[*mazedsalv**]

So another year has gone and another year of OFCOM receiving lots of pointless complaints about the current series. It's pathetic to see. The question is... have BB viewers in general become much more sensitive, or are the new viewers much more sensitive than they were back in the C4 era pre Shilpa/Jade?

Looking back at BB6, if that aired now, we would have had numerous ejections or at least formal warnings that were never given out at the time.

Lesley- Kicked out for her treatment of Sam and threatening to beat her up outside the house.

Roberto- For his treatment of Sam and how he did things like throw bowls of pasta over people like Maxwell.

Makosi- "I know we'd have '*****' laughing at her" when talking about Craig.

Saskia- Nowadays would be seen as racist for her rivalry with Makosi and her comment "people like you have a chip on your shoulder" would be moulded as "black people have a chip on their shoulders" whether at the time she meant it as "drama queens like you" or "black people like you", is up for debate. Then there was her VT about immigrants bombing us, maybe why she never had friends outside the white English lot in BB6. Then "bunch of monkeys" when speaking of the others which primarily talking about the black HMs and Kemal. I recall Caroline saying the same thing about Adam in BB13 and got a warning for potential racist language,.

Maxwell- For threatening behaviour towards Kemal numerous times.

Science- For his rows in the house, leading to people like Orlaith crying, he would get warnings for that nowadays. Throwing water over Kemal. All these things would be seen as unacceptable nowadays.

Craig- His rows would be seen as threatening and he may have been called racist for his arguments with the black people in the house.

Anthony- For calling Derek a "malteser head", would be seen as unacceptable nowadays.

Kinga- For shoving that wine bottle you know where, there would be at least a warning for her nowadays.

Note how the Saskia group had all white people in their group, they disliked Vanessa, Makosi, Science and Derek at times. Nowadays, that divide would be seen as a racist divide.

I seem to recall that BB1-BB7, the warnings were always "strong language and scenes of a sexual nature" and that's it, nowadays on C5, it's "highly offensive language, nudity, sexual talk, aggressive confrontation, vitriolic tantrums". They even had "discussion of issues that viewers may find offensive" with the whole Harry "issues" thing. Jeez, the C5 series is tame compared to BB6. Imagine the sort of warnings BB6 would get if aired now. Well first of all, it'd probably be taken off as they would eject half of the cast.

Also to drop a older BB2 one in there, the much loved Helen Adams would have gotten a warning for threatening to "smack her one" when referring to a HM.

[Pete.]

Well Science would have been removed over the bin throwing and throwing the water over Kemal and Maxwell would have been removed for throwing water over Kemal in bed.

If BB6 happened now though most of the arguments would have been halted dead in it's tracks by production.

Lesley and Saskia would have also received several warnings but I don't think they would have been removed.

Oh and the racist crew would have definitely been taken down a peg if not removed completely

[VanessaFeltz.]

I am watching bb6 now it is amazing.

[Jack_]

With the exception of Fight Night did 'formal warnings' even exist before the race row?

[Strictly Jake]

And that's why bb6, bb7 days were a hell of a lot better. As soon as anything interesting happens nowadays bb tells them to stop. I'm not encouraging bullying or racism at all but I do think they take things a bit far now

[Headie]

"This is Big Brother, housemates CALM DOWN"

[zakman440]

(Would like to point out that I was a person who complained to Ofcom, but not because of Helen's comments. I complained because of how she was goading Brian when he was visibly shaking with emotion and forced him to escape the house, yet she wasn't removed when she clearly should have been).

[armand.kay]

Originally Posted by Jack_

With the exception of Fight Night did 'formal warnings' even exist before the race row?

yeah maxwell got one for his argument with kemal in the best room

[Daniel.]

Maxwell, Lesley, Derek, Science, Saskia and Craig would all be ejected

[Pete.]

Originally Posted by Jack_

With the exception of Fight Night did 'formal warnings' even exist before the race row?

Maxwell got one

[Pete.]

"This is Big Brother, would housemates get out of the pool IMMEDIATELY"

[mrmattybeck1]

This is why we will never get a proper live feed again

[Ashley.]

Originally Posted by Petemitch

"This is Big Brother, would housemates get out of the pool IMMEDIATELY"

I'm not sure why I read that in a Scottish accent

[armand.kay]

big brother needs to just do what every other reality tv show does and just say screw the pc hoes and be a bit more lax with housemates.

[lewis111]

Originally Posted by AshRley

I'm not sure why I read that in a Scottish accent

So did I, in that strict Scottish female BB voice??

[Ashley.]

Originally Posted by lewis111

So did I, in that strict Scottish female BB voice??

Lmao "Housemates, will you please remove Nikki from the suitcase immediately"

[Jamie89]

You're right that there would be a lot more warnings for the BB6 housemates had this series taken place nowadays. I disagree however with implying that people shouldn't make complaints if they feel the need to or that it is pathetic to do so. I've never complained myself but everyone has a right to be offended and should feel free to express that without fear of retribution. I don't like this katie hopkins mentality of 'pc brigade' that basically just exists to shame people for being offended. It's all done under the cover of free speech but people who make complaints are also expressing their right to free speech. It can't be one rule for one and another for someone else.
To answer your main question though, I don't think it's that people are any more sensitive than before, but rather Big Brother is more sensitive. It's not the reality TV behemoth it used to be and it has to justify and defend it's existence more with every season. They give out warnings left right and centre not because they necessarily think that the warnings are needed, but simply to cover their arses and be seen to be taking responsible action. As for viewer complaints, the show has always attracted a lot (maybe not for the first few years but this can be explained by them not picking very controversial characters) so I don't think there is any real difference there.

[Beetlejuice]

All I remember is Saskia got evicted the week of the 7th July bombings, which I thought a bit ironic given the stick she got on DS for her comments about people trying to kill us.

[Beetlejuice]

Originally Posted by Petemitch

Well Science would have been removed over the bin throwing and throwing the water over Kemal and Maxwell would have been removed for throwing water over Kemal in bed.

I doubt it.

If BB6 happened now though most of the arguments would have been halted dead in it's tracks by production.

Lesley and Saskia would have also received several warnings but I don't think they would have been removed.

Saskia had one contentious moment with Makosi.

Oh and the racist crew would have definitely been taken down a peg if not removed completely

Who were the racist crew? Why couldn't it be that Makosi, Kemal, Derek and Science thought themselves above the group of white football fans? They clearly did.

[Pete.]

Originally Posted by Beetlejuice

Who were the racist crew? Why couldn't it be that Makosi, Kemal, Derek and Science thought themselves above the group of white football fans? They clearly did.

The ones that divided the house and made racist/homophobic slurs

[Beetlejuice]

Originally Posted by Petemitch

The ones that divided the house and made racist/homophobic slurs

Who divided the house though? Some people just get on better with others because they share an interest. In the case of Maxwell, Anthony and Saskia, they liked football. And Craig went with them thinking they were popular. It's not like anyone went out of their way to divide the house.

And I recall it being the other group who pointed out the racial division, which suggests to me it was them that were pre-occupied with race.

I also recall Derek saying Anthony should get back down a pit. And Makosi rejoiced at Saskia getting booed when evicted and then tried it on with Maxwell the next night just to annoy Saskia. Maxwell told her to f off, rather amusingly.

There was alot of anti-Maxwell/Saskia sentiment that year on forums, and I didn't particularly like them myself, but Makosi, Kemal and Derek must be 3 of the most arrogant, and at times nasty people they had ever had on the show at that point.

[*mazedsalv**]

Originally Posted by LiamBB

You're right that there would be a lot more warnings for the BB6 housemates had this series taken place nowadays. I disagree however with implying that people shouldn't make complaints if they feel the need to or that it is pathetic to do so. I've never complained myself but everyone has a right to be offended and should feel free to express that without fear of retribution. I don't like this katie hopkins mentality of 'pc brigade' that basically just exists to shame people for being offended. It's all done under the cover of free speech but people who make complaints are also expressing their right to free speech. It can't be one rule for one and another for someone else.
To answer your main question though, I don't think it's that people are any more sensitive than before, but rather Big Brother is more sensitive. It's not the reality TV behemoth it used to be and it has to justify and defend it's existence more with every season. They give out warnings left right and centre not because they necessarily think that the warnings are needed, but simply to cover their arses and be seen to be taking responsible action. As for viewer complaints, the show has always attracted a lot (maybe not for the first few years but this can be explained by them not picking very controversial characters) so I don't think there is any real difference there.

I disagree personally on what you said regarding people not being sensitive compared to before, I think yes, true that they are covering their backs, but even when they do, the OFCOM complaints still come in. They have continuously given telling offs to many HMs this series when it really was not needed, but they feel they need to because of the OFCOM complainers. So all in all, that's why I think people are so sensitive nowadays.

I mean, even after the race row, when Jade was evicted, that was pretty much the end of the complaints. I don't recall many complaints after she went, but if that were to happen nowadays, even after Jade was evicted, the OFCOM lot would have found anything to complain about again.

It seems that viewers want to be offended. If you look at the OFCOM complaints from the series, every single episode got a complaint, even the ones where not even a raised voice was shown on screen.

IMO, the only time the complaints were justified (normal complaints, not OFCOM) was Helen comparing Belo to a murderer/rapist. That's the only fair complaint to make.

NOTHING else in the series was worthy of an OFCOM complaint. There really wasn't anything brutal this series. People on the forums were complaining about...

- Chloe crying after Marc apparently made her cry after he only sais "stop listening into the conversation", apparently he was being a bully

- Joel taking Jack's case, apparently he was a bully

Everything Marc did apparently lead to him being a bully. It's just laughable.

[Daniel.]

Makosi, Derek and Kemal are three of the best people they ever had on the show, they were all hilarious and Makosi was a nut job.

[armand.kay]

bb6 was not a racial divide it was more of a cultural divide. I wouldn't even count Derik, science and roberto as being on makosi's group's side it they just hated maxwell's crew at the time but i wouldn't say they liked each other at all.

[armand.kay]

Also saskia's was lovely to most of them but lesley and mary cause half the house not to like ha.