Prime time voyeurism

Getting my confession of plagiarism out of the way right now – I was ‘inspired’ by Zoe for the following rant. Deal with it.

Anyway, yes! Big Brother approacheth.

All ye Big Brother faithful be prepared for a time of joy and a time of trial. For while we can look forward to month upon month upon month of glorious housemate crapulence (the emphasis being on ‘crap’ there, thanks), one must also face the tribulation of facing the non-believers.

I know some people are always perplexed at the attraction of the show. In some ways, I’m sure it is difficult to understand.

But really, what we are dealing with is an opportunity to watch people. And that, I reckon, is always going to be of some interest to someone somewhere. And I just happen to be one of those someones somewhere. Or something.

There is a certain attraction about being able to observe the behaviour and personality of the kinds of people you are never likely to meet in everyday life. And for me, that level of curiosity is just enough to get me to tune in at the beginning of each season, just to see which particular type of twats are in it this time round.

Plus, I’m sure we all like to watch the show and revel in the warm glowing warming glow that comes from observing the oftentimes utterly ghastly behaviour of these people and thinking ourselves so much smarter/mature/sober/more stable than they.

Although, like Zoe, I must admit that my interest wanes not long after the first couple of evictions. This is also normally the point at which “the bullying of the socially outcast housemate” commences.

To me, nothing is uglier than bullying and unfortunately, on past seasons of Big Brother, the bully always tends to prevail (at least in the short term) with the voting audience appearing to side with the bully and ditch the outcast.

I always thought this was because of an in-built impulse to avoid aligning oneself (even subconsciously) with a victim or ‘loser’. Whatever the reason, at this point in the season, I always get a bit cranky, chuck a television-related tantrum and refuse to watch.

Which isn’t very handy for the LovelyWife who, by this point of the season is probably just getting into the show and finds my sudden banning of it from our home highly irregular and selfish.

But anyway, I am thoroughly looking forward to another year of Gretel looking uglier, Family First getting crankier, housemates being even more vain and the ‘twists’ being ever more predictable and disappointing.

As a wise woman once said, the little plastic castle is a surprise every time...