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January 23, 2006
Big Brother - Bigger than what?
Is our society really so stuffed that a TV show can be considered more important than an issue directly affecting thousands of lives, or above the due process of the law?
Week before last, I made reference to George Galloway's presence in the Big Brother house getting in the way of his representing his constituents in the CrossRail debate in Parliament.
In the latest development - and I'm not refering to Essex slapper Chantelle being up for eviction - lawyers representing Michael Barrymore are trying to get the Lubbock family's private prosecution adjourned until Barrymore either wins the competition or is evicted from the BB house.
Big Brother makers Endemol Productions have not given legal representatives access to Mr Barrymore during the show.
So not only does the family of Stuart Lubbock have to face Barrymore parading himself on Big Brother, but now they may have to wait longer for an opportunity to seek closure in the matter of Stuart's death. Big Brother is a tawdry excuse for entertainment which has about as much in common with "reality" as religion does with truth. Yet Endemol see no need to consider any higher authorities.
Indeed, had there been anyone at Endemol with any conscience at all, they would never have approached Galloway or Barrymore with a view to their participation on Big Brother. Or, having been approached themselves, Endemol could (and should) have exercised some judgement and turned them down.
Though maybe I shouldn't be so harsh. If they as a company consider Barrymore and Galloway et al, to be appropriate participants, it is only because the viewers of Big Brother themselves can see nothing wrong in their presence in the BB House.
In which case it is possible that Big Brother does reflect reality, a reality in which a significant number of people consider justice and democracy to be trivial in comparison to the entertainment provided by a televised freak show.
Posted by Clive on January 23, 2006 12:33 PM in the category Society