Anyone who knows me or who has read any of my previous blogs will know that I am a huge Big Brother fan.So imagine my dismay this week when it was announced by Channel 4 that they won’t be renewing their contract to air the show after next year.
Working as a reporter covering Market Drayton’s very own housemate, Freddie Fisher, has given me a new insight into the show and the people who do or do not watch it.
For the past 12 weeks the show has dominated the headlines. But what has frustrated me along the way is the sheer snobbishness of those who don’t watch it.
Numerous people have come into my office and said “I hope there isn’t going to be any of that Big Brother rubbish in the paper again.” They then take great pleasure in admitting that they have never watched the show or that they watched it once, for an hour, five years ago and couldn’t be bothered to stick with it.
These people seem to think they are too good or too intelligent to watch reality TV. Well to all those people I’m going to let you in on my theory and I will be as polite as I can.
Let’s say there are three categories of intelligence that people fall into. You have those who are average intelligence, those that are above average and those who are highly intelligent.
For different reasons Big Brother can only be appreciated by the first and the last category. Those “above average” people out there simply will not get it – especially when they are so quick to criticize a show they have never actually watched.
The reason I love Big Brother and the reason I think it has been such a huge hit is because the show is about human emotions and human behaviour – anyone not interested in these things won’t be interested in the show.
It examines and explores what people are capable of doing when living in a confined house with strangers. It shows how friendships are made, how bonds are broken and the different layers people can have.
The housemates always manage to make friends and enemies. They laugh, they cry, they are forced to look at themselves in the mirror and they learn hopefully not to judge others at the end of it all. It shows how we’re all flawed and how there are some truly genuine people in the world.
Unfortunately everybody remembers the stupid ones off Big Brother. There was Jade herself, of course and there have been plenty of others too.
You might remember Helen from 2001 whose hobby was blinking and Nikki “who is she” Grahame from 2006. Now we know they weren’t the brightest sparks in the box but they are real people who help make up our society and therefore should be represented.
Then there are the clever ones who have made Big Brother great. The geeks and the plotters. The ones who thought outside the box and had plans and strategies. The ones who actually treated it as a game show, remember “Nasty” Nick Bateman?
Remember the crazy, manipulative Makosi, or the science geek Jon Tickle, or predatory Michelle who immediately made a beeline for Stuart. What about Anthony and Craig and their increasingly strange friendship. This was what kept us coming back.
Big Brother is the biggest, greatest, psychological experiment. It is about how people behave, confined together, under constant scrutiny. And the great thing about it is no one can put on an act for 13 weeks under constant surveillance.
I will admit to being a bit obsessive with my viewing. I very rarely miss a show and have started judging new people I meet on their opinions of the housemates. For example anyone who tells me they like Charlie in this series I automatically assume is an idiot.
Make no mistake Big Brother is fascinating, don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. It’s just a lot of people haven’t got the intelligence to see how fascinating it is.
But please if you don’t watch the show don’t turn your nose up at it. It is rude to comment on something which you have no understanding.
And like I said earlier it’s not your fault – you’re just not bright enough to get it.
Joe Masi writes a weekly blog published on www.marketdraytonadvertiser.com.
