Sree on Big Brother UK – harasser, homophobe, Nice Guy(tm)?

Big Brother UK Season 10 is well underway.

I’ll be posting the odd BB clip to illustrate common conversations and issues, as a discussion trigger. You don’t have to watch the show to join in; the issues are standalone and everyday, and I’ll put in bits of background to give an idea of where people are coming from. I’m not picking out individual housemates because I think they’re rare or aberrant; I’m picking them out because you probably know people who behave just like this.

So here’s Sree, who gives me the screaming heebie jeebies. The transcript doesn’t quite do it justice, as it’s as much about his body language as anything else; so watch if you can.

Sree is a business student and student body president in the UK. He grew up in southern India. Noirin is a biracial Irish athlete.

Could this handsy, entitled fuckknuckle be any more annoying? I have no idea how Noirin has put up with him this long. Leading up to this clip, Sree has been relentlessly on at Noirin, putting his hands all over her after repeated refusals, declaring his ‘love’ for her, criticisng her to other housemates, and stalking around possessively on full physical alert whenever she speaks with another man. In response, Noirin has been bantering a lot with Marcus, a sexist git who is nonetheless silently collaborating with Noirin to help her show Sree that he doesn’t own her by regularly bantering and flirting – at least, that’s how I read the situation.

Noirin has repeatedly told Sree very clearly that she wants to be friends, not romantically involved. He has continued to escalate. In this clip, she calls him out for badmouthing her to other housemates behind her back (calling her “dumb and stupid”, and so forth). This is the first time we’ve seen her really put her foot down.

Noirin is clearly practised at fobbing harassers off gently, but this guy could.not.take.a.hint if the hint was shoved up his nose covered in thorns, honey, and fire ants, with a madrigal choir warbling “Fuck off Sree, tra-la-la-tra-la! [Fuck off! Fuck off! Fuck off!]” in the foreground. (Strangely enough, after I wrote this, they ended up with a madrigal-singing task.)

And she’s locked in a house with him 24 hours a day. Hopefully for not too much longer.

Scroll down for the transcript, and for a further video of Sree being a homophobic douchebag.

** Note: No images of physical violence, but emotional manipulation, harassment, and a not-so-veiled threat of violence (raised fist to the face) **

Pulling out just the fist-raising bit, which is much shorter:

Transcript:

[Sree and Noirin walk to garden chairs.]

Sree: You alright?

Noirin: No I’m not really.

Sree: Why, what happened?

Noirin: [firmly] Sree, you know exactly what’s going on. So don’t sit here and pretend like nothing’s going on. You want to talk to me, then talk to me.

Sree: [dismissively, with a 'here we go again' tone] Oh. Oh ok then.

Noirin: You’re 25 years of age, so grow up.

Sree: The thing is right, since from the day one I’m telling Marcus’ attitude over there. I don’t like the attitude of people [...] and how – you don’t know things, what’s going on. Anyway. Couple of females, they come to me and they approach me and they’re like, they’re like my people.

Noirin: Sree, I’m not talking about Marcus, I’m talking about –

Sree: [interrupts] NO NO NO

Noirin: – me and you, so I don’t want to hear you talk about Marcus. Marc –

Sree: [interrupts] NO NO NO. Listen.

Noirin: I want to talk about the way you behaved to me in that room. And that’s all I’m talking about.

Sree: No! I didn – Look. The way he talk with you is really upset me. For an example, even though you are my good -

Noirin: I don’t get what Marcus has to do with –

Sree: [interrupts] NO NO NO NO.

Noirin: – you talking to me like that.

Sree: [interrupts] NO NO NO. *sigh* You didn’t understand. My main, my main concern is, I am thinking that you are misunderstanding me. *sniff* That is –

Noirin: I heard you clearly in that room, Sree.

Sree: What do you mean?

Noirin: And if you talk to your friends like that, then I don’t want to be your friend.

Sree: D – Look. You – You –

Noirin: And you talk about people having respect for people. You have absolutely no respect for anyone if you’re going to go around talking to your friends like that.

Sree: Wha – What is it?

Noirin: Sree, don’t sit there and actually – because I will walk away right now if you literally sit there and act like you don’t know what’s going on.

Sree: [laughs] No no, look. The main thing is really pissing me off is sometimes I really really try to be, wind up my friends. It’s just a joke. You need to try to understand.

Noirin: Yeah but we all know you weren’t trying to wind me up. You were just trying to be a dickhead.

Sree: Look, look, no no no. Listen. [grinning]

Noirin: And we all know why you were trying to be a dickhead.

Sree: Maybe the mistake is on my side. You need to –

Noirin: [interrupts] Well then you need to be an adult and grow up and say “Yes, I made a mistake, I’m sorry.” [...]

Sree: [interrupts] Look! Look! That’s why I bring you – that’s why I bring you –

Noirin: Because you haven’t once said that you’re sorry. You’re trying to make like it’s Marcus’s fault. Marc -

Sree: [interrupts] NO NO NO. Look. Because the thing is, right, I’m getting laughed about this. Because –

Noirin: I don’t find it funny.

Sree: Only children are fighting like this, you know what I mean?

Noirin: Exactly. Exactly. You said the word. Children fight like this. And children call people names for absolutely no reason.

Sree: [laughs]

Noirin: It’s childish.

Sree: No, ok. Listen carefully.

Noirin: So you need to have a bit of respect.

Sree: [interrupts] HELLO! HELLO! If anybody talk about my good friends, I do not tolerate. I try to be protect them, and I try to be represent them, and I try to give a good speech regarding the people who talk bad.

Noirin: Well, the only person that’s talked bad about me in this house is you.

Sree: NO NO NO. Listen.

Noirin: I’ve been listening to you for the last few minutes, and you haven’t made any sense.

Sree: Look. I told you. Look. If you do think like I do any mistake, I do apologise. OK?

Noirin: That’s all you had to say. Did you say something in that room that you think that you have to apologise for?

Sree: No! I didn’t strike anything! Me –

Noirin: Do you feel like you have to apologise to me?

Sree: No! Look! Personally, me, I didn’t do anything wrong.

Noirin: [interrupts] NO. STOP LAUGHING AT ME. Do you think that you – that you did anything wrong in that room?

Sree: Personally, hand on heart,

Noirin: Tell me now before I walk away.

Sree: I do wrong. OK?

Noirin: Yeah. Exactly.

Sree: Let’s take an example. My bad. Apologies. Her highness. [makes kowtow motions] Yeah? The thing is right –

Noirin: Don’t be smart, Sree, cos it doesn’t suit you.

Sree: [grinning] It doesn’t suit me, why?

Noirin: No, it doesn’t suit you.

Sree: Do you think I’m a monkey? *silence* [laughs] Look. I think I did a mistake –

Noirin: You think you did a mistake? Or you know you did?

Sree: Yea? Happy?

Noirin: [dismissively, close-mouthed] Yep. That’s fair enough.

Sree: Now give a smile please.

[Noirin gives a very tight, close-mouthed fake smile]

Sree: That’s not – the other smile?

[Noirin bares her teeth]

Sree: Come here. [grabs her hand, tries to tug her onto his lap] Come here, come here. Come. Sit here.

Noirin: [pulling away] I’m not sitting on your – I don’t sit on your lap ever, so –

Sree: Come here. [Sree gets up, pushes a hug on Noirin. She angles her body away, in an exaggerated A-line hug.] You happy now?

Noirin: [tight] Yep. That’s much better. [walks away]

Cut to scene in the shared bedroom.

Voiceover: 12:47 pm. Halfwit, Marcus, and Lisa are in the living room. Some of the housemates are in the bedroom.

Sree: You getting angry again?

[Noirin and Sree are sitting beside each other on the bed. Sree is putting his arm around Noirin. She is stiff, her shoulders high, trying to shrug him off.]

Noirin: No – I’m not really a huggy person. Do you know you’re always giving me hugs? I’m not really that type of person.

Sree: Yeah but you – [takes his arm off Noirin]

Noirin: Like I don’t mind a hug every once in a while, but I’m not – like -

[Sree suddenly raises his fist up and pushes it in't Noirin's face, stopping just short.]

Noirin: Don’t do that. [awkward laugh]

Sree: [...]

Noirin: Just thought I’d tell you.

Sree: Yeah whatever ever.

Noirin: [awkward smile]

Sree: Such a two-faced.

Noirin: What? Two-faced? I just told you, I –

Sree: [interrupts] One face without glasses, one face with glasses. [Background: as part of a task, Noirin has had to draw glasses and a moustache on her face with permanent marker.]

Noirin: Exactly. So. I just – don’t really like hugs that much.

Sree: [dismissively] Oh, yeah, whatever. [..] You ok now?

Noirin: Yeah, I’m cool. Forget about it. [leans away from Sree]

Sree: slap one, slap one, on me. [leans in insistently, trying to get a kiss]

Noirin: No. No no no. I don’t do things anymore. I do whatever I wanna do these days. so. You shouldn’t ask girls to kiss you. If they wanna kiss you, they’ll kiss you.

[Cut to diary room. Sree is sitting in the diary room chair.]

Big Brother: Hello, Sree. How can Big Brother help you?

Sree: Hi Big Brother, I just come here to talk with you. I don’t know why, I am thinking that Noirin is misunderstanding me. Very first two weeks, she gave me cuddles, hugs, uh good fun, good fun. I love that enjoyment. And I lost that enjoyment. Only because I told her, Look, somebody’s talking about you inappropriately. And you need to stand up for yourself. All of a sudden what happened, every time Marcus, every time Marcus. I don’t want to say about other people – when it comes to between me and Marcus, the relationship, it’s not only because of he is hanging around with Noirin. Come on, I am not that kind of silly stupid brain. The thing that is really really annoying me is, the person who swear at people, the person who stares at you 24/7, and the person who talk about your breasts and everything, he is your best friend. And you stick up for him. The person who loves you through your heart, the person who do care about you, the person who do worry about you, the person who do likes you, he is a sour taste to you. He’s not honey any more to you. That’s all about, Big Brother, that’s all about. I’m worrying.

And here’s more, this time of Sree being a colossal homophobic twonkface. Failing to get much attention from Noirin or anyone else for a day or two, he has decided to start getting all up in Charlie’s face. Sree is (or has declared himself) straight, Charlie is out and gay, and they haven’t been friends so far on the show at all.

So what does Sree decide? To gleefully pretend to be coming on to Charlie, tickling his neck and nipple, simpering “Do you like Indian boys?” (playing on homophobic paedophilic/sex tourism stereotypes?), and then try to giggle with the others about it after Charlie leaves.

“I am his master”? What the fuck? This guy is completely obsessed with dominance. Completely.

I love that Lisa totally leaves him hanging on the high five.

SnC from veem veem on Vimeo.

Transcript:

Voiceover: Most of the housemates are in the garden.

Sree: Charlie, you are my love. How are you today? You’re a good time?

[Charlie acknowledges him, but does not smile.]

Sree: Aww, Charlie, bless you. [Sree puts his face in Charlie's, looks at him in a fake-adoring manner, and puts his arm up to the back of Charlie's neck.]

Sree: [sotto voce, to Charlie alone, tickling the back of his neck] You know exactly what I mean.

Charlie: [arms crossed] Huh?

Sree; [loudly, shrugging] I said that the weather is so cold!

Charlie: Whatever, Sree.

Sree: [sotto voce, to Charlie alone, tickling his neck and grinning] Would you like Indian boys?

Charlie: What?

Sree: [loudly] I said that the bus stop is so cold! [smothering a laugh] Shall we go inside? [background: the 'bus stop' is an outdoor smoking and gathering area.]

Charlie: Uh, I think we should. I definitely think we’ll go inside.

Sree; [gleefully, laughing, clapping his hands] Exactly! That’s what I’m talking about, Charlie!

Others: Exactly. Exactly.

[Charlie goes inside]

Sree: [to the others, laughing] Oh, bless him. I’m just playing around.

[Inside, in the kitchen. Charlie is talking to Lisa.]

Charlie [to Lisa]:…’do you like Indian boys’. And I went ‘what?’ and he went ‘it’s a lovely night isn’t it?’

[Sree walks past, putting his arm on Charlie's belly and tracing it around him as he goes. Charlie looks at him, keeping his arms crossed.]

Sree: Oh, sorry, Charlie, I didn’t see you.

[some scattered laughter from others]

Lisa [middle-aged pink-mohawked lesbian] : I’m going to have a cup of tea.

[Charlie walks up to Sree, possibly says something unintelligible.]

Sree: [to Charlie] Do you want to talk to me? [slaps Charlie on the lumbar area]

[Sree puts his arm around Charlie.]

Sree: [to Lisa and Noirin] Don’t worry. I am his master. And I know how to teach him.

Sree: [traces the logo on Charlie's "I {heart} My City" T-shirt, teasingly and mockingly] I….. Love…. My ….

[Charlie can't quite believe what's going on.]

Lisa: Are you playing with his nipple?

Sree: Oh, is this the sensitive area? [further caressing Charlie's nipple through his shirt] Oh, bless you.

Lisa: Is that the only – I hope that’s the only thing you love about this. [traces] I ..love..my..dicky. And that’s it.

[Charlie leaves the room]

[Sree cracks up, snorts and cackles gleefully. He holds up a high five hand to Lisa. Lisa sips her tea and ignores him.]

Noirin: What’s going on with him?

Sree: I am a good player, trust me. I know how to start the game, I know how to finish it.

They also still haven’t called him out for the fist to Noirin’s face, or the other times he has raised his hand as if to slap her when she hasn’t submitted to his hugs, kisses, or exhortations to smile in line with his expectations. This stuff, all of it, is every kind of Not OK.

Please don’t post to tell me how much you hate the show or how pointless it is or how it’s terribly low-class to watch it. Cheers.

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1. Big Brother Friday: Noirin sets her boundaries and is ignored, again
2. BBUK: Angel and Noirin: Fake-fat-shaming and the induction of self-hate as a motivational tool
3. Big Brother Friday Fauxpology: Mo’s been in the headmaster’s office before, hasn’t he?
4. Big Brother UK: Darnell says blind housemate Mikey not a “performing monkey”
5. More Big Brother bullying: Alexandra removed from the BB UK house