Suggestion for Big Brother 4
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The ClubHouse: General Discussion Archives: Archive Two: Suggestion for Big Brother 4
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Archive through July 23, 2002 25   07/23 02:12pm
Archive through July 25, 2002 25   07/25 12:05pm

Sobaditsgood

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 12:06 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Hah! Yeah, I like those ideas too. Thankfully I skipped that phase in my 'furniture past' but it's waaaay familiar to lots of people I know. Draheid after I posted that note it occurred to me that it might be even funner to leave the house completely empty and let them either have to earn furniture (including beds) or scavenge it or something similar.

The supermarket sweeps thing would be funny but heck, I just want them to have to actually go to the grocery store and choose the items instead of having it delivered. Preferably at the highest-traffic time, with a limited amount of $$ and time and no list. Only one (escorted and buffered from public contact) HG permitted per shopping trip.

But am I imagining it? Didn't the premise of the first season play up the fact that it would be so tough to live in the house with "no conveniences"? I swear I'm starting to think I imagined it because these folks are surrounded by lovely things and have their food delivered, even eating PBJ for a week is still eating better than some folks considering they have cabinets full of the stuff(yeah yeah not to get political about it, but it's true). More interesting would be to have each person in their pre-show interview say what their LEAST favorite food is and then if they ever wind up in a losing team, make them eat *that* all week or nothing. (You'd only be able to do this one year of course because once it became common knowledge folks would be hip to it and lie about their least favorite food.)

Draheid

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 12:12 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Let's see, conveniences observed in the Big Brother House:

Running water
Indoor plumming like shower & Bathroom fictures
Electric Stove with oven
Electricity in general
Realtively plush (except for the M*A*S*H bedroom) accomodations
etc.

I say put 'em on a remote farm with chickens, cows, a garden, a hand-pumped well, a real outhouse, etc. and see how they fare then?!?

Sobaditsgood

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 12:12 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Poe - Noooo, not cruel, or okay if it's cruel, well, I still like the way you think!

I had a thought the other day that they should isolate each of them and grill them about one very specific thing:

"Where does the name of this show come from?"

Make them write an essay on it or speak spontaneously on the subject RIGHT THEN, no warning and no prep time after they hear the question. I'll bet at least some of them could not name the book's author (or maybe even know it's originally a book) and certainly couldn't talk much about the book's premise. I realize this is not a requirement for the show, I just think it would be fascinating and in keeping with the REAL idea in the book.. lots of confrontation and over-seeing by the authorities. After they give their interpretation of the show's name, that information could be used somehow.. let the tv audience vote on whose was better, or have HOH read transcripts of their responses and make them match up who they think gave what answer, rewarding winners in some way. (Maybe by letting them have one book of their choosing? Okay, you can tell I'm a book fanatic.)

But yeah Poe -- I'm totally with you on the idea of making it much, much more psychologically challenging/constricting/manipulative in keeping with the Orwellian concept.

Sobaditsgood

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 12:21 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Oooh -- how about this: either make them all wear exactly the same clothing (issued by BB) or give them each an allowance, or make them earn it, to go shopping at some really inexpensive clothing place NOT known for its fashion savvy. I think this too would force the issue of BB having ultimate control. Of course, if they knew coming into it that they could model all their cutest outfits (and show off their 'insanely gorgeous bodies' heh) many of these folks wouldn't be interested in being on the show. But who cares, it'd free up space for folks more interested in playing it much truer to the book's concept.

It would be hilarious to see a person like Tonya or Amy shopping for an outfit at one of the big 'mart' stores with a budget of $10 or something. Sort of the reverse of what they did with the designer 'shopping spree' last year. It'd be so much more interesting to see how creative these folks could be if they were *really* in a pinch. Some would take it in stride and laugh it off and some would no doubt sit around and seriously brood about how terrible they were going to look.. which would be telling. Nobody wants to cop to being superficial (Tonya: "I'm low maintenance." Huh?!!!) but if they were forced to lose their treasured outer trappings, then you'd see who was *really* superficial.

Costacat

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 12:28 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Sobad, the shopping idea was what they did in BB1. They had a certain $$ amount they could "spend" each week. And they wrote out a shopping list. If they didn't "earn" enough money, they got less food. I think the money they "earned" also hadda go to stuff like TP and toothpaste.

But anyways, I agree with you. I think they should get back to the original premise. All they are doing now is picking the 12 people most likely to cause friction and throwing 'em in a house with lots of "normal" stuff. The fact they now have a dryer is a good example. They no longer have to grow their own veggies, or chickens for eggs, or bake their own bread.

Pooey! BB3 is really boring... And even all the DRAMA going on between the HG isn't enough to really pique my interest much longer...

Ladytex

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 12:34 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I like the grocery list idea with the added stips that if certain things were not done, then money was subtracted and then have luxury challenges for the real luxuries that didn't make their shopping lists. Also have a vegetable garden in the yard that they had to tend to get veggies, like in BB1. They have to make those lazy ppl do something!!

Poesía

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 12:34 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Draheid - PBS had a show like this. It was called Frontier House. Awesome show. Did you see it?

Sobaditsgood - Glad to see you agree with me! The quiz about 1984 is a great idea. Since it appears that none of our current HG's are card-holding MENSA's, I'm sure the answers would be hilarious. (I might start a thread about this!) Maybe one of the casting requirements should be an IQ test. (Although, I am not a big fan of IQ tests...) By the way, what kind of writer is Roddy anyway? Being a writer myself and fellow book fanatic, I'm interested to know. I'm sure he's got the pitch lined up for the agent when he gets out of the house - "My Life In the BB3 House" (subtitled: "How I Reinforced the Negative Sterotypes of Men as Players and Disgusting Pigs")

Sobaditsgood

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 12:43 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Costa - I remember the BB1 grocery thing, but they got to collaborate. What I would like to see is ONE person taking full responsibility for the shopping with no input except what they could keep stored in their own head. No list and no one along to influence them.

Poe - I haven't seen anybody address the subj of what Roddy writes. He seems to be a hockey fanatic, maybe he's a sportswriter? I've been known to write a little bit too, and your Roddy-pitch to the agent is excellent. Except, of course, his real one would leave out the 'reinforced the negative' part and instead have something completely modest (cough) like 'How I Transcended Past BB Stereotypes and Restored Womankind's Faith in the Male Gender' ... guffaw!

Bcgal

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 12:43 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I agree with the idea of a more controlled atmosphere. Don't let the HG's sleep all day & stay up all night (if I had known it would be like this I wouldn't have gotten the live feeds). Give them more challenges so they don't sit around all day in their swim gear doing nothing; I'm getting sick of watching that. This is turning into a reality Baywatch! The groups should be mixed up more too; don't make it so easy for the players to make their initial alliance & then kick out all the decent people. They all act like spoiled brats, IMHO.

Sobaditsgood

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 12:51 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
And another thing. How come they never handcuff these people? I can think of all kinds of ways handcuffing two or more people together for some period of time would make it interesting. Make contest losers be handcuffed together two by two and/or don't let them go outside. It'd limit their mobility, including the ability to talk in private to potential allies (or enemies). Now THAT would be a punishment fit for a loser. Can you imagine if, say, Tonya and Amy were handcuffed together? Or Josh and Marcellus? Forget this peanut butter nonsense once and for all and make it INTERESTING.


(yeah I realize they'd have to have the lawyers going over those contracts with a fine tooth comb so as to prevent lawsuits resulting from violence/injury in the event of a handcuff situation.... just keeping things lively!)

Poesía

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 12:54 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Bcgal - Baywatch! Yes! That is so funny. They ARE all acting like spoiled brats. Wouldn't it be incredible to hear an ominous BB voice come over the loudspeaker and say, "Chiara. Stop being so needy." Or, "Eric. Big Brother insists that you stop being so arrogant." That would be tough to take but make for great TV!

I say, BB has got to get tough and someone should tell it like it is.

Poesía

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 12:56 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
BTW, I started a thread on the "What does Big Brother mean to the HG's" question.

Costacat

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 01:16 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Speaking of sleeping all day and being up all night... didn't the HGs on BB2 start out doing that? And at some point, BB said nope. And started a lights out/rise sunshine thing?

I think they need to do that again. Lights out around midnight, and rise 'n shine around 7am.

And I wish they'd go back to the "you only have hot water for showers from 7am to 9am" or whenever it was in BB1!

In fact, go BACK to BB1! They had more to do, more chores to do, more fending for themselves. Less fake "what do you think about this?" DR convo's.

Ladytex

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 01:19 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Poesia, or a BB voice loudly saying, "Chiara, Lisa, Dani stop talking about Amy like that, you don't really know what her home was like before she came into the house." ... LOL

Tabbyking

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 01:26 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
we used to have the 'voice'!!!! BANNERS!!

now i wish BB would say, "chiara, you have a time out. please go sit in the chair in the corner and don't move a muscle until we tell you you can get up. if you behave, you will only be there for 30 minutes."
then the next BB voice can say, "roddy, amy is waiting for you in the HoH room. please go there immediately, as she might only have 30 minutes!"

Mystery

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 01:27 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Or it would be cool if suddenly a loudspeaker started playing back a "private" conversation from earlier.

Poesía

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 01:53 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Oh, replay of private conversations would be excellent! Time-outs in the corner - now you're talkin'!

How about prohibiting certain HG's from speaking to one another on different days. That way, they'll get all reved up forming alliances and then completely lose control of them.

Smartypants

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 02:23 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Another suggestion...
ACCURATE advertising, for example, "Live Feeds- on three cameras of house guests 10/7, Live Feeds of FOH 14/7"
No wait....
I don't want that after all--

Draheid

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 02:34 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
How about a RANDOM selector that would turn on any one of the HG's microphones over the PA system at any given time ... 24/7 ... meaning even if someone is snoring late at night, the sound would be piped throughout the house LOUD ...

PS: Poesia, no I haven't seen it, thought it sounds interesting

Ms_Snoodle

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 02:45 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
This has been the most interesting thread so far and you all have some GREAT ideas. (Poesia. I watched Frontier House! Loved it.) My only suggestion is that I wish there were more older houseguests instead of just one or two. I'm REALLY BORED with all the "sex stuff", not because I'm a prude but because it gets stale real fast. I'd like to see REAL MEN & WOMEN interacting. For instance, I think The Amazing Race has done a great job of choosing contestants. Older people could bring more interesting discussions and attitudes and experiences into the house. I know how much I've changed in the last 30 years. If it weren't for this site I think I would have lost interest in BB3 by now! This group puts me to sleep.

Ms_Snoodle

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 02:52 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Oops, by this group I meant BB3, of course!

Draheid

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 02:54 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Nice save, Ms_Snoodle. Yeah, I'm sure that's what you meant. Heh heh

Mystery

Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 02:54 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
The grannies and the pastors on Amazing Race 2 didn't go through the application process (the husband pastor applied for Survivor and he and his wife were then asked to apply for AR2; I can't remember at the moment who asked the grannies to apply) but you're right, AR does show more of a variety of contestants. I haven't seen Big Brother in any of the other countries; does anyone know if they have a wider range of ages in their HGs?