Does watching Big Brother lower your IQ?

BattleCorp

I had the misfortune over the past few weeks to see a few minutes here and there of Big Brother, not by choice I must add.

How the fcuk anybody watches that drivel is beyond me.

Get a heap (technical term) of shouty, egotistical ar5eholes into a house and film them shouting and roaring at each other.

Entertainment - I think not.

You'd surely have to get thicker the more you watch that sh1te.

Sonics2k

Yes

kfallon

It causes your IQ to go from a Natural Number to an Integer.....

Menas

Even reading a thread about big brother can lower your IU...eh...IQ.

diomed

Already low.

The Backwards Man

You could be talking about Newsnight with that description OP. I always find you learn more from watching stupid people than you do from copying smart ones.

stephenl15

I watch Big Brother. It's great entertainment! People seem to just dismiss it as "oh that shhite again why would anyone watch that" without ever seeing it before.

NachoBusiness

BattleCorp wrote: »

I had the misfortune over the past few weeks to see a few minutes here and there of Big Brother, not by choice I must add.

Eh, taking you at your word that you had no choice but to witness these few minutes "here and there" - why though are you still thinking about it?

Wouldn't be that it interests you now would it?

wp_rathead

Saw 15 minutes of a "celebrity" (I use that term loosely) big brother before - i didn't get the appeal personally, they were just chatting to each other on a couch

lertsnim

stephenl15 wrote: »

I watch Big Brother. It's great entertainment! People seem to just dismiss it as "oh that shhite again why would anyone watch that" without ever seeing it before.

As someone who has seen it before I do ask "why would anyone watch that". It is television for the brain dead. The same people that get excited by sparks falling from the ceiling on X Factor. "ooooooh shiny and sparkly"

catallus

Surely the fact one is watching it anyways would suggest a low intelligence level to begin with?

So no harm done, I suppose.

kneemos

Saw a bit of a one on another channel,"Love House"or something.Made Big Brother look like an episode of Horizon.

Bit like watching a soap I suppose,getting involved with the characters and what not.

Robsweezie

i would disagree, there are actually very well thought out, articulate opinions expressed in the big brother thread. not just '' I hate marc cos he's mean'' or ''jack is the best he's so cute'' genuine intelligent debate on the psychology and personalities of the housemates and the environment they are in. they have even been referred to as leaving cert essays of debate and opinion.

mailforkev

I landed on Sex and the City 2 while flicking through the channels last night, couldn't change channel quick enough to stop at least one brain cell escaping out my ears.

Big Brother is almost high brow compared to that.

inforfun

It was a Dutch invention many years ago, Big Brother.
The very first series on Dutch tv was actually amusing but each and every one after that was utter rubbish.
1 or 2 people from that original one, went on to have a bit of a career so everybody going in Big Brother after that tried to come over as special as possible to attract attention.
The first series was just normal people beign themselves but it was the only one where that happened.

Now, many, many years later the Dutch owe the world an apology for coming out with this rubbish and the numerous spin offs.

So...sorry!

somesoldiers

BattleCorp wrote: »

I had the misfortune over the past few weeks to see a few minutes here and there of Big Brother, not by choice I must add.

How the fcuk anybody watches that drivel is beyond me.

Get a heap (technical term) of shouty, egotistical ar5eholes into a house and film them shouting and roaring at each other.

Entertainment - I think not.

You'd surely have to get thicker the more you watch that sh1te.

Dail TV?

I only watch BB for the tits...Marc and Sam, I think, are their names

suicide_circus

Great viewing for those in a persistent vegetative state

mailforkev

mailforkev wrote: »

I landed on Sex and the City 2 while flicking through the channels last night, couldn't change channel quick enough to stop at least one brain cell escaping out my ears.

I saw that on an aeroplane a while back.

I assume it was financed by the Emirati Tourism Board or something? It's like one long, insipid infomercial for Abu Dhabi. I can sit through an episode of SATC no problem, but that shite movie makes Big Brother look like arthouse.

Future Primitive

Robsweezie wrote: »

i would disagree, there are actually very well thought out, articulate opinions expressed in the big brother thread. not just '' I hate marc cos he's mean'' or ''jack is the best he's so cute'' genuine intelligent debate on the psychology and personalities of the housemates and the environment they are in. they have even been referred to as leaving cert essays of debate and opinion.

The contestants are idiots though.

I'd draw parallels with studying animals in a controlled environment, but I've too much respect for animals.

stephenl15

Future Primitive wrote: »

The contestants are idiots though.

I'd draw parallels with studying animals in a controlled environment, but I've too much respect for animals.

Marc is a Phd student in Maynooth in (I think) Chemistry and Biology

NachoBusiness

Future Primitive wrote: »

The contestants are idiots though.

Eh, some are, some aren't. At the end of the day it's just a game show with a large amount of money on offer. Not sure why you feel contestants who enter it are all idiots by default. That's not a very bright thing to say.

One eyed Jack

stephenl15 wrote: »

Marc is a Phd student in Maynooth in (I think) Chemistry and Biology

As has been witnessed with numerous 'balls of fire' on social media lately, academic intelligence doesn't always correlate with social intelligence.

While he's certainly academic and media savvy, this doesn't preclude him from being perceived as a giant cock.

Generic Dreadhead

NachoBusiness wrote: »

Eh, some are, some aren't. At the end of the day it's just a game show with a large amount of money on offer. Not sure why you feel contestants who enter it are all idiots by default. That's not a very bright thing to say.

Well most of the winners have been idiots, usually idiots the idiot public in said country can idiotically relate to, like idiots

Idiots

dark crystal

I'd love to know what intellectually stimulating programmes the OP and others on here watch. I'm betting they don't spend their evenings watching art house films and documentaries about the philosophical teachings of Tibetan monks.


I imagine, like most people, they like to watch something easy and entertaining for an hour or so. Perhaps whilst glugging on a beer with their hand down their pants whilst guffawing at something funny they spotted on catswholooklikehitler.com.


If I'm wrong, please excuse the ignorant generalisation. I realise how smug and moronic generalisations like this can come across.

kneemos

dark crystal wrote: »

I'd love to know what intellectually stimulating programmes the OP and others on here watch. I'm betting they don't spend their evenings watching art house films and documentaries about the philosophical teachings of Tibetan monks.


I imagine, like most people, they like to watch something easy and entertaining for an hour or so. Perhaps whilst glugging on a beer with their hand down their pants whilst guffawing at something funny they spotted on catswholooklikehitler.com.


If I'm wrong, please excuse the ignorant generalisation. I realise how smug and moronic generalisations like this can come across.

Oh snap !

yerwanthere123

I used to love it about seven or eight years ago, however it got dull when they started running out of ideas and the housemates became too aware of the cameras/what to do to get attention etc. It was on it's last legs when channel 4 pulled the plug on it, so I'm genuinely baffled as to how people can still find it enjoyable on channel 5.

catallus

dark crystal wrote: »

catswholooklikehitler.com.

Well, there goes my evening :pac:

I suppose it's a sort of 'the chicken or the egg' scenario.

I wouldn't be too harsh on people who watch BB, we all have our guilty pleasures. For me, watching two teams of people on a pitch chase a ball around isn't entertainment anymore than something like BB is. We're all different and all that.

Future Primitive

NachoBusiness wrote: »

Eh, some are, some aren't. At the end of the day it's just a game show with a large amount of money on offer. Not sure why you feel contestants who enter it are all idiots by default. That's not a very bright thing to say.

I disagree. I think anyone who reduces themselves to arguing dramatically over petty things and purposely making fools of themselves for public consumption is a moron.

Generic Dreadhead

Like Court Jesters.... but without the talent..... Like that one mate all of your friends think is an "Absolute loon" or "HE'll say anything, he's gas".... but a room full of like 14 of them.... literally spending their full time... on TV... being mad bastards

Future Primitive

Future Primitive wrote: »

I disagree. I think anyone who reduces themselves to arguing dramatically over petty things and purposely making fools of themselves for public consumption is an moron.

What about someone with limited options who seizes the opportunity to become a household name on the back of a reality show, and parlays that into a lucrative, if short lived, media career, thereby setting themselves up in a way they wouldn't have been able to otherwise?

Moronic? Or pragmatic?

dark crystal

catallus wrote: »

Well, there goes my evening :pac:

Philistine!

BattleCorp

NachoBusiness wrote: »

Eh, taking you at your word that you had no choice but to witness these few minutes "here and there" - why though are you still thinking about it?

Wouldn't be that it interests you now would it?

I wouldn't want to see a child run over by a car but I'd still be thinking about such a thing after I had seen it.

I pretty much feel the same about big brother.

One eyed Jack

dark crystal wrote: »

I'd love to know what intellectually stimulating programmes the OP and others on here watch. I'm betting they don't spend their evenings watching art house films and documentaries about the philosophical teachings of Tibetan monks.


I imagine, like most people, they like to watch something easy and entertaining for an hour or so. Perhaps whilst glugging on a beer with their hand down their pants whilst guffawing at something funny they spotted on catswholooklikehitler.com.


If I'm wrong, please excuse the ignorant generalisation. I realise how smug and moronic generalisations like this can come across.

There's a middle ground surely? While I agree that finding shows like BB entertaining isn't an indication of a person's intelligence one way or the other, I do have to wonder having watched CBB5, what kind of a person would find the vile behavior of other people entertaining?

I understand to each their own and all, but what is it that's particularly entertaining about the show? It seemed to consist mostly of some utterly vapid human beings cloistered in a chicken coop of sorts, an example of the worst elements of humanity put under a microscope. I've caught a few snippets of the latest show and it just seems like more of the same.

mikom

BattleCorp wrote: »

Get a heap (technical term) of shouty, egotistical ar5eholes into a house and film them shouting and roaring at each other.

oireachtas tv

Future Primitive

Candie wrote: »

What about someone with limited options who seizes the opportunity to become a household name on the back of a reality show, and parlays that into a lucrative, if short lived, media career, thereby setting themselves up in a way they wouldn't have been able to otherwise?

Moronic? Or pragmatic?

Perhaps neither.

I'm sure if they can get themselves to a stage whereby they're picked for Big Brother, they can get a job or study...something.

The problem with these people is they don't want to work for the status they want and I've no respect for that.

galljga1

mailforkev wrote: »

I landed on Sex and the City 2 while flicking through the channels last night, couldn't change channel quick enough to stop at least one brain cell escaping out my ears.

Big Brother is almost high brow compared to that.

The other one would have been lonely.

catallus

dark crystal wrote: »

Philistine!

:eek:

What!? What I do?!:o

NachoBusiness

One eyed Jack wrote: »

As has been witnessed with numerous 'balls of fire' on social media lately, academic intelligence doesn't always correlate with social intelligence.

That's true but I would argue that Marc has bags of social intelligence.

People are rather bizarrely assuming that because he is saying things which are causing the rest of the housemates to lose their minds that this must mean that he has no social intelligence but quite obviously if what was happening was not precisely the reaction Marc was looking for, then he would show surprise when they flip out.. but he never does, he's delighted. In the following clip for example (around the 28 minute point) the guy remains calm while one housemate loses their s*** with him and the a few minutes later sits there continuing to eat cereal from a bowl which another of them has just told him they wanted to smash into his face. He knows precisely what he is doing and that's what makes him such a great housemate. If he doesn't win he will be robbed. He's being passive aggressive, of course he is but that's how he is choosing to defeat his fellow housemates. If they can't go toe to toe with him without threatening him, that's their lookout and hopefully his paycheck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_qT2cyoNz4

Incidentally, I'm not sure why people keep pointing out what knobs some of the contestants are, as if this should someone wake them up to the fact they are watching something that they shouldn't be. Some of the best BB housemates in the show's history have been utter arseholes. The show is no different to any other show in that respect, be it Dallas and JR or Easteneders and Nick Cotten: the obnoxious upstarts are always the ones viewers ultimately tune in to see.

obriendj

A friend of mine argued, when BB first came out, that it was the dumbing down to the viewers it was so stupid how does anyone watch it. I replied saying that he didnt like it because he was smarter than the average person.

His response was "well most people are smarter than the average person"

We laughed at him.

dark crystal

One eyed Jack wrote: »

There's a middle ground surely? While I agree that finding shows like BB entertaining isn't an indication of a person's intelligence one way or the other, I do have to wonder having watched CBB5, what kind of a person would find the vile behavior of other people entertaining?

I understand to each their own and all, but what is it that's particularly entertaining about the show? It seemed to consist mostly of some utterly vapid human beings cloistered in a chicken coop of sorts, an example of the worst elements of humanity put under a microscope. I've caught a few snippets of the latest show and it just seems like more of the same.

People are fascinated by human behaviour, good and bad. You only have to look at this forum and read some of the things people discuss and argue about to appreciate how no subject is too dumb or vapid to be interesting.


Why, there was a whole thread on here dedicated to the firing of some fat, pompous buffoon from a show about three white middle class men driving cars a lot. Who cares?


Lots of people apparently.

OneOfThem

Ah it's just pantomime. It's not passing itself off as anything other, and I don't think anyone views it as anything else.

entropi

I would presume it does lower your IQ. As someone who would rather put hot pokers in their eyes than willingly watch it, it seems to be the kind of show that has applicants who have "full time mad bastard" as their occupation on Facebook. It may be a big talking point amongst a lot of people, that doesn't mean it will have any meaningful relevance to normal life. It won't advance humanity in any way, that's almost a certainty.

Squeeonline

kfallon wrote: »

It causes your IQ to go from a Natural Number to an Integer.....

Natural numbers are a subset of integers.

I can see you've been watching a lot of BB this year then.

Frito

OneOfThem wrote: »

Ah it's just pantomime. It's not passing itself off as anything other, and I don't think anyone views it as anything else.

I watch it, albeit infrequently, to see which villain the nation is booing at.
It's fairly harmless* but can grate so I dip in and out of it.

*the exception being the proliferation of the term two-faced in all it's various applications. Am I wrong I thinking a BB series was responsible? How I detest the term.

NachoBusiness

BattleCorp wrote: »

I wouldn't want to see a child run over by a car but I'd still be thinking about such a thing after I had seen it.

I pretty much feel the same about big brother.

I was speaking about joyous recollection.

People seem to love talking about how much they hate Big Brother.

'Who watches this nonsense' they scoff.. as they munch away on their popcorn.

One eyed Jack

entropi wrote: »

I would presume it does lower your IQ. As someone who would rather put hot pokers in their eyes than willingly watch it, it seems to be the kind of show that has applicants who have "full time mad bastard" as their occupation on Facebook. It may be a big talking point amongst a lot of people, that doesn't mean it will have any meaningful relevance to normal life. It won't advance humanity in any way, that's almost a certainty.

While I'm actually pretty much in agreement with everything you just said, I don't agree that it doesn't advance humanity in any way. If anything, it makes those people who are already determined not to end up on the scrapheap of celebrity culture to work even harder to make sure they don't ever descend to that level of infamy.

entropi

NachoBusiness wrote: »

I was speaking about joyous recollection.

People seem to love talking about how much they hate Big Brother.

'Who watches this nonsense' they scoff.. as they munch on their popcorn.

How did you know I have popcorn? :eek:

Robsweezie

big brother is part of a list of things that are fashionable to hate and have a snobbish attitude towards, alongside things like pop music and junk food. people pride themselves on saying how much they are above that kind of thing ''why are you watching/eating/listening to that ****e?'' so they can feel superior for having ''superior'' taste. the simple answer being we are all different, and not any less of a person either intellectually or morally for enjoying a certain programme, food, song, you name it. sure there in the ''weekly shop'' thread I was half expecting tons of posters to make a point of only having ''fresh, organic produce'' cooking from scratch every day and never touching a ready meal, as if it's beneath them.

eviltwin

I've watched big brother most years since it started. I wonder how stupid that makes me

suicide_circus

Robsweezie wrote: »

big brother is part of a list of things that are fashionable to hate and have a snobbish attitude towards, alongside things like pop music and junk food. people pride themselves on saying how much they are above that kind of thing ''why are you watching/eating/listening to that ****e?'' so they can feel superior for having ''superior'' taste. the simple answer being we are all different, and not any less of a person either intellectually or morally for enjoying a certain programme, food, song, you name it. sure there in the ''weekly shop'' thread I was half expecting tons of posters to make a point of only having ''fresh, organic produce'' cooking from scratch every day and never touching a ready meal, as if it's beneath them.

While I agree we need to be vigilant when it comes to the type of masturbatory groupthink you're referring to, I do think big brother is awful. It's part of a class of insipid and vacuous "lifestyle entertainment", indeed it really kick started the famous for being famous culture about 15 years ago and for that it needs to die.