Have I Really Allowed Myself To Watch ‘I’m A Celebrity…’!!?
This seems to me to be a dreadful admission, but, after having refused to ever watch it before, I actually allowed myself to watch ’snatches’ of ‘I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!’ My excuse for this uncharacteristic lapse of taste is that I was interested to see how the Christian commedian, Bobby Ball, got on. I won’t say anything about that!
And I could reasonably argue that Christians and Christian leaders/preachers should take an interest in what people are watching/reading/listening to etc. - and sadly that is probably not going to be the latest RSC performance or the opera, or ballet (actually I don’t like opera!) People are watching soap operas (I am never going to watch Eastenders!! - you have to draw the line there!) and stuff like this. So I could try to say that it is an attempt to understand the culture we are trying to reach and to keep the common touch! But the problem is that I actually enjoyed parts of it (only a little!) and I was very happy that Carol Thatcher won! And dear old ‘jolly hockysticks’ Carol epitomises the quandary this puts me in.
You see ‘I’m a Celebrity…’ represented to me all that was worst about the trivia and trash of our celebrity culture, only marginally better than Big Brother (the inert watching the inane) because they had some challenges to overcome. People would rather watch C-List celebrities having rats dropped on their heads than get on with living their own life and making it count for something. And then there was Carol. Margaret Thatcher, (whatever you think of her politics) was a towering Prime Minister of the UK, a world leader and an historical figure - one of the most important figures in the last quarter of the 20th Century. Her daughter, Carol, ate Kangaroos’ testicles in the jungle - on live TV in a programme that was designed just to up the ratings for ITV and that in a few short years will be forgotten. And yet…and yet…she was probably a far nicer person than her mother and one imagines a lot easier to relax with. And it did give you some insights into her and other people’s characters, making for some vulnerabilty and openness that I can’t help thinking Margaret could have done with! Or am I just being sucked in to the celebrity illusion of ‘reality’ TV!!? Can anyone help me?
As I reflect on this dilemma, I’ll leave the last word to a clip from last week’s Guardian:
"Carol T’s appearance on the show demonstrates the efficiency of British democracy. In this country the rather lost and dotty child of a former leader eats slugs in a reality TV show. In America he becomes president"
- a little unkind, perhaps!
December 7th, 2005 @ 11:46 am
Trevor, If you’ve been “sucked in” then you are not alone. Let me add my confession: I watched “I’m a Celebrity” and enjoyed it too.
My humble opinion is there is nothing intrinsically wrong with the “reality” format, anymore than because something is a documentary it is intrinsically worthwhile. There have been a whole succession of salacious and voyeuristicly driven documentaries recently, and likewise some good quality entertaining shows based on the reality format.
I love people who are full of life and fun, and who are not afraid to find enjoyment in the things of life. Jesus was such a man. This does not subtract at all from our message of not living for self, but one of the things the church needs to communicate to the world is that you don’t need to sin to enjoy life. Indeed we serve a God who “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”
December 8th, 2005 @ 10:44 am
Thanks, Chris. I like it! And it makes me feel better about watching it - though I would still wonder whether watching it avidly would constitute a good use of time.
December 11th, 2005 @ 11:33 pm
My Mum loves it! She has been following it as much as she has been able to. My girls have been following the ‘X Factor’ show, along with alot of the nation! I personally have never seen these type of shows as ‘bad’ in any way. It is fun entertainment. Jesus absolutely loved fun and was so full of life! He went to all the good parties! He mixed with all kinds of people! He was a friend to the unfriendly. He seperated the sin from the person - praise God!
December 12th, 2005 @ 7:46 pm
I like it! I feel even better now. Thanks Cerys
December 19th, 2005 @ 5:11 pm
i think its a waste of valuble time watching soaps and reality television, with all of the problems in relationships these days. People should spend the time they usually watch tv in with their husband, wife and kids.
December 21st, 2005 @ 2:21 pm
I love it. I watched it with my mum and dad and we had a real laugh together. Some soaps are bad and are boring and a waste of time but others are good.
December 21st, 2005 @ 2:27 pm
Great comment, Anna. Your’right!
December 21st, 2005 @ 2:35 pm
I enjoy The Bill witch is a soap.I hate Eastenders.
Corranation street is okay.Friends is kind of good.
Some soaps are okay to watch but others arent.Some soaps teach you bad things and others dont.Some soaps like The Bill has things its okay to watch but some things that are bad.
December 21st, 2005 @ 2:39 pm
Thanks, Abi. One problem with watching soaps is that you end up going to bed too late!
May 3rd, 2006 @ 1:50 am
Muy Estimada Sra.:
Saludos fraternales y mil perdones por esta tan abrupta presentación. Mi nombre es José Luis, soy un cristiano chileno, de origen luterano. He escrito un ensayo acerca del sufrimiento humano en clave de teología de la cruz. Quisiera saber, si fuera posible compartirlo con Ud., para que en el tiempo en que Ud., lo disponga y sin ninguna exigencia de tiempo ni de nada, pueda ofrecerme sus valiosas opiniones.
Quedando a la espera de su respuesta.
José Luis
Viña del Mar
Chile