I am going to be analysing a segment from Big Brother (BB), series 3 on the 8th July, where Jade Goody a contestant on BB strips totally naked on national TV after losing a dare between housemates that evening. After she had put her clothes back on she then ran to the bedroom where she jumped on the bed of a fellow contestant Alex and said;
“My fanny was on national TV.” (Goody, Jade. 8th July, Big Brother 3)
An astonishing 5.8 million viewers watched this.
BB unique selling point (USP) is its reality TV aspect. However excluding the incident that I highlighted above there are many more occasions where individuals display obscene behaviour, that stem heavily away from actual reality. Its basis its USP on the fact that the individuals inside the house do not have no set scripts, therefore are speaking their peace of mind. However the whole element of the show is that you are stuck in a house with a bunch of strangers for six weeks and watched on Close Circuit Television (CCTV) 24 hours of everyday. That alone is not normal and does not reflect on situations from everyday life. This clip that I have analysed shows clearly the non-realism of this programme. Seeing Jade naked on national TV definitely differs from the usual socially accepted bodies shown on our screens. There definitely were elements of Bakhtin’s theory of Carnival (Stam, R. 1989, Subversive Pleasures: Bakhtin, Cultural Criticism and Film, London, Chapter1) within this scene as she stands there almost with this kind of grotesque body and protruding stomach (probably due to the fact that all they do in that house is drink and eat excessively and participate in crass activities). The actual activity that the contestants are taking part in is a spectacle in itself and very much imitates the behaviour of the folk culture Bakhtin describes in the explanation of Carnival. Also clearly by the statement she say’s further on in the clip you can identify here that the contestants a very aware of the cameras as Jade says;
“My fanny was on national TV.” (Goody, Jade. 8th July, Big Brother 3).
So therefore them continually mentioning the presence of the cameras has no realism aspect at all. As the contestants ‘play-up’ to the cameras constantly in a bid to do the most outrageous things in order to be remembered. Thereby being remembered for this activity, which in their eyes gives them a celebrity status because they are, known by many.
The element of ‘celebrity’ is what drives the contestants to behave as they do and the element of ‘celebrity’ is what brings millions to tune in everyday to watch this ‘cult’ programme. The programmes representation of celebrity is what brings in the viewers. The contestants of reality TV are those who are not within the business, but ordinary people selected from society, which therefore makes it much more easier for the audience to relate to them.
“Reality TV allows Americans to fantasize about gaining status through automatic fame. Ordinary people can watch the shows, see people like themselves and imagine that they too could become celebrities by being on television. It does not matter as much that the contestants often are shown in an unfavourable light; the fact that millions of Americans are paying attention means that the contestants are important” (Reiss, Steven.2001, “Why America Loves Reality TV.” Psychology Today)
However what the audience fail to realise because they are so caught up in the spectacle of it all is that it is merely a conceptualization of fame, a detailed plan executed perfectly in order to increase ratings. The programme uses the idea of celebrity loosely praying on individual’s insecurities and there need to be noticed. As you can by all means see by Jades behaviour, as this whole incident was featured in every tabloid newspaper and even some broadsheets they next morning, her key to fame.
Excluding this incident with Jade as I mentioned earlier. There were many occasions in this episode where the contestants act and seem very out of character. Pressured to perform like circus monkeys in order to get there seal of approval in the ‘Celebrity Hall of Fame’. Fuelled by alcoholic drinks and sheer desperation it clearly screams CARNIVAL to me. The whole element of grotesque realism enhanced by clever editing and it claims reality TV? If only real life could be edited, but that is not the case. Reality TV clearly does not live up to its name and “the programmes clearly also re-peddle traditional explanations of fame for contemporary cultural consumption” (Holmes, Su. 2004, “Reality Goes Pop!: Reality TV, Popular Music and Narratives of Stardom in Pop Idol.” p. 147-72) making it seem so easy to be a celebrity but as Fame Academy’s singing coach Carrie Grant explains brilliantly to the contestants: ‘The only place where “success” comes before work is in the dictionary’ (14 Dec. 2002). And I couldn’t put it better myself.
Reference:
Holmes, Su. (2004) “Reality Goes Pop!: Reality TV, Popular Music and Narratives of Stardom in Pop Idol,Sage Publications, (p147-72)
Reiss, S (2001) “Why America Loves Reality TV.” Psychology Today
[Accessed: 11th January 2005]
Stam, R. (1989) Subversive Pleasures: Bakhtin, Cultural Criticism and Film, London, (chapter 1)
Reference Citations:
Goody, J. (Series 3, 8th July) “My fanny was on national TV.” Big Brother (Channel 4)
Grant, C . (14th Dec 2002) ‘The only place where “success” comes before work is in the dictionary’ Fame Academy (BBC1)
