Big Bother

As I have not seen the programme "Big Brother" I do not feel qualified to comment on whether those who are taking part are being racist, though that does not appear to have inhibited some politicans who have not seen it either.

However, there is no doubt that the programme has been perceived as racist by the thousands of people who have complained and around the world, especially in India, which means that under the MacPherson report definition of a racist remark or incident there is a problem to be investigated.

More to the point, if the quotes attributed to Big Brother participants in the Evening Standard were broadcast on air, they would have been offensive regardless of the skin colour either of the people making the comments or the person they were made about.

In a sense the makers of the programme have been hoist with their own petard. If you try to get on a radio phone in or a programme line "Question Time" and make offensive or racist remarks, the broadcasters will censor them. The trouble is that having tried to boost the ratings of programmes like Big Brother by deliberately allowing outrageous behaviour and using shock as a marketing tool, they have been placed in a position where material damaging to Britain as well as Channel 4 appears to have been broadcast.

Perhaps it is time we outgrew the idea of upsetting people for the sake of ratings or critical acclaim.

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