indicators; Nowhere to Hide - television program information - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

American Demographics, Sept, 2000 by Rebecca Gardyn

If George Orwell only knew. This summer, two TV shows unleashed the voyeur in us all: CBS' Big Brother - in which 10 strangers agreed to live together for three months with their every move videotaped - and Survivor - in which participants competed to remain on a deserted island for a $1 million prize.

According to the Gallup Organization, 38 percent of Americans - over one-third of the population - say they watched at least part of Survivor this summer. Yet, according to the same poll, 48 percent of respondents said they "hate" or "dislike" shows based on observing people in real life. On a more personal note, people say - by a margin of 48 percent to 34 percent - that they'd rather take their chances on an island, than expose their intimate lives on national TV. Men were more likely to choose the Survivor option (56 percent), than women (41 percent). And, of course, since everything's political: 52 percent of conservatives chose the Survivor option, compared with 42 percent of liberals. Only 27 percent of conservatives would bare all for the Big Brother cameras, compared with 44 percent of liberals who would do so.