August 3, 2005
afterelton
If television is an indication of social mores, the British are much more open-minded then Americans.
Take their hit series, Big Brother, which is currently airing its sixth season. Incredibly popular in the UK (averaging between 3 and 4 million viewers), and fodder for daily gossip, the show seems to capitalize on something the American version ignores: homosexuality. In the past, not only has Brian Dowling, a gay flight attendant, won the show, but so has a transgender person, Nadia Almada.
This season there have been a record three gay men on the show: Kemal, a 19-year-old Turkish belly dancer; Craig, a 20-year-old hairdresser, and Derek, a black British 40-year-old politician. There is also another man, Anthony (a 70s-style dancer), whose sexual orientation viewers and contestants are constantly debating; his friendship with Craig has led to an entire storyline devoted to whether they are a couple.
The sixth season kicked off at the end of May, when thirteen contestants entered the house, each one determined to be the last one standing when the show ends on August 13, in order to collect the cash prize.
But they were immediately met with secrets all around. Unbeknownst to the others, Kemal was the show's double agent: he could hear and see what others say in the diary room about him. Three new contestants unexpectedly entered the house after the show had started--though only one, Orlaith, was picked to stay.
Orlaith was up against Kemal to go last week, and unfortunately, Kemal got the boot, becoming the ninth person to leave the show. When asked about his sexuality by reporters upon leaving the house, Kemal said: "I don't even know. Bisexual, gay, this, that. Honestly darling, I don't know. I'm looking for a man."
But the gay male contestants aren't the only ones on this show to steal the spotlight.
Makosi, a 24 year old bisexual Zimbabwe nurse, suggested that she and Anthony had sex, and now she thinks she might be pregnant! The drama continues to unfold as she waits for her period. Contestant Mary, the first to exit the house, told everyone she was abducted by aliens, and overweight contestant Kinga flashed her boobs to the camera the second she entered the house. This type of behavior barely compares to anything in the American version.
A relationship has developed between Saskia and Maxwell. Contestants Makosi, Sam, and Craig have all fought for Anthony’s attention. A few contestants have been reprimanded by Big Brother UK (where the producers have a much bigger presence as an entity in the house) for bad behavior. The contests on the show so far have included becoming ballerinas, lying to one another, masked balls, secret missions, human dog school, pirates, hidden gardens, and the typical fights.
In the UK version, it is the television audience who votes to evict a house member, not the guests themselves, and a new episode airs on Channel 4 every week day (vs. only three times a week in the U.S.). 68 days into the game, there are only six people left in the house, four of them men, including Craig and Derek. Which means there's a decent chance that a gay man will win it all--although this week, Derek and straight contestant Eugene have been nominated for potential eviction, so Derek will have to survive that first.
What accounts for the greater number of gay men on the British Big Brother than on the U.S. version?
First, censors in Europe are much less strict. Frank adult discussions and visuals caught on camera can be aired on TV; no topic is off limits. The UK contestants are even required to shower in front of each other in the garden (some of the women won’t bare it all and wear full length dresses as they clean).
In America, however, that stuff is for the live feed only.
Live feed footage of Beau and Howie making out, for instance, will never see the television light of day. Nor will Beau’s plan to give Howie a hand job in order to get him on his side. The American public is way too uptight to have that on national television.
Second, although their gay men still trend towards stereotypes, Big Brother UK has a lot more fun with them. They love the camp. When Craig dressed like Britney Spears and sang “Hit Me Baby One More Time,” the public went crazy. Channel 4 not only shows the craziness (the ***** judging, for example), they revel in it.
Craig and Anthony’s ambiguous relationship has become a favorite topic among viewers--gay hair stylist Craig is infatuated with chiseled, beautiful Anthony, to the point of stalking. He’s confessed his love. He’s been turned down. He’s been turned on (Anthony sucked his fingers for 60 seconds). He’s taken care of Anthony when he was drunk, leaving what they actually “did” to ambiguity. He’s fought with Anthony, protected him, made up with him, showered with him, prodded him about sex, and basically smothered the self-described player. And Anthony doesn’t reject it.
Not only is Craig obsessed with Anthony’s sexuality, but so are the rest of the players and the rest of Britain. Anthony continues to keep everyone guessing, revealing facts about shaving his chest to working at a gay club, and the British love it. He’s currently the top pick to win the show by bettors all around (though people are concerned that if Craig goes, Anthony will be dull and boring).
Big Brother UK loves to play with their gay players, showcasing when they throw tantrums, confess their love, or dress in drag. The American show lacks the same spirit, beginning with how they cast the series.
To the producers in America, one token gay guy is enough, and they don't even capitalize on that--Beau is rarely shown and seems like a docile drag. Other than that, they only want good-looking people with the same, dull personality.
God forbid they put someone as risqué as Kemal in the house!
Will remaining gay players Craig or Derek take home the winning cash prize on August 13th? Will the show be as interesting with Kemal gone? Will Big Brother U.S. ever cast a trans person, or more than one gay man at a time? Stay tuned to find out.
