Big Brother (Nineteen Eighty-Four) their real purpose, the Ministry of Love is perhaps the most straightforward as "rehabilitated thought criminals" leave the Ministry as loyal subjects who have been brainwashed into adoring (loving) Big Brother, hence its name. Like the Nazi salute, Ingsoc has its own salute to Big Brother, which consists of crossing one's arms above the head during Two Minutes Hates and Hate weeks, showing loyalty to Big Brother and the Party. Note that it is only mentioned and shown in the movie adaptation of the novel. Since the publication of "Nineteen Eighty-Four", the phrase "Big Brother" has come into common use
Big Brother (Nineteen Eighty-Four) to describe any prying or overly-controlling authority figure and attempts by government to increase surveillance. Big Brother and other Orwellian imagery are often referenced in the joke known as the Russian reversal. The magazine "Book" ranked Big Brother No. 59 on its 100 Best Characters in Fiction Since 1900 list. "Wizard" magazine rated him the 75th greatest villain of all time. The worldwide reality television show "Big Brother" is based on the novel's concept of people being under constant surveillance. In 2000, after the United States version of the CBS program "Big Brother" premiered, the Estate of George Orwell sued