Subcultural engagement for the 21st Century...
Barbelith is a new kind of community (find out more)...
You can login or register.

Underground > Film, TV & Theatre >

Big Brother 2006

Page: 1 ... 96 97 98 99 100(101)102103104105106... 130

Happy Dave Has Left

21:22 / 15.07.06

Wow, a hundred pages and only half way through the series. My, this has been a dramatic BB so far...

Happy Dave Has Left

21:26 / 15.07.06

Damn, the irony.

21:28 / 15.07.06

I have no idea why it should make you angry.

Primarily because we have these conspiracy theories about moles and plants every year, s_g. They never turn out to be true. However, I don't believe there is anything that will convince you that Jayne is not a 'plant' (whatever being a 'plant' means in the context of casting a reality TV show). So we should probably just agree to disagree. I'll try to find it funny rather than an aggravating distraction.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

21:34 / 15.07.06

I don't think Jayne's a plant, but I DO think BB is deliberately letting her build up resentment with the public, rather than so much the housemates, on the grounds that when she IS evicted the phone revenues will be enoooormous. She'd get so many more votes next week than if she had been up this week. Not really a conspiracy, just the usual dicking around to try to make a successful show.

But yeah, special treatment to an extent.

21:39 / 15.07.06

Inasmuch as by letting her remain free of nomination for a further week and 'be herself' constitutes building up resentment with the public, they are doing so, Stoats. Beyond that, she is being punished in a manner designed to garner the ire of housemates.

Happy Dave Has Left

21:47 / 15.07.06

BB's treatment of Jayne kind of reminds me of the treatment of Private Pile in Full Metal Jacket:

Drill Sergeant: What the fuck is that?
Pile: A jelly donut sir!
Drill Sergeant: The rest of you, on your faces and give me 100! Here, they're paying for it, you eat it!

Although I don't think this'll end in the other housemates 'code redding' Jayne with bars of soap wrapped in towels. You never know though...

21:51 / 15.07.06

Not at all, SG.

I am not 'Barbe-royalty,' as such, but I know people who know people, etc.

You're up against 'C-listers' essntially. Pay them no mind.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

22:03 / 15.07.06

Yes, Falconer, but giving her immunity from eviction for breaking the rules was just a bit shit. And you can't deny it's gonna help the phone revenues.

22:09 / 15.07.06

I'm not sure that it will definitely help phone revenues, Stoat. Depending on who she's up against, she might be such a dead cert to go that people will assume that voting either for or against her will be a waste of money. Traditionally it's close contests that brings the vote out.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

22:17 / 15.07.06

Didn't they receive a record number of calls when Sezer was up?

I'm not that bothered, really, but it certainly seems like the way I'd do things if I was running the show.

22:23 / 15.07.06

I don't think so, but I could be wrong. He got a record majority, certainly, but that generally means low turn-out. I would guess that they got more actual votes cast this week with everyone up.
Has anyone seen any numbers?

22:23 / 15.07.06

I think Jayne is such a 'big character' that pretty much regardless of who she's up against, the people will phone/text in.

I'd be happy enough to see her throat cut live on national telly, and I don't suppose I'm the only one.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

23:13 / 15.07.06

I'm pretty sure it was reported in the tabloids that it was a record number of votes cast. Of course, being in the tabloids doesn't make it true...

11:35 / 16.07.06

So we should probably just agree to disagree. I'll try to find it funny rather than an aggravating distraction.

well, touche. you try to laugh at my baseless paranoia, and I'll try to raise a smile to your failing to note that she's simply a terrible actor, obviously acquainted with at least two housemates before the show.

11:55 / 16.07.06

Here's the reasoning behind other viewers' suspicions of planthood, at Big Brother online, Digital Spy, and Tiscali

11:56 / 16.07.06

p.s. - I think even the housemates have sussed it out.

12:04 / 16.07.06

lol

12:12 / 16.07.06

*snickers*

Jayne fuels "mole" speculation
Day 60, 14:01 BST - by Neil Wilkes

Jayne has encouraged speculation that she may be a mole, put in by producers to stir the pot.

The group debated the theory last night after Jayne came out worst in a test of the Big Brother rules - and was reprimanded for cheating.

Laughing at the suggestion that she could be a plant, Jayne responded enigmatically: "If you wake up tomorrow morning and I'm not there, you've all enjoyed my company, haven't you?"

As puzzlement overcame the group, she continued: "I think you're all lovely and very nice people. If I'm not here when you wake up I've come in here, done my bit."

"Why are you saying all this?" asked Jennie, while Susie announced: "She's talking in riddles and I don't understand her."

Mikey was on to Jayne's game, meanwhile, telling the group that she was just trying to "wind everyone up".

"She's trying to act like a mole," Richard agreed.

15:19 / 16.07.06

I maintain that Nikki's reaction to Jayne upon "meeting her" suggests that they had in fact met already. Suggests strongly, even.

And Richard did that increased-camp thing again, suggesting he's secretly straight. Of course, if the DSers think she's suspicious...

I maintain that they just don't do plants. Bog-standard Housemates being given secret missions yes; profession actors, no. I've yet to see any compelling evidence of Jayne being a plant as opposed to an attention-hungry narcissist - although I will concede that the so-called 'punishments' for continued rule-breaking are unfairly skewed in Jayne's favour.

15:25 / 16.07.06

And even that - the whole rationale of punishing the group for the misdemeanors of an individual while allowing that individual to go free - is a common military tactic. So not even that amounts to any real 'evidence' that Jayne's anything other than a mild-to-moderately sociopathic ordinary (if attention-hungry) Housemate with negligible social skills.

15:30 / 16.07.06

Increasingly, I'm thinking it ought to be 'pl*nt'.

15:30 / 16.07.06

If you maintain that they just don't do plants, nothing Jayne says or does will ever be sufficient to convince you that she is a mole. If nothing Jayne says or does will ever be be sufficient to convince you that she is a mole, you'll maintain that they just don't do plants.

15:31 / 16.07.06

And vice-versa.

15:34 / 16.07.06

Well, no, there's also the paucity of compelling evidence to suggest she is, SG, as I've just outlined. Plus, as I say, no precedent. I think if Endemol were to send in a professional actor, they'd let the viewers know at the outset.

Alternatively, stop arguing with me.

NOW.

Etc.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

15:37 / 16.07.06

the whole rationale of punishing the group for the misdemeanors of an individual while allowing that individual to go free - is a common military tactic

Oh, this is indeed true. But it failed so spectacularly and so predictably the first time, I was having problems believing they'd be that inept. Of course, repeating the same thing until they finally DO turn on her may be bearing fruit now...

15:40 / 16.07.06

1) What would constitute hard evidence for you, given you've already made up your mind that this sort of thing just doesn't happen?
2) Why would it be in endemol's interests to let viewers know at the outset?
3) why is precedent necessary?

15:52 / 16.07.06

Alternatively, stop arguing with me.

NOW.

P.S. I am more than happy for people to argue with me till the cows come home. It's being condescended to and repeatedly told to "give it a rest" to a line of enquiry I found mildly interesting that I took strong objection to.

16:27 / 16.07.06

1) What would constitute hard evidence for you, given you've already made up your mind that this sort of thing just doesn't happen?

I'm more than intrigued by your ability to divine the contents of my mind, SG. Put another way: how about you don't make assumptions about what I'm thinking?

"Hard evidence"? Something from C4 or Endemol themselves, essentially. Otherwise, I'm not sure. Certainly not the same old same old conspiracy-themed speculation that takes place on every BB discussion board every year; I'd need something a little more tangible than what you've provided thus far. I don't discount the possibility; I just think it's unlikely for a number of reasons, and haven't seen anything about this scenario which differentiates it from the myriad similar situations (typically with new Housemates) over the years.

2) Why would it be in endemol's interests to let viewers know at the outset?

Because to do otherwise would risk alienating the viewer. Part of BB's appeal - a large part - lies in the difference between what the Housemates know and what the viewers know. With Nadia, for example, the viewers were in on the 'secret', and it's been the same with secret Houses, etc. If a professional actor had been sent in, I strongly suspect Endemol would've whipped up the Will They Realise X Is An Actor? hype before now, making the viewer feel smugly omnipotent and giving waverers another reason to watch. I don't see that keeping the viewer in the dark serves much purpose for them at all, in terms of generating ongoing interest.

Perhaps another reason I'm dubious of the idea that Jayne's an actor is that I've met several people like her, professionally and personally. I find her perfectly plausible as an ordinary Housemate, just as I find the actions of Big Brother here, skewed as they are, plausible in terms of applying military group bonding punishment tactics in order to crank up frustration (and therefore drama) in the House and at home.

3) why is precedent necessary?

It's not "necessary" but, for me, it's a helpful indicator of probability.

16:31 / 16.07.06

P.S. I am more than happy for people to argue with me till the cows come home. It's being condescended to and repeatedly told to "give it a rest" to a line of enquiry I found mildly interesting that I took strong objection to.

You might consider easing up on the assumptions regarding the contents of other people's heads, then. Or at least avoid use of upper-case commands in a non-ironic context. It's not a good look.

16:44 / 16.07.06

I think the reason people sound exasperated with you, s_g, is that, like many conspiracy theories, your assertion is a variation of Russell's teapot. The onus is not anyone else to prove you wrong.

Sure, Jayne has not so far been punished for her rule-breaking by being evicted. But just because BB decided to keep her in the House for the time being does not mean that she is a professional actor employed to play a certain role that will 'stir things up'. Also, only the first punishment (immunity) advantaged her in any way (and even that is disputable given that she was not certain to be evicted if she was nominated, and there's the Private Pile effect, previously discussed). She stands to suffer more than most as a result of the shopping list punishment, being a smoker.

The fact that she doesn't demonstrate the 'self-consciousness' you'd expect, says things that 'sound like an act' and exhibits a 'lack of caution' are in no way inconsistent with the simpler explanation that she is a careless, unselfconscious performer.
Further, the reason that some of the other Housemates recognised her is almost certainly because they met during the audition process. Spoiral was also familiar to a couple of Housemtates, wasn't he. Is he a plant too? Why would a plant be at the auditions? Or do you think Nikki recognised her from some of her other roles on stage or screen? Roles no one else has seen. If she is a professional actor, she's not had much work.

There's also the question of motive. Why would Endemol go to great lengths to employ a professional but entirely unknown actor to go into the House, when they could just select another one of the thousands of gobby, thoughtless, egomaniacs who queue round the block to audition for the show? If they had done that, how easy do you think it would be to keep it a secret? Cui bono?

16:49 / 16.07.06

Checking out the official site (which is my main way of keeping abreast of BB events now), it's certainly true that the Housemates are speculating on Jayne's status in the House. However, that story ends with the words

But the fact remains... she's not a mole, she's just a very naughty girl.

and I maintain that, while Big Brother routinely plays fast and loose with the Housemates, care is generally taken not to actually deceive the viewing public. I think it'd be rather a bad idea for them to make a definitive statement to viewers then renege on that.

16:59 / 16.07.06

and surely Occam's Razor applies - this has already been one of the more explosive and stired up houses in BBUK history - Endermol really doesn't need to put in any further effort into promoting conflict in the house...

17:03 / 16.07.06

Ganesh - quite possibly they've taken that risk to alienate the viewer. I haven't been part of previous BB discussions, and there remains no excuse for anyone to be rude to me now. You might like to consider that condesceding to people and calling them a "plank" is not a good look.

lastly, the official website telling you "But the fact remains... she's not a mole, she's just a very naughty girl" (when my and others' suspicion is that officials have not let the viewers in on the story) - what is that supposed to prove?

17:05 / 16.07.06

Then again, Marco, the fag-bangle, wasn't a plant, as it turned out, in the end.

And he couldn't shape-change to animal form, as that rather overexcited (and possibly undermedicated) chappie's website claimed.

17:05 / 16.07.06

The housemates themselves think there are good grounds for speculating she is a plant. So do I. That you or anyone else does not is no excuse to display hostility or "other" a poster forwarding a minority viewpoint in any other way.

Page: 1 ... 96 97 98 99 100(101)102103104105106... 130