BBNAIJA: Classic Case of Reaction Formation and the Hypocrisy of Pseudo Moral Outrage

MaTaZ ArIsInG
Dallas, Texas

Recently, during a phone conversation, I mentioned to a friend that I was watching Big Brother Nigeria [BBN]. Her reaction was, “Wale, I am disappointed. I mean, you, of all people. How could you. What a waste of time!” She went on about how it was a useless program and a needless distraction. She even added the usual conspiracy theories about the government using it to distract the youth from protesting government failures, claiming it was just another display of voyeurism, debauchery, sex, and the like.

She continued her tirade of moral superiority, and when she finally stopped, I asked her if she was done. She went on again, repeating herself, and finally, she said she was finished. In response, I asked a simple question: “So, what do you watch on TV or on social media? What options are out there?”

I referred to this exchange with her because her views reflect those of many others who look down on BBN, citing pseudo-moral or ethical grounds, or phantom intellectual superiority. They consider it utterly devoid of decency, a reflection of moral decline in our society, and not worth the viewing time of any decent person or an intellectual. It all sounds convincing until they are asked about alternatives.

Well, speaking of alternatives, there are sports, ~politics,~ religion, music, skills acquisition, engineering design, and academic subjects ranging from math to philosophy and literature to arts. Not to forget online sales and procurement of goods for sale or personal use.

Deliberately struck off, missing, from the list of alternatives is anything related to news, current affairs, and politics. This omission is deliberate for two reasons: One, let’s face it, what has happened to Emefiele or YB since, even though we followed every bit of the “drama” as it played out? What? Two, what, if any, are the ideological differences between the incumbent party and the opposition, including the emerging coalition? Does anyone need to read only about news to feel the inflationary impact of the fiscal and monetary policies of the administration? Really?

Unless one is an hermit or an ostrich, is it possible not to discuss politics and issues of good and bad governance with friends, colleagues, associates, and fellow passengers on a road trip? How does watching BBN somehow become mutually exclusive with following local, national, and international affairs? How so? How is watching sports, specifically soccer, somehow more intellectually stimulating or more rewarding in terms of entertainment value than watching BBN? Ditto binge-watching African Magic or Nollywood productions. How?

Consider those who brag about how social media should be for enhancing one’s intellect or acquiring new skills. Fair enough. How many of these people belong to a book club on social media? How many, since leaving college, have read any book on philosophy, from which all the other subjects were derived? Forget about reading. That may be too intellectually tasking. How about a TikTok site devoted to philosophy. What about literature, which, I’m sorry, doesn’t include James Hadley Chase? How many have read any book on emerging technologies or a “Cliff notes version” of a peer-reviewed scholarly publication in the last 10 years or since graduating from college?

On skill acquisition, how many have acquired any skill whatsoever from the enormous amount of time they spend on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube? I’m willing to bet less than 1%. I noticed that frown; okay, let’s up it to 5%. Are you glad now? Thanks. Since when has 5% become a good score? But, it gets worse; more demonstrably so.

For those who mount the morality soapbox, beat their chests, and proclaim they attend religious services online and use social media to enhance their religious beliefs, good for you. Are you done? Fair enough. The argument is similar to the claim that the alternative forms of entertainment are more intellectually stimulating. Both are nothing other than a reflection of the intellectual capacity of the person making the claim. For some people, the only part of the Bible that appeals to them is the part about how some daughters got their father drunk and had sex with him. Yet for others, the promise of 120 virgins in al Jannah as a reward for martydom is all the Quran is about.

Whether it’s sports, betting, music, dancing, or other activities people spend their data watching on social media, there isn’t anything morally superior to watching reality TV shows like BBN. It’s similar to visiting a museum for an art exhibition—what you take away is a reflection of the mindset you brought with you. Some see art in a painting of a banana, while others are reminded of going hungry growing up and wishing for a banana. Yet, for others, it brings back memories of their first taste of ice cream with banana toppings while on a first date in college with their current partner. None of these interpretations is inherently wrong or superior.

For the intellectually inclined, BBN serves as a miniature representation of society, highlighting the complexities and intricacies of human interactions and relationships. It offers viewers a unique perspective on human behavior and social dynamics, which can be both educational and entertaining. To that end, some watch BBN and see it as a social experiment in human interactions; they observe how to win friends, gain influence, and control others, while also getting the opportunity to compare and contrast the role of academic intelligence and social intelligence in gaining a competitive advantage.

Additionally, it provides a means to examine the influence of physical attractiveness, or “pretty and handsome privileges,” compared to academic and social intelligence factors in human relationships. Other viewers, perhaps the majority, come solely for entertainment. A subset of these viewers are drawn by voyeuristic curiosity or in hopes of witnessing the titillating aspects they’ve heard about from previous seasons. Ultimately, some watch simply to satisfy their prurient interests. This is similar to football spectators. Some watch the players’ dribbling and passes. Others recognize the mathematics in the formations, passes through the hypothesis rather than the adjacent or opposite, all derived from application of Pythagoras theorem, triangulation, and so forth.

Regarding the claim of moral superiority over the relationships portrayed in BBN, it is quite ironic that individuals who engage in casual hook-ups or short-term sexual relationships with people they hardly know, look down on the comparatively more intimate connections formed between BBN contestants who have lived together for weeks. Given the “captive environment” in which the contestants live 24/7, it doesn’t take a degree in sociology to recognize that they would likely develop close bonds and relationships over time, resulting in a much more organic interaction than they could have had outside such a closed environment.

In contrast, among the critics of BBN are those who have fleeting sexual encounters or one-night stands with people they barely know have little to no emotional connection. Despite this, they lay claim to superior ethics or morality compared to BBN contestants. Thus, these same people come out to criticize BBN contestants for kissing someone they have spent weeks with 24/7. If passing judgment on the relationships in BBN by such people is not hypocrisy, I struggle to understand what is.

I discussed this issue with another friend, and her theory, which she, being a scholar, prefers to refer to as a yet-to-be-tested hypothesis, is that Nigerians are quite hypocritical. She goes further to posit that there is a significant probability that the more a reality show mirrors and exposes the conducts prevalent in Nigerian society [conducts which they’d prefer not to be in the open] by flaunting it in the public domain, the more backlash it would generate among the populace.

Negative response to BBN on morality grounds is nothing but a classic case of
“reaction formation,” which is a defense mechanism in which a person develops an attitude or behavior that contradicts their true feelings or desires. In this case, the backlash against the reality show for exposing the very immorality that people may secretly engage in or tolerate reflects this concept. By publicly denouncing the show’s content, they attempt to hide or suppress their own inclinations and maintain a faux sense of moral superiority.

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