Maybe I shouldn't have doubted Tom Friedman when he claimed that "Superstar," the Arabic version of "American Idol," was a force for democracy in the Middle East. Today comes word that another reality TV show, "Big Brother Africa," has roughly 30 million viewers across that continent. From Nigeria to Botswana, Kenya to South Africa, the show has become "a Rosrschach test of Africans' views of themselves," Marc Lacey reports. (Free registration required.)

Using a formula already familiar to American and European TV viewers, the producers intalled a group of strangers in a house in Johannesburg and televised their trials, tribulations and foibles — including all the usual bickering and romantic liaisons, not excluding breakfast belches, kissing and "shower hour" peeking.

The Malawi parliament has banned the show. Religious leaders have denounced it. But, Lacey writes, its many fans have invoked a subtle theme in its defense: the idea of democracy. "The contestants are nominated for eviction by their housemates and then voted off by viewers on the Internet or by cellphone text messaging. The will of the people decides how the show unfolds."

In a region of the world where Big Brother is a reality and democracy a rarity, the mere display of such a social system no matter how trivial or contrived has educational value and, Lacey writes, sends a message to authoritarian rulers. This is the same argument Friedman made for "Superstar."

First thought: If they're right, will we soon see the U.S. military command in Baghdad producing reality TV shows? Second thought: Not if it requires electricity.

Maybe I shouldn't have doubted Tom Friedman when he claimed that "Superstar," the Arabic version of "American Idol," was a force for democracy in the Middle East. Today comes word that another reality TV show, "Big Brother Africa," has roughly 30 million viewers across that continent in an uproar. From Nigeria to Botswana, Kenya to South Africa, the show has become "a Rosrschach test of Africans' views of themselves," Marc Lacey reports. (Free registration required.)

Using a formula already familiar to American and European TV viewers, the producers intalled a group of strangers in a house in Johannesburg and televised their trials, tribulations and foibles — including all the usual bickering and romantic liaisons, not excluding breakfast belches, kissing and "shower hour" peeking.

The Malawi parliament has banned the show. Religious leaders have denounced it. But, Lacey writes, its many fans have invoked a subtle theme in its defense: the idea of democracy. "The contestants are nominated for eviction by their housemates and then voted off by viewers on the Internet or by cellphone text messaging. The will of the people decides how the show unfolds."

In a region of the world where Big Brother is a reality and democracy a rarity, the mere display of such a social system no matter how trivial or contrived has educational value and sends a message to authoritarian rulers, Lacey writes. This is the same argument Friedman made for "Superstar."

First thought: If they're right, will we soon see the U.S. military command in Baghdad producing reality TV shows? Second thought: Not if it requires electricity.