(A big part of this is from a post just before BB10)
It's summertime again and the annual reality fix for many is just around the corner. This is the tenth Summer that a group of previously unknown personalities converge upon the CBS lot, agree to be locked into a house and take part in a social experiment that has become a must-watch online tradition for an ever growing number of hamsterwatching addicts.
What sets Big Brother apart from the normal summertime television fodder, is the ability to become entrenched in the houseguests' lives through the 24 hour live internet feeds. The feeds are the life of the show - the heart of the experience (BBUK, take note). If you were to look at Big Brother's ratings, they would seem average, at best....but take into the account the level of fan participation online and (which I can personally attest to) an undying loyalty to the show and it's community by those same fans...and you have a base of support that any other show envy.
It is fun to getting to know the different personalities….to have your most loved and your most hated...maybe root for the underdog or cheer against the hero. That is what all great stories of any genre are built around, right? In this instance, you can see that all play out - live before your eyes - 24 hours a day. You get to see the houseguests make their beds..and then you're right there when they are having to lie in them....sometimes eating every word you've heard them repeatedly utter as you listen in on supposed "private" conversations.
There is also a great community of online participants out there. There are videos to watch, blogs to read, opinions to share, and chats to chat. You can drop in once a week or multiple times a day. There will be others there waiting to catch you up and more than happy to let you know what they think is coming next. Spoilers abound?? Yes..but you can hide from that, if you really try. Even though a result of watching the live feeds is that the suspense of knowing what is going to happen with each competition is gone before the episode airs, it is replaced with the suspense of getting to see how it all actually played out.
As the season approaches, I’m well aware that the hours I sleep will dwindle and the hours that I’m powered by caffeine will certainly grow. I know that I’ll soon have the pleasure of meeting new fellow Big Brother fans who will hold a variety of opinions …some I will agree with..and some I won‘t. Even those I don’t agree with …they are part of the experience. Sometimes a fun part. So lets clean our caches..get our bookmarks set… and look forward to Big Brother 11. I hope to see you out there.
If you haven't yet signed up for the live feeds, please consider clicking on the Big Brother 11 bars at the top and bottom of the post and giving it a trial run. Thanks for visiting. I hope you come back often.
