I think this Opinion Polls task is a terrific idea for the final week - it's like BB picking up on Jon's earlier attempts to force Cameron to submit an opinion, and making it law.

Cam and Scott, between them by far the bookies' favourites to take the money, have so far managed to get right to the end of the game without ever being cornered into being tied down to a concrete opinion on any significant topic - sure, Cam's had plenty of opinions on other housemates, but none at all on major issues. Scott's become notorious for fence-sitting and deflection.

And now, as they reach the home straight with the prize money almost in their hands, their one highly successful tactic is being taken off them. In the week the public are finally getting to vote for who they want to win their hard-spent phone poll money, Cameron and Scott are going to have to come clean about what they really think.

I can't see this task troubling Ray or Steph, who will cheerfully say whatever comes into their heads, and it certainly won't worry Jon who can't win it anyway and isn't shy when it comes to opinions - but Scott and Cam are really going to sweat over this one.

Fantastic!

Bob

I doubt if the viewing (voting) public will actually get to see any footage of the opinions in time to make any difference though

Good idea Bob......I imagine those little wrist bands register off the scale whenever there is a danger of a genuine opinion on a dangerous subject has to be given.....

Yes, I agree, but the discussions can still be edited or not shown at all.

Are we to see 'full and frank' coverage of their responses, or edited highlights?

Unfortunately, even if there was full disclosure of the HM responses, most viewers have already formulated their own opinions of the HMs and, especially at this late stage, will stick rigidly to them.

The only exception would be if a voter was offended by hearing a controversial viewpoint that bordered on racist, sexist or homophobic but I can't realistically see the HMs overstepping the mark. Fed might have been good value in this regard but none of the current HMs will overstep the mark -- at least not sufficiently so as to sway potential votes.

Haha - Scott's little graph was zigzagging over the line marked "hazardous" in today's Psych show, and that was before he found out he was going to be forced to give out an opinion!

Bob

You may be right - but you only have to look at the people today who said they were Jon fans but were put off when the C4 site said he'd 'quipped' that he was so far right wing he was almost fascist - there was a big hoo-hah over that one remark, so personally I think it *is* actually likely that someone could be put off their favourite by an opinion, especially if it's something emotive like views on Abortion or something.

Bob

I haven't fully caught up with the new task, but like you Bob I thought it could potentially get under the skin of both Cameron and Scott - the only two remaining players not to have shown their hands.

I heard Jon's quip about being a fascist, and I thought he was saying that to give all the others a clear idea on what his opinions on all matters would be. I understand HMs will give their opinions in private in the DR, but somehow during the rest of the week HMs without referring to what they said in the DR will have to convey their preferences and style to the other HMs so that when they sit the test they know them well enough to guess what they might think about something.

By clearly stating an extreme position, I thought Jon was not only identifying and exploiting a weakness in the game, but was also trying to make it easy for the other HMs to guess his opinions. It was also a joke, and I don't think Jon wil follow through on this strategy.

Actually I think they may fail this task - they will have no problem guessing the opinions of Jon, Ray and Steph, they could make a stab at Cameron's unstated views probably being "a bit conservative", but they're really going to struggle when asked what they believe Scott thinks about pretty much anything - unless Big Brother gives them an option of "you know, whatever - but not in a bad way".

Mind you, the reward's a party the day before the finale. They're not going to fail.

Bob

One thing I cannot quite work out is what the HMs will do with each other during the day to help communicate their opinions. They are not allowed to talk about what they say in the DR, so what do they say? Or do they say anything at all to help? And what in fact would help?

I suppose they could just carry on as normal not really talking about anything, and then just guess when they are tested on Weds, but do you think they would really take this tack?

If the task is to encourage HMs to have discussions in which they actually express their opinions on stuff, I am not convinced that that is what will come of it. But I can see Jon relishing this. It is almost as though he designed the task himself, as one of his major criticisms of the HMs (apart from Fed) was that he couldn't get them to have a real conversation or express an opinion on anything. He also did enjoy his talk with Cameron about the Euro. He might hoping to have more of the same?

I cannot see a strategy which the HMs can take to help them pass the task and win the party. Or have I missed something?

I don't know what the conditions of this task are, apart from what appears on this thread

But I would guess that they might ask Jon for example whether Steph would be in favour of capital punishment, having previously asked Steph to give her opinion on it in the DR

The object is to see how well they have got to know each other

Obviously they are not allowed to tell each other what opinions they have given in the DR as that would kind of defeat the object

Well, I don't know anything about this task except what I have read here, but ... although I have not spent 24 hours a day with Scott and I don't even have E4, I feel I could make a pretty good guess at what his views would be.

wonder if BB will ask cameron .....talk for a minimum of 10mins about lisa

OK, Scott's views on abortion?

"Well, you know, to each their, you know, and at the end of the day, I don't wanna, you know, tell people what they can or can't, you know, but as far that's, like, I say - live and let, you know, but I don't mean that that's necessarily meaning live as in, you know, right to life and that, or right to choose, or not, as the case may, you know, but just... whatever, man!"

"Sorry Scott, Big Brother needs you to be a little clearer..."

Bob

Yes I think that's how it will work on Weds when they are tested about each other's opinions. The question I have is how they make the most of the next three days in a way to help give the correct answers on Weds.

Say Steph is asked to give her opinion on capital punishment in the DR, but coincidentally the group have arranged for themselves a discussion about capital punishment in an attempt to find out more about each other's opinions. What does Steph then do? Say she can't speak about that, or keep quiet? I guess she'll have to say she can't talk, and then they'll have to pick something else to talk about - but they will then have discovered that Steph did give her opinion on capital punishment in the DR.

I am still unclear how this task will work. I'll have to wait and see what they do with it.

'Which HM thinks it is neither big nor clever to get drunk and then to talk about it?'

at that point scott takes a tissue out and wipes the camera lense

can you see me now BB ?

OK, Bob, I'm sure you don't really expect me to give a serious answer to this but I will anyway. I think Scott may well hum and haw a bit, but I think his view would be that abortion is not a desirable thing but in some cirumstances it seems to be the only option.

PS I don't think for a minute that BB would ask the HMs' opinions on abortion.
Last edited by lulu g : 21-07-2003 at 00:12

Is Scott far worse than the other remaining HMs at nailing his colours to the mast? I can't imagine what any of their opinions would be about this. (Apart from Cameron - and the only reason I would be able to take a stab at Cameron's feelings is because of his religion.) I imagine that Scott would be pro choice, in terms of abortion, he seems quite a liberal kind of guy. Why is it so important that he has strong opinions? I have a mate very like him, temperamentally, and his laissez faire attitude is not in the least an irritant - quite the reverse.

They should've done this task last week.

It's too late.

This question remains - why on Earth did Big Brother not throw discussion topics at the HMs weeks ago, like they have in previous series? Why leave it until the last week? Or did they do so, and we didn't see it?

Sorry lulu if I came across as stifling responses, far from it!! I agree totally with your assessment - but what if BB said in every instance, "Give me a decisive yes or no - you can't have Maybe?" - would he say, OK then , "yes"? All speculation of course - actually I do think that's probably what he'd say when pushed, I just think he'd sweat a little at being backed into the corner.

I think he'd face the same dilemma over just about ANY serious question, wouldn't he? He HAS rather made a habit of peacemaking between opposing views.

I don't see Jon, Steph, Ray having the same problem with this task - Steph will cheerfully offer views and the others cheerfully filter her out. Cameron, I suspect, has concrete views easily guessable but will also find it equally hard to come out and say them.

Bob

The difference is that Scott probably does have views that he has actually thought about, whereas Ray and Steph - not the world's great thinkers - would just spout whatever first came into their heads.

You're right, I hadn't noticed the lack of that - of course when it happened in previous series I did think it was a bit artificial - after all you'd get the Marcus Bentley voiceover on the C4 show saying "Deeayy 32 - the housemates are discussing Life After Death" - when it's plain to E4 viewers that this is because BB ordered them to the sofa to talk about it!

If they'd done it this year the HMs might stand a better chance of passing this task!

Bob

In saying that Bob....I'm not sure that those saying they've fled the Jon fold because of Jon's quipping were actually fans in the first place....Just my little theory there.......