Mary Rose: Big Brother is watching...or is it the other way around?

When staying in Ireland, who didn’t turn on the television looking for an episode of South Park or a random hurling match, and instead found 50 channels (ok, that’s an exaggeration) pertaining to Big Brother? There is, of course, the channel with the surveillance camera placed in the house so the viewer can creepily watch everyone – but usually only watch since the sound would cut out and instead of talking, the melodious chirping of birds was heard. Then there is the channel with shows ABOUT Big Brother such as Big Brother’s Little Brother, and Big Brother Interview. As if that wasn’t enough, even when you have the presence of mind to turn the TV off and venture into the real world, conversations about who’s doing what on Big Brother are everywhere.
Big Brother originated in the Netherlands, and first aired in 1999. The United Kingdom and Ireland joined the hype in 2000, and have aired seven seasons, while the eighth is currently airing. There have also been five seasons of Celebrity Big Brother aired in the British Isles, along with Teen Big Brother, and an unforgettable Big Brother Panto, when selected members of different seasons of the show performed a pantomime of Cinderella in 2004.
Big Brother never really caught on in America. Granted it parallels the UK’s airing schedule, but where are all of the other shows, and 24/7 surveillance cameras, and the pantomimes of fairy tales? What is the difference between American culture and European culture that separates us from the Big Brother phenomenon? We’re just as, if not more guilty of relishing in the private details of people’s lives; you can get updates on Lindsay Lohan’s rehab situation hourly on your blackberry. Americans are gluttons for reality shows – I present for evidence the fact that there are not one but two seasons of VH1’s I Love New York (which I watch avidly and am only slightly ashamed of). Maybe Americans have too many reality shows. Why watch Big Brother when you can watch Brett Michaels: Rock of Love, or Scott Baio is 45 and Single?
Delving into the European versus American psyches is more like a dissertation than a blog entry. I just wanted to call attention to this difference which may seem insignificant, but which says a lot about our respective societies. When in Ireland, I heard Americans speak of Big Brother as though they were above it, as though our culture was better for not watching it. I don’t think that’s a fair assumption; afterall, we still have America’s Got Talent. But I think when you get right down to it, being fascinated with other ordinary people’s lives spans cultures and generations, and is part of what makes us human.