Big Brother Croatia Update: PG-13 Reality

After few days of serious deliberation, RTL Televizija has finally made a decision how to respond to Electronic Media Council. Of two possible alternatives – moving the show after 22:00 CET or censorship – they took the one that favoured their financial interests. Big Brother is arguably the most popular television show in Croatia, but it is also the only thing with which RTL Televizija can compete with two other networks – state-run HRT and Nova TV. The most advertising money comes from 20:15 slot and the most devoted fans of the show are children and teenagers – the very crowd that is supposed to be protected from "smoking, alcohol, nudity, sex and other forms of attacks on human dignity". Under such conditions, having censored show in the evening allows for daytime re-runs.

In the meantime, the housemates were informed about new one hour of privacy rule. RTL Televizija have established that hour between 7:00 and 8:00 CET. The measure is, more or less, moot because housemates tend to be asleep at that very time and they also lack watches and other methods of finding whether they are enjoying "magic hour" or not.

However, this led to some interesting discussion, namely among male housemates. Some of them are exploring this "privacy hour" as an opportunity to fulfil certain needs.

In the meantime, people outside House are bothered with other concerns. Vlado Mađarić (Vlado Madjaric), Željko's (Zeljko's) father wonders how would his son react to intense Internet speculations his sexual orientation. If Željko can't handle the pressure, his father offers to help him move to USA.

Sanja's friends and relatives are also having to deal with the way public could react to some of Sanja's recent admissions and some discoveries about her pre-House life (which don't include recently revealed struggle with anorexia during high school years). Kristina Kvastek, Sanja's sister, comments on Sanja's confessions about inter-racial romances – she says that her sister shouldn't have said it and confirms that Sanja was indeed with one black man three or four years ago, but that such affair was "nothing more than flirt". Marko Presečki (Marko Presecki), Sanja's boyfriend, doesn't have any comment except his "feeling" that Sanja might be the one to leave the House and promise that he would be waiting for her outside. If the on-line polls are to be believed (the number of those favouring Sanja's eviction has risen to 75 %), his feeling might be prophetic.