If you have been watching past editions of the Big Brother Naija show held in Lagos-Nigeria, you would agree with me that there are tons of life lessons to be learned from the show. If you’re not aware, the show is about a number of people living together in a house full of cameras, navigating through tasks and relationships and voted out by the audience until one person wins. This season started with 22 housemates and then in the first eviction 3 people were booted off ( Yerins, Niyi and Beatrice). In that same night, 4 new housemates (JMK, Kayvee, Michael and Queen) joined the initial cast of Whitemoney, Pere, Liquorose, Jackie B, Maria, Peace, Sammie, Saga, Nini, Arin, Princess, Boma, Cross, Jaypaul, Saskay, Angel, Emmanuel, Peace, Tega and Yousef.
So back to the topic: what have you learned so far from the show? Hmmm…
1. VIEWERS LIKE WHO THEY LIKE
As it has proven year after year, when the show starts, viewers are drawn to particular housemates most times because of how they look, what they wore, what they said on that first day, their story or something that just resonated with the viewers. From that day they start supporting that person never minding their missteps as the show progresses. This was the case for Laycon last year and this year happens to be Whitemoney and to an extent Maria. No amount of twists and turns inside the Big Brother Naija house can change the love most viewers have for these 2. People who love you for real, love you regardless of your flaws, right? It doesn’t matter how people try to mess with your head or paint you bad to them. They still love you. Recognize those that love you in real life, in spite of your shortcomings and stick with them.
2 KNOW YOUR SELF-WORTH
This is key. I cannot stress this enough (insert dramatic clap of hands): If you don’t know your worth, if you do not have self confidence, people are “gonna take you fi idiat”.
Self growth is necessary and one has to be self aware and your self esteem level has to be through the roof, because otherwise, they can easily get swallowed up in a place like the Big Brother house. It is when you do not know that you’re a queen or a king (see what I did there? Aha), that you keep going to seek validation from another person. Sometimes you don’t even realize that you are a freaking spec and are too good for the person you’re drooling over. Can we now freely talk about Queen? This beautiful, smart and fashionable housemate almost got drowned because she was falling for Boma whom a lot of viewers have issues with because of his loquacious nature, everywhere Boma goes it’s cho cho cho. So you see, because Queen failed to see that she was a queen, she allowed Boma use her for his game, hence the Okro he tagged himself because he went about telling whoever cared to listen that Queen wanted to tie him down in a game and he’s okro and so slimy; hard to hold on to. Oh he’s very proud of the name Okro. It messed up with Queen’s head for a while and she became withdrawn but gradually she’s becoming her old self. What am I saying? Be super self confident, never let anyone regard you less, never let anyone make you feel like they are helping your life by making you trend, just by being with you. No way!!!
3. BE MENTALLY STRONG
Life alone is for the brave and in a place like Big Brother Naija house, your mental game has to be strong because first of all, it’s a game and everyone wants to win. People are going in with strategies (even if they deny it in the opening show). Some make up strategies and re-strategize as the game progresses. There are people that would mess with your head just to see how far they can push you. In the house it’s difficult to tell who’s acting and who’s being real because it’s like who thought was being real tells you they were acting and vice versa. If you’re not focused on the game, if you let people talk over you, if you’re not vocal and assertive, if you find it hard to talk to people in a new environment, you might get eaten up. Kayvee came in with the last batch of 4 new housemates introduced after two weeks and he found it difficult to integrate. He was subsequently taken off the show due to mental health grounds.
4. BE YOURSELF
There’s no need to stress this point too much. Just be yourself and don’t change for anyone except of course, if your real self is super ugly in character, then by all means pls try and change. Generally speaking, everyone should work on fixing bad habits and become better versions of themselves. That being said, even if you have pristine character, you still wouldn’t be enough for some people. They may say you’re too good to be true and that you’re FAKE. Haha.
Whitemoney, from the very first day has been consistent with cooking in the kitchen for over 20 people, making breakfast, lunch and dinner. But along comes Pere who thinks he’s using that strategy to slickly glide into the finals on a gold platter. Pere took it upon himself as the Head of House to put a temporary stop to “Kitchen Monopoly” as he termed it. He felt by doing that he at last had opened the eyes of the “blind housemates” to the game of Whitemoney. Anyway his plan backfired and there was deep hunger in the land.
Speaking of Pere, despite all the screaming about how he should apologize to Whitemoney and the house for his “bullying” of Whitemoney on the night of the Whisper Game, he stood his ground and was never swayed by public opinion. Pere himself has been one that has been consistent in his actions in the house. He says what he says and if you’re not fine with it, well then…no apologies. That’s a definition of BEING YOURSELF! At the end of the day, do you and the world will adjust.
5. SEEK GENUINE FRIENDSHIPS
In life no one is an island and even those that are loners once in a while need to be around people. Friends are a necessary ingredient in this journey of life in the real world. They are necessary in the Big Brother House as well because in that kind of place, you need a paddy, a buddy, a gee that you can talk to, vent to, gossip and laugh with, otherwise the pressure from the house and the competition may get to you.
Liquorose and Maria have been buddies from the beginning of the show and it is nice to watch. Angel was friends with Beatrice before she left and Angel is now really good friends with JMK. Saga, Arin and Nini were a trio that enjoyed each other’s company until Arin left. Pere and Saga are also good buddies. Genuine friendships are a blessing.
6. EVICTION AND DEATH
Eviction is part of the Big Brother Naija game. It must happen for there to be a winner and when it does, housemates are devastated. Sometimes it’s the one person that has been their “person” (romantically or platonically) that is being evicted and they are lost for a bit, trying to cope without their evicted buddy. It’s like losing a loved one to death. They wail and cry because true and just like death, that person is NOT coming back to the show. But again, just like death, they will see the person when they themselves are either evicted or win the show at the end of the game.
I can understand how eviction breaks the housemates because it is a constant reminder that, just like death, you don’t know when your day would come and you’ll be evicted. So they constantly remind themselves not to worry about the outside world, and to enjoy each day of the game as it comes because Big Brother can change the game at anytime.
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