Big Brother – Sharon in Trouble

The Observer (Kampala)

Felix Eupal

25 May 2011

analysis

So, Tanzania’s Lotus was disqualified on Friday. Big Brother argues that rules are rules and any housemate who gets physically violent with another shall be evicted. Lotus was disqualified two hours after she got into a verbal fight with South Africa’s Luclay and ended up slapping him. But then again, Big Brother prides in the fact that the show is ‘Africa’s biggest reality TV series’.

By definition, reality is the state of things as they actually happen. So, Big brother should reconsider and stop calling it a ‘reality’ TV show because there is no reality.

Last year, South African Lerato’s provocation cost Hannington his chances and now Luclay’s nerve-touching has dwindled East Africa’s chances. The loyal viewers can be assured they are not going to have any real emotional outbursts or real fights because Big Brother seems to prefer acting.

The only ‘reality’ Biggie seems to tolerate is the housemates’ libido and they are now concentrating on lusting for each other to stay in the house. Those who do the unthinkable for Africa on TV, like season 3’s Richard Bezuidenhout, are ironically given a standing ovation. In fact, the married Richard who repeatedly cheated on his wife on live television, was rewarded with the grand prize that year.

But display of anger in an unscripted environment is rewarded too harshly in the house. Hannington’s fracas was a shove not a punch; Lotus’ slaps were really girly tantrums. However, some believe that Big Brother was right and that was the way to go because to producers, discipline is paramount.

To others, who I side with, where is the fun in watching a bunch of grown-ups pretend to be someone they are not? And for those with anger issues, what are their options in such confined space with free flowing alcohol and nudity? Perhaps avail a shrink?

Well, the show still has ten more weeks to go and at least there are still two reasons for me to keep watching: one, the hottest girl in the house Hanni is still safe. Yes, hottest, because however patriotic I may, be this Ethiopian is way hotter than our Sharon. She passed the test my mother told me to subject every girl to – see what she looks like as she sleeps, when she has just woken up and when she is absent-minded.

Damn Hanni is still smashing. The other reason is that South African Nkuli was evicted on Sunday. Her amazing ignorance made her presence in the house painful. She once told Lotus that until BBA, she thought Zanzibar was a hot club in Tanzania: “So, it is an island?!”

Meanwhile, Sharon this time is up for eviction after receiving the second highest number of votes. Most of her housemates pinned her for being “lazy and not getting involved in household chores”. Also, the hairdresser from Mozambique Michael is the unlucky one after being put up by head of house Vimbai, who saved Hanni.

Nigeria’s Vina and Ghana’s Confidence are the other nominated housemates for eviction show. Use your Warid or utl line and start texting ‘Vote Sharon O’ to 6626 to save our girl. You can also vote on the bigbrotherafrica.com website and Mxit.

AllAfrica – All the Time