Big Brother 2003. Surprises are the name of the game in the house. Big
Brother shows the different British characters under pressure.
Cameron
from the Scottish lands, believes in the word of the bible, is able
to decide what to reveal and what to keep to himself. Ray an Irish person,
speaks and behaves with a short temper fuse, bites his nails a lots,
swears a lot, lets off steam physically and gets drunk. Jon very intellectual
and enjoys talking to Big Brother in the diary room. Nush very attractive
and enjoys physical contact.
First
week in the house. All friends together - for how long? Being nice all
the time to everyone became difficult to sustain and stress responses
started to show under the pressure. First impressions. UK reality television
Shock Tactics and set changes are part of the ongoing appeal.
Space is a big issue; as people who live together in inner cities know
all about. Getting on top of each other can cause friction and rows.
Noisy people can be difficult to live with constantly.
First
impressions can be a powerful influence on other people. The
housemates were asked to nominate their first eviction after only one
hour in the house. Viewers had longer to decide. Loud
voices, boisterous behavior, greedy approaches, flirtatious clothing
or manners can become off putting at first meeting. Behavior can become
a mask for hiding anxiety, which can be difficult to change. Anushka
was evicted - an attractive young female, about to go to university,
may have been targeted and considered as a threat in the competition
to win. Gut reactions, instinctively, may have given the other competitors
a greater winning chance by evicting Anushka. Contestants later felt
she was the life and soul of the group. Anushka felt she was high on
adrenaline and said she was flying off the wall. High excitement is
a common reaction to new challenging situations.
Organizations
can often assess a new person, such as interviews for employment, within
the first thirty seconds. Success or failure is often crucial in those
few seconds.
Tasks
and boredom
are the opposing challenges in the Big Brother house. One house member,
Fredriko,- he was chosen for eviction as a result of failing tasks.
Teams that want to succeed will be anxious that everyone performs to
the best standard required.
Week
2 Failing the task and not confessing will sooner
or later show in the Group and their attitude to one another. Trying
to keep a secret will be hard. Stress patterns begin to show when
efforts to achieve by the majority are not rewarded. Nominations will
foretell, if the other house mates suspect the truth of the person
who failed the task. Hunger began to show as strange behavior in the
group - from hiding food to eating food when others are not looking.
Decision
to lie and not to tell. Fredriko made a decision
perhaps based on past experiences.
Intellectually
clever people
are often hated at school and life is often made a misery by other
children who hate learning or maybe jealous. Sometimes the label boring
is used because difficulty in school and concentration can become
a bore as teachers strive to teach. In the house Jon is split the
vote between those who liked and loved his logic and thought he was
funny, while others hated him and called Jon a bore. Playing pranks
on bright children is a typical behavior; especially if they wear
glasses. Jon became a favourite in the public eye and voted him back
into the house.
Organizations
imposing rules show how people learn to adapt or try to break the
rules. Stealing occurs and anger erupts.
Stress starts to show in extreme behaviors such as excessive drinking,
smoking, breaking rules and sleep disturbances. Sleep disturbances create
a cycle of stress responses in the body systems leading to fatigue and
exhaustion, when tasks are not not done efficiently or corners are cut
to save time. Mistakes are made. Big Brother monitored the house mates
sleep patterns.
Second
week in the house. The
new task was to become Cub Scouts and earn the campers badge, normally
done by eight and nine year olds. Instantly there was much talk, some
anxious nail biting, one felt silly and the rest wanted to get on and
learn. Concerns and questions were raised. The uniform gave sense of
teamwork and they started to want to look smart and check each other.
Jon
was finally evicted and followed Fredriko out. Fredriko said that he
learned that he cannot make everyone like him and he cannot fit into
every situation easily. He spent much of the time in bed not wanting
to get up - almost an unwillingness to be with the other house mates
and join in the games.
Jons
intellect and high opinions seemed to have no common ground amongst
the other house mates. Much publicity was given to keep him in and keep
the entertainment going, as Jon was considered funny. Even tempered,
some would say emotionally secure and balanced, Jon was an example of
the older generation British way of coping with all manner of surprises.
Big
Brother 4 goes to South Africa - a new twist to the game. SUDDENLY
SURPRISES, unexpected rule changes AND SPECULATION ALTERS THE GAME.
The secret room enabled a different way of giving surprises to some
but not all of the group; creating feelings of jealousy, left out, upset
and even anger. Imagination runs riot and speculation is the way the
brain copes with new and uncertain circumstances. The brain works to
make an ending to suit the individual's ideas. Nushka was left alone
in the house while the rest of the Group had a gourmet meal in the secret
room. Most of the Group were able to voice their feelings openly, as
excitement was hard to contain.
Cameron
accepted the individual challenge from Big Brother and was told he was
going to the Big Brother house in South Africa. He appeared to be excited
yet clearly thinking in the short time he had to pack and wait for his
leaving the house. He was concerned enough to leave a message for his
family before he left; aware that he wanted to say he loved his family
- just in case something happened to him. Cameron said he was not normally
pessimistic but in this case he clearly was concerned.
A
twist to the tale - a new house mate Gaetano, from the Big Brother South
Africa house, very intellectual, likes rule breaking and the ladies.
He was very popular.
Lisa
was disliked from day one entering the house in the sixth week. She
was determined to stir up the house, so members resorted to childish
games and fun. Lisa seemed often angry and isolated herself appearing
to be out of place and was soon ejected. Nervous people sometimes play
a game of having done everything bigger and better than anyone else
to try and get attention; this can rebound as people get tired of hearing
the same voice droning on.
Another
twist when Jon returns to the house; he was not able to win, nominate
or be nominated without the others knowing these rules. Jon kept this
secret to the end of his stay in the house.
Ray
has fixed ideas, that seems to be wrong guessing on his behalf, which
becomes confusing to the mind and stirs the emotions. Lots of alcohol
further stresses the body and mind. Instant decisions and performance
pressure showed in the muddled mind and loss of clear thinking. Every
issue is magnified beyond normal. Winning becomes a serious competition
and any threat is treated with contempt, disgust or plain anger. Sexual
tensions show in unrestrained flirting and Nush was trying all the tricks,
either it is a conscious effort or unconscious desire to be liked and
the centre of attention.
Steph
seemed to need to go over and over the same issues which created a no
win situation in the mind and created further pressure. She resorted
to being very drunk and very sick. Cameron was asked to watch over her.
Jealousy
and envy shows and is voiced in different ways. Jon tried to stir the
Group. One event was the heavy drinking episode when Ray, Jon and Steph
covered some statues in lipstick graffiti. Ray was the only house mate,
next day, who felt that the word graffiti was harshly used by Big Brother
when they were reprimanded. Jon and Steph apologised. Ray felt that
the Big Brother team could clean it up.
Finally
Cameron won.
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The
story and the stress responses. Big
Brother 3 - Year 2002 - £70.000 up for grabs - survival is the
name of the game - rejection is to be avoided at all cost. Behaving
in extreme ways - like the TV program Men Behaving Badly - has become
part of the show. Winners in the past have shown extreme behavior and
Big Brother 3 is no exception.
How
much are people influenced by others around them? Alex finds Jade's
voice difficult to live with.
Other
program and newspapers are trying to influence the voting by stating
their opinion and asking people to vote with them - almost like elections
for Members of Parliament. TV presenters are making comments. One effect
of stress can result in a very high sex drive or rejection of sexual
desires completely.
A
sudden change in lifestyle can be felt as stressful while pressure to
conform can be felt as a threat. People who have learned to entertain
themselves are better able to cope with their stress.
Intellectual
discussions or silly games become distractions from thinking about the
effects. However Tim says he does not want to play silly games, while
Alex is getting angry with Jade.
Organization
stress in the Big Brother House - Rich and Poor divided the Group -
while Big Brother got tough on rule breaking. Two faced people and the
divide created a wish to be on the other side of the fence. Stress creates
a mind that becomes confused - unable to think clearly.
Adele
said that the situation in the house was doing her head in. Conflict
on sexual identity was evident in Adele; saying she is bi sexual while
becoming aware that the attentions of Alex were more than a peck on
the cheek. Davina showed the expressions and comments that Alex had
made about Adele.
Contestants
had arrived in the house with much chattering and talk. One or two said
they were nervous, while some chain smoking was evident. The amount
of alcohol consumed varied from nothing to a large amount with an almost
continuous flow of cider at one stage. Drunkenness became more extreme
as the weeks went on; to the point of being sick and feeling very ill.
Antics and high spirits seemed to be the name of the game.
An attempt to break the rules using secret codes and pointing to words
rather than speaking resulted in a ban on all magazines and books. Sexual
feelings appeared high on the agenda with swearing a common feature.
From
the outside the house looks like a prison with high fences and barbed
wire around the perimeter. Inside either a haven away from the world
and a chance to begin to unwind from past stresses or if contestants
have many conflicts in their life outside then the pressures in the
house will magnify the stress responses.
Anger,
rage, fighting, bickering tears and primitive behavior become part of
the daily life; Jade seemed prone to extreme rows.
Kate
licked to fight and kick box finding her partners in Jonny, Alex and
PJ.
Nominations showed how some contestants began to recognize manipulators
or trouble makers, while jealousy or envy is surfaced in little conversations
around the house.
Early
stress responses - jittery, high excitement, biting nails, constant
chatter, talking behind people's back, feeling gutted, wanting to throw
things, scream, hit someone, make someone feel sorry for you, sexual
arousal, change in relationships - love/hate.
Jade
learned to speak at a speed equivalent to- the foot full down on the
car throttle, not bothering to listen to anyone else and often talking
over other house mates. The shock of being nominated, so soon, brought
tears and sobbing to Jade.
Loud and aggressive behavior is learned as a survival strategy early
in family relationships.
Making
people feel guilty for something they have done and seeking attention
by any means - these are survival tactics in the house contestants and
are sometimes inbuilt survival responses which are not recognized by
an individual until they are pointed out by someone else. Often the
reaction will be horror or refusing to see themselves as they really
are.
The
diary room where contestants can speak about themselves and others was
used frequently and Jade was sometimes in there for very long periods
- an hour or more. Sometimes this can wind people up even more while
changing subject can deflect the person away from their problems.
Two
evictions and Big Brother gets down to business with tasks that require
individual responses. Five members were successful and lived in luxury
- the others will live on basic rations. Some feel cheated by others
who they think have cheated. The losers talked about robbing the food;
not realizing that the house was about to be divided in two. The
house was split with a dividing wall that was see through;
like prisons within prisons or a luxury hotel away from any distractions.
Overwhelming luxury means the contestants could drink or smoke as much
as they like. Down to minimal living showed that being deprived created
a strong bond and togetherness.
Patterns of behavior and
long term effects on health. Feeling in control or out of
control often imposes extreme reactions.
No
place to hide, so two chose to leave the house and one suggested
that the other competitors were self obsessed. Sandy
left by scaling the roof; he said he was
bored and even beyond boredom. He also said he always walked away
if there was something he did not like. Sandy often withdrew from talking
to other people because he said he did not like them, although he admitted
that they behaved as he did when he was younger. In his interview he
said he would go back to work after a weekend away with his partner.
He also said that felt he was not in control; something he was not used
to feeling. Changing and adapting to new and unfamiliar ways can be
extremely stressful, scary and “go against the grain”. Sandy
felt he was there not to enjoy himself, but was punishing himself. Sometimes
- the luxury of nothing to do and everything done for you - can make
people feel guilty. As a military man, Sandy would be trained to be
self sufficient. Rule
breaking
became a feature of the night before Sandy left. As a result the house
mates have been reminded and asked to think about their behavior.
Childlike
behavior relating to sexual contact was observed in the teasing and
"I will show you mine, if you show me yours". Under pressure
people can resort to early behavior patterns learned in child hood.
Lee was evicted and would like to be remembered as a flirt. He said
it was hard in the house and his need for sexual contact was clearly
on show.
Half
way through and the pressure increased to avoid eviction. Tim lived
alone on the rich side and encouraged the Group to revolt without success.
The divide came down with sacrifices such as no unlimited wine allowance.
Finally
four contestants make it to the last day - Kate, Alex, Jonny and Jade.
The fate rests on the public views and preference for watching others
who entertain, irritate, amuse, disgust. The
choice is yours or is it influenced by other views? Finally Kate wins
with strong emotional reactions after nine weeks of intense interaction
with other house mates.
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