why is it even called 'Big Brother'?

[Benji_]

for 13 years now it has been called Big Brother but through out no one has even bothered to question, why it is even called Big Brother? Who is Big Brother?

[Kate!]

Big Brother is a fictional character in George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. He is the enigmatic dictator of Oceania, a totalitarian state taken to its utmost logical consequence – where the ruling Party wields total power for its own sake over the inhabitants.

In the society that Orwell describes, everyone is under complete surveillance by the authorities, mainly by telescreens. The people are constantly reminded of this by the phrase "Big Brother is watching you", which is the core "truth" of the propaganda system in this state.

Since the publication of Nineteen Eighty-Four, the term "Big Brother" has entered the lexicon as a synonym for abuse of government power, particularly in respect to civil liberties, often specifically related to mass surveillance.

some info for you... :)

[Gillian-73]

Read the book it's a brilliant book! I've read it a few times
First at about 14 then again in my 20s and in my 30s!

[BeloTheBelt]

1984

[Withano]

I feel like somebody should tell him about Google

[Me. I Am Salman]

Because its iconic

[Roy Mars III]

read a book

[Ramsay]

derp

[daniel-lewis-1985]

for 13 years now it has been called Big Brother but through out no one has even bothered to question, why it is even called Big Brother? Who is Big Brother?

Its common knowledge Big Brother is from the novel "1984".

[pcro]

May seem like a silly question. But the title confuses even more people in North America where "Big Brother" plays no role in the show and is neither heard from or referred to as a character in the US or Canadian versions.

[Indy]

May seem like a silly question. But the title confuses even more people in North America where "Big Brother" plays no role in the show and is neither heard from or referred to as a character in the US or Canadian versions.

People know where it's from, they just see very little relation to the actual production. BBUS is nothing but Survivor with air conditioning.

[Roy Mars III]

People know where it's from, they just see very little relation to the actual production. BBUS is nothing but Survivor with air conditioning.

not at all. A totally different game

[Visage]

no one has even bothered to question

Probably because they know the answer.



What do you think it should be called?

[Chuckyegg]

1984. One of the most famous books ever published. Doh!

[anne666]

Channel 5 have of course thrown the main ethos out of the window and we get around 40 minutes of edited by morons footage.

[fingers]

Channel 5 have of course thrown the main ethos out of the window and we get around 40 minutes of edited by morons footage.

.....and when they drop the Live Feed they might as well drop the pretence and change the title to something more befitting a Ch5 soap.

[LemonJam]

while we're on the topic I would LOVE a proper 1984 themed house. It'd never happen, but I can dream.

[lostalex]

It's because the person that created the show found a hidden spy camera in her shower, and it turned out that it was her big brother that was spying on her naked. So she created a show where she could spy on everyone else. She named it after her perverted big brother.

[anne666]

.....and when they drop the Live Feed they might as well drop the pretence and change the title to something more befitting a Ch5 soap.
Totally agree, but we the viewers, many of whom have given up because of the massacre of BB, are totally wrong in their eyes. I would have thought that such a dog end Channel would do it's utmost to attract viewers.

[Josy]

Always thought everyone knew why it was named Big Brother tbh.......

[Firewire]

i feel slightly ill at the thought of someone not knowing where "big brother" originated from

[the truth]

in the ingenious George orwell was the nostradmaus of his time....only more accurate