By Lucia Edafioka
So Big Brother Nigeria, the controversial reality show spun off from Big Brother Africa, which first started sometime in 2002 has been on for over a week. Lovers of the reality show can be seen tweeting away.
The first controversy the show created a few seasons back came from the federal government. Remember when the FG was probing why the show was taking place in South Africa? Like, of all the problems we have in this country that was their headache. Anyway, the dust settled and the show continued.
The next controversy is now coming from citizens. People are asking that the show should be banned, not aired on television. Some say it has no moral lessons, others say instead of youths to focus on improving the country they are wasting their time etc etc and I am just amazed. When mentioning the problems of this country, after our bad government, lack of electricity and bad roads, one should not forget to add hypocrisy, it is a huge problem.
First, anytime I hear that Nigerian youths are wasting their time, or are lazy or any silly criticism I get angry. People who were youths in the 1960s ruined this country, they ruined it, looted it dry and are now always fast to point fingers at ‘Children of these days’ who actually are striving, working hard to survive in the useless country they left for us.
Next, Big Brother Nigeria is an adult show, rated 18. There is a reason DSTV has parental control, you can control what your wards see on TV, and if you as an adult do not like the show, fine. Nobody is putting a gun to your head to watch it.
Then there was the NGO, CitizenGO, which started gathering votes online to stop the airing of Big Brother Naija (#BBNaija) sometime ago. The group sent the petition to policymakers, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the Presidency and the public.
Then a Lagos Lawmaker, a Nigerian politician, added that “the content of Big Brother Naija reality show is alien to our culture.”
This is just classic Nigerian with the annoying moral superiority and right they think they have over people. What exactly is your business with how adults entertain themselves? This is why random strangers will scold you for dressing how you like, for chewing gum, for wearing anklets, for holding hands with a boy, just anything.
I remember while growing up, some Deeper Life Aunty told my friend’s Mum to stop her from reading novels, especially Harry Potter because it will initiate her into witchcraft. People are always quick to shout culture and traditions when it suits them, Nigeria has over 200 tribes so that’s 200 different cultures so which culture are you talking about exactly?
And then there are Christians saying the devil is using Big Brother to fight against the faith and yada yada. Is the devil forcing you to watch it also? Can’t you block the channel? Nigeria is not a Christian nation. Because now it is Big Brother, next thing some other person will decide Gidi Up Or Funke Akindele’s Jenifa is alien to our culture and should be blocked. This is how these things start.
I am not watching Big Brother because I have no interest in it, I watch and have stumbled upon some of the most random and weird shows on YouTube. Parents who are screaming about how this show is bad for young people do you know what your kids are doing on the internet? Do you? There are far worse things on the internet which you have no control over than Big Brother and how are you trying to regulate it?
I agree with moderating what your child consumes through books or TV, but for adults and members of the society? NO.
The amusing thing about this moral superiority people have is that there are no laid down rules – everyone makes their own rules and try to shove it down people’s throats. The result of this is a population of people who cannot be their true selves in public, people who hold down or hide their basic needs and desires. Talk to doctors about HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, you’ll be surprised at the number of gay people we have in this country, most of them married with kids yet Nigeria is one of the most homophobic countries on earth.
Dear Nigerian morality police, it is not right to give people, especially adults, unsolicited advice- apply them to your own lives and flourish. If people want to pay money to watch a group of other people eating and sleeping with each other, let them be.
DSTV has over 500 channels, tune in to another one that suits you.
Let folks be!