The current series of Big Brother is reprehensible. Channel 4 - and you viewers who should know better - can make as many "but it's highlighting his condition" excuses as you like, but the simple fact is Peter has been put in there for people to laugh at. Pure and simple. Last night I saw three work colleagues discussing him and laughing at his ticks, and I've just seen two kids outside doing impressions of him. Big Brother has been flying by the seat of its pants for two or three years now, but they have really crossed the line this time. There was that semi-retarded bird they put in there a year or so back, which was bad enough, but this takes the biscuit. Putting a mentally ill man on television for people to laugh at - it's fucking despicable, and if there's any justice in this world (which there isn't) the ITC will be flooded with complaints and this disgraceful piece of exploitation will be removed from the air and its producers sacked.

Shame on Channel 4, and shame on anyone still watching this show.

WTF?

Mentally ill?

Having a disorder like tourettes doesnt impede your mental capacity in any way at all. It just gives you an uncontrollable tick. Its a neurological wiring issue, not a mental health one.

Anyone with half a brain can see that Pete is the only genuine decent nice kind housemate in there. Hes an example of what you can do despite having a problem like that. I would argue very strongly that hes the least mentally ill of all the housemates in there.

Edit, Im not disputing the fact that some ignorant and illinformed people will take the piss, and perhaps that endemol have put him in there for their own ends, but if he manages to prove that people with a disorder like this can still be successful and makes it more acceptable to be that way, then good for him. Hes a brave guy.

:stupid:

Shouldn't people who suffer from tourettes be given the same opportunities and freedoms that any other people have? And if that means someone wants to go on big brother to have a laugh then for christ sake let him. By not letting Pete into the BB house is like not letting a guy in a wheelchair into a resturaunt.

Nothing wrong with this at all.

Bollocks. If they wanted to highlight his condition and knock down prejudice, they could have made a documentary about him. Big Brother is about entertainment. We all know it's a freakshow - and this year, they're making a freak out of this poor bastard.

By not letting Pete into the BB house is like not letting a guy in a wheelchair into a resturaunt.





Consider the point well and truly missed. You go in a restaurant to eat. You go on Big Brother to be watched and commented on by the viewing public. And Channel 4 - to their eternal shame - are exploiting this guy in the hope that he props up their lame duck of a show.

Disgusting.

What's more reprehensible is your true lack of understanding and unwillingness to allow someone who wants to take part, the chance to do so if they have a problem. I always thought you tried to be somewhat fair in your assessment of things, but on this score you have completely missed the mark.

Are you also trying to say he should not be the leader in a music band because of his condition too ?

Firstly, since when has BB in the uk ever been a lame duck of a show? Its consistently been successfull for seven years.

Besides his tourettes, Pete seems to be a kind hearted sort of guy, even a bit shy. This year has been pretty eventfull so far and Pete hasn't really been involved in any of the drama's. So even without Pete the show would still be steaming along nicely. Big Brother doesn't need to exploit a guy like Pete to get good ratings. There are enough attention seeking nuckleheads in this country that will do the job well enough.

I think we can assume that Pete is intellegent enough to know that some twits out there will be taking the piss. But its a decision he made and if he wants to got on the show then why the fuck not?

What's more reprehensible is your true lack of understanding and unwillingness to allow someone who wants to take part, the chance to do so if they have a problem. I always thought you tried to be somewhat fair in your assessment of things, but on this score you have completely missed the mark.

Are you also trying to say he should not be the leader in a music band because of his condition too ?


It's fuck all to do with him being on TV, it's about the show he's appearing in. If Channel 4 had any decency, they would have suggested a fly-on-the-wall documentary about his life, not putting him in the Big Brother house where, let's face it, the show nowadays just boils down to who's the biggest nut.

You idiot. He choose this show. You are nitpicking at something without foundation. Are you next going to say that they went out there and said, get me someone with tourettes ?

Yes they look for variety but everyone is different and when placed in the house, everyone's differences clash... Pete is not one of those to have had a major clash so far... in fact, despite everyone loving pete being there, the rest have hogged the limelight more and that is what gives Pete even more support.

You sir need to serious re-evaluate your argument and not make this about victimisation of Pete.

Whats more, you are actively encouraging prejudice against people with Tourettes by suggesting he should be excluded from taking part due to his condition.

Pete is a very talented and intelligent man who has auditioned to go on Big Brother for a number of years for his own reasons and motivations. The fact that he has this condition adds to his personality, not detracts from it.

The very fact that you make the assumption that he is incapable of making his own informed decisions about how he should live his life and what he should do with it, shows that people still have a long way to go to understand really what is going on when someone is experiencing this condition. The fact that you refer to it as a mental illness when it is nothing of the sort highlights it further.

Its up to Pete to decide if he thinks hes being exploited. As hes been auditioning to my knowledge for at least 3 years, hes had plenty of time to watch what happens, and decide if he wants the media intrusion that goes with it.

You seriously misjudge him if you think he wont have considered that in all its forms. He has the same rights as anyone else does to apply and appear on that show, and accusations of exploitation of the housemates date back way further than this series.

I laughed the other day when he remarked that his Tourettes was in context, but so did he. If you have a condition like that, and cannot find a sense of humour about it, you might as well throw in the towel now, because its not going to go away and you are going to have to live with it.

He doesnt need anyones pity, least of all yours. Hes a grown man with strong opinions, and its what he wants to do, so I think its bloody great, actually.

Edit #2. I have a son with a neurological wiring issue of a condition, and an IQ of 150+. If he was offered the opportunity to do something like this, and he had thoroughly looked into what was involved and how it might affect him, I would have no hesitation but to give him my full support and love for trying to push back some boundaries and doing the same sorts of things that other people do. Hes not mentally ill either. Hes one of the brightest, sharpest, driest humoured people I have the pleasure to encounter on a daily basis, and I love him all the more because he doesnt let his condition get in the way of him living his life how he wants to live it.

Think of it this way Alex, if you had to choose a role model from that house, would it be the backstabbers, the bed hoppers, the sexual terrorist or the guy who has tourettes and is a really nice outgoing friendly chap?

To me Pete comes accross as one of the very few genuine people who have made it into the BB house in years, he is also one of the few I would be happy to go to the pub for a pint with.

You sir need to serious re-evaluate your argument

No I don't. My argument has been distorted (already). It wasn't about Pete's motives to go in the house or his right to be there. It was about the disgraceful actions of Channel 4 in putting him on Big Brother for a fucking laugh. The man is being exploited.



Are you next going to say that they went out there and said, get me someone with tourettes ?


It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if they had. I bet they were rubbing their hands with glee.

You can only exploit someone if they dont have awareness of the consequences of what they are doing.

C4 are not setting up Pete as the butt of jokes or humour, neither are the other housemates, as far as I can see they have been nothing but accepting of Pete and his quirky behaviour patterns. By suggesting he is being exploited, you are suggesting that he doesnt have the intelligence required to recognise this and remove himself from the situation, or not get into it in the first place. As I said, this is at least his third attempt to get on the show. I suspect hes made the shortlist before, because the rumours about a guy with Tourettes being on the show have been doing the rounds for quite a while before the auditions for this series even started.

Pete is a showman, first and foremost. It is the ignorance of people like your workmates, or those children, that should be called into question, not the actions of the tv programme makers, because they are simply giving him a fair crack of the whip and the chance that he so clearly wanted to take part in the show.

Judging by the cack handed way in which some of the contestants have been picked this year (the bloke that walked out who should clearly have never been allowed in in the first place etc) I can see the merit in both your arguments,

I'm sure Channel 4 were hoping he'd be good entertainment value and might be disappointed in what a nice bloke he seems to be.

And he obviously knows what he's doing and is being a great ambassador for people with his condition

C4 are not setting up Pete as the butt of jokes or humour

I beg to differ. I think that's exactly what they are doing.



It is the ignorance of people like your workmates, or those children, that should be called into question, not the actions of the tv programme makers


I agree, but we don't live in an ideal world. Channel 4 knew full well that a lot of stupid people will have a good old laugh at swearing, mooing Peter. And that's why he's in there.

Conversely it could be argued that if they didnt allow him in they were discriminating against him because of his condition by not allowing him to take part though. Its a no-win situation. It's not as though hes the first person to ever be on TV with this condition. As I said, they are always accused of exploiting the housemates. It's a simplistic view to suggest that he in particular is being exploited, but I genuinely dont believe thats the case. There is so much more to offer from him than an insight into a neurological condition. You could also argue that Nadia was exploited for going on as a post-op transexual, or that Cameron was exploited for being an openly virgin Christian. It didnt stop the public warming to their characters and taking them to their hearts and voting them the winner. He will win because of who he is as a whole person, not because he swears and tic's a lot.

And no, its not an ideal world, but for every person who laughs at him theres several people seriously readjusting their views on the condition and how people in his situation cope.

If you ignore a situation and dont highlight it in some way, then nothing will ever change.

On a side note, I just had a weird deja-vu that we've had this conversation before in a dream I once had.

You dream about me? I'd be seriously worried about that.

Not you personally no. I wouldnt begin to know how to dream what you look like up. But I did dream this conversation, and in the dream I ordered pizza. It was only when I went to order the pizza that I got the "grave tread" shivers.

I assume he looks like his avatar, with a hat an all

and I think you look like a dog with a headscarf.......
oh
no
that doesn't sound right at all

:haha:

Didnt stop you posting it though did it ;)

Ever since Alex said he looks like Adrian Mole I have envisaged him as a spotty yoof with a fixation for measuring his own penis size.

I've never said I look like Adrian Mole. Cos I don't. I look like Zammo off Grange Hill, puny arms and all.


Tut tut.

Oh aye. Maybe I just imagined you looking like Adrian Mole because the thought of Zammo set off too many childhood traumas.

I knew it was a fictional chap. At least it wasnt Danny Kendall or Mr Bronson. Or Monobrowed Tucker Jenkins.

Or Monobrowed Tucker Jenkins.


Heard he runs a market stall in the east end now.

Nah, he died of teh bad aids, innit. Then he died in the style of a psycho hosebeast police officer, and is currently rumoured to be about to be going back to Grange Hill in a cameo role movie stylee. I just wish they would give his monobrow its own equity card because its got more charisma and acting ability than the rest of his entire body put together.

Hey kids, this is how to take a thread hugely off topic. Dont try it at home. :))

Actually, now I think about it, and in some sort of attempt to drag this thread back to the topic in question, can we discuss Eugene from last year?

There was a great deal of speculation although it was never confirmed that Eugene has Aspergers Syndrome. He certainly came across as being a damn sight more vulnerable than Pete does, and many of his character traits *could* be attributed to a condition such as A.S. - monotone voice, unusual interests and obsessions, naivety about social situations etc... and yet BB placed him in the house with nothing more than a fig leaf to cover his modesty and left him that way for a couple of days in a room with two tigeresque women dressed equally skimpily.

In his case it was painfully obvious that he was ill-equipped to handle the situation. As it was never disclosed or revealed that he had any sort of disorder, you can't really argue the case for exploitation of a medical condition for entertainment purposes, but to me, he was being because he didnt have the skills and abilities to handle the circumstances that they placed him in.

I hadnt considered Eugene when I was saying earlier about if my son wanted to do it, although I still say that if he wanted to he would have my full support to do so, the likelihood of that situation arising is lower than nil anyway, he cant stand the show or see the appeal of it, but I would always encourage him to follow his dreams, although I would be cautious in hindsight that he didnt necessarily have the social skills to be equipped to cope in those circumstances.

But the fact of the matter is that in Eugenes case, he wasnt socially equipped to cope, but still successfully made it further than any other housemate who has come in late to the show, simply because the public could see that he was a sweet genuine guy who was making the best of the situation he found himself in.

He would have made a much more deserving winner in my opinion than Anthony Hutton did, I think the reasons he didnt win were that a) Anthony had built a fan base based around his ability to handle the adoration of Craig without freaking out totally, b) Eugene had snaffled half the prize money earlier and had already stated that he would take the money because then two people could win something, not just one, (to some degree a very logical way of looking at the situation) so people took that on board, and voted for someone else and c) It's unheard of for a latecomer to win, thus far. Add into that the voting for this show will be heavily influenced by the female teenage population and theres plenty of reasons to see why Anthony won.

In Petes case, I think hes much more hardened to difficult situations, and doesnt have the lacking social skills that Eugene seemed to have. He also seems a lot more comfortable in his own skin generally.

I do think that the situation Eugene was placed in at the beginning of his time on the show would present a case for exploitation HAD a condition such as AS been diagnosed, which is what has made me ponder this further. I still dont think Petes being exploited because I dont think hes socially inept, he may be offensive to people who dont like his language or who are not comfortable with someone who behaves differently, but I do think Pete is more than well equipped to make his own mind up about how far he is prepared to go in pursuit of his dreams, whereas Eugene seemed more likely to conform to what was expected of him even if it made him feel hugely uncomfortable.

Just a thought...

I beg to differ. I think that's exactly what they are doing.


and i agree with you here Alex, of all the traits that they could put on the show it does seem a bit strange they jsut happened to land with someone with tourettes.

I the only reason why i have ever heard about tourettes is because i've seen it on TV and movies where on purpose it was there to provide somehtign for everyone to laugh at.

I doubt despite how much people go on about how he's creative and talented etc, that the producers of the show couldn't look you inthe eye and said him having tourettes, it didn't even cross their minds that it might bring in more viewers for the fact it would be funny to watch him shout wanker at random moments.

also only 15% of those suffering tourettes are the type like pete who suffere from Coprolalia or involuntary swearing

Even if someone did find a person shouting "wankers" randomly, funny, it would get a bit shit after about 5 minutes.

As already said, if Pete was refused entry on the grounds of having Tourettes, there would have been even more trouble for the producers. They know they can't be seen to discriminate so would be expected to let him go through auditions, but at the same time there's always certain 'personalities' they'd rather have in the house than others.

I just think its a shame it seems to be overshadowing Pete as a person. Hes actually a really interesting guy to watch as a housemate irrespective of his Tourettes. He was snuggling Nikki last night though, but they did all look a bit tipsy. Worth watching the highlights tonight though for full "spin the bottle" coverage.

BB news letter says that Nikki and Pete were playing hockey... not just once... It also said that Glynn got his Lea too...

Oh he did. It was repugnant, I had just about managed to blank that out of my mind. Hes had a thing for her since that lapdance though. It was only a matter of time.

Pete is a very talented and intelligent man.

Come off it! On BBLB they showed a clip of him being asked simple questions before entering the house and he didn't know the answer to any of them. Questions like 'when was the second world war?' and 'which English naval hero defeated the French at Trafalgar?' He didn't have a clue.

I see Alex's point. Pete has been put in to the house because he has Tourette's. He's going to win because he has a condition. Now we have chavs running the around the streets screaming "wankers" like its cool. Channel 4 have no shame in acting irresponsibly for viewing figures.

Im afraid "chavs" were running around the street screaming "wankers" long before Pete entered the big brother house, and shall continue to do so, long after he has left.

As were other disgruntled people of different social groups who had an axe to grind with their neighbours, groups of young people on their street corner, or who in some way had run into problems with which an expletive seemed the most appropriate course of events to describe their feelings towards a group of other people.

So there you have it Alex, you have got Manta's support.Long time coming.

however, unfortunately,unllike last time, you don't have mine.
If anybody looks at a person like Pete as a tourettey person ,other than as a plain and simple 'person' then they are obviously reading from a different hymn book from Pete . I don't think Pete ("he's the man") would welcome you sticking up for him ,although i'm sure you did it in good faith.

Come off it! On BBLB they showed a clip of him being asked simple questions before entering the house and he didn't know the answer to any of them. Questions like 'when was the second world war?' and 'which English naval hero defeated the French at Trafalgar?' He didn't have a clue.
General Knowledge DOES NOT EQUAL Intelligence or Talent.