
Issue No 98		01 June 2001

LaborNET	Ask Neale	Tool of the Week

Review

Action in the House

By Susan Sheather

Workers Online's Big Brother Addict argues the time has come for the contestant's to take some industrial action.


	Addictive?

********

Since the introduction of Channel 10's new "reality-entertainment" program, Big Brother, I have followed with interest the unfolding events that have occurred. The Big Brother phenomenon has happened in the UK, Holland, Belgium, the USA and Denmark to varying degrees of success. Now its here, in Australia.

The concept: To place 12 complete strangers of differing personalities inside a house, isolate them from the outside world, give them ridiculously stupid tasks to frustrate the hell out of them and then evict them, one at a time, until just one person is left with the prospect of winning $250,000. The reason? So that Channel 10 can finally compete in the ratings war. The problem? They couldn't have chosen a combination of 12 more naï¿½ve (and, argue some, boring) castmates if they tried. The fact that this week they've brought in two extra cast members (allegedly to "spice the program up a little") has dampened the enthusiasm that many viewers have for the program.

Not only are the cast under constant surveillance by 25 cameras in and outside the Big Brother house, even in the shower and toilet, their every activity and even private body parts are placed on display for the whole of Australia (in Big Brother Uncut) to have the benefit of. They are also put under constant psychological pressure not only to complete tasks but to nominate each other to be evicted at the end of the week, voted out by the viewing public until only one is left.

Channel 10 has made oodles of money in sponsorship - Pizza Hut, Telecommunications Company iPrimus, Sony, Lynx and Murdoch's company News Limited among others have poured big bucks into sponsorship this program. The costs of setting up and maintaining the program, while substantial, have probably been met by the people attending the "live eviction shows" in Dreamworld - they're being charged between $10 and $20 a pop, not cheap just to have the thrill of hearing a 10 minute live interview with the evictee, getting to shave your head like Gordon or wear bunny-ears like Sara-Marie and being treated to a super high-quality performance by Australian music stars (who seem to need a little bit of a publicity boost) such as Leah Haywood or Deni Hines.

The show has spawned websites such as www.blaircentral.com (which even allows Blair fans to go to "fundraisers" to keep the site going), a save Gordon site, and News Limited has its very own Big Brother News website - which enables readers to keep up to date with whats going on, in fact, you can hear it there first! And there is also Big Brother's very own website, which, despite a poor review from Labor Council's resident web-geek Paul Howes, is actually pretty interactive. You can win competitions, vote on your favourite housemate, chat with the evictee and even vote to evict your chosen housemate, as well as viewing the activities as they happen in the house.

The housemates are naï¿½ve because, what they don't realize, is the level of publicity and money that Channel 10 is making out of them while they're hanging around a house trying to complete inane tasks which, if they fail, means that next week they go hungry (ha ha), is enormous. And, apart from the person who wins, they aren't making a damn cent. Maybe its not costing them anything to be living in the house, but even Playboy and Hustler pay their people to bare their bodies. Gordon's apparatus (earning him the nickname of 'Donkey-boy') was put to air on free-to-air television for the sum-total of NOTHING. Of course, dominatrix Andy, first voted out of the house, is rumoured to be baring it (again) for FHM magazine, at least she knows how to make money out of her experience. And, considering the amount of money, Channel 10 is making through sponsorship and advertising, a small payment to each house member for their troubles seems only fair.

Big Brother has even given radio DJ's something 'noteworthy' to talk about - Triple M was able to run the "Save Andy" Campaign in an effort (aborted by the viewing public) to keep the house interesting. It also enabled 2Day FM and Nova 96.9 to talk about something apart from the Kylie Minogue concerts (and I'm sure, saved listeners from listening to more Kylie Minogue than was already excessively played on commercial radio as well as giving us all a break from celebrity survivor).

The Final Analysis? Channel 10 should be subject to a picket by the MEAA and fans of the program in an effort to ensure that exploited housemates are paid for their efforts. They're hard at work 24 hours a day! Maybe they are saying now that 'its only a game show' but its more than that. The marketing machine is laughing all the way to the bank while we sit back on our couches, or at our computers, watching the exploitation of some of the greatest Australian entertainers we have ever seen grace Channel 10s screens.

   Visit Big Brother

  View entire issue - print all of the articles!

  Issue 98 contents

Interview: Balancing the Books
Opposition Finance spokesman Lindsay Tanner on bringing a Labor agenda to managing the nationï¿½s finances.

Compo: Undampened Spirits
Despite atrocious weather, building workers took to the streets this work over the carnage in their workplace. Mark Hebblewhite was there.

Unions: Giving Blood
Local government workers are mounting a campaign to have leave to give blood donations recognised in their award.

Women: A Checklist for Women Voters
With a mountain of demands on Australian working women, the biggest question could well be which is the biggest?

History: May Day Meditation
May Day has been and gone, but we thought Peter Linebaughï¿½s take on its meaning was worth reading on all the other days too.

International: The Weeks of Living Dangerously
The now almost inevitable fall of Indonesiaï¿½s President Abdurrahman Wahid could have drastic consequences for the increasingly militant working class movement in that country.

Economics: No More Mr Nice Guy
In his new book, Steven Keen outlines why the public needs to know that economics is intellectually unsound.

Satire: NZ to be Disbanded
Following the successful disbanding of the armed forces the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark, has unveiled a new bold plan to total disband the entire nation.

Review: Action in the House
Workers Onlineï¿½s Big Brother Addict argues the time has come for the contestantï¿½s to take some industrial action.

» Twenty Grand ï¿½ The Cost of a Life in 2001

» Compo Protest Virtually Ignored

» Workers Tell Jodie: It's a Bit Rich

» Disbelief at Dubai in the Sky

» Wage Rise For Two Million Workers

» Casuals Win Parental Leave Rights

» Egan Budget Welcomed ï¿½ But Social Audit Still on Agenda

» Bad Rosters ï¿½Like Being Drunkï¿½

» Nurses Act on Ward Rage

» Council Workers Brace for Border Skirmish

» Meatworkers Win in Federal Court

» Hotel Bosses Linked to Tobacco Industry

» Workers Demand Treaty With Indigenous Australia

» Activists Notebook

» The Soapbox

» The Locker Room

» Trades Hall

» Tool Shed

» Pop and Politics - Where's Billy??

» Satire is not Serious

» Toasting May Day

» WorkCover - Questions for NRMA

Notice Board
- Check out the latest events

Latest Issue

View entire latest issue
- print all of the articles!

Previous Issues

Subject index

Search all issues

Workers Online - 2nd place Labourstart website of the year

LaborNET is a resource for the labour movement provided by the Labor Council of NSW

URL: http://workers.labor.net.au/98/d_review_brother.html
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005

[ Privacy Statement | Disclaimer | Credits ]

LaborNET is proudly created, designed and programmed by Social Change Online for the Labor Council of NSW