Big Brother is the head of the superstate of Oceania in George Orwell's classic dystopian novel 1984. In the novel, it is never made clear if Big Brother is the party's true leader, or simply a symbol created by the party for the people to worship. Whatever the case, his image is everywhere, on posters, on television screens, ingrained in the hearts of the people of Airstrip One, as England is known. Big Brother has since become shorthand for any oppressive leader at the head of a cult of personality. He is also a reasonably popular reality show.
