Wednesday 9 June 2010

A mystery to me

Why do people watch Big Brother?
Suggestions please...........

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

I adore Big Brother as intellectual brain food at last. It's about all I ever watch on TV except the news. Why? It is looking at humans, however appalling they are or artificial or whatever. It is all part of the fascinating process of watching humans and learning much. It has moments of great humour, horror, pathos, drama, good, evil, honesty deceit, and everything else. I love it. If you want full details just see what I wrote about it on my blog this time last year, here (you'll have to copy and paste - I forgot how to do links in a comment cos I'm the kind of thick fool who loves Big Brother):
http://lifesscience.blogspot.com/2009/06/quality-television.html

Ruth said...

I can see some of what you're saying. But it still seems to me too much like staring at the loonies in the asylum and laughing.
It's just sad.

Anonymous said...

And if you do read my full appraisal in that old blog post you will find a comment from the Delightful Dona (a very clever girl and now medical student) who watches it avidly too. Maybe you are just not clever enough to appreciate it Ruth. It's just another thing you should have gone to Finishing School for, in addition to learning that wine is drunk from a glass and should come from a bottle not a box.

Anonymous said...

You have obviously never watched it properly Ruth. I have seen much good sense and have learned much wisdom from the mouths of the seemingly most unlikely of Big Brother contestants. I have heard a person I had labelled an idiot suddenly say something that made me think "Heck, that is wonderful - you have got that SO right." And "loonies"? There have been all types from true loonies to very very clever people. This year there is a joiner who already has me enjoying his intelligence, and a medical student who has me wondering how she ever got the grades. Nowhere else are such a diversity of humans put together and allowed to interact. And "sad"? They all love it. They all get something good out of it. They are all volunteers. Try lightening up and watching it. It is the best and most educational thing I have ever seen on TV, every year, without fail. With so much true trash TV about it is just wonderful to finally get such quality.

CalumCarr said...

I'm with Ruth on this to a point ... I think.

I started an experiment last night.

I set up a table in front of the TV, placed slugs on the table facing the TV, let them watch BB and I counted those which remained watching and those which turned away.

The results after one viewing were:

slugs watching BB = 14

slugs turned away from BB = 36

I know it's early days and I need to repeat this many times - which I will do - but already I wonder are the slugs more intelligent than BB contestants and, less controversially, are they more intelligent than Dr Scott.

Be assured I will update you daily with the viewing figures and my tentative conclusions.

Anonymous said...

A fine experiment Calum, confirming that slugs are not sufficiently intelligent to appreciate Big Brother. Well done.

CalumCarr said...

I ran a follow-up experiment in which my 50 slugs were on the table facing the TV on which was showing a photograph of the "good" Dr Scott.

The result: all 50 committed suicide. They went into the kitchen, found the salt, knocked over the container and crawled and swam to their deaths.

I would commit suicide if I were forced to look at Andrew.

I guess I'll get into trouble for not offering the slugs psychological support during and after their ordeal.

Anonymous said...

I think the proper interpretation is that the photograph made them realise how much better life could be than living round at Dr Carr's place, so they had to end it all because reaching me was clearly an impossible dream. However... it's sweet to learn that Calum has a photo of me in his house. I always suspected.

Anonymiss said...

Now now gents. No need to bicker.
This is what happens when chemists try to do the work of biologists.
Both the design and the interpretation is flawed!

Anonymous said...

But one thing is for sure, there seem to be an awful lot of slugs living in Calum Carr's house.

Anonymous said...

And so... the secretive and shy "Anonymiss" has an interest in defending "biologists". Interesting. Suspicions become supported (Assuming there is only one, which is an unjustified assumption, as there could be many Anonymisses out there).

CalumCarr said...

Anonymiss said, "Both the design and the interpretation is flawed!"

"ARE flawed", my dear. :)

Andrew, how do you thionk the slugs - those which are alive - would react to having to look at a photo of Anonymiss

Anonymous said...

Calum: "thionk"?

Thoze in glass husses should't thraw stonnes at Dear Anonymiss.

If my suspicions are correct, in fact if just one of my few suspicions are correct, the slugs would be drawn irresistably towards the stunning beauty of Anonymiss, as all creatures are. No wonder she chooses to hide her true identity (sometimes).

CalumCarr said...

No spelling mistake, Andrew!

I'm surprised that you don't know "thionk" which means to think excessively hard

See here

Sean Jeating said...

I'd not be surprised came outsiders to the conclusion Andrew and Calum were big brothers.

Anonymiss said...

I'm flattered Andrew....but even more convinced that your suspicions are incorrect!

Anonymous said...

Ah, such false modesty mixed with sly deception. Yup, that's you all over.

CalumCarr said...

Andrew, I'm sure you've got Anonymiss well sussed.

You can just about see her fluttering her eyelashes as she says, "I'm flattered"

Sean, Perhaps we should be in Big Brother - that may be what you meant - but certainly we are big fools.

Ruth said...

Looks like I've missed the fun again....
I think Sean has it about right.
And I do find it slightly disturbing that you have all these slugs to hand Calum. It must be a bit like a wingless version of "The Wasp Factory" in your house.
Andrew - why don't you unmask 'Annonymiss'? I'm intrigued.

Anonymous said...

"Unmask Anonymiss"? That doesn't sound very gentlemanly, and as you know I am, above all, a perfect gentleman.

Besides, suspicion is not knowledge Ruth, and I wouldn't want all the embarassment (and potential court case) involved in unmasking the wrong lady, would I?

I do know, however, that Anonymiss is a lovely, gentle creature who, as already discussed, would make any slug's heart swoon. That much is obvious. And you see? Perfect gentleman. Always ready with a fine compliment. (Oh... the word verification this time is "mingtho" - ha ha ha ha ha! The universe works in mysterious ways)

CalumCarr said...

Ruth, I don't have all these slugs "to hand" as you put it but my untidy garden seems to be a haven for them.

Those who died have been buried properly with a little named cross.

There was Billy, Dillie,Filly, Frilly, Gillie, Hilly, Lilly, Millie,Silly, Tillie, Willie and Annie, Cannae, Danny, Fanny, Mannie, Nanny .... Do you want me to mention them all.

All will be missed!

Claude said...

Presently I'm finding it a bit disturbing to have publicly claimed, in the past, to somehow know Andrew and Calum. I hope that my international reputation for sane discourses will not suffer.

Ruth - I don't know the show that you mention. I'll ask the opinions of my well-documented friends.

Ruth said...

Don't they have a Canadian version of BB Claudia? Though I'm sure if there was one, you would be much too discerning to watch :-)

CalumCarr said...

No you don't, Claudia. :)

You think we're two lovely mad Scotsmen who bring light, wit and intelligence into your life.

What you don't realise is that Andrew and I live in the same hospital, adjacent rooms.

The nurses are really good though but, of course, none of them understands the web. They think we're typing letters to our loved ones outside.

It's the medication that brings the daftness on!

Claude said...

You're absolutely right, Ruth. I don't dig it. I just watched Big Brother YouTube clips. This so-called Reality (????) Show is as far away as any reality I meet than Earth is to another planet. I can't understand people who google this type of shows, even less the people who participate. Maybe loneliness...hoping to find other selves in the riveted, sheep-like crowd????

Also it could be my total lack of advanced education which would stop me from enjoying the experience of watching this unsophisticated, naive, unbalanced human (???) atmosphere.

Whatever...I'm with you, on this point.

Claude said...

Calum - With my experience, as a retired R.N., I'm sure that the staff keep straight-jackets on hand, ready to apply rapidly, and for as long as needed.

CalumCarr said...

We have moved on, Claudia. Nothing so brutal as a straitjacket now.

Medical cosh knocks us out. An obscene practice.