When George Orwell created the idea of Big Brother, he most likely feared that it would happen in real life in the future. Or perhaps he wanted people to take the message light-heartedly and rather than reevaluate their governments, they should make a Prime Time reality Television show devoted to Big Brother. His 1984 idea makes for great TV, and the show does line up with some of the ideas of Big Brother. House guests, who don’t know one another (except for Big Brother specials with exes or long lost fathers and daughters), are locked in a house where they are watched and listened to 24/7. They are never alone; the only thing that can be a secret is their thoughts, just like in Oceania. The Head of Household each week serves as the Inner Party with the perks and power, and at the end of each week someone is vaporized and is never seen in the house again (except when there’s a twist where someone gets to re-enter the house). The past does not exist amongst the house guests because they are ignorant to anyone's past but their own. I am sure that being locked in a house with no privacy can be very demanding on the house guests, but hey: at least viewers get to see 1984 come to life in fancy house in a new millennium, and it makes for good dramatic television…George Orwell would be proud.
The torture of Big Brother:
Thursday, April 1, 2010
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Ha! Great blog title (and ridiculous clip!)
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