Now before we get down to things, I’ll start this with a confession: I like bad TV. Nothing is more appealing to me than a night in with Paddy McGuiness and his cheesy lines on Take Me Out or a scandalous session of Made In Chelsea watching Spencer Matthews break the heart of Louise Thompson/Lucy Watson/any-girl-that-lives-in-Chelsea. But, even I turn my nose up at this years Celebrity Big Brother.
The line up this year was composed of a few familiar faces: Lee Ryan from Blue; reality TV stars Ollie Locke and Sam Faiers; and former member of N-Dubz Dappy. But the majority of names, as usual, are practically unknown. These strangers are locked together in a luxurious house for just over three weeks and to pass the time, they’re given numerous tasks and missions meant to ridicule the celebs and entertain their “adoring” public. It’s true CBB has brought many classic television moments over the years. Who could forget: the romance of Preston and Chantelle (let’s just forget that messy divorce); Jackie Stallone’s unforgettable entrance into the house; and my personal favourite, watching MP George Galloway take on the persona of a domestic cat.
While this premise does sound promising, in my opinion CBB has caused more damage than it has done good. Over the years, several celebrities have felt the psychological strain of being contained in a house where they are subject to millions of viewers praise or scorn; both Vanessa Feltz and Les Dennis showed disturbing signs of mental instability during their time in the Big Brother House. These people were laughed at and made to seem strange and different from the other housemates, allowing mental illness to go on being misunderstood and misrepresented in the media. CBB has also broadcasted bullying behaviour between celebrities, most famously in 2007 when Jade Goody, Jo O’Meara and Danielle Lloyd participated in racial hostility towards fellow housemate Shilpa Shetty. Their shocking attacks were broadcast and became a matter of International relations between the British and Indian governments; all in the name of supposed entertainment. This most recent series has seen some of the most sexually provocative activity yet, hardly inspiring stuff for its host of young viewers. In my opinion, this show has run its course and now shamelessly promotes a whole catalogue of bad morals in the hope of gaining ratings. Its time to bid Big Brother goodbye and turn the TV off!
Photo credits: www.mirror.co.uk,