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Executive summary: A kilt? Pourquoi? Inquiring minds yadda.

I enjoyed turban-man's [endearing epithet or some such similar] positioning of the reading of lady-chan's skirt on newsnight last night. The positioning of the ordinary into the absurd, for all is absurd and we're just not used to seeing it that way. Though absurd is but a sign that points, or signs, at (and should this at go before or after the interjectal commas? And interjectal partakes of some of this grammar we are interrupting with these parentheses) a thing, and replaces and displaces and rapes and shapes that thing - two sign sets, or spaces, and one is signs as we more commonly are prey to say them in our speaches of texts' signs, and the other a reality signed, but it, too, is a manifestation of, or mediated by, signs - one set of signs manifesting another set of signs interfaces of lines which are drawn from points to show overlap of signs - each sign an overlap of others and where the where of any sign?.

Just so I know - is because you wanted to wear a kilt? I can take that - it's the not knowing that uneases me - the lack of position. (Careful on the reading of those -s, for they are like stepping (so to speak, at least, and at any rate are not all words metaphors? *waves fingers in fun*) commas whose phrases step from each other, rather than, say, a list, or a dip/interject .)

This programme is a welcome relief from the hours of tedious pap generally on offer. Hardeep is a calm sensitive individual who guides the proceedings rather than trying to stamp all over them. Considering the amount of banal repeats on 'offer', this programme deserves a wider audience. Congratulations Hardeep, and when does your restaurant open?

I was surprised at the very positive and uncritical review that the panel gave the Celebrity Big Brother programme. Whilst it was refreshing to see that the panel didn't jump on the bandwagon of condemning the contestants for their behaviour in the latest shows, I was disappointed that nobody seemed to willing to question the responsibilities of the programme makers towards the contestants or towards their audience.
The panel largely applauded the programme for the way it reflected British society today. That might be fine for a drama, but in a reality TV programme the contestants are real people with real lives to which they have to return. In my view the panel failed to ask whether the contestants needed to be reminded that what said and did on the programme was being broadcast to millions of people. The antics in the show made great TV, but it may well have seriously damaged the lives of a handful of people. It would have been good to have heard such issues being raised in the discussion.

I see that Newsnight Review surpassed even its usual levels of pretentiousness on Friday by calling Big Brother ‘art.’ God almighty! Big Brother is not art. If Big Brother is art then so is CCTV and happy slapping. Even the usually sensible Paul Morley fell for the ridiculous Channel 4 line that this is something that is good for us, a kind of catharsis and spur for debate. Rubbish! This is the ultimate in lowest common denominator television, a form of institutionalised bullying for those too stupid or too desperate for fame and money to tell the producers where to go.

Hardeep however is a very good presenter, although I could have done without the kilt. I hope he is used more often or permanently even, he is so much better than the overrated and awful Kirsty Wark. If the Scots get independence does this mean they get her permanently too?

The attention given to, and "intellectual" thought expended on, Big Brother
was disheartening. The show provides a forum for pathetic, ignorant
low-class bullies and reflects our ever increasing downward spiral into an unethical and
freak-show fascinated society.

Thanks to Sarah Churchwell for not jumping on the "Big Brother is art"
bandwagon and for calling a spade a spade. She made a point of saying that she doesn't believe the show is positive, rightfully pointing out that even if something positive does come out of it, it remains "gladiatorial" in nature - like the fall of the Roman Empire. So although people on this site have been complaining that the whole panel was celebrating BB unproblematically, there was at least one person who wasn't buying it, which was a relief to those of us who can see through the excuses to the nature of the show as it really is -- a staged fight 'to the death' put on for our entertainment, and to encourage us to feel smug and superior in our front-row seats.