By Stephen Azubuike
BBNaija
Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) is a competition-based Nigerian reality television show in which a number of contestants live in an isolated house and compete for a large cash prize worth millions of Naira. The Show has gone through several seasons.
BBNaija series is viewed by many especially the youths across the country. The Show is basically an entertainment show which attracts all the glare of the entertainment industry.
As earlier observed, Housemates in BBNaija House are made to showcase some of their skills and abilities through the games they play and tasks executed within the House. We also see reward for victories.
BBNaija Show is strictly for adult viewing. Children are excluded, given the adult content, especially its sexual appeal which makes it a House of Lust.
BBNaija often ends with amazing prizes for the winner – the last person standing – mostly determined through votes.
In sum, by being locked up in a house with fellow housemates, you also enjoy luxury at its peak – nice meals, drinks, wears, parties, sexual activities, great atmosphere, etc.
The Show also presents contestants with an opportunity to grow their personal and business brands through the publicity and visibility they enjoy while in and out of the Show.
Gulder Ultimate Search
Gulder Ultimate Search (GUS) personifies the ultimate search for the good life through thick and thin. A group of people are led into the wilderness and forest to embrace life travails in search of a treasure. When found, the treasure is exchanged for a huge price.
Like BBNaija, many businesses market their brands through the show and the sponsorship deals are a high source of revenue to the organizers who are purely in business. The Show also gives contestants visibility like in BBNaija.
However, GUS demonstrates more of the reality of life in terms of suffering and survival of the fittest. The older generation that understands what it means to make it in life through only hard work might tend to understand the show better.
But the show may never appeal to the younger generation that tilts more towards “smart work.”
According to the reports, in a past edition, a contestant, Anthony Ogadje, drowned in a lake in Jos, Plateau State during the shoot. The show was eventually suspended, temporarily. This is an evidence of the level of risk involved compared to BBNaija.
If life will ever be lost in BBNaija, it will probably be as a result of fun overload.
At BBNaija, housemates are treated like eggs. With small emotional trouble, we saw one housemate develop mental health issues and was released to his parents to get some care. At some point you see some crying for no reason, just like a baby who woke up from sleep in need of breastmilk. But with some cuddling here and there, they shut their mouth and begin to play again.
Life is not about bread and butter. GUS defines this. But you can also make it in life as if life is bread and butter. BBNaija evidences this possibility.
Whichever way, success is possible. It depends on your choice and opportunities. Some persons on GUS might have applied to be on BBNaija but were unsuccessful. Determined to make it, they tried GUS. Some others will never contemplate going for GUS.
In BBNaija and GUS, we see the line between smart work and hard work. Hard work, not mainly in terms of diligence, but in terms of what we call in local parlance, sufferhead.
This article was originally published as BBNAIJA VS GULDER ULTIMATE SEARCH: THE LINE BETWEEN SMART WORK AND HARD WORK on 3 November 2021 by https://stephenlegal.ng/bbnaija-vs-gulder-ultimate-search-the-line-between-smart-work-and-hard-work/
AUTHOR: STEPHEN AZUBUIKE
Stephen is a lawyer with expertise in Commercial Dispute Resolution and Technology Law practice. He is a Partner at Infusion Lawyers. He has successfully argued cases from the High Courts of various jurisdictions to the Appellate Courts on behalf of financial institutions, other corporate bodies and multinationals. He has worked with a number of startup tech companies. He tweets @siazubuike.
