BB FANS

I thought the way they edited the Channel 4 show last night was so blatant.

Okay we know that Jon is extremely boring, and seems to love the sound of his own voice, but the way it was cut last night to show everyone falling asleep while he went on about space planets (or whatever) was so edited it was almost an in-joke between the editors and viewers.

They seemed to use a selection of clips of him droning on and on, and whoever was beside him, looking very bored, or sleeping.

I'd say there was probably tons of times when people were listening to him, and genuinely interested, but they used "looking bored" clips to pander to the general feeling that he is boring (and bores the other housemates), in order to reinforce the stereotype.

BB have a habit of editing housemates footage to pander to a certain stereotype of how they think they are perceived.

They can edit as much as they wish in order to try to 'invent' personalities & issues amongst the BB4 HMs. But there is no escaping from the fact that, from what we have seen so far, they have picked a pretty dull bunch this year!

It was not such a case of selective editing more a case of fact

Couldn't agree more. But I do find it annoying the producers think they are these "arch manipulators". They think they can control how we see the housemates.

BTW, Does anyone think Jon's twin looks even more smug than he does?

Don't agree spacelad, Eejay. They can only edit for the channel4 show.
An editor can only work with the footage he/she has. And from what I have seen of Jon!. He is either doing his "Geek" impression, sleeping or reading his book.
If anything, the editing might save him from evication on Friday night.

I don't agree either - I mean what else has he given them to work with ?

Well at the moment none of the housemates are giving us anything!!

Its one of my biggest gripes that they "dumb down" the "summary" versions.

Make it all black and white with no shades of grey. Its not so much what did they have to work with. Its impossible that ANY ones life be as simplified as the cuts seem to show. There are other means of getting more viewers and keeping them than the 2-dimensional comic strip show casing of the HMs. They can make use of more montages, have an extended program on E4 ( theres so many repeats there anyway, even of BBLB! The C4 version can be taken of the long versins on E4 then. I honestly believe that it IS possible to make it more "popular" while keeping the standards high.

The side-impact of this is that real life people are reduced to sometimes unfair simplifications. Is it lack of talent and time ( we know people like Cameron/Spielberg can do it with big budgets and bigger scales. But I think that it is possible because it has shown to be possible from this side of the pond.

Its just needs someone to have that vision or attitude (talent/skill?).

I think that reality shows can be something really amazing.

Right now they are trying to fit it into soap-fans genre cos that is so huge as far as viewing figures go.

But they are crippling its power and diminishing it by doing just that.

It may be hard to have that vision. Yuo need the skill as well. Tough combination in a genre thats only few years old.

But it HAS to be made happen now. Or else it might not bloom into all it can be.

By accepting that there's not much else CAN be done, we are locking out the future possibilities.

Couldn't agree more, BBro.

It's another of those situations where the "power" is held by those who might not see the bigger picture, nor the full implications of their actions.

And usually in such cases, they tend to err on the side of the conservative, the common view, or the lowest denominator.

It happens everywhere, from the government with regard to laws of the country to businesses and their bottom line of making money.

It's rarely a question of what could be possible, more the quick & easy short-term view.

The whole issue was brought up pretty comprehensively with the Iraq thing, questions of "vision vs expediency, fact vs story " etc.

In Big Brother we KNOW as viewers we're being manipulated, we KNOW that the coverage could be far far better, there are plenty of people with far more technical/editing talent than we're shown.

But like all things, when you're talking the money that's involved, politics tends to overpower aesthetics and truth (even though we know that better production and coverage would satisfy us as viewers a whole lot more!).

And it is just a game show after all.

Thing is, money will flow IF its possible to show maney can be made from it. No one wants to take that gamble before time is right. But if they DO jump in now, the killing would be mind-boggling. Big money, big risks. But somone has to see the possibilities there first.

The time is right. And its right now.

You have to already see that reality can really outstrip all that soaps are now. If you cant see it all your arguments are going to destroy possibilities that are there. Open and waiting. But I think, ANYONE who has some appreciation or liking for realitys already have that inkling.

Soaps are crippled and dull. Manufactured and storylined. Simplified caricatures. Yet look how long they've lasted. How much power they weild today in tv. The same characters' traits are almost totally reversed if next weeks storyline/scriptwriters calls for it.


Another point to remember is that typically whoever/however its pushed out and made big ( I think it can be so so much bigger than now), it is going to have to be such a standard setting hit, since inevitably its going to become weakened with time after that ( even tho it would become more refined).

Right now theres not much clear awareness of WHAT reality truly is. Collective-consciously it might be recognised as a form of glorified Toilet-cam, a bastardised Truman Show, maybe a dulled voyeuristic/opportunistic peepshow, perhaps a truth-based soap, futuristic game-show or maybe cloudy mixture of all of these.

Currently its being pushed as some form of game show or soap since thats where the largest money-making genres/formats are. Okay, lots of people see it that way since thats how its being worked now. Doesnt mean thats how it should be.

Technology has to part of how its shaped/represented/used.

What with digital tv being available for everyone (could use some of the many channels being given over to dull insipidity).

Much better interactivity with email, Red Buttons, texting etc.

Tivos that can time-shift/visual memory recalls etc. Some of this we arent even sure HOW it could be used.

Even the nature of our general medias relationship with celebrities.


The vision has to come first. Then the workability. Stuff like rules on how much to edit, WHEN to edit.


This feedback loop where the producers "listen" to the viewers and change the show accordingly is has GOT to stop now. I am specifically referring to the fact that focus is changed as viewers preferencesdo. This is a reality show. There has to be a sense of '"take it or leave it" cos we're not gonna edit it - its real life' thing about it.

Tasks how to be much more focused on the housemates character-revealing abilities. The more it can reveal the better. Not some inconsequential physical task. We need to know what makes them tick.


It reminds me of Broadcast News (Holly Hunter, William Hurt and that producer guy) and that scene where Hurt sheds tears for the camera and the ethics of it. Its remarkable how fine-tuned our senses/sensibilities are. The rules have to be clearly seen to be needed. At the moment they are not. Thats when you know its a succesful format. The rules should come from the fact that the housemates are not characters to be shaped but real people. Thats its full power. Rich as real life. Including the dull boring bits. Given a good enough/effective vision the boring aspect wont need to be there.

I think it's gone beyond a 'game show' These people want careers in the media whatever some of them might say.

Their egos have to be pretty big to even apply for such a show. They must be savvy enough to know how to behave after watching the previous BB's, so I'm surprised not more of them are 'playing the game'

At the moment I'm finding it tough going, I'm bored with them I want a task that's going to divide them and cause conflict, get your fingers out Big Brother!

By wanting careers in media/celebrity status, they are seeking a diminishing prospect.

If however the reality ideal had kudos. They wouldnt be nth grade celebrities who have the spotlight shone on them in mid-aria and removed just as quickly.

Its this games-show aspect that cheapens it all.

Ideas like housemates being contestants. The prize-money concept.

They have to be replaced with something much truer to the reality format.

I mean there is nothing inherent in celebrities that make them better than real ordinary people. We all know that. Making THAT part of how housemates are seen should be part of their status when they come out.

Maybe also a change in advertising tack would also help.

For these people yes it is more than a game show, it is a path to a new career.
To me it is a game show.

BTW BBro we are getting a bit deep and my brain can take it at the moment.
Give me time

No prob Crys.

I cant get off my train of thought sometimes, and am shocked when I eventually do to where I ended up !



My 2 cents always end up being tad more longer reads.

I'll have to put warning that its long in the header. Chunk it to smaller, digestible posts. And make it more sound-bite-ish to read.