During my recent stay in Switzerland, I read many papers I normally don't encounter and got interested in a very tacky incident covered by the more sensational English tabloids that were available in the hotel lounge. For a good week the reporters seemed obsessed with the results of supposed racial slurs and class conflicts in the British television version of "Big Brother."
In summary, the show was called "Celebrity Big Brother" and featured a cast of former "Big Brother" contestants and other minor luminaries. Among them was a heavy-set, foul-mouthed young woman named Jade Goody, accompanied by her mother, who may have been the model for her behavior. They showed no class. Add to the mix Shilpa Shetty—a slim, beautiful, Indian "Bollywood" star—and the show began to get nastier each day. Apparently, the racial epithets flew and led to the kind of verbal bullying that inspired massive public comments and demand for apologies in India.
The archbishop of York condemned the show, saying it had revealed an "ugly underbelly in society only too ready to point the finger at the foreigner or those who might not fit in."
What surprised me was that anyone is surprised by the level to which many reality shows have sunk and, furthermore, why anyone watches them. I came to some conclusions about this mess.
First, anyone willing to be trapped in small quarters with the likes of Jade (or American contestants of equal stupidity) must know on some level that he or she is descending into a hellhole of abuse and crassness. The limited vocabulary of many housemates in any country mounting the show requires constant censorship blips. Tirades are often encouraged by cast shenanigans, jealousies and sexual assignations. So, the Indian movie star certainly in one sense "asked for it," though such rude behavior is inexcusable anywhere.
The truth is that this show and others like it continue to be aired because they receive high ratings. Almost 9 million viewers witnessed Jade's expulsion from the show.
One would hope viewers would simply boycott these tawdry efforts. They reveal people at their very worst, I think, and make me ashamed to be a member of the human race. So why doesn't the public just turn them off?
I believe there are two strong reasons why people watch these exercises in degradation: One is an element of voyeurism and a natural curiosity taken perhaps to extremes, certainly dismaying human qualities. The second, though, may be more pervasive. Anyone not a willing participant in the on-screen spectacle can sit back and feel smug and superior, enjoying a little slumming amidst the cries of condemnation. What ugly attitudes we may have overcome (or think we have) about race or class, expressed by others, provide us an opportunity to feel holier-than-thou. Surely that is why people who are usually respectful of others and probably would never use that kind of language or behave in such despicable ways can still tune in to these displays from time to time. It feels so good to be above it all.
There are, of course, many reality shows that have something other than contestant conflict to recommend them: I admit to trying out for "The Mole" a few years ago. I liked the concept because it involved contestants solving puzzles and traveling to exotic places and using wits and language skills and a sense of place as well as physical prowess to survive. It was akin to the current hit "The Great Race." Anderson Cooper, who went on to star reporter status, was the show's host.
I was sick of seeing reality shows portray older people as sticks in the mud and thought, with some conceit, that I could be a better representative—and the winner received a nice sum of money. I did find myself among the final 20 applicants and was involved in a secret trip and tryout to Los Angeles in the process. Although I was not chosen for the show, which was eventually delayed for a season because of 9/11, I enjoyed the experience and was treated with respect. I don't think I would have been ashamed to be part of it.
I must confess that I sometimes view less-than-edifying TV. In fact, I often keep the set on in the background and waste time watching things I shouldn't, even though I enjoy reading and good music and have no excuse. However, I hope I never succumb to "slumming" to the stage where I revel in these exhibits of human bullying.
