He was
slapped with a public nuisance charge and manhandled by Gretel
Killeen, but Aidan McLindon has no regrets about storming the stage
at the Big Brother finale.
The 25-year-old Brisbane man and friend Ian Connors, 24, rushed
towards host Killeen as she prepared to announce the winner of the
controversial reality television show.
The pair, who were wearing T-shirts promoting their music group
Kill TV, were dragged offstage by security guards - but not before
Killeen used her arms to put McLindon in a tight grip from
behind.
Two other band members were stopped by security guards before they
could reach the stage.
McLindon, the band's lead singer, said the stunt aimed to draw
attention to what he said was the "exploitative" nature of the
Network Ten show, which operates out of the Dreamworld theme park
on the Gold Coast.
He said "unethical corporate machines" were using productions such
as Big Brother to profit and prey on young people.
"We are entering the times of generation exploitation by the
corporate giants that prey on our generation for their profits at
our expense," said McLindon, who is also an independent councillor
with Brisbane's Logan City Council.
"Australia shakes its head at other countries, yet we're going the
same way and we don't realise it."
Labelled the raunchiest series yet, Big Brother 2005 caused a
national furore with its Uncut show which delivered plenty of
gratuitous nudity and sexual antics from the
housemates.
McLindon
is no stranger to controversy. He was investigated by
Queensland's Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) last year after
he claimed, during a performance with his political activist band,
that the Logan City Council was corrupt.
His case was later dismissed.
McLindon said he and Connors had been charged with creating a
public nuisance and had been issued with a notice to appear in
Southport Magistrates Court on September 23.
He said he was able to make a parting shot at the housemates before
being led away to a local police station.
"I was calling them sheep and giving them a hard time out the back
and telling them that they've all been used and they didn't realise
it," McLindon said.
"I'd probably do something like last night again. We just went
public for what we stand for."
Big Brother screens on TV2 weekdays.
