31 January 2006

Celebrity Big Brother's Banker Game

Britain’s 2006 Celebrity Big Brother TV programme (4th) (UK)

The last session of Celebrity Big Brother ended on Friday, January 27, with Essex girl Chantelle Houghton being voted the winner. But several days before this happy ending, the house was in turmoil. Big Brother had set up a game to be played - the Banker Game - which would involve intrigue, betrayal, and deception.

Unwittingly, Preston and Chantelle came to be the head bankers, through answering the telephone that had been placed in the room, and being invited to take on this task. Along with their responsibility, of buying shares on the stock market, came a secret status of membership in a private social club, unknown to the rest of the housemates, who were ‘just a bunch of bankers’.

On different occasions, the two headed off through the dining room to the Private Members’ Club, to partake of champagne, chocolate, cigars, and scrumptious food. They were not permitted to share this secret, however, and hiding it became increasingly difficult as the other housemates became suspicious. But they not only had the luxury of their existence, they also had the responsibility of getting the housemates to perform two tasks successfully, in order to win a decent amount of food, drink, and cigarettes. The alternative would mean the housemates would be restricted in what they could have. Thus, Chantelle and Preston had to ensure that the housemates completed the tasks successfully.

But there was another side to Big Brother’s scheming. The housemates had been informed that they must lose the tasks the head bankers set for them in order to win the larger amount of food and treats. Furthermore, they were not permitted to tell Chantelle and Prescott. So while the two head bankers tried their best to get the housemates to complete the tasks, the housemates were attempting to undermine the efforts of the two, so that they could fail, thus win. The gameplaying that ensued, the contradictions leading to frustration, with each side working towards a different agenda, with Big Brother exerting its power to create even further havoc in the play, was captivating entertainment.

All this was the result of an ingenious setup by Big Brother. In this microcosm of our daily world, first came the withholding of information - the secrets - then the suspicion, the guilt, and the apparently contradictory agendas. Tensions building, secrets divulged, frustration and disbelief at the betrayals followed, while defensive behaviour and anger towards perceived wrongdoers had the House in turmoil. The housemates did win the extra large supplies, but in the final run of things, was that what really mattered? They were all working towards the same goal - more food and goodies, even though they didn’t seem to see that in the heat of accusations and defensive outbursts. This, indeed, was Big Brother, the way we understand he would be, and is.

Links updated April 2012



Added April 16, 2012

Videos of 2006 Celebrity Big Brother UK:
Highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFvKZSU9hqA CBB 2006 highlights
Bankers private members club (15 Pt 2): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjFiGNJonxs&feature=relmfu
Further tasks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjYIVxl7mN0&feature=relmfu

Housemates: see also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebrity_Big_Brother_2006_(UK)
Chantelle Houghton (winner) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chantelle_Houghton
Michael Barrymore (runner-up) http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0058214/bio
Dennis Rodman http://www.dennisrodman.com/
Faria Alam http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faria_Alam  
George Galloway http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Galloway  
Jodie Marsh http://www.jodiemarshtv.com/
Andrew Major (Maggot) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maggot_(rapper)
Pete Burns http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Burns  
Preston http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Preston_(singer)  
Rula Lenska
                 http://www.rulalenska.co.uk/Rula_Lenska/The_Official_Rula_Lenska_Website.html  
Traci Bingham http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traci_Bingham  
Guests
Jimmy Saville http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Savile  
Richard and Judy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_and_Judy

See also: Big Brother Celebrity George Galloway MP, Jan 13, 2006: http://suemcpherson.blogspot.ca/2006/01/big-brother-celebrity-george-galloway.html

13 January 2006

Big Brother Celebrity George Galloway MP

Britain’s 2006 Celebrity Big Brother TV programme (4th) (UK)

George Galloway is causing quite a stir in Celebrity Big Brother on Channel 4. He entered the house, along with ten others, on the evening of thursday, January 5th. It was Day 8, a week later, on Jan 12, when, apparently following Big Brother’s orders, Galloway crawled up to actress Rula Lenska, while on prime-time television, pretending to be a cat lapping up imaginary milk from her cupped hands. This controversial display might have seemed erotic to some viewers; to others, it might have been considered disgusting or offensive. Either way, it couldn't be considered a worthy depiction of a cat lapping milk. But one has to admit, these antics do place him squarely into the realm of performance Big Brother seems to prefer; it is, after, all, people relating to one another in the diverse ways they do that makes it interesting. We would have to assume that this performance was spontaneous, and that Ruth Lenska was not responsible for the actions of George Galloway. In other words, it was not planned between the two of them. Galloway is already in trouble, for not being there for his constituents, although his office is still open.

As an MP, he has taken liberties, apparently, abandoning them while he goes off for up to three weeks to be with celebrities of various kinds, all willingly exposing their personalities, including quirks and flaws, in front of the camera. For these individuals to be together for up to three weeks, never knowing whether they will be voted out during the next round (by each other and the public) or be required to stay, is just part of the indignity of the situation.

Galloway doesn’t deserve either to be seen as a laughing stock or granted respect for his cat-antics. He is simply doing what a man does. George Galloway is the first member of Parliament - the Respect party - to take part in Celebrity Big Brother.



Added April 16, 2012

Videos
George Galloway plays the role of a cat (original) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1NIuCt72bU 
george galloway being a cat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-D5XoNWFSQ

For more on the other housemates, see
Celebrity Big Brother’s Banker Game
By Sue McPherson
Sue’s Views on the News
Jan 31, 2006
http://suemcpherson.blogspot.ca/2006/02/celebrity-big-brothers-banker-game.html