[jog2001]

Surely, we could've come up with a better task than BB.

How about, as a starter:

Each housemate would get called into the diary room and be told to make their nominations. But then, put them all in one bedroom and in a second round, one by one they would be called back into the dairy room and be asked to say who they thought had nominated them, then on to the other bedroom.

After they had all completed both rounds, the recording of them saying who they thought had nominated them would be played to the whole group. Now that would have been gripping viewing !!!

[susieq]

Some people have got a side to them that's quite sadistic. It's obvious that different people watch BB for different things - I watch it for it's entertainment value (which I'm hoping will increase now the divide is down), not to watch people suffer.

Oh well, each to his/her own I suppose.

[Janette]

I agree Susieq, last year's tasks were fun to do for the housemates and fun to watch for us!

This year I've felt a mixture of shame and contempt watching the suffering that these housemates have gone through.

They really have been treated like prisoners, not competitors in a game show!

[jog2001]

Come off it, some of the housemates have got slightly upset over some of the things that have happened, but suffering?

These are people who have applied to be on a game show where they stand to make £70000 if they win. Unless they are completely stupid they went in with a complete understanding of the kinds of things that they would be asked to do.

As for likening it to being locked up in prison - it is obvious that you have no idea what prison is like - do you ?

I too watch BB for its entertainment value (why else would one watch it?). What is entertaining is seeing how people react to situations that they are placed in (classic introduction - conflict - resolution). What is interesting about BB is that the conflicts are (mostly) artificially constructed. None of the housemates in the current series have anything near the talents to be entertaining in their own right.



P.S. The booing of Adele by idiots in the crowd on Friday was far worse than anything that producers could dream up. Although I want Jade out, I certainly don't want her to be booed - that is cruel.

[susieq]

Unless they are completely stupid they went in with a complete understanding of the kinds of things that they would be asked to do.

I disagree. They may have known, from previous series, that they would have tasks, shopping and nominations to do but I don't believe they had any idea at all that they may have to spend weeks without an inside toilet, cold showers and live on lentils and chickpeas to the practical exclusion of anything else.

You're probably right about it being nothing like being in prison. In prison they at least have access to hot water, inside loos and a more fully balanced diet. They also have access to music, TV and radio.

I think the house divide certainly made those stranded on the 'poor' side feel like prisoners and I don't blame them.

[jog2001]

I think we'll have to agree to disagree, but I think you have forgotten about the weeks last year when the housemates bet a large amount of their budget on a task and lost.



P.S. You really don't know what most prisons are like - most people wouldn't describe a metal bucket as an inside loo!

[susieq]

I think you'll find most prisons now have toilets in the cells - the days of 'slopping out' are all but finished.

Still even with an inside loo - I don't think it's a place I'd like to spend any time in!!!

[jonnytowin]

da housem8s dont have2 stay in da house if they dont want2 they can go@ ne time

they had da talk o doom + da producers tried2 talk dem out of goin on da show

it aint like jail coz dey can go ne time its their choice 2 stay

[susieq]

Very true.

[purplequeen]

anything but the one that was on 2 nite

[LEE]

We have said this on other threads, but could you all please refrain from using text-speak in posts as it is difficult to read. It doesn't take much longer to type things out properly.

[charlie]

Originally posted by susieq
They may have known, from previous series, that they would have tasks, shopping and nominations to do but I don't believe they had any idea at all that they may have to spend weeks without an inside toilet, cold showers and live on lentils and chickpeas to the practical exclusion of anything else.

You're probably right about it being nothing like being in prison. In prison they at least have access to hot water, inside loos and a more fully balanced diet. They also have access to music, TV and radio.

I'm with Jonnytowin on this one. The housemates are under no obligation to stay in the house should they find the conditions not to their liking. They are choosing to stay.

They knew before entering they would not have access to music, reading materials or any other mental stimulation. They also knew that the food rations could be small and that "Big Brother is getting tougher".

The food rations on the poor side, incidently, were adequate for survival and contained the necessary nutriants for a balanced diet. If anything the poor side had a more healthy diet than the rich as one tends to chose fatty and sugary luxury foods if given the chance.

Whilst I didn't like the split house concept, the so-called suffering of the housemates is not a good reason for the bars to be lifted. Good reasons include the fact that it goes against the format of Big Brother that C4 paid so much for (according to the format Endemol devised, tasks are supposed to bond and test community spirit, not divide), the visual asthetics of the house being ruined and the interferance of the development of relationships between the housemates.