Thursday 18th May, 9pm Channel 4. For those who want to get the most out of the whole experience – look out for Gold!

* Image from thisisbigbrother.com

“For me, I thought it was going to be fair and square and even…I thought I did have a chance to win [Celebrity Big Brother UK]. But according to Faria [Alam] and Dennis [Rodman], because I’m female and I’m American and my skin is brown, I don’t stand a chance.”

[via Digital Spy]

Those were the words as spoken by Traci Bingham earlier today. They were directed at her fellow Celebrity Big Brother housemates, all white and British (excluding Alam and Rodman, who were not present at the time).

Two things were clear from Bingham’s statement. Firstly she wanted a British contestant to clarify the information given to her by her other non-British housemates. Secondly someone had failed to brief Traci on the British attitude to discussions on race.

Unlike the American’s, we in the UK find it difficult to discuss race without turning the discussion into a “you are racist� vs. “you are playing the race card� debate. I know this is a generalisation and I would normally apologise for it however the reaction of the British housemates (as well views expressed by members of a Big Brother forum and first hand experience) suggest to me that it is a valid generalisation.

The saddest part for me about this particular discussion was that the person who was instrumental in polarising the views of the house was none other than MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, George Galloway.

Galloway launched a full scale attack on Bingham. He accused her of calling the British public bigoted and racist. Bingham’s attempts to clarify her stance were met with even harsher attacks from the rest of the housemates who were present at the time. Most were now claiming that Bingham had accused the housemates of using race as a deciding factor when nominating. Within minutes of Bingham’s remark there were numerous shouts of “I’m not racist�, “how dare you call me racist� and so on.

Galloway who was by now in his element paced around the room and, to my horror, stated that Big Brother had been won many times by non-whites or “minorities of one kind or another.�

I am not sure how many Big Brother shows Galloway has watched but I am 100% certain that a black person has never won Big Brother. This may not be conclusive proof that a black person may never win Big Brother but if one was to use previous shows as a guide, then it is clear why Bingham had cause for concern.

Aside from Galloway’s attempt to rewrite Big Brother history his lumping together of minority people was incredibly dismissive. I rarely accept this sort of attitude from your average person on the street but Galloway is a member of Parliament. His party is called the Respect Party His constituency is 40% non-white. Surely he of all people should be aware of how offensive it is to be referred to as some minority or other. We are not all the same and though we may all suffer discrimination we do not suffer discrimination in the same way.

I was shocked at how incapable Galloway was at grasping what Bingham was saying and also at how he failed to engage in a reasonable discussion. Bingham did not accuse anyone in the house of being racist, nor did she imply that the British public were racist. Her comment was no more controversial than a comment on women’s chances in the labour market. People make these comments everyday yet it doesn’t result in the same “how dare you call employers sexist� rhetoric. One would expect that a Member of Parliament would have the necessary skills required to understand and respond to such comments without the need to resort to name-calling and grandstanding.

As an avid watcher of Reality TV, I have watched time and time again as a black contestant has lost out to a white contestant of equal talent/likeability. In fact when one examines the trends of recent Reality TV only one show can lay claim to having a black winner; The Apprentice (UK) . The Apprentice was also the only show that did not rely upon a public vote to decide its figures.

I have my views as to why black contestants do not do as well as white people, but that is a subject for another blog post. I rarely get a chance to discuss race and Reality TV with other people. It is an area that I feel needs to be explored especially since Reality TV has become a huge part of modern life. This is one reason why I was thrilled when Bingham brought up the issue. I hoped that in a house that includes amongst its residents a “leading member of the left wing opposition� (as Galloway describes himself) Bingham’s question would generate an orderly and informative debate. Instead it disintegrated into what is now being referred to as a Race Row and the only thing I have been able to learn is that the “R� word is not to be mentioned in any context. It makes people uncomfortable.

What makes me even sadder is that despite the fact that Bingham raised a valid point she ended up apologising to the house, as did Faria (and I think Dennis too) for causing the other housemates and the British public offence.

I am not sure if a black person will ever win Big Brother UK. Right now I have a bigger question on my mind; is it possible for a white MP who is incapable of engaging in a discussion of race to represent a constituency whose members are predominantly non-white?

—————-
I watched the above incident on E4’s live feed earlier today. It should hopefully be shown on terrestial tv on Channel 4 at 9pm on Wednesday 18th January. Undoubtedly it will be edited, as the whole debacle went on for about two hours. It will be interesting to see how it is edited

I see in Science the first black person that makes me want to join the BNP!..tomorrow!

The above was said Derek Laud, one of the four black contestants in the Big Brother house. It was in relation to his frustration at Science’s behaviour and personality. According to Derek, Science is immature, ghastly, has peasant ways and is a nightmare.

The BNP, or as it is known in full, the British National Party, is an extreme right-wing political party. As stated in Wikipedia,

The modern BNP was founded in 1982 by John Tyndall, a former chairman of the National Front and a public follower of Nazi ideals.

They support the deportation of all illegal immigrants. They also advocate for the introduction of a system of voluntary, financially-aided repatriation for existing, legally-settled immigrants. Along with this they would like to see a reduction in unemployment benefits and disability benefits. The UK tabloid newspaper, The Sun referred to them as a Bunch of Nasty People. I never agree with the Sun, even on this occasion, because to me, calling them nasty is understating how wrong and evil and the BNP actually are.

When we first moved to the UK our family had our fair share of one-to-one encounters with the National Front and I may only have been about fours year old but there are some things you never ever forget. I don’t care about their name change or leadership changes, the National Front were evil and the BNP are no different.

That is why I find it hard to understand why anyone, especially a black British person, a son of an immigrant would make such a bizarre statement.

Derek Laud is a member of the Conservative party but even his party have gone to great lengths to openly differentiate themselves from the BNP. Anyone in the UK with some common sense knows that openly supporting the BNP in any way whatsoever is not the done thing.

Having watched a lot of Big Brother I get the impression that Derek likes to say/do things for the shock-value. This is no different to any other Big Brother contestant. Everyone in that house wants the camera to focus on them. Sadly Derek’s remark is not comparable to the exposing of breasts/causing conflict and similar attention seeking activities that Big Brother contestants are known for.

After watching Big Brother I decided to visit a Big Brother related forum to see if any one else had picked up on this statement and what their view was. I could not believe that quite a number of people thought that Derek’s comment was his attempt at (a) irony (b) a joke.

That whole “it was a joke� thing doesn’t do it for me. The comment is at best, in bad taste and anything that falls into the bad taste category, for me, ceases to be a joke.

The thing that annoys me the most about Derek’s comment is that by stating that Science’s actions are enough for him to want to join the BNP he is firstly inferring that Science’s behaviour is a by product of his race (that is so Roberto) and secondly that on this ground alone, Science deserves to be subjected to racial ridicule/hatred In some far fetched way I can see why some may consider it ironic for a black person to be so repulsed by another black person to the extent that he/she wants to flee his race. However, this is not what Derek said. Derek said he wants to join a group that amongst other things incites racial hatred; that is taking it to a whole new level.

It is this sort of statement that many hate groups use to justify their own actions. Hate groups can turn around and say things such as “You see, even their own people agree that we need to remove them�. That for me is possibly one of the main reasons why I found Derek’s comment to be irresponsible (at best) and pure evil (at worst).

I have never been one to lump the burden of an entire race on the shoulders of one person however I think that we as individuals do have a certain amount of responsibility towards the rest of humanity. A black person ‘joking’ about wanting to join the BNP is not just a wrong against the black community in the UK, it is a wrong against all those who the BNP seek to expel, crush and punish. That includes all immigrants, everyone who is disabled, unemployed and even all those who speak out against the BNP.

Two things came to mind when I heard Derek speak last night. One was the Malcolm X’s House Negro/Field Negro analogy. To be honest, Derek as House Negro first came to mind when I read about a comment he had made pre-Big Brother. As the first black Master of Foxhounds for the New Forest Hunt he was challenged by an anti-fox hunting protester. The protester said to him that 100 yeas ago the ancestors of the other huntsman would have been hunting him, and Laud (according to Aldershot MP Gerald Howarth) responded by saying,

“100 years ago my ancestors would have been eating you.”

The second thing that came to mind is a quote that is often used by Xquizzyt1 “This is Why We Can’t Rise as a People�.

Indeed!

The only thing that stops me is the fact that I have great difficulty in using my non-anonymous blog to effectively bitch/ridicule/put down those I interact with. This is why I am so grateful to Endemol, the creators of Big Brother UK for providing me with real people. Granted the contestants are not people that I interact with but the very nature of the show means that the contestants are chosen because they represent aspects of society. The things they say or do (especially when not aware of the cameras) are things that real people say or do.

Which leads me on to last week’s Big Brother’s stupid statement, which came from the former teacher and 1996 winner of Most Handsome Man in Italy, Roberto. Roberto began a lengthy monologue on black people’s physiological superiority as reason why they excel in sports. At one point, Science, a black contestant joined the conversation briefly but soon left after Roberto began explaining how Science’s nostrils were perfect for absorbing oxygen while taking part in sports!! Science gave Roberto one look and walked away in silence

For a split second I was mad at Science for not ‘fighting for the cause’ and speaking his mind. Then I thought back to the many times when I had been in similar situations. More than once I have been in the company of at least one white person who has turned to me and commented on how better equipped we are at all things physicals, that we are just natural at boxing, running, jumping. Often it is said in a light hearted manner, in the middle of a light hearted social event. In wanting to keep the atmosphere I have found myself looking away and changing topics. I do this not because I lack the words to speak my mind but because such comments are rooted in racist mythology that has been recited too many times. These myths have become so engrained especially in white western minds that it is now considered fact. Many of those who hold these ideas to be true do not even know the origin of these myths and any attempt to set them straight is usually met with accusations of playing the race card.

Of course I could on so many occasions have easily responded by pointing out that no athlete gets by on physical ability alone. To imply that we as black people rely solely on our genetic make up to see us to the finish line undermines the great deal of mental and psychological preparation that our successful athletes have to endure. I know though, that there is no way I could say all this and let it end there.

If I had it my way I would start by pointing out that the slave masters used the very same “black’s are physiologically superiorâ€? argument as they lined up our ancestors along with the mules and oxen for sale into a life of manual labour in the fields. Then again I know that this response shall be met with, “why can’t you guys just move on from that whole slavery thing, I am not responsible for what my ancestors did“.

In an attempt to draw on more recent experiences I would then try and remind them of the many times that they have told me that my brothers were ‘hung like a horse’ and my sisters were ‘buck wild in bed’. Letting them see that it is this focus on our physiology that has allowed our sexuality to be constructed as animalistic and dangerous. Undoubtedly there shall be more than one white man who will declare that he would love to have women taking about the huge size of his penis. Possibly even one ‘sexually liberated’ white woman who shall ask “…and what is so wrong with being called wild in bed?”

Moving away from sex I would highlight the many times that young black students have been pushed away from academics by tutors and career advisors. These same students are encouraged to devote their time to sports, since after all; they shall find it much easier than algebra. Ha! I know that the one person, usually the one with three Oxbridge degrees shall ‘jokingly’ comment that s/he “would love that bling lifestyle that those NBA players live” The word ‘bling’ clearly used to show me that they are down with my lingo.

Getting more pissed off I would have to mention that it is this same crap about our bodies that has led to the production of the Masai Barefoot Technology (sic) shoes. Because, apparently the Maasai physiology is so superior that they never develop back aches and that this trait can be transformed and packaged into an (anti) shoe. This argument shall of course be silenced by happy customers screaming at me “but the shoes work, my back doesn’t hurt anymore!”

As a last resort I would be forced to point out that maybe they should spend time reading Frantz Fanon or even Ian F Haney Lopez who put it so well when he said,

There are no genetic characteristics possessed by all Blacks but not by non- Blacks; similarly, there is no gene or cluster of genes common to all Whites but not to non-Whites. [Full text here]

Though I can easily predict that at least one person will accuse me of being elitist because I have chosen to rely on texts that the ‘common man’ does not read and then a few others will tell me that I don’t need to take everything so seriously. Someone will ask, “why does everything have to be about racism?� Someone else, usually the person who made the comment in first place will probably say “Chill out, this is a party and now it’s your turn to by the drinks�

That is why, when Science walked away from Roberto, without uttering a word, I did not get mad. I realised the look he gave Roberto, his silence and most importantly his decision to leave the conversation spoke volumes. He his actions captured everything goes through my head when I am faced statements like the one made by Roberto:

Just because you choose to exercise your right to spout bullshit do not expect me to jump in and attempt to wade through it.

Personally, I LOVE Makosi but I am not writing this in her defence. My reason for blogging about this is slightly more selfish. The News Zimbabwe article got me thinking, what if one of the Big Brother UK contestants was a Kenyan?

I am not talking about a Kenyan that I know, or even know of. I am talking about a total stranger. A random Kenyan living in the UK who is successful in his/her application to join the Big Brother UK house. How would I react?

As soon as is announced that contestant number X is Kenyan I will probably be on the phone to Mshairi. After screaming “uuuuuuuuwwwwiiiiiiiiiii!!!â€? my first statement would be, “ I hope he/she is good lookingâ€? quickly followed by “he/she had better not be thick”.

Shallow, I know, but I am being honest with myself.

From the minute the contestant steps out of the limousine I shall analyse and critique every aspect of their clothing, body and body language looking for signs that make him or her an unworthy ambassador. Lord forbid that within their first minutes in the limelight they fail to meet my standards of acceptable ‘Kenyan in Public/Foreign Land/on National TV’ behaviour and I shall undoubtedly ask Mshairi,

“Ngai! Couldn’t they find anyone else to represent us?�

Yes, I shall label this person our ambassador.

In an ideal world I would say that what he/she does is his/her business and he/she should not be lumbered with the undue burden of representing Kenyans. Unfortunately we do not live in an ideal world. For many UK viewers this may be the first time they see a Kenyan person (other than the millions of nameless, faceless barefoot athletes). They will be going in to that house as a minority, if not on racial grounds, certainly on the basis of his/her nationality and as is the case with all minorities, it is usually the behaviour of one person that is used to justify and perpetuate stereotypes. How this person behaves may set the precedent for how the rest of the UK views people from Kenya, me included.

As a blogger I would blog about the first Kenyan in the Big Brother UK house however the News Zimbabwe article has made me rethink the way I would approach this subject.

After reading their harsh criticism of Makosi, be it justified or otherwise I can now honestly say that I would never publicly utter a bad word about a Kenyan Big Brother contestant. By publicly I mean in a forum that is accessed by many who are non-Kenyan. This includes my blog. In fact I would even go one further. If, on any non-Kenyan public forum, I found that our Kenyan was being subjected to criticism or ridicule I would jump to their defence (where possible) especially if it was an attack on their Kenyan identity.

As a Big Brother addict I know the types of personalities they throw into the house. It is usually the loud, the exhibitionist, the self-centred, the annoying, the obnoxious, the arrogant, the eccentric and a whole load more. Our Kenyan would be no different.

Like all Big Brother contestants I expect this Kenyan to annoy me and irritate me. The very nature of the show means that they will do crazy and embarrassing things. These things make great TV. That is the role of a great Big Brother contestant.

In private, on the phone to Mshairi or possibly on those Kenyan forums I would be the first one to bitch and moan if they do something embarrassing. It would, however, be wrong for me to publicly ‘disown’ a contestant because of his/her behaviour because I know that while on the one hand they are an unofficial Kenyan ambassador they are first and foremost a Big Brother UK contestant. They are in it, like everyone else in the house, to win £100,000. That sort of money will make you do crazy things.

I, the ‘normal one’, on the outside, however should not be engaging in public name calling and mudslinging. I should act as any other ‘normal person’ would and be shamelessly patriotic in public, cheering our brother/sister on.

After all, the minute I come out in public as a Kenyan, I too become an unofficial ambassador and if the rest of the UK can’t say a good thing about us I would at least like them to know that when it us against the world, we are unified and we stand by our own.

‘The first step to curing your addiction is admitting you have a problem’.

I also realised that it would be a good way to keep track of my ever changing opinions on housemates.

So for all those people who claimed not to like Big Brother please realise that this is my first step to recovery. Do not mock me or judge me instead offer group hugs and support and clap for me as I loudly declare…

My name is Kui and I am a Big Brother Addict.

Preamble over. On with the therapy.

Well, on the race front Big Brother has gone all out and let in 4 black people!

The first of the black contestants to enter the house was Derek, a 30 year old Conservative. He is incredibly upper class with a true Queen’s English accent. Sadly he openly admitted that his nickname is Golly and he owns a golliwog!!! I find it slightly disturbing that a black person would so happily embrace something so racist and offensive. That aside there is something about his personality that I like; I think it is his seemingly calm nature and the way he carries himself. But as comedienne Gina Yashere pointed out, this brother is from South London, a posh part, but still South London so he may very well go all Rude Bwoy on us.

The other black male contestant has the most original name, Science. Granted it is not his birth name but that is the name he seems to go by inside and outside the house. He labels himself the Ghetto-Spokesman. Not sure what to make of him but he has beautiful hair.

The other two black contestants are both female but for now I shall only focus on one of them because as far as I know she is the first African female to enter the Big Brother house.

Her name is Makosi, she is from Zimbabwe and is by the far the most beautiful female contestant in the house. What I love about her is that from the very start she is shattering common held views of Africa and Africans. She is clearly from the Zimbabwe middle/upper class and told shocked housemates that all her life she has grown up with maids, chauffeurs, gardeners and guards. For those who imagine Africa to be nothing but jungle, war, poverty and wild animals, Makosi is one to watch. She also has a fantastic Afro and despite spending nearly three hours in the pool she did not get a drop of water on her ‘fro. Not sure if it is real one though….

The increase in colour shall hopefully mean that for once I don’t have to contend with all the acting to the cameras, commentary and editing that seeks to portray the black contestants in way that simply reinforces racist stereotypes. Plus it means I can openly express my dislike for one black person without the rest of my people looking at me like I am Bill Cosby.

Aside from the increase in colour, the other thing that stood out for me was the plethora of ample bosoms. The average breast size must be 38 FF. I am not just talking about the female contestants; some of the men have contributed to this figure.

One of these men is Maxwell, who did openly admit to having man-breasts, so I am not spreading malicious gossip. He is a Londoner, an Arsenal supporter (a wise choice!) and very much the current people’s favourite. He is a bit too much of a lad for me and he refers to women as birds (a not so wise choice!). That said I love the way he speaks his mind. Some of the stuff he says can be quite harsh but it makes good viewing and that is what the show is about.

The other thing that the show is about is the pleasure of watching people say stupid things and this year we already have a contender for dumbest comment caught on camera. In her audition video Promotion girl Saskia began a sentence with the words,

“I am three quarter Sri-Lankan so I CANNOT be racist�

She then proceeded to declare that we should have no (more?) foreigners in the country. I think she also added that the ones here should be sent back. Priceless!

No Big Brother is complete with at least one weird and wonderful housemate and this year white witch Mary is the chosen one. She arrived dressed in a cloak and carrying a broomstick and though the audience booed her I really like her. How can you not like someone who has been abducted by aliens SEVEN times?

Oh…and how could I forget the one normal housemate? Roberto. Not much else to say about him for now other than he is undoubtedly the sexiest male house mate.

I would love to ramble on about the remaining housemates but this is only my first therapy session. The Big Brother website has a lot more information.

Just before I finish up I have to mention one more thing:

The Unlucky House Mate:

Anyone who has seen past shows will know that when the voice of Big Brother calls out to housemates and asks for “someone� or “a housemate� to go to the diary room, it is usually not wise to volunteer. The only exception was when Cameron (BB4) volunteered and won himself a week in the Big Brother Africa house. All other times, the eager beaver housemate is given some nasty task.

Clearly Makosi has not watched that many shows. She responded to the call with such enthusiasm only to be met with Big Brother’s solemn voice telling her that this was her first mistake. Her eagerness means that she is automatically up for eviction. The only way she can save herself from the public vote is by ensuring that she gets the most nominations from fellow housemates. She was warned that she can not discuss this secret task with housemates. So for this entire week Makosi is on a mission to annoy and irritate the house. Roll on the drama!

BIG BROTHER UK SEASON SIX STARTS TOMORROW

As usual there is much secrecy surrounding who shall be in the house and what the plan/theme is. However thanks to my excellent sleuthing skills i.e the ability to type ‘Big Brother’ into the Google search box I have found out the following:

• Triskaidekaphobics Beware: This year’s house shall have 13 housemates. Keeping up with superstitions the producers have this to say about the 13th housemate,
  

  …boy you don’t want to be that 13th housemate. They are going to have the unluckiest time of their lives.

  Let the torture begin.

• Nowhere to Hide: Transparent glass walls, heat sensitive cameras that spy on under the covers activities. This year we really shall be seeing it all! I have posted pictures of new see-through walls over at the photo blog.
• The Love-Loft: This may be the only place where the housemates can hide. It is meant to be a secret so I am not sure when/how the residents shall find out about it.

Feeding the Addiction

• Channel 4’s Official BB6 Site
• Digital Spy: Big Brother (DS:BB)
• Mama JunkYards/A Thousand Words: Ok hardly in the same league as the first two sites but I shall blog and post pictures that are BB related. To prove my dedication both blogs even have their very own Big Brother category. I will try to keep my addiction in check.

Prediction:

I am crap at predicting housemates but I figure that since every year they try and have one of each ‘oppressed minority’ I reckon they shall have a Chav housemate. I am still unsure of what the term Chav means. I don’t like the term and I certainly don’t like the way it has now become acceptable to pick on those who apparently fit into the Chav category. There is however a site dedicated to all things chav which I am sure will give a better definition: Chav Website.