Big Brother Refugee Protest : Melbourne Indymedia

In a Big Brother eviction show like no other, the latest evictee Merlin made a powerful silent protest by placing gaffer tape over his mouth and holding up a message reading "Free the Refugees" in front of a massive live audience and a nation wide television audience of millions.

After being driven to the Dreamworld stadium from the Big Brother House, Merlin jumped out of the window of the car and unravelled the message as he made his way down the giant gangway which runs through the live audience. Merlin held his sign aloft as he took a set on the couch at centre stage beside the slightly dismayed Channel Ten host Gretel Killeen. The huge audience were clearly divided over the statement with lots of boos and cheers rising above the din.

Merlin's father, who brought the young Merlin to Australia from Germany, was seen in the audience smiling proudly and applauding his son. Apparently the family spent their first eight years in Australia as "illigal immigrants" before being given permanent resident status.

Merlin, who performs in a Sydney hip-hop outfit and works for a record company, has made his political opinions known on numerous occasions while in the Big Brother House, including his opposition to the Iraq War and his support for the plight of refugees.

Instead of conducting the usual post-eviction interview, Killeen crossed to the house to tell the housemates about Merlin's protest and get their reactions. One of the housemates called out "Legend!". Most of the housemates were surprised but most of them were supportive. One other housemate, Ryan, later said that he agreed with what Merlin said but disagreed with the way he said it.

The housemates may have a different take on it however when he get to see the actual footage which shows one of the most effective and startling exercises in culture jamming Australia has ever seen. Merlin should be applauded for standing up for the rights of refugees and adding a real dose of reality to reality TV.

The reaction to Merlin Luck's protest is symptomatic of the current political climate in Australia. Luck's protest was by no means extreme, and completely necessary. Such is the conservative nature of contemporary Australian society, people are given no choice but to go to great lengths to get their voice heard.

Refugees are a group of people who are under represented in the commercial media and it was great to see somebody stand up and have a say on their behalf.

It would be easy to judge Luck and make claims that he has been too extreme in his protest, but in reality, he only refused to speak. It is important to remember the affinity Luck has with these people as he was a refugee himself once.

There couldn't have been a much more credible voice to deliver a timely and pertinent message.

I don't watch Big Brother, but over a million people in Australia do, especially on Sunday night. It seems one of the participants being evicted, Merlin Luck, chose to use the publicity to make a statement against the incarceration of refugees.

Participants are not usually allowed writing implements. However 24 year old Merlin Luck improvised by using black tape and a piece of material to fashion a home made sign that said "Free th Refugees". The 'e' in 'the' probably came off at some stage. Merlin had also taped up his mouth, as part of his statement.

The female compare (called a 'den mother'), Gretel Killeen, was a little taken aback, especially when Merlin would not take off the tape to discuss his stance. It ruined the 5 minute live segment. The show had to go back to the housemates and to a commercial break while producers and Luck's father tried to convince him to speak. Merlin's stance caused some debate amoung the continuing housmates.

Because the segment was a live to air appearance, Merlin's protest had thrown a spanner into the works.

Interestingly, Luck came to Australia from Germany and spent several years as a refugee.

The Age reported that "During the commercial break Big Brother psychologist Carmel Hill and executive producer Kris Noble attempted to encourage Luck to set aside the protest but after the break Luck had left centre stage.

Ms Killeen said she would have liked to have spoken to Luck about the issue and found his stance aggressive."

But don't worry, the Herald Sun reported that in going "live to the house to fill time and the lack of editing led to competitor Bree's right breast being exposed." That ought to keep people talking!

Personally, I don't see how Merlin was being aggressive. He was certainly making a bold statement. And deserves congratulations for using his position as a participant in commercial reality TV, and injecting some true reality into the program: there are refugees being indefinitely detained in Australia and on Nauru by the Australian Government; politics and political protest is also part of reality.

The greatest display of non-conformity I have ever seen

Much better than watching the Teutonic duo, the corporate-hack Howard apologists, Mal Walden and Jennifer Hansen

Merlin's silent protest spoke volumes....and has once again forced this country to confront one of its demons

Reality tv will never be the same again!

Way to go stickin' it to the moronic inferno!

And now the lunar right has its cue with another ' wardrobe malfunction" to start an Amerikkan Taliban style frothy mouthed puritanical jihad as happened with janet Jackson at the Superbowl.

What the hell is the real difference between USSA fascists and Islamofascists?

I think we really have come to a fork in the road here with the seppos and the sooner we follow the great Kiwi example the bloody better. The Muslims will never take us over and neither will the real dangerous fascist ARSEHOLES. The WANKING YANKS. YANKEE GO HOME and GO and GET FUCKED! THe WHOLE WORLD HATES YOU FUCKING MORONS.

what can i say? beatiful jamming of normal programming.

Gutsy.

Never seen BB. But my inbox is full of posts about it right now :-)

Good to see the 'ruling class host' stuck for words and composure.
First time i watched Big bro, Thanks Merlin.

I hate Big Brother -- it's like, soooooo boring -- but now Merlin's just like me: a fucking legend!

No, Michael Scott, people are not given any choice but to go to great lengths to get their voice heard. They can be heard loud and clear on election day. THAT'S when what they've got to say is really important and of interest to others.

So let the people speak.

Then accept their verdict.

And shut the fuck up.

Onya Merlin, keep up the good work.

I bet if Iva Biggin was around in Germany in the 40s he would be saying.
"I'm glad we're slaughtering all these filthy Jews. After all, we voted for this government."

it was amusing to see how stressed and confused the programmers became when merlin introduced some reality into their scripted tv soap.

3 cheers for merlin
:-0
:-0
:-0
:-)

http://bigbrother.ten.com.au/ and vote on line

or e-mail sseinteractive_help@sstar.com.au
Place the word "Merlin" in the subject of the email.

so far the anti-jammers are in the majoritvy

Last night after Merlin's protest, we asked website users to share their thoughts about it. We had a huge response, with the overwhelming majority of messages conveying total support for Merlin's 'stunt'. This is quite surprising given that the poll we put up at the same time showed that the majority of respondents did not agree with his stand.

So here is a sample of some of your messages - the fors and the againsts, the surportive and the critical.

"Thank the goddess for the Merlins of this world. He is indeed a legend. His stand is appreciated by many of us who have worked for this sentiment over many months.

Go Merlin........we love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

- D & G George

"Good on you Merlin - keep up the good work with messages to our politicians who have no compassion and treat asylum seekers and refugees so badly.

Show the Australian people that they can speak up against the politicians and let them know they don't speak for all the Australian people.

- Marilyn Long

"Merlin hasn't acted very Australian like has he? Yes, he has a right to voice his opinion, but there is a time and place for that. The way he acted on stage to Gretel was very rude to her and not to mention to all us Big Brother fans out there. I think his actions should see him not get any prizes and his prizes auctioned off to some charity. Maybe Merlin would like to see the funds go to sending home the refugees?"

- Di

"If Merlin cared so much about the refugees why hasn't he becomes an Aussie and voted over the years?"

- Daniel

"Thanks, Merlin, for showing us the imposed silence of the refugees. In the Big Brother house, lots of people got to see you. Hardly anybody gets to see what it's like for the refugees in detention. Your silence said heaps.

And for those of the audience who boo-ed Merlin - so you felt a bit cheated of your night's 'entertainment'? Tough. You've got a few more entertainment options than the kids - your age and younger - who've been locked in detention for up to 5 years. Start thinking!

And to Merlin - start talking now. The silence has worked - for now. Now tell people what the issue is all about. There still seem to be a lot of people out there in TV-land who haven't got a clue."

- Bobbi

"After just watching the BB show I feel strongly that Merlin should be disqualified. He has signed agreements and entered into the show saying he was willing to participate in all parts of the show - this includes the evictions etc and it is his responsibility to fully participate.

Coming off and not speaking at all is not on!

Yes, he feels strongly about an issue. That's fine, but I agree with Gretel, his stance was aggressive.

He should not receive the car or prizes. I feel his stance tonight was completely premeditated. He has obviously planned to do it and was underhanded in sneaking the tape etc to make the sign.

Housemates are not allowed to write or make signs etc, he has 2 strikes already against him and making the sign in the house is another rule broken-he should be disqualified.

Good on you Gretel for handling it with grace and dignity!

He has not fulfilled his part of the bargain in being a housemate and I think he deserves to forfeit any prizes.

Thanks for letting me have a say."

- Helen Taylor

"I fully support Merlin's sentiments - the way we treat people who flee desperate circumstances, and come to our country looking for safety, is shocking. We have locked up children, and that makes me ashamed. These people are fellow human beings.

Merlin picked a great platform to get his message across, in terms of publicity, and I support his actions. That would have taken enormous courage. It would have been great if he had been able to talk to Gretel, after making his point, but knowing Merlin as we do, he was quite possibly too overwrought to manage speaking. I'm glad to hear that Carmel, the psychologist, was there for him, as well as his father.

Hopefully, we will see Merlin at the nomination show, and hopefully he will be able to talk about his actions and also his time in the BB house. There's certainly one thing about Merlin: I don't think anyone can say he was not an interesting HM.
My special message to Merlin: On ya mate!

Gretel and the BB team, you did a great job under difficult circumstances. Crossing back to talk to the HMs was a good move. Excellent television!
Looking forward to seeing more of Merlin."

- Robyn

"I was shocked and delighted at Merlin's direct action on the live eviction show. His 'gag' is symbolic of the silence that asylum seekers have suffered, with only 2 telephones allowed for over 200 people in Baxter detention centre and little or no contact allowed with media and NGOs. I don't believe his refusal to speak is because of fear or nervousness: his symbolic actions speak louder than words, and I think Merlin extremely brave, mature and inspirational, particularly for having the strength to not mention this to any of his housemates. I loved watching Merlin in the house, and now have greater respect for his strength of character.
Free The Refugees."

- Beck Shumack

"Good on you Merlin on making a peaceful protest that so effectively pointed
out that our government imprisons refugees in our name.

As HREOC, the Australian human rights watchdog, recently revealed, well over
90% of detainees who apply for asylum turn out to be genuine refugees. Most
children in detention since 1999 have been from Iraq. 98% of them turned out
to be refugees. The rest were mainly from Afghanistan. 95% of them were
refugees.

These Afghans and Iraqis didn't suddenly become refugees when they were
freed from detention - they were refugees all along. We imprisoned them, and
we continue to do so - including 162 children at the moment - in Nauru,
Villawood, Port Augusta and Christmas Island.

Australia locks up the moist vulnerable group of people on the planet. Thank
you Merlin, for reminding the new generation of voters that we older ones
did not elect John Howard to lock up little children."

- Alanna Sherry

"Do us all a favour and cancel his contract with Big Brother. If that a***hole wins any prizes for doing what he did, it makes Big Brother look like a soapbox for future contestants. Give me the car. Merlin does not deserve anything.

I am also certain if you put him back on air, your show will look like a joke."

- Scott

"Merlin is an Aussie Legend.
What a wonderful brave thing to do.
We need more merlins in Australian Society at this point in time.
Go Merlin go!"

- Mim

"I don't even watch Big Brother. I have never been a fan of reality TV, thinking
it's all rather false actually. But when I heard what this guy Merlin had
done.............wow! Now that's real! Good on you Merlin for using such a huge
audience to get a very important message across.

I agree "FREE THE REFUGEES""

- Kathy

"I think Merlin's actions tonight demonstrated that he is unable to speak up for himself and for what he believes in. The logical sequence of actions would have been to do the protest in the first block of the Eviction show and to carry on with the show after the first commercial break.

But he again demonstrated he cannot handle verbal pressure well, so not speaking was his only cop out. I will be very surprised if he fulfils his contractual duties tomorrow. Merlin is a very soft character.

Oh yeah...Can i have the Mitsubishi Lancer please? You have no idea what a pain in the ass is to get my pink slip each year! My car sux!"

- Al

"Merlin's actions are reprehensible. As with everything in life there is a time and place for everything, and Big Brother is not the place for such a protest. I believe it characterises the true weakness of Merlin's personality. The immaturity displayed in a desperate attention seeking ploy using national television was absolutely disgusting and I hope that Merlin is heavily reprimanded for his actions.

Making a point in passing on a show such as Big Brother may be acceptable, however, Merlin's actions truly were not. AUSTRALIANS are not viewed as a nation of weak, whimsical and pathetic people. Merlin's actions unfortunately are part of the problem for genuine refugees. His actions as polls will show, are unsupported by the majority and therefore his message which while partly valid will now be overlooked or opposing viewpoints supported simply because people were unimpressed with his actions."

- Marc

"Merlin was right to protest. I think it's great that he sacrificed his own
time in the spotlight to increase awareness about such an important issue.
Many refugees are locked up indefinitely and denied the freedoms that many
of us take for granted. As a fellow activist, I'm so glad that somebody like
Merlin was brave enough to take a stand against the tragic mistreatment of
those who seek asylum from persecution.

Shame on all those who booed him. Just because you disagree with him, it
doesn't give you the right to silence him.

I'm proud of you, Merlin!"

- Jenna-Antoinette

The following is taken from an interview Merlin gave this morning:

Why is this an important issue for you?

I believe very passionately that mandatory detention of asylum seekers coming to this country is just inhumane. It goes against the basic principle of 'innocent until proven guilty'. You look at the fact that there's kids who have never seen anything except for the detention centre they live in - it's just sad and unjustifiable.

I'm not going to sit here and say that I know the answers and that I have the solutions but I know that the current system is not one that we can sustain with a clear conscience, and something has to be done about it. And that's my point - let's start a debate, let's get talking and let's start working out some real solutions.

Why use Big Brother as a stage to protest?

I want to be really clear about the fact that I embraced this experience for everything. I didn't come on Big Brother to do a protest. I'm so, so grateful and so thankful to have been given this experience and it's something that I'll remember for the rest of my life. All of the good stuff, the bad stuff, the friends I had, the laughs I had, the cries I had, it was such an overwhelming experience for me but this is reality television. If people want reality they've got to take Ryan the larrikin, and Trevor the scary guy having a laugh, Elle the emotional person questioning things in her life. They've got to take that, as well as me - the person who is passionate about these issues. I am just an average guy. I love having a laugh with my mates, watching the footy, and getting into my music, and talking about girls. I'm just an average dude but I find time in my life to care about these issues and to educate myself and discuss these things with my friends and to try and use the little power that I have to make change wisely and to use it effectively. I hope that there's people that can relate to that and who can get even a little grain of inspiration from it.

When did you decide you'd do this?

I knew very early on that if I got on Big Brother I was going to do something to really prove the passion that I have for issues such as mandatory detention of asylum seekers. I always knew I was going to make a point and use this opportunity. I think I owe that to myself and I owe that to the people who respect me and who care about me. And more importantly I owe that to the people who are suffering under these horrendous policies, to use the fact that I'm on national television in front of 1.4 million people, to use that in a way that maybe creates a little bit of change.

But honestly it was only the night before I cam into lock down that I made the sign and that's maybe why my poor sewing skills are a little exposed, when the 'E' of my 'THE' fell off. But I'm going to take is as the will of the Gods the words 'Free' and 'Refugees' held strong.

How did you get the sign into the house?

It was the biggest rush getting that sign into the house. I had my t-shirt that had patches sewn on, and in between the t-shirt and the patch I had the sign. And then I just tucked it into my jeans so the bulge was under the belt, and put my shirt over it. Then when they padded me down my heart was just pounding and I was like, 'please don't feel the sign'. And then as soon as I got into the house my adrenaline was just pumping. I just put it in the bottom of my drawer and I never touched the t-shirt until eviction night. I'm so lucky.

I will just say that the fact that I knew that this was going to happen for me did affect my time in the house because it was something that made me a lot more anxious and a lot more worried and a lot more analytical about how I was being perceived and how this would be perceived. And I never for a moment thought I wasn't going to do it. But when people look back now at my time in the house maybe they'll have a little more understanding about why I got caught up in my own head the way I did.

Did it worry you when the audience booed?

When the crowd started booing it didn't phase me one bit because I know that there are people out there who are as passionate as me and more importantly I know that there's five year old kids who've never seen the outside world now because of the policies of our government. And that's inspiration enough for me to sit there with masking tape on my mouth and a sign in my hand regardless of how many people were booing.

Any regrets?

My biggest regret in doing what I did last night is I know that thousands of people came last night and spent their hard earned money and made the effort to come down and be part of a fun entertaining eviction show and hear one of the housemates have a chat about what it's like in the house. And more importantly there were a lot of young kids down there who were scared and confused and didn't know what was happening. And I'm so sorry that I caused that and I'm sorry that I imposed that on those kids. And I do feel bad for the parents who brought their kids down and felt cheated and felt like they'd been pushed into a corner and felt violated.

I don't think you can compare the pain those kids felt last night to the pain of kids who are in detention centres and have been their whole lives, so it is about perspective. And to me, what I did is justifiable.

The comments from the bigbrother site make clear the divide we have this country, it's clear the pure selfishness of some of the posts represent our socity and it makes me sick that some people care more about there own personal entertainment than there fellow human beings.....

Whatever happens with this we can rest assured that Merlin took the issue of refugees out to virtually every lounge room in the country lastnight. Everyone watching that show had to have an opinion, then will go to school or work tomorrow and will be faced with more discussion. Its a fantastic thing - it really exposed what a dire state freedom of speech and our 'democracy' is in when one little piece of free speech can cause such controversy. Anyone who thinks we live in a carefree society where everyone can say what they think without concern only had to look at the expression of horror on Gretel Killeen's face, and that of the fellow housemates to know that we are far from a thriving democracy.

Big thanks to Merlin for stirring the pot and standing up for refugees.

At least Merlin has the guts to stand up for his opinions. The moronic crowd booed him because the only thing most Australians feel passionate about is the footy. Good to see someone put a firework up their arses.

You can't really blame people for being against Refugees when the media and politicians are constantly brainwashing them with lies and hysteria.
Howard's approach may be compared in a lot of ways to the way Hitler vilified the Jews. Using media to make people fear them. It's an absolute disgrace, but all we can do is continue to educate people about the issues, tell them what the media won't and let them make up thier own minds.

Depending on other political parties is no good either. The ALP set up mandatory detention and members don't have the backbone to stand up to the leadership.

Conservatives will always tell us to shut up. That's not because they believe we are distorting the democratic process. It's because what we say goes against the corporate driven mainstream and against thier points of view. As was seen in Germany, USA, Australia in the past, they would probably have us locked up or executed if they think they could get away with it.

The plight of refugees has come a long way since the Tampa. And it's due to the tireless efforts of activists inside and outside detention centres.

***MEDIA ALERT***14/6/04

CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED TO SUPPORT
MERLIN AND REFUGEES

A campaign was launched to-day to support the pro-refugee stance taken by Big Brother contestant, Merlin Luck. It’s primary demands are the freeing of all imprisoned refugees and a public presentation of the won car and prizes to Merlin, live on Big Brother on Channel 10. (Merlin was evicted from the Big Brother set before he had a chance to receive his rewards for 6 weeks of lost liberty and privacy.)

There will also be a protest supporting Merlin and refugees at Channel 10 HQ in Melbourne at 4:00pm, Friday 18th June. People are being encouraged to organise their own protests outside Ch10 HQs in other States and Territiories for the same time.

The details of this campaign can be found at:

http://www.givemerlinthecar.org

NB: Until this evening this website will temporarily be located at:

http://www.geocities.com/givemerlinthecar

People are also being encouraged to write and ring Channel 10 in support of Merlin and write letters to papers. It is hoped studio audience members at upcoming live Big Brother evictions will be wearing gaffa tape and bearing “Free the Refugee” signs!

“Merlin’s brave actions have shown that despite the unreality of Big Brother, young people care about more than just sex, drugs and trivialities. They also care deeply about the inhumanity shown to men, women and children caged in Australian prison-camps. Free the Refugees!”

For more details:contact Mark Braun (03) 9754 3221
Davy Heller (03) 9754 6121 or 0403 516 967

You are right, there is a choice. We can choose between two major parties whose policy on this huge issue is exactly the same. The 2 party system we currently have in this country stifles choice. What happened last night was important for Australian Democracy. A large cross-section of the community are against the current government policy and debate needs to be heard on the issue. If the citizens in a democracy are passive in accepting all government policy between elections we effectively live under 3 year dictatorships. If want to maintain democracy in this country we need to do more than vote every 3 years and we should never "shut the fuck up" when we are unhappy with policy.

a rally outside ch10? f*ck off trotbots.

Interesting Times
by An escaped refugee eating maccas Tuesday June 15, 2004 at 04:34 AM

It's interesting to look at todays media menu with items such as 'Supersize Me' and Merlin's protest on the board.

Mc Donalds has decided to reply to the 'Supersize Me' claims as research has shown that ignoring these is as good as being guilty.

In Merlin's case, I wonder if the Australian Government will bother to be as receptive.

Those who are disgusted with the way in which this clever statement was executed should think carefully at how much TV they are watching and how important TV really is in their lives.

Someone should do a movie, showing what happens to those who do nothing but watch commercial TV. It would be a much more frightening site and 'Supersize Me' and will probably soon be coming to a suburb near you.

Go Merlin! Forget Reality TV. People need to re-embrace reality!

Who can expect something good and relevant can come out from a rubbish show like Big Brother! Good on you Merlin.

Merlin inspired me. Refugee image from -

http://www.country-liberal-party.com/pages/Nauru-shame.htm

Who What When
Moderator Hey guys! Welcome to tonight's webchat with Merlin! He's not far away, so get those questions coming in. 21:14
Moderator The coolest question asked tonight wins a signed BB undies pack (just like the ones worn by Bert Newton that time he dropped his pants for Krystal), otherwise available only at Kmart. 21:16
toxic_chick How did you really feel about Aphro? Cause honestly if I was you she would have pissed me off the way she kept picking on you? 21:23
Merlin It massively frustrated me the way she was being so forward and had she continued to act in that way, I would've become far more blunt as to my feelings. But once Aph and I talked about the dynamic of our friendship in a more candid way, that's when we started to connect. And although it really only was for two days, she did mean a lot to me as a friend in the house. 21:25
templeofthegods was there a time in the house that you thought that maybe you wouldn't do your protest on stage? 21:25
Merlin I knew that it would be hard for me to maintain focus and perspective in the house and because of that I promised myself, as well as my parents and four of my closest friends that I would go ahead with the protest. It was set in stone before I entered the house and for $33,000 right now, there's no way in the world I'd take a moment of it back. 21:26
watchme Merls you gonna do a few wheelies in that Lancer before ya sell it? 21:27
Merlin The sad, sad truth is that I never even made it past my 'L' plates and I think I've caused enough controversy to then bait for a driving offence. 21:28
lemik Could you describe, each hm left in the house, in one word? 21:28
Merlin I can describe a key characteristic of each HM, but obviously not a summary of that personality. Ashalea - naive, Kane - fun, Catherine - warm, Ryan - funny, Wesley - diplomatic, Paul - stirrer, Terri - uninhibited, Bree - Gold Coast :), Trevor - comfortable. 21:31
kistie2000 Which Chick did you think had the coolest pyjamas? 21:32
Merlin Ash - cause they summed up her personality. Pink with monkeys. 21:32
zoople merlin....i consider what you did to be an act of terrorism. what do you have to say to this? 21:32
Merlin Tell me who I terrorised! 21:33
jessica_65 what was with the punching bag ? 21:34
Merlin Umm, I think it was blown massively out of context. Those facial expressions always look a little more dramatic in slow motion. It was just a release of frustration... I'd much have preferred a Discman with some phat tunes :) But obviously the options were limited. I certainly don't see myself as an aggressive person. 21:35
tanyakim Did u ever catch on that miriam is a man before ryan or any of the other hm's said anything? 21:36
Merlin Ryan mentioned it within the first 30 seconds and I didn't overly doubt his analysis for a moment. For me the issue of concern was throwing that judgement call out there on national television knowing that we might be wrong... Which would obviously have been devastating for Maria. I will say, though, that Maria was never my kind of girl :) 21:37
BigBroRulzz Would you still have staged the protest had you won big brother? 21:38
Merlin Most certainly. 21:38
funky1 whats your fav band? 21:38
Merlin This may be the toughest question of the night... Definitely struggling here... Umm... Let's go with, uh, a list of old favourites. Rage Against the Machine, Asian Dub Foundation, Roni Size and Reprazent, The Prodigy, John Butler and many more. 21:41
muttleah Did the reaction to your nationality on BB sway your decision to become an Australian citizen or had you already began undertaking steps for citizenship before you went into the house? I don't think its fair to you if you feel pressured to become Australian on paper. 21:41
Merlin It's a process that I started in the turmoil of my experience in the BB house and I will reinforce again that formalising the love, the passion, the pride and the sense of identity I have for Australia by becoming a citizen will in no way make me feel more Australian. Obviously, it's significant for a vast majority of the country and if this process will put their minds at ease as to where my heart lies, then sacrificing my EU passport is an insignificant price to pay. 21:49
trina_angel why did your parents name u after a wizard? was it intentional? 21:49
Merlin I think you'll know by now that my parents live quite the alternative lifestyle ;) They were actually reading a political satire based around the characters of King Arthur and the knights of the round table and fell in love with the name... It was certainly the source of some grief in primary school but I love having a name that's unique, fresh and interesting, and I'm very thankful. 21:51
bubble-gum Did it hurt when you finally ripped of the tape from your mouth? 21:51
Merlin The philosophical me would say that pain was insignificant compared to the pain and suffering of hunders of assylum seekers and refugees in this country. But cutting the drivel for just a second, I'll run with HELL YEAH! 21:52
bindibindi Do you like short girls? 21:53
Merlin I will concede that I'm usually more attracted to petite girls, though I wouldn't define that as overly short. 21:53
Big_Terri what was it like facing up to gretel tonight? 21:53
Merlin It was a massive moment for me because I know that my actions did put her in an awkward position, were perceived as aggressive by her and did cause distress for a lot of young children around the country. 21:57
Merlin I know she was in a position where she could've tied me up and not let me have free reign to express my stance but I was relieved at her attitude and openness and felt that I clearly apologised to her and the children, reinforced that it was never an act of aggression and put my action into the intended context. I clearly stood by the message. I clearly stood by the fact that the severity of this issue justified in my heart an act of such severity. 21:59
briskey Why did you turn down Ash? Are you gay? 21:59
Merlin I would be disappointed at anyone's lack of judgement that watched this show on a regular basis if they thought Ash was my type of girl. She's an absolute sweetheart but we never came close to connecting on that level. Sure there was a bit of harmless flirting, and that's all good, but I didn't go into the BB house looking for love and I certainly didn't go in for an insignificant fling. ps - no. 22:01
Belle71 Merlin do you really like your haircut Kane gave you? 22:01
Merlin It's the thought that counts :) And I think it looked wicked after a few days (and a bit of product). 22:01
fionac Merlin-where will you be spending World Refugee Day-this Sunday? 22:02
Merlin I will certainly do everything in my power to be at the action in Sydney's Hyde Park where I've already been invited to present a speech. 22:04
Merlin It would definitely be a great honour to me and while I by no means see myself as the most knowledgable spokesperson on this issue, I hope the publicity that this issue has generated creates a platform from which the millions of Australians whom I know feel very passionately about this cause can be heard a little more clearly in the mainstream press. 22:06
wickedblonde why do you wear wristbands with the symbol of the iron cross on them? 22:06
Merlin Absolutely no symbolic meaning, it's a skater brand called 'Independent' and heaps of people in my crew and in the social scene I hang in have similar designs. Purely fashion. 22:07
em_mc_em_em what are you looking forward to doing most when you stop being hassled by media? 22:07
Merlin I don't want to perceive the attention I'm getting from the media as a hassle, I'm so grateful that I'm being given the opportunity to share my points of view and explain the passion behind my actions... Though I do have massive passions in my life which I massively am to kickstart when this ride is over. 22:09
00carrie00 Do you really like powdered milk? 22:09
Merlin It's all about priorities. I'd rather have powdered milk and a few beerios. If you get my meaning. 22:10
fullmoon86 Wat do you think of the Big Brother secret?? 22:10
Merlin To me it's not really that massive a secret in that it simply changes the prize from being a huge amount of money to being a massively huge amount of money. 22:11
nothingbettertodo Why didn't you remove the tape and try to get your stance across in words last night? 22:11
Merlin Last night, for me, was about creating the controversy that would reignite debate and spark discussion on an issue that is in desperate need of being put back on the mass media and political agenda. My actions last night were undertaken to maximise that controversy knowing full well that I would have ample opportunity to share my justifications and my passions in the coming days. 22:13
Merlin Today, I spent nine straight hours undertaking interviews with radio and newspapers across the country. I spoke with Gretel on the nominations show, I'm sharing my views now online and tomorrow will see me continue interviews culminating in Rove Live. Obviously my views are being expressed now. 22:15
JohnClay Which remaining housemate do you most strongly hope will win the $1 million? 22:15
Merlin I think the fact that the sum of money has increased so insignificantly will enfore the public's desire to award the prize to the person who would be the most grateful and deserving. And on that front, Catherine must surely be seen as a very eligible candidate. 22:16
scrypton have u ever thought of removing your goatie? 22:16
Merlin Yeah... Gotta keep things fresh. 22:17
sebina do you have a religion? what do you believe in? 22:17
Merlin I feel very strongly that there is something more... However for me I'm comfortable with the thought that maybe I can't get my head around it - I can't comprehend or understand. I've come to the conclusion that there are more important things in my life for me to devote my energy to and trust that if I live strongly by my moral code, am true to myself, and a good person, then whatever comes afterwards will look kindly upon me. 22:21
Moderator Hey guys! Welcome to tonight's webchat with Merlin! He's not far away, so get those questions coming in. 21:14
Moderator The coolest question asked tonight wins a signed BB undies pack (just like the ones worn by Bert Newton that time he dropped his pants for Krystal), otherwise available only at Kmart. 21:16
toxic_chick How did you really feel about Aphro? Cause honestly if I was you she would have pissed me off the way she kept picking on you? 21:23
Merlin It massively frustrated me the way she was being so forward and had she continued to act in that way, I would've become far more blunt as to my feelings. But once Aph and I talked about the dynamic of our friendship in a more candid way, that's when we started to connect. And although it really only was for two days, she did mean a lot to me as a friend in the house. 21:25
templeofthegods was there a time in the house that you thought that maybe you wouldn't do your protest on stage? 21:25
Merlin I knew that it would be hard for me to maintain focus and perspective in the house and because of that I promised myself, as well as my parents and four of my closest friends that I would go ahead with the protest. It was set in stone before I entered the house and for $33,000 right now, there's no way in the world I'd take a moment of it back. 21:26
watchme Merls you gonna do a few wheelies in that Lancer before ya sell it? 21:27
Merlin The sad, sad truth is that I never even made it past my 'L' plates and I think I've caused enough controversy to then bait for a driving offence. 21:28
lemik Could you describe, each hm left in the house, in one word? 21:28
Merlin I can describe a key characteristic of each HM, but obviously not a summary of that personality. Ashalea - naive, Kane - fun, Catherine - warm, Ryan - funny, Wesley - diplomatic, Paul - stirrer, Terri - uninhibited, Bree - Gold Coast :), Trevor - comfortable. 21:31
kistie2000 Which Chick did you think had the coolest pyjamas? 21:32
Merlin Ash - cause they summed up her personality. Pink with monkeys. 21:32
zoople merlin....i consider what you did to be an act of terrorism. what do you have to say to this? 21:32
Merlin Tell me who I terrorised! 21:33
jessica_65 what was with the punching bag ? 21:34
Merlin Umm, I think it was blown massively out of context. Those facial expressions always look a little more dramatic in slow motion. It was just a release of frustration... I'd much have preferred a Discman with some phat tunes :) But obviously the options were limited. I certainly don't see myself as an aggressive person. 21:35
tanyakim Did u ever catch on that miriam is a man before ryan or any of the other hm's said anything? 21:36
Merlin Ryan mentioned it within the first 30 seconds and I didn't overly doubt his analysis for a moment. For me the issue of concern was throwing that judgement call out there on national television knowing that we might be wrong... Which would obviously have been devastating for Maria. I will say, though, that Maria was never my kind of girl :) 21:37
BigBroRulzz Would you still have staged the protest had you won big brother? 21:38
Merlin Most certainly. 21:38
funky1 whats your fav band? 21:38
Merlin This may be the toughest question of the night... Definitely struggling here... Umm... Let's go with, uh, a list of old favourites. Rage Against the Machine, Asian Dub Foundation, Roni Size and Reprazent, The Prodigy, John Butler and many more. 21:41
muttleah Did the reaction to your nationality on BB sway your decision to become an Australian citizen or had you already began undertaking steps for citizenship before you went into the house? I don't think its fair to you if you feel pressured to become Australian on paper. 21:41
Merlin It's a process that I started in the turmoil of my experience in the BB house and I will reinforce again that formalising the love, the passion, the pride and the sense of identity I have for Australia by becoming a citizen will in no way make me feel more Australian. Obviously, it's significant for a vast majority of the country and if this process will put their minds at ease as to where my heart lies, then sacrificing my EU passport is an insignificant price to pay. 21:49
trina_angel why did your parents name u after a wizard? was it intentional? 21:49
Merlin I think you'll know by now that my parents live quite the alternative lifestyle ;) They were actually reading a political satire based around the characters of King Arthur and the knights of the round table and fell in love with the name... It was certainly the source of some grief in primary school but I love having a name that's unique, fresh and interesting, and I'm very thankful. 21:51
bubble-gum Did it hurt when you finally ripped of the tape from your mouth? 21:51
Merlin The philosophical me would say that pain was insignificant compared to the pain and suffering of hunders of assylum seekers and refugees in this country. But cutting the drivel for just a second, I'll run with HELL YEAH! 21:52
bindibindi Do you like short girls? 21:53
Merlin I will concede that I'm usually more attracted to petite girls, though I wouldn't define that as overly short. 21:53
Big_Terri what was it like facing up to gretel tonight? 21:53
Merlin It was a massive moment for me because I know that my actions did put her in an awkward position, were perceived as aggressive by her and did cause distress for a lot of young children around the country. 21:57
Merlin I know she was in a position where she could've tied me up and not let me have free reign to express my stance but I was relieved at her attitude and openness and felt that I clearly apologised to her and the children, reinforced that it was never an act of aggression and put my action into the intended context. I clearly stood by the message. I clearly stood by the fact that the severity of this issue justified in my heart an act of such severity. 21:59
briskey Why did you turn down Ash? Are you gay? 21:59
Merlin I would be disappointed at anyone's lack of judgement that watched this show on a regular basis if they thought Ash was my type of girl. She's an absolute sweetheart but we never came close to connecting on that level. Sure there was a bit of harmless flirting, and that's all good, but I didn't go into the BB house looking for love and I certainly didn't go in for an insignificant fling. ps - no. 22:01
Belle71 Merlin do you really like your haircut Kane gave you? 22:01
Merlin It's the thought that counts :) And I think it looked wicked after a few days (and a bit of product). 22:01
fionac Merlin-where will you be spending World Refugee Day-this Sunday? 22:02
Merlin I will certainly do everything in my power to be at the action in Sydney's Hyde Park where I've already been invited to present a speech. 22:04
Merlin It would definitely be a great honour to me and while I by no means see myself as the most knowledgable spokesperson on this issue, I hope the publicity that this issue has generated creates a platform from which the millions of Australians whom I know feel very passionately about this cause can be heard a little more clearly in the mainstream press. 22:06
wickedblonde why do you wear wristbands with the symbol of the iron cross on them? 22:06
Merlin Absolutely no symbolic meaning, it's a skater brand called 'Independent' and heaps of people in my crew and in the social scene I hang in have similar designs. Purely fashion. 22:07
em_mc_em_em what are you looking forward to doing most when you stop being hassled by media? 22:07
Merlin I don't want to perceive the attention I'm getting from the media as a hassle, I'm so grateful that I'm being given the opportunity to share my points of view and explain the passion behind my actions... Though I do have massive passions in my life which I massively am to kickstart when this ride is over. 22:09
00carrie00 Do you really like powdered milk? 22:09
Merlin It's all about priorities. I'd rather have powdered milk and a few beerios. If you get my meaning. 22:10
fullmoon86 Wat do you think of the Big Brother secret?? 22:10
Merlin To me it's not really that massive a secret in that it simply changes the prize from being a huge amount of money to being a massively huge amount of money. 22:11
nothingbettertodo Why didn't you remove the tape and try to get your stance across in words last night? 22:11
Merlin Last night, for me, was about creating the controversy that would reignite debate and spark discussion on an issue that is in desperate need of being put back on the mass media and political agenda. My actions last night were undertaken to maximise that controversy knowing full well that I would have ample opportunity to share my justifications and my passions in the coming days. 22:13
Merlin Today, I spent nine straight hours undertaking interviews with radio and newspapers across the country. I spoke with Gretel on the nominations show, I'm sharing my views now online and tomorrow will see me continue interviews culminating in Rove Live. Obviously my views are being expressed now. 22:15
JohnClay Which remaining housemate do you most strongly hope will win the $1 million? 22:15
Merlin I think the fact that the sum of money has increased so insignificantly will enfore the public's desire to award the prize to the person who would be the most grateful and deserving. And on that front, Catherine must surely be seen as a very eligible candidate. 22:16
scrypton have u ever thought of removing your goatie? 22:16
Merlin Yeah... Gotta keep things fresh. 22:17
sebina do you have a religion? what do you believe in? 22:17
Merlin I feel very strongly that there is something more... However for me I'm comfortable with the thought that maybe I can't get my head around it - I can't comprehend or understand. I've come to the conclusion that there are more important things in my life for me to devote my energy to and trust that if I live strongly by my moral code, am true to myself, and a good person, then whatever comes afterwards will look kindly upon me. 22:21
Merlin Having said that, I massively respect the passion and devotion that many people show for their religion and spirituality. 22:22
Merlin Having said that, I massively respect the passion and devotion that many people show for their religion and spirituality. 22:22
benegus Dude, are you always this verbose? 22:22
benegus Dude, are you always this verbose? 22:22
Merlin Yes :) 22:22
Merlin That'll learn 'em. 22:22
Merlin That'll learn 'em. 22:22
Moderator Three more questions guys, make em good ones! 22:23
Moderator Three more questions guys, make em good ones! 22:23
the_strokes_rock I heard you are in a band with some friends. Do you guys have a name, genre etc? 22:23
the_strokes_rock I heard you are in a band with some friends. Do you guys have a name, genre etc? 22:23
Merlin One of my biggest fears in coming on BB was that it would be seen as a vehicle to promote a personal agenda. I have a massive passion in music and I hope that I can take that to a level where it will gain momentum on its own merits. 22:24
Merlin One of my biggest fears in coming on BB was that it would be seen as a vehicle to promote a personal agenda. I have a massive passion in music and I hope that I can take that to a level where it will gain momentum on its own merits. 22:24
ladybirdlee was it disgusting when you found out that kane had a wet dream when you were in the same bed? 22:25
ladybirdlee was it disgusting when you found out that kane had a wet dream when you were in the same bed? 22:25
Merlin It was definitely far from ideal. 22:26
Merlin It was definitely far from ideal. 22:26
blah-blah-blah i just saw a ten news update and you are like, first story! how does that make you feel to know the whole country is aware of you?! 22:27
blah-blah-blah i just saw a ten news update and you are like, first story! how does that make you feel to know the whole country is aware of you?! 22:27
Merlin For me, personally, I hope I am remembered as someone who brought something very real to reality television. But more importantly, I hope that the issue itself is reignited in the mass media. It will mean a lot to me if even those people who disagreed with the statement I made respect the fact that I kept it real, and more importantly, share their views in an open debate. I never propose to hold all the answers, all I know is that the current model needs desperately to be re-evaluated. 22:30
Merlin So let's deal with it.

time to stop being distracted by the glitz. a hunger strike has broken out on nauru. http://flotilla2004.com

this is the end of the chat

Moderator Congratulations to zooper for asking tonight's coolest question - "merlin....i consider what you did to be an act of terrorism. what do you have to say to this?".

For their efforts, they receive a signed pack of BB undies! 22:34
Moderator zoople, sorry. zoople. It's been a long night... 22:35

thatsjusdawayitis omg merlin- i just wanna say that what u did was really brave and great. the conditions in our detention centres have been proven to be worse than our jails and thats a disgrace to australia- so YEH!! 22:37
morta11 I think BB/reality TV is pure drivel. Never watch it, but I saw your protest on the news and watched tonights follow up interview with Gretel. That alone justifies what you did Merlin - you got your message out. Well done mate, take my hat off to you. well thought out and executed plan. 22:37

chars BYE MERLIN!! 22:37
goudragons byeeeeeeeeeeeee Merlin you terrorist lol 22:37
sashnson Merlin.....respect 22:37
Merlin And my VBB random task code, valid until midnight, is 'refugee', worth 15 points. 22:37
nothingbettertodo yay way to go zoople!!!!!!!!! 22:37
wher_i_end_nd_yu_begin thanks for nothing 22:38
table4 I LOVE U MERLIN S2 U ROCK !!!!!!!!!!!!!! 22:38
whycaro luv u merl 22:38
bennythegolfer good on u merlin 22:38
Mr_ZX thanks for answering my question merlz 22:38
redtrinity say hi to aphro for me merlin!! 22:38
pruesclues adios matey. 22:38
misstrae love u merlin 22:39
PipiT marry me merlin 22:39
traci good on ya merlin u rock babe 22:39
zeldaron8 Excellent eviction show Merlin! 22:39
kel_loves_bb MERLIN I LOVE YOU! LOVE KELLIE G 22:39
runawayet ciao bro keep it real 22:39
Kikosrule Cya Merlin 22:39
JAY5304 keep smiling 22:40
kouklitsa bye merlin u rock!! keep it real 22:40
sebina bye merlin i love u...u rock!!!!!!love sebina 22:40
kaza_37 BYE merls your the best hm ever love u 22:40
free_the_refugees_today i love you merlin 22:43
tim2x will u have my children merlz

As an Australian resident, Merlin has a fundamental right to freedom of speech.
As an Australian, it is not only your right, but your responsibility and compulsory obligation to voice that opinion in the form of voting.
While respecting, and in fact agreeing with the powerful statement Merlin made last night on the live eviction show, he shot his argument down in flames, and was creamed by Gretski in the nomination show. He has CHOSEN to prioritize his European passport over his Australian citizenship therefore, only making himself and the issue appear a mockery. He has made the choice not to become a voting member of our nation to ‘keep’ a foreign passport. And that assumption, by the way, is incorrect. Since April 2002 Australia has recognized dual citizenship

Citizenship is an important way to formalize your commitment to Australia and share in its future. It is your power to effect the political climate in which we live. Australia does not require you to renounce your citizenship when you become an Australian citizen. We have the power to adjust the status of refugees, and that power is in our voting.

As for the ‘children in detention’ issue, it is morally simplistic to ignore the grave complexities of this situation. If we release children and/or families with children, we therefore encourage a policy of favoritism, and the inadvertent appraisal of child theft from poorer countries, which is quite a problem as is. This issue is complex, as to even proving refugee’s country of origin, and they must be contained in a localized environment, where they can obtain the wide range of facilities and services that they need.

What Merlin did, in bringing this issue again to the forefront of mainstream media is commendable, and I challenge every one of you, to actually discuss the issue with friends and family, and instead of criticizing the government, try and come up with solutions. This is an issue that is not easily fixed, we are not talking about that local footy team, or some reality TV scandal, this is ultimately, people’s lives.

Mel, Mel, Mel...So as Aussi citizens Mamdouh Habib and David Hicks also have a right to freedom of speech?

I don't think so...after all you cant have one law for two kidnapped Aussies and another for the rest of us.

As to how you voice your opinion through compulsory voting, well I guess I am sort of doing that by not voting for decades and challenging the authoritarians to fine me... color me irresponsible. ( to twits like you anyway.)

Now you say we have the power to adjust the status of refugees through voting...by voting in a majority for one party and watch another one grease in you mean?

Maybe youv'e been here in this loony bin less time than Merlin.
Possibly you have dual citizenship with the planet Moron.
You then go on to provide ample evidence of this in a paragraph worthy of David Flint rationalizing child torture.
FYI it has been found to practically constitute cruel and unusual punishment verging on torture to imprison children in these concentration camps that you find so necessary.
Anyway I will humor you Mel the lunatic and promise not to critisize the government...I'll hunt them down and fucking **** them instead. How about that?

Have you seen how the neonazi on up-late is attacking Merlin?

News of Merlin's protest has spread throughout the U.S. and Canada via AP. Bravo!

Can I direct everyone to part of Merlins chat: Merls you gonna do a few wheelies in that Lancer before ya sell it? 21:27 Merlin The sad, sad truth is that I never even made it past my 'L' plates and I think I've caused enough controversy to then bait for a driving offence. 21:28 He has no need for a new car! He can't even drive it! For an issue that he proclaims he cares so much about he is very willing to give up something he can't use but did you see his reaction to the iPod Gretel gave him? For a cause he cares about so much I would like to see him give back all the prizes he recieves and have the money used to help the kids in detention centres, if that is what he believes in. He can certainly open his mouth about the subject when he wants to, but as yet he hasn't put his heart on the line for the cause

Even if he can't drive he could sell the car fool. He's giving the car to the causes he believes in.
Alana, just because you have no beliefs, you don't have to take it out on Merlin. I bet you're in love with Ryan-am I right?

Is that why you are so bitter about merlin...so what if he keeps the ipod, I think everything else he has done for the plight of the refugees far outways that...BTW why does keeping an ipod mean that someone does not mean what they say?...I don't understand that logic!...why does not being enroled to vote mean he doesn't really mean what he says?...he pays taxes in this country and he is a fellow human being, surely he is entitled to an opinion on the plight of the refugees being detained by the less than human Australian Government.

Merlin will go down as one of the most important big brother housemates yet. Good on you Merlin...Interesting to see if Paul can do anything equally as impressive and brave!

When someone takes a stand, the powerful always try and guilt them out of all their material possession.

Merlin takes a stand on refugees -- so therefore he must give up the car?

What's that all about? You take a stand so you must give up your prizes?

It an amazingly generous act to sell the car and give the money away. But he shouldn't feel pressured into it. He doesn't need to do it to gain cred -- he's already got it from his gusty performance on Sunday night.

The powerful are trying to maintain a wedge between activists and the mainstream. You can only support refugee rights if you give up your iPods. What sort of rubbish is that?

So Alana - do you think that every HM that chooses a charity should be forced to donate all their prizes to the charity? That would be logical wouldn't it? Lets punish every housemate for daring to ever have a compassionate thought, and most especially if they make use of their freedom of speech to get their point across than they should really be dispossed of every trivling prize BB gives them. Yeah, right on!

Alana - I take it you only approve of charities like Make a Wish and Ronald McDonald House? I know its hard for you to handle, but some people like Merlin actually have a brain and understand that cancer isn't the only issue the human race faces!!

Get back to us when you've got the guts to stand up for a cause out of the mainstream like Merlin did.

meep
by nice sentiment, but merlin got the car Wednesday June 16, 2004 at 12:39 AM

Look. I agree merlin should got the car, his actions required balls of steel, and he made a beautiful statement about refugees. A group of people fucked over by our Idiot Gubernment

But he got the damn thing didnt he! And he's gunna sell it and donate money to amnesty and the kiddie help line thingee (in itself also a fine and noble thing). The guy doesnt even have an L plate

So.... uh.... whats with the website?

Last night, Big Brother showed some snippets from Merlin's time in the house. One of them was him saying that he'd be upset if he was voted out by a large majority. It was a large majority, but I think that the sort of people who would have supported Merlin are less likley to watch Big Brother. So I hope Merlin doesn't take it too much to heart. He's absolutely beautiful, I'm so very heartened by his stand.

Good on Merlin. Was waiting for someone to use the opportunity provided by that show. Maybe well see more of it (though I suspect theyve upgraded their security).

He donated the car because he wanted to, to charities which he supports. His family supported his action. The host of the show actually handled the whole thing quite reasonably (especially given that she was obviously thrown by it). And he put up with some nasty, pushy media. He was one of the few interesting characters on BB.

The only thing that dissapointed me was the fact that he was cornered into becoming an Aussie citizen. Fuck citizenship and nationalism.

"... It was a large majority, but I think that the sort of people who would have supported Merlin are less likley to watch Big Brother....."

I think it's popular with working class folk.

I don't blame him for keeping his EU passport. The other benefit is that he doesn't get fined for not voting in all these pathetic elections between dumb and dumber.

Face it, everyone watches it. This is obvious by the amount of replies on this thread. Its got more to do with boredom than class.

Anyway, I definately heard about 50% booing and 50% cheering in the audience. The host was good because she shut the booers up and kept saying that it was a legitimate issue and way of expressing it (despite the fact that she was obviously a bit rattled).

Did anyone notice how the people at the Big Brother website gave the "coolest" question prize to the person who claimed Merlin was a terrorist? Seems a little selective given almost everyone else in the chat seemed to support Merlin

by chosing to take on australian citizenship, merlin will be stripped off his german citizenship by the german government. it has nothing to do with australia's laws.

citizenship provides priviledge, but is also important in keeping your past alive if you are a migrant.

i'm lucky that as a dual citizen i can have both my german and australian passports and have never had to choose

don't point the finger until you have to decide which part of your family, community and history is the most important.

NB. seems to me that as a german merlin has more right and responsibility than most to protest against concentration camps (and no I am not making a parrallel with nazi death camps, but with those camps that interned men, women and children without the hope of release)

There is no constitutionally guarenteed right to free speach in this country

...or to correct spelling.

I salute our beloved Comrade Merlin Luck for his brave and courageous heroic efforts. As a former refugee himself, he should be well and truly commended by all Australians with a special bravery award for being brave and strong enough to infiltrate at one least popular element of "His Master's Voice" (so to speak) with the TRUTH for a change. It shows the people's reactionary disgust for Australia's own very racist apartheid regime. I give credit to Merlin because he did that for all of us. Some people may perfer to believe that it was done simply because Gretel Killen "asked for it so she got it", but, when you've been through an Australian apartheid hell like Merlin went through as a refugee, from the heart it means so much more than that.

THREE CHEERS FOR MERLIN !!!

In spite of Rove being a total tool and doing his best to ridicule Merlin, the young refugee supporter managed to fit in a plug for World Refugee Day this Sunday. Awesome!

In many ways the media represents today's tirants.

The contestants on big brother are nothing more than cheap manipulated slaves in an arena akin to gladiators. They entertain the masses and make money for the TV station.

Merlin gave back to the tirants what they have inficted on others: to be caught by surprize, controlled and taken advantage of.

During this short interval when the cameras went back into the house we saw that not much was happening in the house - everyone looked bored lying down and doing nothing. 'Big Brother' had fallen on his face.

Did anyone notice what an arsehole Rove McManus was towards Merlin lastnight on Rove Live? Scratch the thin veneer of comedy with these people and you find bitter, self-interested celebrities who only care about their own egos. When Merlin was trying to talk about refugees sewing their lips up in distress and because they feel they have no voice, Rove interrupted and said "Yeah, but did you every think about Gretel's feelings when you decided to have a silent protest?" (words to that affect). What a mindless git!!!!

There is no genuine freedom of speech in this country - just manufactured bullshit entertainment going under the guise of spontaneity and free expression.

Did anyone see what an arsehole Rove Mcmanus was towards Merlin lastnight on Rove Live? When Merlin was trying to explain that some refugees have sown their lips together in desperation at feeling they're not being heard, Rove interrupted and said soemthing like "Yeah, but did you think how Gretel was going to feel when you decided to do this silent protest?" What a brainless fucker!!

He made sure that at any point that Merlin looked like he was going to say something meaningful he interjected and changed the topic. Scratch the surface with some of these comedians and you find bitter self-interested people whose only worry in life is the state of their own ego.

There's no real freedom of speech in this country, just manufactured, scripted bullshit that tries to pass for spontaneity and free expression.

I find it telling Ms Killen's remark. It tells of a general malaise of a culture transfixed by the (ironically) watchful eye of these false reality shows and indicative of the ease of which we as a nation forget - forget our complicity in this whole mean hearted business of detention. It also shows that there are so few ways of voicing dissent in this pseudo-democracy

With World Refugee Day (WRD) approaching on Saturday 20 June, the timing of Merlin's courageous action couldnt have come at a more perfect time.

What better way to tap into the minds of those docile Big Brother fans whose sad lives revolve around reality TV, fashion, glamour, toxic body sprays, status and plasticine. If only these reality TV fans realised that refugees are reality in real life then maybe they would support refugee collectives to free refugees.

Media was lying low and keeping hush hush about World Refugee Day however big brother has helped the campaign and put it back in the media spotlight. More info see: http://www.worldrefugeeday.org.au/

Merlin's actions have been a blessing and will lift the spirits of refugees around the world. His actions have also lifted the tail wind for those on board the Flottila's of Hope, this due to arrive at Naura on World Refugee Day with gifts for refugee children being held behind razor wire. More info see: http://www.hopecaravan.com/

To be fair, they didn't rush him off stage to moment he showed the sign. They tried hard to get him to talk. Gretel even repeated his protest later on. It wasn't hidden.

They gave him the damn car.

They let him onto both the Nomnation show and Rove, where they let him say his piece. Which he did very rationally, inoffensively, and without waffling on or getting overly Political. He did the cause alot of good.

Channel Ten aint dumb. They know he's a Ratings Winner.

Go on. It's fashionable.
Your friends will think you are avant garde.
Everyone else will be so confused they won't dare to criticise you even if they think you are a total idiot.

Years later you will wonder what it was all about, but right now it doesn't matter. It's so cool and some of those boys are so cute.

And, gee. I guess that wearing a headscarf is kind of a political statement, hey?

It's kind of like, um, wearing all black or, um, tearing holes in your jeans.

You know?

Congratulations Merlin Luck. What you did took a lot of courage. All Australians need to be made aware of the plight of refgugees. Helen Tompson, Great Lakes Rural Australians for Refugees.

Thankyou for your gutsy move to bring the plight of these voiceless refugees into public focus...GREAT...The silence spoke a thousand words!!!!!

OMG can every1 just leave him alone it was his time on that night he stood on stage wif hiz message he promised to do this wen he got evicted all i can say is that its hiz choice and if no one liked it well then ignore it but i realli liked merlins time in da house but i felt he needed to show him self more!! i wanna let every1 know that it didnt change who he is he cares alot for those peoplke and as he said to gretel the night after is that he is AUSTRALIAN who cares if hiz half hiz australian in every way so leaven merlin alone

Dearest Merlin, I don't know if you will ever read this however per chance I wanted to let you know how proud I am of your protest and how many people respect and support your actions. So long as you have the truth on your side do not worry about the backlash. You have done a lot of us very proud.

visit chilout.org
cheers
http://www.kosh101.com

"The current Australian Government has forged ahead a policy of protecting Australian borders from so-called illegal arrivals"

So-called illegal immigrants? THEY ARE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. why cant the writer of the article correctly identify them?

A few points beg to be made on this subject:

While I actually support a better solution for refugees, I think Merlin would have been well served to take off the tape as the bouncers came out. That way he would have been able to get more airtime for the plight he supported.

Now to the part that makes me angry. He signed a contract which he didn't fulfill. To freely sign a contract blithely, is to show you have no honour.

It pains me that someone who cares so little for his word, should stand up for so worthy a cause as freeing refugees. It left far too many booing him, when he could have had the best of both worlds and gained more support for the cause!

What you did was brilliant. You understood the power that our private media has in this country. You also used the power of programs like these in drawing a younger audience who are the ones who can have the ability to make changes in the face the criminal way that we have let our government lock innocent and suffering people up - all because of our paranoia of foreigners. It was brave and may be part of a change that is from the average Australian. thanks.