Full Version: Celebrity Big Brother Row
Official Celebrity Big Brother Website
For some years now, Britain's top reality TV show has been Big Brother. The format originated in the Netherlands, and more or less tnkaed when it was tried in the USA, but for some reason has caught on here.
Usually, the "ordinary" version for wannabe micro-celebs runs throughout the summer - a good excuse to go outside if the weather is as good as last summer.
And for the past three years, the "Celebrity" version (which was originally a charity telethon tie-in) runs in January. The definition of "celebrity" here is somewhat disingenuous - more often than not, it refers to a selection of pop stars, models, actors and tv personalities from 5+ years ago whose careers have since disappeared without trace. If celebrity means "someone who used to be famous", then it's pretty accurate.
For instance, this year's "celebrities" have included Jermaine Jackson (whose last hit record was, er... has he even had one since the Jackson Five split?), Dirk Benedict (who had brief stardom in the original Battlestar Galactica and The A Team), Leo Sayer (curly-haired British soul singer who had a string of hits in 70s and early 80s, and one minor hit when a modern dance remix of one of his old songs was released here last year), Cleo Rocos (comedy sidekick of much-loved but now dead Kenny Everett), Jo O'Meara (the One who could Sing in a short-lived but succesful manufactured teen pop group, but who hasn't parlayed it into solo success), Danielle Lloyd ("Glamour model" - which in the UK means she poses topless, rather than that she's an out-and-out porn star; disqualified former Miss UK and girlfriend of former England footballer who was a judge on the Miss UK competition - hence her disqualification) and, most laughably of all, Jade Goody, whose claim to celebrity extends to having come third in a previous edition of the summer Big Brother show then being hired by a clever agent who has managed to keep her in the tabloids and the celebrity magazines ever since, and whose utter and complete ignorance about almost anything you'd care to mention was embraced by the public as somehow endearing.
So far, so unsurprising.
What is unusual this year is that an Indian actress called Shilpa Shetty, who in Bollywood terms (Bollywood being the name given to the Indian film industry, which is of comparable size to Holloywood) is a genuine and current movie star. She's not the biggest female star, but is certainly up there (she's been compared to having Scarlett Johannsen or Catherine Zeta Jones, rather than Julia Roberts, so she's merely exceptionally successful rather than staggeringly so).
So much for context; now, to the matter at hand.
BBC News Story
Guardian Blog Commentary
Goody, Lloyd and O'Meara have, for the past several days, been mocking Shetty's accent, suggesting that she should go home in unkind terms, speculating that she's so slim because Indians only ever eat curry and so have food poisoning all the time, saying things like "they all eat with their fingers", and generally ganging up on her like schoolgirls and making her life generally unpleasant.
As yet, nobody has gone as far as to call her an "<expletive deleted> Paki" - the general British term of abuse for all South Asian, which here carries as much venom and shock value as the 'n-word' does in the USA - but, watching the coverage, it feels like it is only a matter of time.
This has generated lots of chatter on the outside, and has generated more complaints to the broadcasting regulator OFCOM than any programme in British TV history. The matter has been raised in parliament. Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer (= chief finance minister), who is currently on a tour of India, has been forced to comment on the matter, as has Tony Blair. The Indian government has made disapproving noises, so far falling short of a formal complaint, and there have been public protests against Channel 4 and the programme maker Endemol in India.
The broadcaster, Channel 4, is refusing to censor or punish the housemates involved (undeniably, the whole affair is giving them unbeatable publicity). British anti-racism laws mean this is not a free speech issue; some of the things which have gone on would not have been permitted for broadcast in a drama. Should any full-blown racist attacks (presumably verbal) occur, and Channel 4 not take immediate action, they would risk prosecution themselves.
The tone of the public reaction has been interesting. Almost universally disapproving, some has refused to acknowledge any racism, instead concentrating on the three British girl's class envy of the Indian's undeniable good manners and greater success and wealth. Some has termed it as racism, but seen it as a useful confrontation for the British of their own underlying racism, of which - from the majority reaction - they deeply disapprove. Others have seen the reaction as the triumph of British manners over the underlying racism - it's somehow okay to think racist thoughts, but unforgiveably rude to express them.
Still others have seen it as a vindication of their disapproval of the celebration of ignorance - personified by Jade Goody, who has gone from being a loveable thickie to the leading example of what happens when stupefying ignorance is allowed to think there is nothing wrong with being ignorant.
Now, I'm not expecting anyone to have followed all of that (though nighttimer and other fellow fans of dark-complexioned women might like to look up pics of Shilpa Shetty, who is genuinely beautiful and now graces my avatar) but it does raise some pithy issues.
Questions for debate:
Is ignorance the main cause of prejudice, bullying and racism? If not, what is?
Does anti-intellectualism, by forgiving or even celebrating ignorance, encourage prejudice, bullying and even racism?
When does bullying cross over into racism?
For some years now, Britain's top reality TV show has been Big Brother. The format originated in the Netherlands, and more or less tnkaed when it was tried in the USA, but for some reason has caught on here.
Usually, the "ordinary" version for wannabe micro-celebs runs throughout the summer - a good excuse to go outside if the weather is as good as last summer.
And for the past three years, the "Celebrity" version (which was originally a charity telethon tie-in) runs in January. The definition of "celebrity" here is somewhat disingenuous - more often than not, it refers to a selection of pop stars, models, actors and tv personalities from 5+ years ago whose careers have since disappeared without trace. If celebrity means "someone who used to be famous", then it's pretty accurate.
For instance, this year's "celebrities" have included Jermaine Jackson (whose last hit record was, er... has he even had one since the Jackson Five split?), Dirk Benedict (who had brief stardom in the original Battlestar Galactica and The A Team), Leo Sayer (curly-haired British soul singer who had a string of hits in 70s and early 80s, and one minor hit when a modern dance remix of one of his old songs was released here last year), Cleo Rocos (comedy sidekick of much-loved but now dead Kenny Everett), Jo O'Meara (the One who could Sing in a short-lived but succesful manufactured teen pop group, but who hasn't parlayed it into solo success), Danielle Lloyd ("Glamour model" - which in the UK means she poses topless, rather than that she's an out-and-out porn star; disqualified former Miss UK and girlfriend of former England footballer who was a judge on the Miss UK competition - hence her disqualification) and, most laughably of all, Jade Goody, whose claim to celebrity extends to having come third in a previous edition of the summer Big Brother show then being hired by a clever agent who has managed to keep her in the tabloids and the celebrity magazines ever since, and whose utter and complete ignorance about almost anything you'd care to mention was embraced by the public as somehow endearing.
So far, so unsurprising.
What is unusual this year is that an Indian actress called Shilpa Shetty, who in Bollywood terms (Bollywood being the name given to the Indian film industry, which is of comparable size to Holloywood) is a genuine and current movie star. She's not the biggest female star, but is certainly up there (she's been compared to having Scarlett Johannsen or Catherine Zeta Jones, rather than Julia Roberts, so she's merely exceptionally successful rather than staggeringly so).
So much for context; now, to the matter at hand.
BBC News Story
Guardian Blog Commentary
Goody, Lloyd and O'Meara have, for the past several days, been mocking Shetty's accent, suggesting that she should go home in unkind terms, speculating that she's so slim because Indians only ever eat curry and so have food poisoning all the time, saying things like "they all eat with their fingers", and generally ganging up on her like schoolgirls and making her life generally unpleasant.
As yet, nobody has gone as far as to call her an "<expletive deleted> Paki" - the general British term of abuse for all South Asian, which here carries as much venom and shock value as the 'n-word' does in the USA - but, watching the coverage, it feels like it is only a matter of time.
This has generated lots of chatter on the outside, and has generated more complaints to the broadcasting regulator OFCOM than any programme in British TV history. The matter has been raised in parliament. Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer (= chief finance minister), who is currently on a tour of India, has been forced to comment on the matter, as has Tony Blair. The Indian government has made disapproving noises, so far falling short of a formal complaint, and there have been public protests against Channel 4 and the programme maker Endemol in India.
The broadcaster, Channel 4, is refusing to censor or punish the housemates involved (undeniably, the whole affair is giving them unbeatable publicity). British anti-racism laws mean this is not a free speech issue; some of the things which have gone on would not have been permitted for broadcast in a drama. Should any full-blown racist attacks (presumably verbal) occur, and Channel 4 not take immediate action, they would risk prosecution themselves.
The tone of the public reaction has been interesting. Almost universally disapproving, some has refused to acknowledge any racism, instead concentrating on the three British girl's class envy of the Indian's undeniable good manners and greater success and wealth. Some has termed it as racism, but seen it as a useful confrontation for the British of their own underlying racism, of which - from the majority reaction - they deeply disapprove. Others have seen the reaction as the triumph of British manners over the underlying racism - it's somehow okay to think racist thoughts, but unforgiveably rude to express them.
Still others have seen it as a vindication of their disapproval of the celebration of ignorance - personified by Jade Goody, who has gone from being a loveable thickie to the leading example of what happens when stupefying ignorance is allowed to think there is nothing wrong with being ignorant.
Now, I'm not expecting anyone to have followed all of that (though nighttimer and other fellow fans of dark-complexioned women might like to look up pics of Shilpa Shetty, who is genuinely beautiful and now graces my avatar) but it does raise some pithy issues.
Questions for debate:
Is ignorance the main cause of prejudice, bullying and racism? If not, what is?
Does anti-intellectualism, by forgiving or even celebrating ignorance, encourage prejudice, bullying and even racism?
When does bullying cross over into racism?
I have never been a fan of Big Brother (I do like a number of other reality tv shows....Project Runway, Amazing Race, and Top Chef are the top of my list...I tend to like the shows that focus more on talents and capabilities than "drama"). I am not the type of person who likes to see others make fools of themselves - on national TV or otherwise, so that's probably why I stay away from shows like Big Brother. There does seem to be a trend to cast people for these types of shows to fit a certain stereotypical mold (i.e. the flaming gay male characters, the loud Black women, the athletic Black males, the "dumb" blondes, etc.). I think there are, as such, a lot of prejudices built into these types of situations...certainly this is meant to make "good tv".
Is ignorance the main cause of prejudice, bullying and racism? If not, what is?
I definitely think it is. All three of the above evils are a result of a combination of things for sure, but I think ignorance has got to be the main cause. Maybe bullying itself has a little more to do with self-image and going with the crowd (peer pressure), but when the bullying is based upon prejudice/racism, I would imagine ignorance plays a much bigger role.
Does anti-intellectualism, by forgiving or even celebrating ignorance, encourage prejudice, bullying and even racism?
Definitely. I think silence, in such a case, is an indirect way of condoning such behavior...maybe even encouraging it. I don't know what role the television program should play since it is a reality show and they aren't promoting the behavior outright, but again...does their lack of at least acknowledging the situation condone or encourage it indirectly?
When does bullying cross over into racism?
Bullying based upon racial undertones/prejudices is racism. Sometimes people of color joke amongst themselves about their complexion...sometimes it's all in fun, but usually deep down, there is some form of "color complex" at play, whether realized or not. We all have established our own personal prejudices over the course of our lives/experiences. Some of us try our best not to judge others (whether it be by race, religion, sexual orientation, whatever) while others use their prejudices to form rigid opinions of groups of people. It is then that it crosses the line into racism.
It's such a shame that people, in 2007, are still so ignorant...not surprising, but a shame nonetheless.
Is ignorance the main cause of prejudice, bullying and racism? If not, what is?
I definitely think it is. All three of the above evils are a result of a combination of things for sure, but I think ignorance has got to be the main cause. Maybe bullying itself has a little more to do with self-image and going with the crowd (peer pressure), but when the bullying is based upon prejudice/racism, I would imagine ignorance plays a much bigger role.
Does anti-intellectualism, by forgiving or even celebrating ignorance, encourage prejudice, bullying and even racism?
Definitely. I think silence, in such a case, is an indirect way of condoning such behavior...maybe even encouraging it. I don't know what role the television program should play since it is a reality show and they aren't promoting the behavior outright, but again...does their lack of at least acknowledging the situation condone or encourage it indirectly?
When does bullying cross over into racism?
Bullying based upon racial undertones/prejudices is racism. Sometimes people of color joke amongst themselves about their complexion...sometimes it's all in fun, but usually deep down, there is some form of "color complex" at play, whether realized or not. We all have established our own personal prejudices over the course of our lives/experiences. Some of us try our best not to judge others (whether it be by race, religion, sexual orientation, whatever) while others use their prejudices to form rigid opinions of groups of people. It is then that it crosses the line into racism.
It's such a shame that people, in 2007, are still so ignorant...not surprising, but a shame nonetheless.
QUOTE(Julian @ Jan 18 2007, 07:49 AM) 
Questions for debate:
Is ignorance the main cause of prejudice, bullying and racism? If not, what is?
Does anti-intellectualism, by forgiving or even celebrating ignorance, encourage prejudice, bullying and even racism?
When does bullying cross over into racism?
1. Most people fear and despise what they don't understand. It took me years to get over my homophobia and the act that forced me to choose to embrace my ignorance or humanity was when a dear friend came out and was promptly rejected by her family and other friends. Confronting our prejudices and biases is a difficult thing for most of us to do.
Conversely, it can be a superiority complex that leads us to treat others as inferiors. That cuts across race, sex, class and right down to where we all have to ask ourselves why the Adolf Hitlers of the world are able to gain such power with so little resistance. Everybody needs a nigger. It doesn't have anything to do with being Black. It's just about having the need to have someone that's lower on the food chain for yourself. Maybe it's Jews today and homosexuals tomorrow and Muslims the day after that. One constant is the way women are treated across the world. Yoko Ono was right when she said woman is the nigger of the world.
2. Certainly anti-intellectualism contributes to the downward spiral. That doesn't mean however some of the most intelligent people in the world can't be some of the world's biggest bigots. The junk science of eugenics
is an example of this. I'm not sure how predominant the "thug culture" is among young Black kids in Great Britain and the rest of Europe, but here in the U.S. it's reached a point where a long-overdue backlash is coming against its excesses.
But it's too easy to blame anti-intellectualism alone for the rise of ignorance and casual bigotry. We live in a society where if you want to call up a radio show and rail against Angry White Guys, gang-bangin' Blacks, same-sex marriage, "San Francisco values" and anyone else you've got a grudge about it's all good. When George Bush breaks out his macho, take-no-crap rhetoric about "Bring 'em on," that's just him summing up a kick butt and take names attitude. People go for that kind of tough talk.
3. The idea of a British version of Big Brother is appalling enough. At one time I had hopes that reality TV might have peaked, but instead it has settled in as a regular part of network television programming. I notice that the lovely Shilpa Shetty has "kinda/sorta" recanted her earlier accusation of racism.
On Wednesday, Shetty had told a fellow housemate that she believed she was the victim of racism.
But in a clip from Thursday evening's show, released by broadcaster Channel Four, she said she had changed her mind.
"I take that back. I thought it was because everybody was having an argument with me ... I don't think that is true. People say things in a fit of anger," she said.
"I don't feel that there was any racial discrimination happening from Jade's end ... I think there are a lot of insecurities from her end, but it's definitely not racial," she added.
link
Shetty's backpedaling might lead a cynic to believe the charges of racism were nothing but a ploy to generate buzz and ratings for the show. Maybe the unrest the show stirred up alarmed the genius who came up the idea. If that's the case I find the whole enterprise disgusting. False charges of racism are harmful to those who really suffer from it.
We've seen the same thing with the race card pulled here in America. "Survivor" tried dividing the contestants along racial lines. Charges of racism have been directed at Donald Trump's "The Apprentice." Racial animus often rears its ugly head on MTV's "The Real World" and VH1's "The Surreal Life." I guess it's just another hot button to be pushed and that makes it fair game.
Pushing the envelope of good taste and propriety is a standard of reality TV (the nadir was reached when one of the contestants of "Flava of Love" lost control of her bowels. Ugh.
) How low will it go? Well, there's a movie spoof of reality TV coming out called American Cannibal. The poor buggers who made the film are probably going to get sued by someone claiming they had the idea for a show about cannibalism first.
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