Every year, as Nigerians, we can expect two things: fuel shortages and discussions on Twitter. Without fail, every year, we can also count on watching the popular reality TV show, “Big Brother Naija” (BBNaija).
Whether you like it, dislike it, or act like you don’t watch it but actually follow the highlights, you cannot ignore its cultural impact. BBNaija is not just about drama, romance, and “premium gbas gbos” (big fights); it also sets trends that influence Nigerian pop culture in surprising ways.
Slang That Becomes Everyday Language
Every season of BBNaija brings new words that quickly become part of Nigerians’ everyday language. Remember, “Wahala be like bicycle,” “No leave, no transfer,” or “Shine ya eye”.
Contestants come up with these phrases without realizing it, and they quickly become popular. Soon, everyone is using them, from social media to local markets. It’s almost as if BBNaija contestants suddenly become language experts overnight.
Can we forget, in a hurry, the well-known “Boma and Tega” situation from a past season? They made us start saying, “No be me go talk o,” a funny way to avoid talking about tricky subjects.
Big Brother Naija The Ultimate Career Launchpad
Before BBNaija, most contestants were everyday people trying to make an honest day’s pay. All that changes after 90 days in the house, as they, more often than not, became famous right away.
BBNaija has made many unknown people famous through paid media jobs and mega brand deals. It has even helped to launch music careers.
Consider past contestants such as Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, who started as a housemate and became one of Nigeria’s most respected media personalities. Mercy Eke, the first woman to win, became a millionaire and a successful business mogul in no time.
Even contestants who don’t win can still make money from their newfound popularity. Did someone say Instagram influencers?
Social Media Fever and Digital Trends Big Brother Style
If you’ve ever noticed that Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok seem more hectic than usual during BBNaija season, it’s because the show adds fuel to the social media conversational fire, so to speak.
Fights between fans of “Team Whitemoney,” “Team Tacha,” and “Team Erica” can be so intense that it feels like they are running for office. Even major brands get involved as advertisers realize that BBNaija content easily trends. As a result, more money is invested in ads, engaging influencers, and meme-worthy moments.
Hashtags such as #BBNaija, #BBNaijaAllStars, and the names of the contestants have made the Twitter (X) trend list for many months.
For example, in 2020, #Laycon trended more than some government policies. Hey, I’m just stating facts; no offense intended!
Fashion and Beauty Trends Get a Shake-Up
BBNaija contestants affect fashion and beauty trends in Nigeria with their unique clothes and trendy hairstyles. All it takes is wearing one outfit on eviction night to start a new fashion trend. Before you can say BBNaija, everyone wants to “dress like Liquorose” or “slay like Nengi. ”
Makeup artists are not left out because contestants often show off new makeup styles that inspire beauty fans everywhere in the country. As for wig vendors, they earn a lot of money as fans quickly buy wigs to imitate their favorite celebrities’ styles.
Now that we’ve explored the impact of BBNaija on Nigerian pop culture, let’s take a very quick look at how it all began.
How It Started
The Big Brother reality TV show started in the Netherlands in 1999. It was created by John de Mol Jr. and produced by Endemol (which is now part of Banijay).
The idea was easy but new in a groundbreaking way: a group of people, called housemates, lived together in a house isolated from everyone else.
They would be recorded and broadcast to the whole world 24/7. The show was named after Big Brother, the character who watches everyone in George Orwell’s book “1984”.
The Arrival Of Big Brother in Nigeria
The first Nigerian version started in 2006. The show had a long break before coming back as Big Brother Naija in 2017.
Since then, BBNaija has become one of the biggest reality TV shows in Africa. Annually, it attracts millions of viewers and generates a lot of media attention, especially on social media.
Nigerian Reality TV as a Cultural Export
As BBNaija becomes increasingly popular, global audiences are starting to notice. The show is quite popular around the world, with Nigerians living abroad watching regularly, even if they say they don’t. No judgment from me!
Streaming services such as Showmax now broadcast the show globally, helping to highlight Nigerian entertainment to a larger audience. Big brands such as Pepsi, Betway and Guinness support BBNaija because they see its influence on many young people in Nigeria and indeed the world.
Ultimately, BBNaija acts like “The Mirror Held Up.”
In the afterglow of the final episode, we see more than just curated lives; we see ourselves.
Reality TV, in its rawest form, is a mirror held up to our society, reflecting our dreams, our conflicts, and our very essence. It joins Afrobeats and Nollywood, not just as an export but as a potent, unfiltered narrative of who we are, a story we’re inviting the world to witness.
Read more
https://www.dstv.com/africamagic/en-ng/show/big-brother-naija
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