Izuchukwu OkosiWith the debut of the Big Brother Titans, the Big Brother fever is alive once again.
The reality show, an offshoot of the Big Brother Africa editions, is specifically reserved for South African and Nigerian housemates. The show, no doubt. elicits divided opinions among the audience in Nigeria and the rest of the African continent.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe Big Brother franchise was birthed in the Netherlands but has become a phenomenon around the world. Many, however, have called for a ban due to its adult contents. Of course, they offer several reasons for condemning the show, which airs on Multichoice’s Dstv Channel 198 and Gotv’s Channel 29.
Amid all the criticisms, a few Africans believe there are pros and cons to the reality show.
Let us start with the perceived benefits:
The Big Brother show is considered by its proponents as an avenue for housemates to showcase their innate creative talents and ideas. The tasks presentations that reveal their acting, singing, paint and drawings, voice gifts, and more, have been a joy to them.
Many talents have been discovered on the Show and they provide great entertainment to its millions of viewers and voters.
The Big Brother Show is also seen as a massive platform for young entrepreneurs, students and top professionals to express their talents and business acumen. This is one aspect of the reality show that holds the viewers spellbound.
The prize monies are also huge and seemingly gets upgraded with each edition. Specifically, the prize money for the current Big Brother Titans is $100 Million.
Housemates are also gifted other prizes, including all-expense paid trips abroad, several gifts/products from the sponsors, including expensive automobiles.
A testament to its impact on Nigerian youths was the ‘Shutdown of Lagos’ on February 1 and 2, 2019 when the audition for Season 4 of the BBN was held at an event centre in Ikeja, as witnessed first hand by Prime Business Africa.
The traffic situation on the street housing the event centre and other adjoining roads were practically closed.
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Most of the auditioning youths left the venue quite late in the nights while disaster was averted in the one-storey building as they pushed and pulled to gain entrance into the auditorium from where they were driven in coaster busses to the actual audition venue, a four-star hotel in the heart of Ikeja.
The influence of the show and the fame it offers the housemates is indescribable.
In the Season 3 edition of the show (Naija), subtitled Double Wahala, and shot in South Africa in 2018, Tope Badman, best known as ‘Teddy A’, met, fell in love in the Big Brother house and eventually married his better half, Oluwabamike Olawunmi fondly called Bam Bam.
Yet, there are the downsides:
The show has led to the overly poor reading culture of young pupils/students who follow it with zest whenever it comes around.
Young adults are also exposed to nudity, and foul language commonly seen and heard in the House.
Several news outlets covering the show have repeatedly revealed how s*x is considered a norm as some of the housemates have been found in compromising positions.
These foul images and other vices fed to the young ones on daily basis have been variously condemned as unhealthy.
Critics blame parents who have DSTV or Gotv decoders at home but get too busy with their work or businesses to give ample time to their children’s upbringing.
The value system in a seemingly cultured society like Nigeria is fast being eroded and such reality shows, despite having parental control policies and the positives that come with it, need to be tamed.
Many believe that producers have to be reminded of their responsibility to the society, as there should be limits to what viewers, especially the young ones, consume.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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