Reality hits Big Brother

Australian reality television made a leap from the inane to 
the sublime last Sunday as Big Brother evictee Merlin Luck 
taped his mouth shut in silent protest and held up a sign 
demanding "FREE THE REFUGEES" in front of a packed stadium and 
1.5 million television viewers.

Despite jeering from the audience and verballing from the show's 
host Gretel Kileen, Merlin continued his protest throughout five-
minutes of live airtime and then was escorted off the show during 
a commercial break.

Killeen then continued her attack on Merlin, calling his silent 
protest "aggressive", and snidely suggested that he sell the car 
he had won as a participant and give the money to charity. Her 
harassment continued on Monday night when Merlin reappeared on 
the show to explain his actions.

He said "When I did this stunt it wasn't to slap in the face the 
people that gave me this opportunity".

"I wasn't trying to destroy the show. If people want reality 
television then this is reality."

"The vast majority have risked their lives to fight for the basic 
human rights we take for granted".

"This issue needs to be put back on the political agenda."

A Just Australia National Director, Howard Glenn, welcomed the 
latest high profile protestor to express his opinion on 
Australia's treatment of refugees.

"Australia has over 500 people who sought asylum in or before 
2001 still detained in remote camps", Howard Glenn said.

"They are under constant surveillance, rarely able to contact the 
outside world, and kept away from the media.

"A bit like the Big Brother contestants, except that 
they're in detention for years, and no-one gets to see the video 
footage of what goes on", said Mr Glenn.

The Channel 10 "reality" show has plummeted to new depths this 
season: offering a transsexual "intruder" as titillating 
spectacle; repeatedly airing without censure a lengthy tirade by 
a loud-mouth racist; and punishing a drunken resident turned 
knife-wielding maniac with a verbal slap on the wrist.