Big Brother Naija: A Reward for Mediocrity and Crass Ignorance

By Olumide Aduloju

The Nigerian social media space is currently awash with stories emanating from the Big Brother Nigeria reality show. I haven't seen any episodes but by what I read online, it appears the winner will be smiling home with N25 million come Sunday. From the pictures and posts I have seen so far, none of the housemates is being praised for doing anything spectacular. Save for maybe two or three of the housemates who have once been on TV, the participants are simply being glamourised for... Wait for it... their ability to live in a house for three months! They have not cracked any mind boggling equations, developed a world changing computer programme nor have they found a solution to any of the myriad of problems currently besetting our country. Not one of them have contributed a thing to society. Yet, here we are celebrating their mediocrity and rewarding them with huge sums of money.

I even heard a Warri billionaire has promised one of them N50million and a recording contract whether he ends up winning the prize money or not. I've seen quotes from state governors celebrating and encouraging people to vote their candidates of choice. Some have even gone one better by erecting billboards carrying pictures of their favourite housemates at strategic positions in their state capitals. All these for people finding it difficult to recite the National Anthem!

Is it any wonder why we are where we are as a nation if Nigerians can splash a minimum N50million daily voting for people who can't even entertain them properly?

Is there any wonder why Nigerians keep on voting people who have no business in the corridors of power to public offices even when it is glaringly obvious they have nothing to offer?

Why, despite the plethora of young Nigerians who actually have ideas that will benefit the larger society, do we keep rewarding mediocrity and crass ignorance?

Given how Nigerians ignore ratings of TV content, it's not unimaginable to think that there are million of teenagers and impressionable minds who have become ardent followers of this show. What values have they learnt? That all you need to 'blow' is not hard work or actually creating value but that you can just laze around in a house for 3 months and watch money and fame roll in? That you don't need to know the National Anthem let alone its meaning, or be able to hold intelligent conversations with your contemporaries on burning issues? Just have a fine face, add some shenanigans to it and voila! You are a star!

I wait for that day when companies and brands will focus their energies on encouraging young people with creative knowledge and skills who can actually create value and make them into idols for those at home to emulate. Of course, I know this might be asking for too much so I won't be holding my breath.

Twitter: @Oluamyd

oluamid:
Big Brother Naija: A Reward for Mediocrity and Crass Ignorance

By Olumide Aduloju
...

I wait for that day when companies and brands...

Twitter: @Oluamyd

Your article does make one think.

Food for thought, though: have you noticed how often the people with bright ideas tend to keep WAITING?

Waiting for the brands to "do the right thing"

Waiting for government to "create an enabling environment"

Waiting for "stakeholders and investors"

While all this waiting is going on, people are not going to watch static on their TV screens. And the people with inane ideas are NOT waiting. So ultimately what kind of content routinely gets churned out?

Exactly

alignacademy:


Your article does make one think.

Food for thought, though: have you noticed how often the people with bright ideas tend to keep WAITING?

Waiting for the brands to "do the right thing"

Waiting for government to "create an enabling environment"

Waiting for "stakeholders and investors"

While all this waiting is going on, people are not going to watch static on their TV screens. And the people with inane ideas are NOT waiting. So ultimately what kind of content routinely gets churned out?

Exactly

I do get your comment. But there are actually a whole lot of young people who aren't "waiting" but have been doing great things. It is just that we hardly hear of them because the media have refused to grant them coverage which in itself is representative of the kind of values we uphold as a country.