Big Brother - an outrage!!!!!!

:angry: I was absolutely appalled to read this morning. They knew Kate had lost a baby and deliberately had a game which included looking after a baby. Their statement is disgusting! "The Ten statement claimed Kate had told them she was completely recovered from the ordeal, which occurred 18 months ago and was caused by a blood pressure disease. Kate told the producers that she had dealt with it fully, but obviously she had not," the statement said. You never completely recover from the loss of a baby regardless of how long ago it was. She may have told the producers that she had dealt with it, in that she was coping as best she could but to say 'obviously she had not' because they want her to play a ridiculous game of looking after a pretend baby. This should never have gone to air and she should never have been put through this. I am so glad that I don't watch this stupid show!

By ninemsn staff
It could be the last straw for Big Brother, after it emerged producers of the reality program knew a contestant had miscarried and still challenged her to keep a toy baby alive.
Network Ten and producer Endemol Southern Star have reportedly admitted that housemate Kate Gladman's "situation" was known prior to the show.
Gladman, a government lawyer from Victoria, broke down in tears after being asked to take care of a life-like baby doll as part of the program.
The task was abandoned after the 25-year-old threatened to leave the house. She was offered counselling after the show aired, but refused.
Her mother, Annette Gladman, was furious at what appears to be a sick ratings grab.
"I think it's not insensitive, it's sadistic," she told the Daily Telegraph.
"I think they have got a moronic following and have milked it for all it's worth.
"I know that they have done that deliberately."
Stillbirth Foundation founder Emma Kirkwood was "appalled" by the program's lack of ethics.
"I felt sick (when I heard about it)," she told the newspaper. "I find it incredibly disturbing that they would do this.
"This shows a lack of respect for both Kate and for that baby she had.
"To have a stillborn baby — it doesn't leave you. It is with you every day."
The Ten statement claimed Kate had told them she was completely recovered from the ordeal, which occurred 18 months ago and was caused by a blood pressure disease.
"Kate told the producers that she had dealt with it fully, but obviously she had not," the statement said.
Evelyn Field, an author and psychologist, said it seemed Big Brother was just creating controversy in a bid to get TV ratings.
"What they're doing is exposing vulnerable people to difficult situations without providing support, without checking how they really feel.
"It is irresponsible in that it says to people, 'If you're not in full control of your emotions, then we will still put you on air', and I think that is putting people in a very difficult, humiliating situation."
A spokeswoman for Communications Minister Senator Helen Coonan said there had not been any complaints about the new series.

OMG - the show should be sued by her family. thats not entertainment that is sadistic heartless torture. i cant believe they think they can do something like that. having an angel baby myself i know that just when you think you are ok the slightest thing can trigger the most lowest feeling of loss and despair. its something the show shouldnt have even considered. SO CRUEL!!

I think its disgusting. And I'd recommend that those who don't agree with it contact the Communications Minister. How awful. I'm sure they'd sell their own souls in order to get a bit of controversy and ratings. Bad move producers... I hope the show finally crashes and burns. I don't know anyone that watches these days.

Sick.

*hugs*
Cailin

Lynn - I had exactly the same response as you...I was so upset about the comment about how she had obviously not dealt with it. She will be 'dealing' with this for the rest of her life! Yes, she has probably 'dealt' with the worst of her pain and grief, but that certainly does not mean that she would want to look after a robot baby! It was a blatant ploy to create more drama and get people watching. It is just gross if you ask me.

ugh that's just disgusting - they're really scraping the bottom of the barrel aren't they.

I have never watched Big Brother - I find it repulsive. This is confirmation. I agree with Cailin.
People need to write letters - this is appalling and really there are no words to describe my disgust.

I totally agree with all of you.

I watched the episode too and was crying for Kate. The same as Salt, I also assumed that the producers didn't know before they set the task, and thought it was good that they withdrew it. But to hear that they DID know, and to say 'obviously she had not dealt with it', makes me sick. I don't think you ever get over something like that - it is with you every day, and I sure she is as 'over it' as she will ever be. Setting a task like that when you are already in a vulnerable position in a house full of idiots, is just pure stupidity.

I am also annoyed that some reports are saying 'miscarriage'. It was a stillbirth, not a miscarriage, they should get their terminology right!

The minister for communications is Sen Helen Coonan. Her email is senator.coonan@aph.gov.au

thanx dachlostar. i have just put in a lovely complaint about Big Brother and Network 10...

I've just sent mine off too. Thankyou Lynn for bringing this to everyone's attention and to Dachlostar for providing the address.

Hi ladies,

OK Dont shoot me down but.......While I generally agree with you, I think that there is some responsibilty on Kate's part in that she assured producers she had dealt with her loss. Unless you have gone through a miscarriage or still birth, most people are oblivious to the emotional distress it can cause and continue to cause years after even when we say we are ok. So while we are quick in canning the producers, we also need to underestand that while we have been affected by this, many people still have no idea what sort of pain and anguish a loss of a baby can bring.

I applaud you all for sending your letters but just wanted to say that sometimes the reasons that these things happen is not often delibarete but circumstantial given peoples lack of knowldege/awareness of an issue.

I totall agree with Shannon have only watched 1 ep this season - I stopped watchign after BB01! .

:bluedust: to all in this thread,

Lisa

Nup I disagree, they did it to get her to react thats the only reason. They aren't stupid. They *knew* what they were doing. As has been mentioned there are psychologists on the show and they would *know* that its not something you just get over. And TBH even if I had been asked if I had dealt with it it would still be upsetting in that situation. And for me its not just about Kate and how she's dealing with it, its how it trivialises loss for those viewers who may have experienced a similar thing. Or her family and how they would feel seeing her go through that. Very tactless and stupid. And as I said I hope it causes the producers grief.

Its just sad how from season one to now you can look back at things that were considered over the line, now the line has disappeared.

And I don't mean to cause a debate nor do I take it badly what either of you guys have said ;) I just don't give them that much credit LOL!

*hugs*
Cailin

Nope, me either Cailin. There are professional psychologists who work on the show, they would fully know and understand the effect this sort of a *task* would have and I think they did it for the sensationalism and the ratings. Otherwise, why did they air it once it had happened and they could see how distressed she was???

I knew it!!!
I was discussing this with my DH the other day... and he said perhaps BB didn't know, perhaps it was something that she "hid" to get into the house... I knew it would have been something she wouldn't have hidden... I have recently applied for Biggest Loser 2008, and I can't remember the question exactly, but I had to tell them about Noah, so I was assuming that BB would have asked some similar questions with their applicants.

I think it is absolutley appaling the way they expected her to play this stupid little game... I never liked Kate before, but now I have a new found respect for her... she has had to deal with a lot, and thought she'd be okay to enter this "game"... I think she would have assumed they wouldn't have been so thoughtless as to make her do something like this.
The poor thing... I hope she wins now... and sticks it to BB!!!!

I see your point Cailin and Willow too, but I doubt that the psychologists would have been consulted about the taks or airing the show - which points the fingers back at producers I guess!

Gosh thats really terrible and torturous for them to do that.. I saw the episode, but I assumed the show had no knowledge of Kates loss.. even if she did tell them about it and that she felt she had dealt with it, i still dont think they should have had the task, as it could have had a bad effect on Kate anyway, even if she had "dealt" with her loss.

hi ladies, while I condemn the producers for the way they handled it, knowing exactly full well they would have known, I'd actually like to thank them (well not them actually Kate) for bringing such a taboo issue into media and public discussion and giving women in our position a face. In the past month I returned to work with most people not talking to me or wanting to discus what happened only to have people come to me in the last day and now want to talk about it.

Klee, that is a very valid point, but in this case I think they should have at least had Kate's permission and the permission of her family to air it - clearly her family are quite distressed over it. They've got no right to publicly display a family's grief like that.