[steveflashman]

What do you guys think? Since the people on this and other Forums discuss issues and think about what we see in a serious (?) way IS BB still a valid social experiment? OR do we simply watch for entertainment value and nothing else? Do we learn from this?

I'm on the side of social experiment, but an ENTERTAINING social experiment so far!!!

I'd be really interested in Posters responses to this if you've got the time...

[stonedape]

I think it's still a social experiment, but for the audience and not for the housemates.

[PleasurePrinciple]

It is a social experiment but its kind of a tunnel to fame now. Everyone knows what people like to see in the outside, most of the housemates want fame. Its like people lose respect when they go on big brother now... because everyone sees it as a route to fame and an easy way for a year of press and fortune.

[Matt]

It is still a social experiment to some extent - at the end of the day, the show still takes a number of different people from different parts of the country, puts them in a house together and sees how they interact with each other.

There is no doubt, however, that the entertainment and gameshow aspects of the show are now much more clearer and prominent than they were when the show began back in 2000.

[Matt10k]

If it was still a social experiment, I'd have some issues with the sample. Hardly representative!

[steveflashman]

Good point....

But given what we got.........?

[andyman]

its never been a social experiment, its only entertainment and always has been since day one.

[Kore]

entertainment

[Matt10k]

Originally posted by andyman
its never been a social experiment, its only entertainment and always has been since day one.

I think entertainment has always been the priority but there was still an element of social experiment in series 1. The housemates were more normal, there were less twists and nominations and evictions were set up fairly.

Every year seems to drift further and further away from that in an attempt to out do the previous series.

Obviously, I don't care though because it's still entertaining!

[andyman]

ratings is what they need and they get that by use watching, paper reporting etc... But that only happens if its entertaining to watch and that can be anything like great tasks, fights etc etc. Bb in 20O0 was the tv social experiment like castaway (think thats the show) was the same. Its gone from social experiment to a huge world tv entertainment and with any show ya gotta throw new ideas in. Now a social experiment now would be nothing like the bb house you see today.

[Shaun]

It stopped being a social experiment after the first series.

[steveflashman]

Interesting opinions all and I thank you guys for taking the time to reply.....

I think that the fact that BB is such a phenomena makes it a social indicator...

[Slezer]

Its a bit of both.

[letmein]

Originally posted by steveflashman

I think that the fact that BB is such a phenomena makes it a social indicator...

of numbnuts. Present company not included.

[Captain.Remy]

It does depend on which side you take it:
-For the housemates, it's a social experiment: they learn more about themselves, they can become stronger or not, and gathering people from different backgrounds is, on a sociology side, a very good experiment since you can learn more about societies.
-For the viewers, it's an entertainment since they watch it but don't learn about themselves, if you get me.