Big Brother.... (Australia) (in Off-topic)

as I was signing out of hotmail, it takes me to basically the australian msn website. I saw this article on it.

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"A decision by the makers of Big Brother to not tell a contestant her father has died has been condemned as inhumane, unethical and psychologically damaging.

Contestant Emma's father Raymond Cornell died last week and his funeral was held on Monday in Adelaide, but the 24-year-old is still unaware of his death.

"Will they break the news to her on air, for ratings?" World Vision chief Tim Costello said. "This is patent ethical irresponsibility . . . she's only got one father and she'll suffer guilt and possibly resentment for the rest of her life."

Producers of Big Brother have refused to move from their position, stating that "it was the wish of the family" that Mr Cornell's death be kept from Emma.

But ethicists say such a decision cannot be made for Emma, regardless of what her family or even her father wanted.

"Parents often want to protect children, but she's an adult and she can make up her own mind," media commentator and academic Eva Cox said. "She has to be told."

Rev Costello and Ms Cox called for the establishment of constraints on reality shows like Big Brother.

"Shows like this encourage the most prurient side of our natures," Ms Cox said "This is a serious question, and here we've crossed the line."

"It really is getting too much like the 'real' Big Brother," Rev Costello said. "The boundaries keep getting pushed back and we don't notice ﾗ like the frog in a pot of slowly heating water."

The fact that Emma has had been estranged until recently from her father, who was sick with cancer before his daughter entered the Gold Coast Big Brother house, only made her ignorance more damaging.

"The funeral is the only rite of passage we have," Rev Costello said. "I don't think we can contract to do away with things like this."

Big Brother producers refused to comment in detail on the criticisms. "
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That is just wrong, they should've told her.

Thoughts?

Costello's argument doesn't really hold in my opinion. It reduces to "Emma has the right to make the decision to know her father is dead." This is silly as she would know her father is dead by virtue of making the decision.

I'm also not sure that the child's "right to know" overrides the individual's decision to keep their death a secret. It sounds like the family made the decision and show is simply supporting that decision, yet it is the show that is receiving the blame.

Quite honestly, Cox and Costello are no different in that they are assuming the position of Emma and dictating what she does or does not want to know. This is pretentious and hypocritical. At least the show has the backing of someone actually involved.

I hate nothing more then people who get offended for other people without actually knowing that person or how they actually feel in regard to the situation.

you have to put yourself in Emma's position. Would you prefer to know or not to know and find it out weeks later? Would you suffer guilt and possibly resentment?

You can put yourself in Emma's position, but it's still just you. That says nothing about what she would want.

I remember my grandfather died. My uncle was on a holiday at the time and "the family" decided not to try and contact him but let him have his holiday. He missed the funeral.
No one is more qualified to make this kind of decision than the people who know you best.

Sounds like there's a bit of Big Brother bashing going on here. I can imagine the uproar if they told the girl... "Big Brother goes against family wishes to spoil dieing fathers last wish", would be the headlines.

They would not know what she would want until they tell her. I think I can safely say that majority of people would want to know immediately. Base on that, I really think that she needs to know. Then she can make her own choice whether to quit BB or not.

"The fact that Emma has had been estranged until recently from her father, who was sick with cancer before his daughter entered the Gold Coast Big Brother house, only made her ignorance more damaging. "

IMO that is the key point.

First, Emma knew he father was sick.

Second, Emma knew that in Big Brother the contestants are sequestered

Third, As an adult, Emma must have known that her father could have died during her say in the BB house.

Therefore one has to assume that Emma took the chance, going into the BB house, that her father would die during her stay. Therefore, she gave her consent NOT to be notified of all happenings outside the house in order to compete.

I see no problem with the producers of BB not telling her. In fact, the family confirms the producers and Emma's feelings.

All the news shows are trying to do is boost their ratings by making a problem when none is present.

Now, if a contestant entered the house and their family died, let's say from a car crash, then that contestant should be removed from the game and of course told about the tragedy. But this case is 100% different. An implied consent was given by Emma the second she entered the BB house.

The news media is a beast that eats babies . The family is protecting her money making chance, the show is supporting the family. The wrong is with the media and their cesspit stirring !!Hey personally I'd rather of been told my dad was living with all the pets that were adopted by that super rich family.