The Clicker Just Likes To Watch

During the regular TV season I tend to watch a lot of dramas and comedies. Last year, I was hooked on shows like ‘Ugly Betty,’ ‘Battlestar Galactica,’ ‘Lost,’ ‘Veronica Mars,’ ‘The Office,’ and ‘How I Met Your Mother.’ The excitement and anticipation my favorite series’ season finales is followed by the boredom that June brings when all of my regular TV shows go on hiatus and the summer series begin to air. Then July rolls around and I become fully engrossed in one reality show – ‘Big Brother.’

As a viewer, I often ask myself what I would do if I were in the Big Brother house. Would I be able to “just be myself” as so many of the houseguests claim to be doing? Would I be able to do what it takes to play the game? Could I lie to people on a regular basis? If not, would I make it through the game playing truthfully and with integrity as many houseguests attempt to do? Probably not. I used to think I’d love to be on ‘Big Brother’ but after years of spending my summers watching the series, I’ve come to the conclusion that this game would not be for me.

Here are some of the reasons why I wouldn’t want to be a ‘Big Brother’ houseguest:

Cameras on me day and night.
There are cameras everywhere and the houseguests have microphones on at all times. There are even cameras in the bathroom and showers (though they don’t show that footage on the live feeds, the cameras are there). Every conversation the houseguests have is being recorded and often broadcasted on the live feeds.

Privacy goes out the window in the Big Brother house and I would think it affects the houseguests’ loved ones, especially if the houseguest is the chatty type. Then of course we have the screen-caps. Pictures and video footage of the houseguests sleeping, waking up, eating, crying, arguing, etc can be found at the various ‘Big Brother’ fan sites. I suppose that doesn’t really bother the houseguests because after all, they did sign up for this but I guess I just value my privacy way too much because I couldn’t handle this. I’m still getting over my recent passport photo. I don’t consider myself a vain person but at the same time, I certainly wouldn’t appreciate going to a ‘Big Brother’ fan site and finding a picture of myself, half awake in front of the bathroom mirror, brushing my teeth.

No contact with the outside world.
No phone. No internet. No mail. No TV. Nothing. The only people they get to talk to are the diary room people and the houseguests – oh, and Julie Chen during the live show. I’m all for spending time getting to know new people but I don’t think I could handle being cut off from my friends and family for that long.

Then there’s the whole idea of returning to the outside world after the show is over. Would my family and friends look at me differently after seeing how I played the game? Would they be upset or embarrassed by the things I said and did on the live feeds? I’d like to think not but I’d be lying if I said that’s not something that would worry me while I was in sequester.

The other houseguests.
Being stuck in the house with thirteen strangers for that long would probably drive me crazy. Considering the variety of people that are cast for the show each season, chances are I wouldn’t like some of them and some of them wouldn’t like me. There’s no escaping these people. They’re the only people you have to pass the time with. Each season there are definitely a handful of houseguests I’m sure I could get along with but I think being around them every day with no break or privacy would eventually start to get to me.

Strategizing, lying, paranoia and drama
These are the things that make ‘Big Brother’ so entertaining for me. The show is really a display of the best and worst aspects of human behavior. Most of the houseguests go into the house perfectly sane, honest and friendly but as the weeks go by, they start to fight with each other, lie to each other and are all convinced that everyone is out to get them (which is usually true). As unique an experience as it would be to get to be a ‘Big Brother’ houseguest, I’m not sure the anxiety would be worth it. Its not like they ever get a real break from the game. As we’ve seen this season, the houseguests are arguing more than ever. It’s only going to get worse.

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So as you can see, I have enough reasons never to even try to audition for ‘Big Brother.’ There are other reasons why I wouldn’t do it, like being forced to eat the “slop” for weeks at a time, sleeping in a tiny bed, wearing weird outfits and just about every other punishment the houseguests have endured so far, this season.

While I find enjoyment in watching each of the houseguests struggle to make it through the game week after week, there’s no way I would ever want to trade places with any of them. For me, it’s just a TV show and I just like to watch.

Would You Want To Be On Big Brother?

• Yes, definitely!
• No, absolutely not!
• Maybe

  Results

What to Watch (8/12 to 8/18 )




Big Brother (CBS) 8:00 pm
(New!) Jessica won HoH on Thursday and now the Late Night Crew is in charge of the house. Will she target Dick and Daniele? Also, the houseguests participate in a food challenge to see who get to eat what they want this week and which houseguests will be stuck on slop.


Entourage (HBO) 10:00 pm
The Young and the Stoned - (New!) Eric runs into Anna Faris (well technically, she runs into him) and Ari’s wife decides to go back to working on a soap opera.



’So You Think You Can Dance’ (Fox) 8:00 pm
(new!) – There was no results show last week. Instead, Fox is airing a special Monday episode of the series where we’ll find out which guy and girl from the final six dancers will be sent home.

’Hell’s Kitchen’ (Fox) 9:00 pm
(Season Finale!) – This is it, folks! In the season finale of ‘Hell’s Kitchen,’ Bonnie and Rock will have one last dinner service before Ramsey declares a winner. TV Blend recapper, Katey Rich wants Bonnie to win but I’m rooting for Rock!

’Greek’ (ABC Family) 9:00 pm
Friday Night Frights (New!) – Casey throws a slumber party and Cappie meets a mysterious girl.

’Slacker Cats’ (ABC Family) 10:00 pm
(Series Debut!) – This is a new animated comedy about a bunch of lazy cats and the mischief they get themselves into.

’Mission: Man Band’ (VH1) 10:00 pm
(New!) – Chris throws a party at the mansion. We’ll see if the guys can resist the urge to get trashed and focus their energy on writing a new song.



’America’s Got Talent’ (NBC) 8:00 pm
Season Finale (part 1) - (new!) – The finalists perform in the first part of this season’s finale.

’Big Brother 8’ (CBS) 9:00 pm
(new!) – The two nominees (feed-watchers know who they are!) have the chance to play for the Veto along with three other randomly selected houseguests. Will the Veto be used to save someone and if so, who will go up in their place?

’Damages’ (FX) 10:00 pm
Tastes Like a Ho Ho (New!) – Patty prepares Katie for her deposition. Things get even more complicated between David and Ellen although that’s not surprising since we learned last week that they will eventually break off the engagement. We’ll probably get another trickle of the info from the five months later scenario they keep teasing us with.



So You Think You Can Dance(FOX) 8:00 pm
(New!) – The remaining four dancers perform in the first part of the season 3 finale.

Last Comic Standing(NBC) 9:00 pm
(New!) – The final 6 performers go head to head one last time.



’Big Brother 8’ (CBS) 8:00 pm
Live Episode (new!) – One of the houseguests is evicted and a new Head of Household is crowned.

So You Think You Can Dance(FOX) 8:00 pm
(Season Finale!) – One of the dancers is crowned the winner. Right now I’m hoping its either Danny or Sabra, with Lacey as close third.




Monk(USA) 9:00 pm
Mr. Monk and the Buried Treasure (New!) – Monk gets tricked into helping Dr. Kroger’s son use a map found in a dead guys car to search for treasure.

Psych(USA) 10:00 pm
Meat is Murder, But Murder is Also Murder (New!) – Gus and Shawn investigate a case in which a chef is accused of murdering a food critic.



It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (TCM) 8:00 pm
Sure, this is an old movie from the sixties and I know some people don’t like watching old movies but this one’s a classic! Spencer Tracy, Buddy Hacket star in this film about a group of people who are brought together when they learn that there’s $350,000 cash hidden somewhere. They race to find the treasure and hilarity ensues.




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