It's a start... [img]graemlins/blueblink.gif[/img]

<h3>Country Bans Big Brother</h3>
Moses Serugo
Kampala
Big Brother Africa has been taken off the air in Malawi after the country's parliament condemned it as immoral.
A report on the BBC Web site yesterday said that Malawi's parliament voted to ban the pan-African reality series from its public TV station because of concerns about its sexual content.
The Malawian action follows a number of complaints the chairman of Malawi's parliamentary committee on the media said he had received, particularly from parents.
Mr Taylor Nothale said most Malawians felt the show might encourage young people to engage in immoral behaviour.
"People are subjected to horrible pictures which are corrupting the morals of our children," Mr Nothale said.
Ugandan housemate Gaetano Kaggwa and South Africa's Abby Plaatjes have been sexually intimate a number of times.
The opposition leader, Mr Gwanda Chakuamba, was quoted to have said: "We want the government to stop that nonsense on TV."
Most of Malawi's 10.6 million people are deeply conservative Christians.
It also has a Muslim minority.
Malawi has become the third African nation to condemn the series following concerns raised by Namibia's President Sam Nujoma and religious leaders in Zambia.
Big Brother Africa originally featured 12 contestants, each from a different African country, locked together inside the Big Brother house in Johannesburg.
There are now eight housemates left in the house.
They have complained that some of the footage broadcast is too explicit.
State-run Television Malawi has been broadcasting highlights of the South Africa-based show every evening.
Malawi had a contestant, Mr Zein Dudah, who was evicted a month ago.
"If [the show] didn't generate any controversy, the project would be a failure," Big Brother producer Carl Fischer told the BBC.
Rich Malawians will, however, still be able to watch the show on satellite television.
<h6>Source: Alla Africa</h6>

All kidding aside, maybe a good opportunity to discuss "reality" shows like Survivor and Big Brother. Are they really immoral, or just pedestrian entertainment not worth the trouble? And for those who actually like it, why? [img]graemlins/wow.gif[/img] ;)

No chance that will ever happen here dude, after all, we invented "Crap TV".

Can you believe they actually announced the second Idols competition ? I'm still recovering from the musical horrors i witnessed in the first edition, and already they start a new one. Are they THAT eager to fill the charts with cheesy artists and even more cheesy songs ?

If it sells, why not? http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/no...ons/icon37.gif :rolleyes:
I suppose we'll just have to put more effort in trying to avoid it... That's why I did. ;) I hardly watch TV nor listen to the radio anymore; as a result, my tv is mostly an expensive way to get my daily dose of Seinfeld, though. [img]graemlins/blueblink.gif[/img]

[ 08-11-2003, 03:09 PM: Message edited by: Grojlach ]

There is hope for mankind after all! [img]smile.gif[/img]

You think this is bad, just wait for Bi-TEMPTATION ISLAND!!!! [img]graemlins/biglaugh.gif[/img]

We have not yet begun to debauch!! You just wait!!

One day, you'll see -- we will all be free to enjoy the flesh to its fullest once the great Slaanesh is awakened. ;)

Bi temptation island ?

That's it.... from now on nothing but Animal Planet.

Banning Big Brother alike shows is a great thing, IMO, but only if you do that because they are outright crap and they are dangerous on the children who might grow up idiots. But when you ban them because "immoral sexual content", it's just a victory of the moral-righteous-religious-conservatorism, and that isn't a great leap forward for democracy or mankind. I want to be able to choose what is immoral, not be forced to by old ladies with a Bible in their hands (or in this case old men with long beards and the Holy Koran in their hands)

<font color=cadetblue>Well in this case, the old men would not be carrying the Koran, they'd be carrying a Bible as the article pointed out, most Malawians are Christians.</font>

I agree. Particularly in the West, with it's moral diversity, banning a worthless show like Big Brother wouldn't do much good. It wouldn't change the fact that there are millions of people who love to empty out their brains each night and watch this crap.

Educate the people and introduce semi-intelligent mindless crap, like the old Tick cartoon!!!!!

And as for Bi-Temptation Island...I just hope it wouldn't be Gilligan's Bi-Temptation Island.

Hmmm, I still love Survivor. It is the first, it changes ever so subtly every season, and has seemed to avoid the sensational trappings of many of it's copycats. It is entertaining and an interesting lesson in microcosmic sociology IMO.

[ 08-13-2003, 04:10 AM: Message edited by: Chewbacca ]

I agree. Particularly in the West, with it's moral diversity, banning a worthless show like Big Brother wouldn't do much good. It wouldn't change the fact that there are millions of people who love to empty out their brains each night and watch this crap.

Educate the people and introduce semi-intelligent mindless crap, like the old Tick cartoon!!!!!

And as for Bi-Temptation Island...I just hope it wouldn't be Gilligan's Bi-Temptation Island. </font>[/QUOTE]My favorite stations on tv are The Learning Channel and Discovery Channel, that being said I still enjoy "emtying out my brain" three nights a week with this crap! :D

You can read all about it -- HERE. Not Gilligan's island. But, now that you mention it, who wouldn't want to see a Ginger/Mary Ann sandwich?

Why, yes, I would Timber. But only if it is the Ginger and Mary-Ann of the original show. I REALLY don't want to see them do it now. :D

Oh my god... how low are they going to go...

I'm waiting for No Survivor - Damnation Island

Bunch of stupid people (people who watch reality shows are very good candidates) are shipped of to a desert Island were there is nothing but sand, there they are kept for two days and after two days you realease hungry lion to chase them down, when one stupid people is left, we get him of the island and put him on a pedestal... and shoot him in the head...

Thats the show I'm taping!

When you say stupid people do you mean people that say stuff like, "you release hungry lion to chase them down". Or maybe "when one stupid people is left". Or people that use commas instead of periods, put capital letters where they dont belong? Or maybe just people that want to see someone get shot in the head for the entertainment value?

When you say stupid people do you mean people that say stuff like, "you release hungry lion to chase them down". Or maybe "when one stupid people is left". Or people that use commas instead of periods, put capital letters where they dont belong? Or maybe just people that want to see someone get shot in the head for the entertainment value? </font>[/QUOTE]Should you really be picking on someone who is a non-native speaker of the language? IMO, that is absolutely against the international spirit of IWF. Some people learn the majority of their English here, and that is a good thing in my opinion. Please don't stymie them to satisfy some need for a smarmy put-down.

When you say stupid people do you mean people that say stuff like, "you release hungry lion to chase them down". Or maybe "when one stupid people is left". Or people that use commas instead of periods, put capital letters where they dont belong? Or maybe just people that want to see someone get shot in the head for the entertainment value? </font>[/QUOTE]Should you really be picking on someone who is a non-native speaker of the language? IMO, that is absolutely against the international spirit of IWF. Some people learn the majority of their English here, and that is a good thing in my opinion. Please don't stymie them to satisfy some need for a smarmy put-down. </font>[/QUOTE]I was replying to what I percieved as a smarmy putdown Timber...."Bunch of stupid people (people who watch reality shows are very good candidates)" I enjoy watching some reality shows and I am far from stupid. Maybe I took it a little to personal. As for "picking on" a non native speaker of english, it appeared to me that Jorath was just being careless with his typing since all his spelling was perfect. My sincerest apologies to Jorath if he is a non native speaker of english. Although I have serious doubts about people who want to see someone get shot in the head....even as a joke.

Oh, certainly there were things to take issue with in what he wrote. I was merely pointing out that the grammar mistakes might be an innappropriate nit to pick.

I too watch some reality shows -- how the hell can you avoid them these days? I watched The Restaurant last night, so I'm in the boat with ya. ;) BTW, what a CRAP restaurant Rocco's is -- I've been through restaurant openings and have NEVER seen them go that bad. :( He should stick to the kitchen.

Arf, I'm very sorry guys, the line that goes "People who watch..." was supose to be "People who make", I was in a hurry when I posted this and my brain was somewhere else... or maybe it was something subconcious I'll look into it.

And yes Grendal, I am stupid, I never said I wasn't, and hoping that this would be understood as anything else but sarcasm was apparantly very stupid of me, I apologise.

And I don't enjoy watching people get shot for entertainment value but unfortunatly there are people that do, I saw a documentary on reality shows and there was a producer who said that if he could he would kill a person on a reality show... for entertainment value, how sick is that?