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GLBT people played a big part in Big Brother’s colourful yet tumultuous history.
Am I lamenting the demise of Big Brother? Nope. It was time to go a couple of years ago. Do I think it can be revived? Absolutely. There’s still nothing wrong with its original social experimentation premise, only a tired execution with dull casting.
But Big Brother has achieved much in terms of GLBT representation on television (actually, I don’t recall any ‘L’, but more on that shortly).
When the show launched in 2001 it was during Howard Government conservatism, and light years before the ‘gay-volution’ of primetime TV. We were watching Queer as Folk, Will & Grace, and Dawson’s Creek. Richard Hatch had barely won Survivor when Ten put Johnny Cass in the Big Brother house. Here was an openly-gay man at 7pm, five nights a week. Cass was loved by his fellow housemates but found that selective editing pushed a ‘Johnny Rotten’ label to the audience. As most reality talent learns, one’s fate is not entirely in one’s hands.
Several gay male housemates followed: Nathan (2002), most recently appearing on the Big Mouth panel, Jamie (2003), Rob (2006), who went on to co-host Uplate Game Show with Hotdogs, Nick (2007) and ‘corsetier’ Zach (2007), who almost won the show and appeared on the short-lived Night Cap.
Females have fallen into two categories: bisexuals including Sahra (2002), Claire (2003), Geneva (2005), Rachael (2005) and Lauren (2006). In addition to Vanessa Wagner’s housemate drag in Celebrity Big Brother (2002), there have been two transgender guests, Nadia (2005) from the UK series and of course, Miriam (2004), which many in the community viewed as a cheap stunt. Significantly, both were accepted by their housemates.
Two memorable occasions ignited national debate. In 2005, Kate expressed “disgust” at seeing two male housemates kiss during a drunken dare.
“That was disgusting,” she said. “I’m homophobic ... I hate [homosexuality] and I fear it.” In a reversed instance of media labelling used for good instead of evil, she was roundly criticised.
But it was farmer David Graham (2006), who kept his sexuality private from housemates, that was a revelation, turning the show into a coming-out storyline. Having won the affection of his housemates, the handsome and articulate Graham educated a national audience on rural isolation for gay men. Later, he forged a close bond with a young, straight male Darren (who even invited him to the Rewards Room – he declined). When he was eventually evicted, producers played ‘Summer Rain’ as David reunited with boyfriend Sherrif. It was emotional stuff.
A handful of other housemates have been questioned on their sexuality, most notably Travis (2008). Friday Night Live also has a dubious track record of ‘gay gags’.
After eight years the show has been evicted, curiously not long after the Howard Government itself. Gay roles regularly surface on dramas, comedy, variety and lifestyle. Gay reality contestants are, ironically, a cliché. While the viewing audience is no longer surprised by what it means to ‘be gay’, the challenge is now to provide more depth, and indeed to show what it means to ‘live gay’.
David Knox is SX's television writer/critic.
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