One rainy evening, I finally decided to discover what entertains my compatriots. In other terms, what can Russian TV offer except documentaries about military aircraft or Mr. Putin’s speeches ? I learnt that the most popular reality show in the country was called "Dom 2", translated as "House 2". Every day, 35 000 000 people sit in front of their TV set and enjoy this modern form of brainwashing, and this is without counting all the people who after each episode, spend hours discussing the latest events of the show on social media.
How is it produced ?
Presenters are Russian celebrities such as Ksenia Sobchak (daughter of the former mayor of St Petersburg) or Olga Buzova – who could be our slavic equivalent of Kim Kardashian. In 2004, a group of MP from the Douma demanded the end of the show as it "fostered and promoted interest to sex" especially among an underaged public. Ksenia Sobchak responded, denouncing the "absurd moralism" of these MPs, she qualified of "Inquisition". She added that this TV project cares about the young generation more than these MPs do, and shows them the basic priniples of friendship and love.
The shooting studio is located behind a barbed wire, in a strongly protected area. The owner of this piece of land is Mr. Komissarov - a media figure and politician, who has supervised the release of the « United Russia » review. Komissarov, according to close sources, tried to avoid to be associated with the production of the show. However, he contributed to solve strategic questions, as for instance when a participant wanted to commit suicide, he managed the issue "in a very clever way", says Sobchak.
We could be wondering how much do these people get paid for a spoiled reputation and the ability to constantly create and solve intrigues. They percieve a salary – that varies between 30 000 and 200 000 roubles (i.e. 3000 dollars) and are sometimes offered a job at the TV channel after they quit the game.
What does it consist in ?
The purpose of this mascarade is not too difficult to understand; a dozen of people live in the same space during several weeks, and are permanently filmed by 113 cameras. This life in a community is obviously a challenge - as conflicts may occur - but also the opportunity to make friends, find your "beloved one" and even work on your personal development. To help the inhabitants manage their adventure, there is a moderator who - interstingly enough - has the legitimacy to analyse their behaviour and give them precise advices.
One striking feature, and probably specific to Russian shows is the idealized figure of women: always physically irreproachable - embodying the cliché of "femme fatale" - but also very mature and often thinking about long-term committment or even building a family. On the contrary, men are more infantilized and less responsible. One scene that perfectly illustrates this idea took place in the common room, where a woman was complaining to all the participants that her "boyfriend" seemed indifferent to her efforts to make her couple survive.
Those accusations provoked a collective shaming, and all the people present in the room felt like their duty was to make remarks to the guilty boyfriend. This group effect has even a stronger impact on the relationship than if it was discussed in a private way.
What makes people addicted ?
What is probably the most surprising is the honesty participants express in their interactions. Women share their concerns about the fidelity of their partners, while men openly discuss their relationship expectations. Their dialogs are often very emotional, and most of the time end in an argument - which makes the show more spicy.
The spectator is also involved in the show. We are given an insight into the most intimate moments of the protagonists' lives, almost like they were ours. Besides, the moderator can ask the spectators to react to a specific event of the show and give their opinion on Twitter using the hashtag #Dom2. The process of identification with relationship problems encountered by the characters of the show is quite efficient : by having an external perspective, we can easily make conclusions and reflect on our situation through theirs. Something like a catharsis, let's say.
However, the show implicitly lets us think about human drawbacks such as jealousy, possessiveness, manipulation... A girl who lied and betrayed her friends was taken as a scapegoat and ejected from the game - a fair punishment that shows a moral logic behind this show.
How is it produced ?
Presenters are Russian celebrities such as Ksenia Sobchak (daughter of the former mayor of St Petersburg) or Olga Buzova – who could be our slavic equivalent of Kim Kardashian. In 2004, a group of MP from the Douma demanded the end of the show as it "fostered and promoted interest to sex" especially among an underaged public. Ksenia Sobchak responded, denouncing the "absurd moralism" of these MPs, she qualified of "Inquisition". She added that this TV project cares about the young generation more than these MPs do, and shows them the basic priniples of friendship and love.
The shooting studio is located behind a barbed wire, in a strongly protected area. The owner of this piece of land is Mr. Komissarov - a media figure and politician, who has supervised the release of the « United Russia » review. Komissarov, according to close sources, tried to avoid to be associated with the production of the show. However, he contributed to solve strategic questions, as for instance when a participant wanted to commit suicide, he managed the issue "in a very clever way", says Sobchak.
We could be wondering how much do these people get paid for a spoiled reputation and the ability to constantly create and solve intrigues. They percieve a salary – that varies between 30 000 and 200 000 roubles (i.e. 3000 dollars) and are sometimes offered a job at the TV channel after they quit the game.
What does it consist in ?
The purpose of this mascarade is not too difficult to understand; a dozen of people live in the same space during several weeks, and are permanently filmed by 113 cameras. This life in a community is obviously a challenge - as conflicts may occur - but also the opportunity to make friends, find your "beloved one" and even work on your personal development. To help the inhabitants manage their adventure, there is a moderator who - interstingly enough - has the legitimacy to analyse their behaviour and give them precise advices.
One striking feature, and probably specific to Russian shows is the idealized figure of women: always physically irreproachable - embodying the cliché of "femme fatale" - but also very mature and often thinking about long-term committment or even building a family. On the contrary, men are more infantilized and less responsible. One scene that perfectly illustrates this idea took place in the common room, where a woman was complaining to all the participants that her "boyfriend" seemed indifferent to her efforts to make her couple survive.
Those accusations provoked a collective shaming, and all the people present in the room felt like their duty was to make remarks to the guilty boyfriend. This group effect has even a stronger impact on the relationship than if it was discussed in a private way.
What makes people addicted ?
What is probably the most surprising is the honesty participants express in their interactions. Women share their concerns about the fidelity of their partners, while men openly discuss their relationship expectations. Their dialogs are often very emotional, and most of the time end in an argument - which makes the show more spicy.
The spectator is also involved in the show. We are given an insight into the most intimate moments of the protagonists' lives, almost like they were ours. Besides, the moderator can ask the spectators to react to a specific event of the show and give their opinion on Twitter using the hashtag #Dom2. The process of identification with relationship problems encountered by the characters of the show is quite efficient : by having an external perspective, we can easily make conclusions and reflect on our situation through theirs. Something like a catharsis, let's say.
However, the show implicitly lets us think about human drawbacks such as jealousy, possessiveness, manipulation... A girl who lied and betrayed her friends was taken as a scapegoat and ejected from the game - a fair punishment that shows a moral logic behind this show.
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