Wednesday, May 31, 2006

That's Entertainment???

[posted by dinah]



It took me a while to figure this out, from the headline, Mental health chiefs blast 'dangerous' Big Brother, I somehow thought "Big Brother" referred to one of those altruistic organizations where men adopt fatherless boys to nurture and mentor. Finally, in my Pop-Culture Deprivation state, I figured out that Big Brother is a reality show where they throw a bunch of people into a house together and stick 'em on TV so people can watch them bitch at each other about who left the dishes in the sink. Or so I imagined.

Not this show.

"Sam Brodie, a pre-operative transsexual, is thought to have mental health issues," notes The Daily Mail. "Sam, 18, has already told housemates: "'I'm the most paranoid person ever.' " The article goes on to report, "Sam is among a host of vulnerable contestants put into the house.
Shahbaz threatened to kill himself live on television before quitting the show, Lea has tried to commit suicide and has undergone extensive plastic surgery because she was unhappy with her appearance, Nikki has suffered anorexia and Pete has Tourette's Syndrome. "


Since I get paid to listen to such stories, I just can't fathom how anyone else might enjoy watching this for entertainment. Here in America, we'd never stand for such things.

Okay, I'm off to clear the sink before the cameras arrive...

========Links:
[dare-to-dream

5 comments:

MT said...

The lessons of PT Barnum have not left us. Not to mention imperial Rome.

Anonymous said...

And didn't you always wonder just how your patients actually act at home? At least this gives us an approximation....

Dave_MSW said...

I can't say I'd agree it won't come to this in America. The advocates in Britain have a concern about exploiting the vulnerable. I think that since they volunteer and get paid, I'm not going to presume to tell them they can't. But I too, would never watch the show, nor do I watch any reality show. I get plenty of reality at work. At home, I want to escape!

Steve & Barb said...

My comment was so long, I posted it above.

Sarebear said...

You know, vaguely related but not really but kinda, the show Lost has Hugo Hurley, who was apparently a patient in a psych ward at some point before crashing on the Island.

And, up until the end of the season, he was getting together with a lady who was a psychologist (although it may just turn out she was a compulsive liar, and just rather convincingly pretending to be one; she also had been in the same psych ward with Hurley but he couldn't place her).

Anyway, before I heard hints about her maybe not being an ologist, I found it strangely . . . exciting? titillating? at the thought of a patient and ologist having that relationship (okay, so that's probably all classic falling in love with your therapist crap, although I'm not). A dating relationship. I kinda worried about a show going there, and crossing those lines. But then they offed her, so that's okay. Lol! Although strangely disappointing . . .

(no fooling, my word verify was just vrsexab - maybe very sexy abs? hee hee)