I’ve been very tempted to join the debate about the Celebrity Big Brother bullying/racism stuff but, having not watched a second of it, felt a bit fraudulent doing so.
I was talking with my assistant, Oliver, who had only watched 20 minutes last Saturday night. He knew nothing of what had been going on in the house at that point but immediately picked up on the bullying that was occurring and was disturbed by the racist overtones. He told me his response was to suggest to his wife that they turn it off, and they did. Only a couple of days later did he realise that thousands of people were having the same reaction.
Drawn like a moth to the flame, he watched the interview with Jade following her eviction last night. He and his wife were struck by her reaction to the video footage she was shown of her behaviour in the house. While not claiming that she’d been edited manipulatively, she found it very difficult to recognise herself in the footage. “That’s not me,” she kept saying.
Whether it was a refusal or inability to see herself as others do, it’s very like that well known sermon analogy of being taking into a cinema at the end of your life and shown a film of all your actions and words – and then being told that all your friends and family have been invited to the second viewing. Reality TV has brought that terrifying and chastening experience to earth. But I doubt Jade’s story will extend the possibility of how God is able to see her through the lens of His grace, only severe human judgement.
Incidentally, how many times in the media coverage of all this have we heard people start to comment by saying, “I’m not a racist, but……” I think it’s what is generally called, ‘blowing your cover’! It reminded me of a John Maxwell quote, “when people say, ‘yes but’, no-one hears the ‘yes’.
January 20, 2007 at 8:02 pm
Sadly, much of the furore is down to the editing of the highlights programme, gathering together the clips that put together were the most damning soundbites, Perhaps that’s why Miss Goody struggled to recognise herself? Perhaps I shouldn’t comment as I don’t watch it, but it’s been hard to avoid these last few days – does it really merit so much time on mainstream news programmes?
January 21, 2007 at 1:01 pm
The editing clearly focuses the most controversial bits and juxtaposes them for heightened effect. But it doesn’t negate the evidence of sustained bullying of an ugly kind in an environment from which the victim has no escape. It’s undeniable and that’s why she didn’t deny it. She just found it hard to admit to herself that she (as she saw herself) had been able to mete that stuff out.
That’s something I’ve noticed about bullying: we tend to do it in the “safe” company of allies which somehow takes away our ability to criticise and take responsibility for our actions. When exposed, we can’t believe we actually did it.
January 21, 2007 at 3:59 pm
Likewise, I’ve not watched the show (deliberately), but Jade actually now has a fantastic opportunity. Most of us don’t have friends honest enough to tell us how we really come across, but with the chance to watch and reflect, maybe she can embrace the possibility of significant change. Unfortunately it all has to be done as a ‘celebrity’, where every statement of contrition is weighed and judged by the media (and the public). Repentance is hard enough in private!
January 22, 2007 at 10:41 am
I have to admit to “dipping in” once or twice to Big Brother but quicikly became aware of the potent mix of personalities, backgrounds and culture. I was so relieved when Carphone Warehouse withdrew their sponsorship and my overall feeling is one of deep sadness for Jade and Shilpa who have allowed themselves to be exploited in this way for a TV programme out to maximise these deep issues for effect, reasoning that it would not make good viewing if everyone got on well and were considerate of each other’s differences. Maybe some good will come out of it but realistically that is the media in these troubled times.
January 23, 2007 at 12:58 am
Clare’s comment is absolutely right, the producers of the show knew exactly what they were doing when they put Jade and her family into the house – they really are playing mind games with the contestants all the time. As they have in the past they push things, and as with the notorious brawl a few years ago, this time it went too far. Even so, they quite deliberately chose when to intervene in order to get a nice story over the week, with Jade and Shilpa making up on Fridays show. It lost them a sponsor, but boosted their ratings no end.
Apparently Jade predicted in her book that Big Brother would end her career – somewhat prophetic really. Shilpa, like Jermaine, Dirk and Leo were to some extent duped into the series by the producers – all of them have admitted at one time or another that they hadn’t actually seen any of the show before agreeing to do it.