Over-represented in the house?

[CaudleHalbard]

We've had a thread about how some ethnic minorities are not represented in the BB1 house but how about a minority which may be over-represented?

I'm talking here about gay men! :D

I give you:

Mario: out gay
Joe-John (JJ2): closet case... doesn't seem interested in women
John James (JJ1): closet case... David Beckham fancier. Possibly bisexual.
Sam: closet case... camp as Christmas, as they say. Possibly asexual.

Whaddya think? ;)

[Jords]

Christmas is camp?

[ElProximo]

but how about a minority which may be over-represented?
I'm talking here about gay men! :D


It has been an ongoing problem in BBUK and while I never sit back demanding some kind of PHD Sociologists developing some kind of scientifically formulated representation...
...it does make it more interesting to see some kind of realistic 'microcosm' of society at large.
This would not be something like 10% of the population being homosexuals. Or 50% if this was BB10. (or at least whoever pretended to be too).

The best surveys and studies we have show maybe 1% of the population is what we might call 'openly actively gay' as a dedicated choice. BB seems to think having 10 times that in the house is just great.

[joeysteele]

I can't see that it matters what you're sexual leanings are,what you do and how you treat others is far more important.

[Raph]

Asians are a real minority in BB; disgraceful.

[ElProximo]

Asians are a real minority in BB; disgraceful.

That always baffled me too. You MAY see a disproportional representation of other groups,
yet,
outside of BB10 Kenneth (who was short-lived) I don't even think I can recall any 'oriental' asians,
and,
Sree... Shabaz... I can barely think of any other Indian or ****stani??

But yeah.. well maybe Asians just know better than to get mixed up with BB and don't apply lol

[Livia]

I don't think anyone should go in to be a token. I hate positive discrimination. If they're chosen to go in, it should be because they'd make a good housemate. Their race and sexuality is as insignificant to me as the colour of their eyes.

[smudgie]

I personally think each housemate only represents themselves. Not their gender, sexuality, race or anything else.

[Patrick]

John is hardly gay for liking David Beckham you plonker, unless he actually fancied one of the lads then he isn't gay.

[CaudleHalbard]

John is hardly gay for liking David Beckham you plonker, unless he actually fancied one of the lads then he isn't gay.

Liking David Beckham is one thing - being clearly obsessed is quite another!

[ElProximo]

I don't think anyone should go in to be a token. I hate positive discrimination. If they're chosen to go in, it should be because they'd make a good housemate. Their race and sexuality is as insignificant to me as the colour of their eyes.

Yes and No.
I don't ask for 'positive discrimination' either but in this case we have a concept that can be more interesting when it does try and reflect (to some degree) a sort of representation of UK society at large.

Now, what is a 'good housemate' is another question. good how? good why? 12 RAF boys, well trained at living together as a clean, efficient unit may be 'good housemates'.

Here is the next part of 'good housemate'. The idea here is a social dynamic. one flamboyant gay may be a 'good housemate' but a dozen 20-something flamboyant housemates may not be 'good' at all but become very boring very quickly.

For me 'good housemate' actually does depend a lot on how separate they are from other 'good housemates' in terms of life experience, station in life, position in society.
For me, Steve becomes a 'good housemate' because he has life experience, perceptions about himself and his place, (and yes this can also include and be part of his race, gender, age) but he is 'good' when he is part of a group that includes Mario who is unlike Steve who is a 'good housemate' because of and 'by' having a Jo who is unlike Steve and unlike Mario making her a 'better housemate'.
Because its the 'mix of uniques' that makes for what I call a 'good program'.

Like I said, I wouldn't sit back expecting to see some 'hard science' being enforced.
Of course we know it depends on who applies and agrees,
but,
plenty of us do like the idea of a UK 'microcosm' of some sort where we could see some (for examples) are Seniors, some are native Brit heritage, some are conservative types,
and,
yes this does include 'physical appearance' because that (in this case) is part of what makes their life experience unique.
In fact, one of the intriguing results I have seen in these social experiments is where some learn (and we learn) their 'physical appearance' and what it brought them in life are more/less important.

Again, don't sit around demanding some strict ratios but at the same time don't find it as interesting if (for example) 10% of BB housemates are Jews when less than half of 1% of the population are Jews.
(though one could argue a much higher % in media may justify BB HMs?)

Keep in mind something - sure, you can say 'who cares?' if there are 5 gays in each season,
but,
another way to look at this is there is 5 spots where someone of some other 'group' may NOT get a place in the season.
This seems to be mainly Asians.

[Vicky.]

I don't think anyone should go in to be a token. I hate positive discrimination. If they're chosen to go in, it should be because they'd make a good housemate. Their race and sexuality is as insignificant to me as the colour of their eyes.

Agree with this totally.

[Shiner]

Yes and No.
I don't ask for 'positive discrimination' either but in this case we have a concept that can be more interesting when it does try and reflect (to some degree) a sort of representation of UK society at large.

Now, what is a 'good housemate' is another question. good how? good why? 12 RAF boys, well trained at living together as a clean, efficient unit may be 'good housemates'.

Here is the next part of 'good housemate'. The idea here is a social dynamic. one flamboyant gay may be a 'good housemate' but a dozen 20-something flamboyant housemates may not be 'good' at all but become very boring very quickly.

For me 'good housemate' actually does depend a lot on how separate they are from other 'good housemates' in terms of life experience, station in life, position in society.
For me, Steve becomes a 'good housemate' because he has life experience, perceptions about himself and his place, (and yes this can also include and be part of his race, gender, age) but he is 'good' when he is part of a group that includes Mario who is unlike Steve who is a 'good housemate' because of and 'by' having a Jo who is unlike Steve and unlike Mario making her a 'better housemate'.
Because its the 'mix of uniques' that makes for what I call a 'good program'.

Like I said, I wouldn't sit back expecting to see some 'hard science' being enforced.
Of course we know it depends on who applies and agrees,
but,
plenty of us do like the idea of a UK 'microcosm' of some sort where we could see some (for examples) are Seniors, some are native Brit heritage, some are conservative types,
and,
yes this does include 'physical appearance' because that (in this case) is part of what makes their life experience unique.
In fact, one of the intriguing results I have seen in these social experiments is where some learn (and we learn) their 'physical appearance' and what it brought them in life are more/less important.

Again, don't sit around demanding some strict ratios but at the same time don't find it as interesting if (for example) 10% of BB housemates are Jews when less than half of 1% of the population are Jews.
(though one could argue a much higher % in media may justify BB HMs?)

Keep in mind something - sure, you can say 'who cares?' if there are 5 gays in each season,
but,
another way to look at this is there is 5 spots where someone of some other 'group' may NOT get a place in the season.
This seems to be mainly Asians.

As usual you make the most objective and accurate posts ever. :thumbs:
How can we make you a mod? I'd vote you if there were an election.

[StGeorge]

I don't think anyone should go in to be a token. I hate positive discrimination. If they're chosen to go in, it should be because they'd make a good housemate. Their race and sexuality is as insignificant to me as the colour of their eyes.

I agree with that Livia.

But it does seem like the BB selectors tend to favour gays. I wonder if it's because a gay and a sex-change HM won in the early days and they think that the target audience is that way inclined.

Personally i dont mind gays as long as its not a promotional advert for gay pride week. If they behave and are treated like straight HMs then who cares.

Brian (BB2) was OK and i think Mario is ok too. Some of the lesbian HMs have been ok as HMs. Lisa the geezer (BB9) was not a nice HM but it wasnt cos she was a lesbian. I cant stand mincers, like Marco (BB5) and Kemal & Craig (BB6).

[Danielle1232]

Mario is probs the only Gay in there :joker:

JohnJ - No Chance.
JJ He wouldn't go into bed with corin...
Sam- :L Dnt think so either..
They just dnt look gay... really JOHNJAMES..Parton...:nono:

[Chuckyegg]

Insulting other members is a big no no, so I really cannot respond to your stupid idea.

I long for the day when accusing people you don't like of being gay is no longer an insult.

[boomoo]

That always baffled me too. You MAY see a disproportional representation of other groups,
yet,
outside of BB10 Kenneth (who was short-lived) I don't even think I can recall any 'oriental' asians,
and,
Sree... Shabaz... I can barely think of any other Indian or ****stani??

But yeah.. well maybe Asians just know better than to get mixed up with BB and don't apply lol

Well there have been 'Asians' and I have forgotten their names.

The one who was a married muslim woman who said she went in to represent a true view of muslim women.
She went to bed early every night and was out in a multiple vote to save. She has one of the lowest scores.

There was also Ahmed who went haywire.
There was Bos? not sure of his name but he was a chef and a great character. He was popular in BB4 I think.

[boomoo]

I agree with that Livia.

But it does seem like the BB selectors tend to favour gays. I wonder if it's because a gay and a sex-change HM won in the early days and they think that the target audience is that way inclined.

Personally i dont mind gays as long as its not a promotional advert for gay pride week. If they behave and are treated like straight HMs then who cares.

Brian (BB2) was OK and i think Mario is ok too. Some of the lesbian HMs have been ok as HMs. Lisa the geezer (BB9) was not a nice HM but it wasnt cos she was a lesbian. I cant stand mincers, like Marco (BB5) and Kemal & Craig (BB6).

I liked Dan. Who was in with screaming Nikki Grahame

[Chuckyegg]

The ignorance and intolerance round here is disgusting.

[yellowzebra8]

Well there have been 'Asians' and I have forgotten their names.

The one who was a married muslim woman who said she went in to represent a true view of muslim women.
She went to bed early every night and was out in a multiple vote to save. She has one of the lowest scores.

There was also Ahmed who went haywire.
There was Bos? not sure of his name but he was a chef and a great character. He was popular in BB4 I think.

Kathreya as well, she was Thai.
Lisa from BB7 was of chinese ethnicity i think but she was a Mancunian.
I think you mean Gos :S

[stonedape]

Until JJ1, 2, and Sam come out they would be classified as straight on a poll, which puts the out gay population in BB at 9%.

If you want to know why the guys are camp, typically under 40 over 20, why all HMs are relatively insane and over represented in ethnicity, sexuality, and looks, here's the answer: BB has a target demographic and they want viewers. It's the same reason the BB house looks like Elton John's flat and not an average home.

[StGeorge]

Those that say there hasnt been any asian HMs are way off the mark. But the descriptive name asian covers a vast area and is not just those of Indian ethnicity.
Here are a list of HMs whose ethnicity ranges from the middle east to the far east:

Ahmed Aghil BB5
Beinazir Lasharie BB10
Billi (Nabeel) Bhatti BB8
Gos (Herjender Gosal) BB4
Hira Habibshah BB10
Kathreya Kasisopa BB9
Kenneth Tong BB10
Kemal Shahin BB6
Maysoon Shaladi BB9
Mohamed Mohamed BB9
Narinder Kaur BB2
Sezer Yurtseven BB7
Shabnam Paryani BB8
Shahbaz Chauhdry BB7
Siavash Sabbaghpour BB10
Sree Desari BB10
Sunita Sharma BB3

Here is a list of all the HMs so people can work out each grouping themselves:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Big_Brother_(UK)_housemates

[ElProximo]

Those that say there hasnt been any asian HMs are way off the mark. But the descriptive name asian covers a vast area and is not just those of Indian ethnicity.
Here are a list of HMs whose ethnicity ranges from the middle east to the far east:

Ahmed Aghil BB5
Beinazir Lasharie BB10
Billi (Nabeel) Bhatti BB8
Gos (Herjender Gosal) BB4
Hira Habibshah BB10
Kathreya Kasisopa BB9
Kenneth Tong BB10
Kemal Shahin BB6
Maysoon Shaladi BB9
Mohamed Mohamed BB9
Narinder Kaur BB2
Sezer Yurtseven BB7
Shabnam Paryani BB8
Shahbaz Chauhdry BB7
Siavash Sabbaghpour BB10
Sree Desari BB10
Sunita Sharma BB3

Here is a list of all the HMs so people can work out each grouping themselves:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Big_Brother_(UK)_housemates

I agree with you about the vague definition (or changing) of what anyone meant by 'Asian'.
I know there have been a number of Muslims too. In fact I think some have even complained about disproportionate numbers there too.

In my post I wanted to clarify I was referring to 'Asian' in the sense North Americans use it:
As in 'Oriental' (and older term) and this would be Chinese, Japanese, Korean and also to Thai, Vietnamese and others.

I think (not sure) but the OP may have intended to mean this ethnicity.
Han Chinese are not Indians.
'Oriental-Asian' are no more in a group with 'Indians' than they are with Russians.
A Muslim ****stani is not in a 'group' with Japanese anymore than 'Japanese and English' are a group.

Again, I'm not actually one who is sitting back demanding 'show me x-number of Chinese!',
but,
I DO think the social experiment becomes more interesting if one of them is Li Wong from the Chinese Take-out in Glasgow and another is Craig Wishart from Glasgow who loves Chinese take-out and never knew anything about Chinese immigrants.


As usual you make the most objective and accurate posts ever.
How can we make you a mod? I'd vote you if there were an election.

Thanks Shiner but I am well resented and Vicky would like to strangle me tomorrow if possible.
:spin: