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Pete Bennett raises the profile of Tourette’s syndrome and wins ‘Big Brother’
Whether you are a fan of Big Brother or not, it is hard to fail to notice that the profile of Tourettes Syndrome has been raised by Pete Bennett, who lives with Tourettes and has now won Big Brother. Pete appearing in BB caused some controversy amongst the dyspraxia e-group.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Dyspraxia/
In Support of raising ND awareness on Big Brother
Beanz May 06
I woke up this morning and had to vent my frustration. No sooner had the new housemates moved in, than people are getting up in arms about having a guy with Tourettes on B.B. And these are the people who run support groups from sufferers of this disability. The argument seems to be about Channel 4 putting on a guy with Tourettes for sensationalism. Well you could say the same about the Camp gay guy, the camper Muslim guy, the woman who’s 99% plastic surgery. You could say it about ALL contestants on the show.
It p***** me off ROYALLY when people won’t give us a chance. Put us down before we get the chance to have a go at things. Write us off. Peter is a very PROUD man, and a frontman for a rock band. I’m VERY proud of Peter, Good on you mate!!!!!
If, however, the group he’s with do not know he’s got Tourettes, then that’s their fault. The viewing public do know, and they might find him `funny`, and they might find him `odd` (the general public’s words, NOT mine, from the interviews I saw this morning) I’m bloody sure that will be alright for a while - but ANY signs of him being picked on by one or more individuals WILL BE NOTED by the voting public, and scorned. I’m not saying its going to be easy for him, its not easy for any off us, but he’s having a go and I for one am 110% behind him. I’d still like to think that in this world, where its difficult for anyone to understand each other, be it, race, religion, culture or disability, there still comes a time when people say “enough’s enough! You’ve gone too far. Pack it in”!
To have Peter in the house, and to see how the group accepts his condition will be watched very closely. It’s a lesson for the viewing public to see just how hard life can be for N.D. people, especially in social situations. If you look at television’s attempts to bring N.D. into the limelight, they always have failed. The dramas are unrealistic and the important facts are often overlooked. Well, now they’re laid bare for everyone to see and I hope they see thru` the `funny` side to get a grip on how very difficult it is for N.D.s but also to show how very brave, creative, honest, genuine, compassionate, loving and caring people N.Ts are.
GO ON PETE! WIN IT BROTHER! YOU’VE GOT MY VOTE!!!! ANYONE ELSE IN ???
In Opposition to raising Awareness of ND on Big Brother
Mark Daly May 06
Big Brother is as ruthless a programme that you can find. It is mean, nasty and exploitative
Once in the house the housemates are psychologically f****** with until they are tossed out, or walk out. Then they are stripped bare by Davina and the baying mob. Which is why I have huge reservations about somebody like Pete entering the house. Once they are all in, it then becomes about mind games or the houses rules.
As for Pete, the people I have sympathy with are his family, if he has any family. They are going to be reading about their son, cousin, nephew, in the media for however long he stays in the house. The red tops, who really don’t know anything about the word Tourette’s, will possibly use the headlines like ‘weird actions of freaky Pete’.
The public at large don’t know much about Tourette’s, if there is an educational aspect to putting him in (I would applaud it) and I doubt there is, then he is most likely there as the rest of them are, ie a zoo animal or to be made fun of as an oddity.
Whether you are a fan of Big Brother or not, it is hard to fail to notice that the profile of Tourettes Syndrome has been raised by Pete Bennett, who lives with Tourettes and has now won Big Brother. Pete appearing in BB caused some controversy amongst the dyspraxia e-group.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Dyspraxia/
In Support of raising ND awareness on Big Brother
Beanz May 06
I woke up this morning and had to vent my frustration. No sooner had the new housemates moved in, than people are getting up in arms about having a guy with Tourettes on B.B. And these are the people who run support groups from sufferers of this disability. The argument seems to be about Channel 4 putting on a guy with Tourettes for sensationalism. Well you could say the same about the Camp gay guy, the camper Muslim guy, the woman who’s 99% plastic surgery. You could say it about ALL contestants on the show.
It p***** me off ROYALLY when people won’t give us a chance. Put us down before we get the chance to have a go at things. Write us off. Peter is a very PROUD man, and a frontman for a rock band. I’m VERY proud of Peter, Good on you mate!!!!!
If, however, the group he’s with do not know he’s got Tourettes, then that’s their fault. The viewing public do know, and they might find him `funny`, and they might find him `odd` (the general public’s words, NOT mine, from the interviews I saw this morning) I’m bloody sure that will be alright for a while - but ANY signs of him being picked on by one or more individuals WILL BE NOTED by the voting public, and scorned. I’m not saying its going to be easy for him, its not easy for any off us, but he’s having a go and I for one am 110% behind him. I’d still like to think that in this world, where its difficult for anyone to understand each other, be it, race, religion, culture or disability, there still comes a time when people say “enough’s enough! You’ve gone too far. Pack it in”!
To have Peter in the house, and to see how the group accepts his condition will be watched very closely. It’s a lesson for the viewing public to see just how hard life can be for N.D. people, especially in social situations. If you look at television’s attempts to bring N.D. into the limelight, they always have failed. The dramas are unrealistic and the important facts are often overlooked. Well, now they’re laid bare for everyone to see and I hope they see thru` the `funny` side to get a grip on how very difficult it is for N.D.s but also to show how very brave, creative, honest, genuine, compassionate, loving and caring people N.Ts are.
GO ON PETE! WIN IT BROTHER! YOU’VE GOT MY VOTE!!!! ANYONE ELSE IN ???
In Opposition to raising Awareness of ND on Big Brother
Mark Daly May 06
Big Brother is as ruthless a programme that you can find. It is mean, nasty and exploitative
Once in the house the housemates are psychologically f****** with until they are tossed out, or walk out. Then they are stripped bare by Davina and the baying mob. Which is why I have huge reservations about somebody like Pete entering the house. Once they are all in, it then becomes about mind games or the houses rules.
As for Pete, the people I have sympathy with are his family, if he has any family. They are going to be reading about their son, cousin, nephew, in the media for however long he stays in the house. The red tops, who really don’t know anything about the word Tourette’s, will possibly use the headlines like ‘weird actions of freaky Pete’.
The public at large don’t know much about Tourette’s, if there is an educational aspect to putting him in (I would applaud it) and I doubt there is, then he is most likely there as the rest of them are, ie a zoo animal or to be made fun of as an oddity.
