Volume 17, Issue 14

What is it about Big Brother that has people glued to the TV screen? Surely it’s not the amazing conversations, and dazzling personalities? It couldn’t possibly be the adolescent antics or even the silly tasks Big Brother orders the participants to carry out. So what then? It seems to me that reality television unashamedly invites the viewer into other people’s worlds. Call it voyeurism if you like, but is there more to it then this? Does it tap into every persons need for connection?

At a glance, Big Brother is a sort of community – albeit one which is contrived, warped and perverse at times – but a community all the same. It is group of individuals attempting to live and relate together. As a viewer, it seems to feed that need we have to belong, our want to connect. It’s a pity we don’t advertise Catholic parish life on commercial television – I think it could be serious competition for Big Brother! The parish provides a connection Big Brother can only vaguely offer. Its community experience is real and is not orchestrated in any way. Parishioners have a change to build lasting, tangible relationships, and most often these are with people who don’t live far away. So how about this for a new concept people: ‘Catholic parish life – an experience in reality.’