Big Brother : the Real Audience
(2002) In Television & New Media 3(3). p.323-340- Abstract
- In this article, the author focuses on Big Brother in relation to audience attraction. I outline the context of factual entertainment and its audience, and the specific experience of watching Big Brother. Seen in relation to factual entertainment as a whole, Big Brother is one of the least popular examples of “documentary as diversion.” Seen in relation to gamedocs, Big Brother is one of the most popular examples of new factual entertainment. The author's research, which uses quantitative and qualitative audience studies, indicates that attraction to Big Brother is based on the social and performative aspects of the program. The focus on the degree of actuality, on real people's improvised performances in the program, leads to a particular... (More)
- In this article, the author focuses on Big Brother in relation to audience attraction. I outline the context of factual entertainment and its audience, and the specific experience of watching Big Brother. Seen in relation to factual entertainment as a whole, Big Brother is one of the least popular examples of “documentary as diversion.” Seen in relation to gamedocs, Big Brother is one of the most popular examples of new factual entertainment. The author's research, which uses quantitative and qualitative audience studies, indicates that attraction to Big Brother is based on the social and performative aspects of the program. The focus on the degree of actuality, on real people's improvised performances in the program, leads to a particular viewing practice: audiences look for the moment of authenticity when real people are “really” themselves in an unreal environment. This, the author argues, is the popularity of the gamedoc, evident in its early incarnation, and writ large in Big Brother spin-offs and sub-sequent series. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/642ef509-2309-4652-a4a2-50401107fea0
- author
- Hill, Annette LU
- publishing date
- 2002
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Big Brother, reality television, television audiences
- in
- Television & New Media
- volume
- 3
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 323 - 340
- publisher
- SAGE Publications
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:84998183101
- ISSN
- 1527-4764
- DOI
- 10.1177/152747640200300307
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- id
- 642ef509-2309-4652-a4a2-50401107fea0
- date added to LUP
- 2016-05-14 15:46:04
- date last changed
- 2022-04-24 07:34:19
@article{642ef509-2309-4652-a4a2-50401107fea0, abstract = {{In this article, the author focuses on Big Brother in relation to audience attraction. I outline the context of factual entertainment and its audience, and the specific experience of watching Big Brother. Seen in relation to factual entertainment as a whole, Big Brother is one of the least popular examples of “documentary as diversion.” Seen in relation to gamedocs, Big Brother is one of the most popular examples of new factual entertainment. The author's research, which uses quantitative and qualitative audience studies, indicates that attraction to Big Brother is based on the social and performative aspects of the program. The focus on the degree of actuality, on real people's improvised performances in the program, leads to a particular viewing practice: audiences look for the moment of authenticity when real people are “really” themselves in an unreal environment. This, the author argues, is the popularity of the gamedoc, evident in its early incarnation, and writ large in Big Brother spin-offs and sub-sequent series.}}, author = {{Hill, Annette}}, issn = {{1527-4764}}, keywords = {{Big Brother; reality television; television audiences}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{3}}, pages = {{323--340}}, publisher = {{SAGE Publications}}, series = {{Television & New Media}}, title = {{Big Brother : the Real Audience}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/152747640200300307}}, doi = {{10.1177/152747640200300307}}, volume = {{3}}, year = {{2002}}, }