Recently there has been a lot of wrangling concerning the impact of the popular tv show, Big Brother. The Big Brother Naija show formerly known as Big Brother Nigeria is a Franchise of the Big Brother Show which started in the Netherlands in 1999 and eventually leagued internationally.
The show is usually held with about 15-21 housemates in a big house, secluded from the outside world. The goal is to live in the house while being watched on tv and avoid being evicted. The first Big Brother Naija episode happened in 2006. The contestants competed for a large cash prize worth $58,252.43 which equals 21 Million.
As much as there is no static answer to the purpose of the show, Big Brother it could be okay to say that the show was founded for entertainment purposes.
Some claims are also that it is a platform to showcase new talents. However, there have also been claims that popular show has an unpleasant impact on society.
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According to the first winner of Big Brother Naija, Katung Aduwak, the show started to attract controversies and get topics for social discussions. According to him, “every time there was a spike of controversy by the show, it was in line with the goal of the organizers”. If this is the intent with which the show was founded then it has not lost its essence. The Big Brother show at different periods has generated a lot of war of words across various social platforms.
Nigerians, however, are not on the same page as to the impact of the show on Nigerian society. Some claim that the show promotes moral decadence while some say it is just an entertainment show and entertainers would do whatever it takes to entertain their audience. Many citizens have also protested that watching the show is a mere waste of time considering that it adds no value to them.
In recent seasons, there have been reports of housemates engaging in sexual activity while being watched on tv. The question is, “should these acts also count as forms of entertainment? Entertainment experts have said that “In entertainment, your audience determines your content”. What is entertaining to a person might not be to another person.
In the case of Big Brother Naija, its target audience are Nigerians and the society has a low tolerance for anything sexual compared to some other countries. This is the reason why so many Nigerians complain about the show. There are however many Nigerians who watch this show, hence, it is difficult to tell whether or not its audience finds the show entertaining.
In summary, the Big Brother Naija show while fulfilling its intent which is spiking controversies according to the first winner, has borne a lot of postulations and fear in the minds of several Nigerians. While some are having fun, some are concerned about the ultimate effect the show will have on society as a whole.
