Why?
I never find BB easy to watch. I find it quite challenging. The housemates have their challenges to deal with, working out how to survive without going mad amongst all the emotional chaos...some of their choices are not pleasant. I know people say they are just a bunch of wankers and dismiss the whole phenomena but I think that's very very unfair. I think that what they are doing is a massive personal challenge and not without risk. It has to be life changing and I kind of envy that.

It's a criticism constantly aimed at Big Brother- that it's immoral to manipulate people in the way that it so obviously does- cruel and demeaning- exploiting them. But every year, thousands of people queue up to be exploited in the BB house, knowing that the chance of making anything from it is very slim indeed. Are they all sad wankers? Of course not. If I did't have so many skeletons in my closet and a little boy to worry about, and a whole host of neurosis to deal with, I'd be tempted myself. :) Just kidding. I couldn't hack it.

So, for me, there's challenge in the watching... watching my own reactions to what's happening in the house...how I react to the people and what they do...how I feel about them. Do I get the urge to join the witch hunt... how easy is it for me to see them as less than human? Is it possible to remain objective? Can I figure out what is real and what isn't? It's a complex game...immersive for the spectator and a balance of chance and strategy that is extremely unpredictable. I never vote. My involvement is almost always passive. My other half said to me the other day- Who needs friends when you have Big Brother? Of course, he was mocking me but it made me think... As an introvert, I'm easily over stimulated and find the presence of lots of people in my life very difficult to manage so I tend to steer away from that. Perhaps the BB thing is an easy way for me to have the extrovert's experience of people...and I can put them back in the box when it all gets too much. :)

I know this is a bit flaky but I'm just trying to think it through. At the end of the day, ;) feel free to shoot me down.
- posted by cerebral pig @ 11:14 AM