Why is this so personal?
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Why is this so personal?
Midwestern | Tuesday, September 26, 2000 - 08:32 am  I just finished reading yet another thread that started out on a positive note then ended up in a bash fest. Real/unreal, classy/crude, funny/boring, need/want. We all like different houseguests for different reasons. That's because we all come from different backgrounds and experiences. Thank goodness we don't all have the same opinions and values. Many people on this board are just unwilling to agree to disagree. Why is it necessary to continually find reasons to bash a houseguest and the people who support them? Why is it necessary to vigorously defend a game show contestant? Why are people taking this so personally? Dr Drew, are you listening? BTW, I'm not bashing those who are passionate about their particular houseguest(s). I'm just trying to understand why people get so worked up about it. |
Boogie | Tuesday, September 26, 2000 - 08:40 am  I agree with you (what would I have done if I didn't? ha ha ha ha!!) Loved this message board when it was more about talking about what's happening in the house. Now it's just about how stupid people are to support or hate any of the houseguests... I love them all.... and applaud their ambition to even GO in that house. I have my favorites, but I have my favorite writers on this board, too. I find myself liking the more open minded ones, and not reading the ignorant posts. But alas, that's what makes this board so awesome... there's lots of different people with different opinions. I'll be back for BB2!!! (did I just contradict myself in one post? It's possible... ) |
Battlestar | Tuesday, September 26, 2000 - 08:42 am  Boogie--OH no--you contradicted yourself!!!!! You're 2-faced--off wirh your head--you're banished !!!! |
Boogie | Tuesday, September 26, 2000 - 08:47 am  Ha ha ha... finally! I actually LAUGHED when I came back to see what you said... haven't laughed on this board for a LONG TIME!!! |
Deni_San | Tuesday, September 26, 2000 - 09:15 am  I think we take it personally because we have invested 3 months of our lives to this show and its outcome. Something has kept us watching through badly done TV shows, and that something is we are invested. We want to know how its going to turn out and we hope that the person we have grown attached to gets it. I started out in BBBlows making fun of the show and who we called "hamsters". As time went on, I couldn't post to that board because I became a fan, which is a cardinal sin. The turning point for me was the roasts, I felt sorry for the HGs being forced to say lame and spiteful jokes. They became flesh and blood humans other than just hamsters in their habitrail. |
Marymary | Tuesday, September 26, 2000 - 09:26 am  Deni San: I started out on BBBlows too (found my way there from Survivor) and I utterly hated BB, my husband and I just used to laugh at it and everybody in it. But I guess I started to actually LIKE the HGs and I also agree that the "roast" was a turning point when I began to empathasize with them. I didn't come onto this board until Karen was almost out of there, and the BBBLows board was just completely cruel about her. By the way, I still look over there from time to time and there is a thread up making fun of how serious everyone on the BBFC boards are. One of them posted the "If the HGs were a mucus membrane thread." Ha ha. |
Rmgreco | Tuesday, September 26, 2000 - 09:27 am  It's because we watch them 24/7, so we feel like they are long lost friends or something. It's crazy!! I can't believe I feel so passionately about the HGs! But it has been fun! But I definately agree that people have gone bezerk here lately. I guess it is because it is almost over and things are getting down to the nitty gritty. People are tense. Hopefully we will lose some of the haters by BB2! |
Smrtass | Tuesday, September 26, 2000 - 09:31 am  I take it so personally because I don't understand why y'all don't understand that MY opinion is the right one!!! ;) BTW, how do you make the smiley faces and hearts show up? |
Versai | Tuesday, September 26, 2000 - 09:36 am  I think people may take the big brother and these threads so personally because of the self validation/judging factor that is involved. A lot of people have said that we are judging the HGs actions, but I don't believe this is true. Yes, we are looking & listening at the house guests, but we have no idea what they may or may not be thinking. So, we mentally try to put ourselves in that situation and try to figure out what we would have had to had been thinking to say or produce that action. Then, we transfer our thinking/logic to the HGs to form an opinion about them. We are really (I think) projecting ourselves on the HGs--so that makes it personal. For example, let's say I think Jaime is overambitious, shallow, etc. because she picked the casting guy over her mom. Now, I don't know what Jaime is thinking, but the only way I could see myself doing that is if I were selfish etc. I would be someone that I didn't like/didn't want to become. So I project that on Jaime. I'm not judging Jaime herself, but that "evil" person I don't want to be. Also, if someone else writes a post defending Jaime, you are defending/validating that "evil" version of me I would detest--and of course I can't let you get away with that. Same goes with Eddie. Eddie has said some prejudiced/sexist thing. Again, don't know what he is thinking while his lips are flapping. Here comes the comparison-"Hey, I know it's not P.C. but I chuckle at 'inappropriate' humor every once in a while--but I know I'm racist or sexist." So neither is Eddie. But once you've projected your own feelings on Eddie, someone who says Eddie IS a racist is saying you aren't much better. Someone who thinks Eddie is prejudiced has probably thought, "I wouldn't let that word come from my lips unless I was a racist jerk." So defenders of Eddie's behavior are saying it's okay to be a racist jerk or this vision of you that is unpleasing. Well, that's what I think the problem is. |
Dulci | Tuesday, September 26, 2000 - 09:40 am  Smrtass - go here: http://www.bomis.com/bigbrother/cgi-bin/discus/board-image-lister.cgi |
Smrtass | Tuesday, September 26, 2000 - 09:47 am  Dulci, thank you very much! Now I'm stylin'!  |
Sammy | Tuesday, September 26, 2000 - 10:34 am  I think part of the problem might be that there's not much happening in the house these days to talk about! We're all still here looking for 'storylines' -- but there's nothing much to grab on to ... just down to cheering on our favorites, and bashing anyone who disagrees. |
Enbwife | Tuesday, September 26, 2000 - 06:25 pm  I take it so personally because I have practically spent my whole summer obsessed about the show and this site (mainly because my husband created and maintains the BBFC) and I now feel like I know the house guests. When someone cuts down my favourite house guest, I feel like I have to defend him, (it's really weird)! That's funny about the BB Blows site criticizing us here at the BBFC. It just shows that we at the BBFC have a heart  |
Twiggyish | Tuesday, September 26, 2000 - 07:22 pm  Enbwife and Neil
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Mbliving | Wednesday, September 27, 2000 - 08:17 pm  I also started out at BBBlows. I still pop in once in a while because they have a couple of very funny people on there. But I really got tired of the constant insulting. I felt that I couldn't post unless I was putting someone down. It got old, fast. We got to know and really care about the HG's. Eddie is a hard one to like. I feel (like several others) that I understand him. When someone is really bashing him it feels a little personal. I sometimes feel like they are insulting my intelligence and questioning my values, upbringing, etc. So it can get a little personal. Its also getting tiring and old. It would be nice to discuss the HG's without dragging them and us threw the mud. |
Adven39 | Thursday, September 28, 2000 - 07:29 am  Agreed, Mbliving. Unfortunately, although this a moderated board, there are potentially hundreds of people who could read anything you might post here. In that kind of mix you are going to get people who have very extreme views on the HG's and who are unwilling to consider any viewpoint other than their own. Although I think most posters are reasonable and can disagree with each other in a rational fashion, getting attacked is the inevitable down side of having the courage to share your views here. I figure if anyone can get that upset and nasty over someone else's views on a character(or about the character him\herself) in a reality tv show, then they likely have issues that go beyond the boundaries of BB. Ignore them or feel sorry for them, but don't give them the satisfaction of taking them seriously. |
Franny1 | Thursday, September 28, 2000 - 07:57 am  Boogie you better be careful or you will be accused of not being real. What's wrong with you don't you have a statagy when you post on these threads. Keep your story straight. Contradictions are not allowed. LOL |
Ledarney | Thursday, September 28, 2000 - 11:30 am  Versai, I loved your post. I agree with your explanatioin of why some of us take it so seriously. My self included. ;) I went through a rough two week period after will left and Jordan becaome the next target Jordan became the next target. When somebody asks now why Jordan is my favorite, my first reaction to defend her actions or try to rationalize them. As more time went by I realized that it was not so much Jordan actions in the house but the person I thought I could see beyond the wall of BB. Your example about Jamie is very interesting, I would like to say that it also works in reverse, when we see some of your own traits in the HGs, and then read people bashing that HG, they are bashing us at the sametime. I did get into a small argument with a supporter of Eddie's about 2 months ago, has it been that long, this person saw the kind, gentle, warm and generous eddie at the same time all I could see was the loud mouth, cursing, belching, rude person. At that time I could not see myself ever voting for eddie to win. No dought this can apply to all the other HGs now or in the past. Before we make our final judgements, we should step back, give the HGs some time and then get to now them better. I am lucky enough to be able to exchange e-mails with Jordan several times a week, and I am see those others sides of her. I am sure that Britt, Karen, Cass, George, Mega and Jamie are nice people. If only we had a chance to know them outside of the house. |
Whatever | Thursday, September 28, 2000 - 12:48 pm  My retrospective thoughts on winning Big Brother and why the BB experience was both intriguing and fascinating: Here's Why [insert winner's name here] Won Big Brother I think one of the reasons BB viewers are so involved in the BB experience is because it touches upon a tremendous need to search for meaning and expression of one's personal values within the context of the BB game. |
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