Over a dozen hidden cameras document the every move of several ex-members of the general public, each of whom passes each day locked in a house being forced to perform menial and pointless tasks for the amusement of several million viewers, all sitting around the television each night with square eyes and closed minds.
No, this is not the basis for a science-fiction movie, or even an Orwellian novel. The new series of Big Brother has hit the British airwaves.
First, let this be made clear: I HATE Big Brother with a passion. To me it represents everything that is wrong with Television, especially reality TV. A dozen morons competing against each other for the amusement of the sheeple on the outside world. What could be worse? The people who watch BB (one of which, I'm afraid to say is a member of my family) seem to be able to conjure up a plethora of excuses as to how watching this show doesn't make them idiots. The most laughable one I have heard recently was something along the lines of "Oh no, you don't understand! Big Brother teaches us to value our privacy and be more aware of the surveillance we're subjected to daily by the government!" Or how about "It's a tribute to George Orwell!"? Bull. Fucking. Shit. Orwell would be spinning in his grave if he knew the ideas from his dystopian novel were being adapted (perhaps even stolen) in order to create... well... that. I somehow doubt that the Channel Four executives had actually read 1984 before ideologically raping it's main concept.
But does Big Brother have more serious implications hidden behind the gaudy interior decorating and the shit-for-brains contestants? Think about it for a second, Channel Four are effectively marketing this as a program that combines voyeurism and entertainment. The constestants are filmed all day, every day by hidden cameras. Notice anything familiar?
A recent survey found that there is on average one CCTV camera for every five British citizens in the UK at the moment, constantly filming our every move. The question is, is Big Brother trying to teach us that this blatant invasion of privacy on behalf of the government is an acceptable part of every-day life by repackaging it and glamourizing it? Could we be spawning a new generation who have a pre-programmed indifference to the fact that they're being watched by the government every day of their lives, because they've seen the same thing on TV, and they say it's OK? And perhaps the most important question to ask would be: is Channel Four aware of the implications their sub-standard programming is providing?
I think I'll just switch over to Channel Five. At least they flaunt the rampant soft-porn without trying to find any excuses. Coming soon: a documentary about a man who has sex with cars! Yay!
Signing out,
James
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3 comments:
Have you read Dead Famous by Ben Elton?
~Shiv
With reference to the sex with cars program-I was the guy who wouldn't do the UK program and asked them to go see my USA friends instead :).
There might be a massive privacy invasion, ala Orwell--however WHO gets to watch all this shit? Seriously?
Unless they start forming secret police and having a secret policeman for every 5 citizens they won't be able to watch all the generated nonsense.
At least not until computers can recognise people easily and what they are doing/implications etc.
Then we'll have a real problem.
That's... erm... Interesting.
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