Even though the war in Gaza is still ongoing, Israeli television has long ago returned to its regular programming. There’s "Master Chef" and "Dancing with the Stars," so why not have "Big Brother" as well? The new reality show season’s opening event, which continues on Monday, faced opposition and creative protest as if it were the only reality show shown in Israel. These protests are part of the usual snobbery directed toward Big Brother, which allegedly represents everything bad about television.
This is nonsense. Big Brother can convey important messages, and one can learn a lot about what’s really happening in Israel, more than from any other reality show, in fact. This is one of the reasons why this format has survived for so many years.
It offers something far beyond entertainment. 2 View gallery From 'Big Brother' ( Photo: Keshet Media Group ) If there was any question about how reality shows would look after October 7, the answer, according to Big Brother and its peers, is that there’s nothing new happening in Israel except the yellow ribbon representing the hostages in Gaza on the show hosts’ and participants’ suits, which seems to be a mandatory item. At the beginning of the episode, Guy Zu-Aretz reminded viewers that Israel is at war, and how difficult it is to return to routine, almost apologizing for the broadcast.
The truth is, there’s no need for that. The train has left the station, and no one’s really complaining. Our hearts are with the hosta.