. He seems totally self absorbed. I’m not liking him at all.