Fixed Game?
MoveCloseDeleteAdmin

TV ClubHouse: ARCHIVES: Big Brother USA 2003 General Discussions Part 1: Fixed Game?
 SubtopicMsgs  Last Updated
Archive through August 08, 2003 25   08/08 09:33am

Crossfire

Friday, August 08, 2003 - 09:42 am EditMoveDeleteIP
For the sake of a good show, it is probably true, that at certain times, they may make it possible that a certain player or alliance has an upper hand, but in the end it is still up to the player to take the olive branch.

Some players lose despite themselves ala Marcellus with GPOV.

Kaili

Friday, August 08, 2003 - 09:49 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I think they favor certain people at certain times to keep some spice in the show, but it's not flat out rigged. That question was a good one to come up at that point in the game for Justin, but he still could have gotten it wrong and others could have gotten it right. It wasn't a question that *only* Justin could have answered. He just happened to have an advantage. If that question had been asked first, or if other players hadn't gotten the previous question wrong, it may not have been the last question of the competition.

Realtvfan

Friday, August 08, 2003 - 10:26 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Seanflynn2003

"I asked this on a previous thread, and don't believe anyone answered."

I responded to your comments, and the general tone of this thread on the previous thread.

Yes, the producers can "slant" the game, and yes the legal team at CBS is very involved.

The details are on the other thread.

"3) CBS would be crazy to fix this; it would be a major black eye for them if it ever came out."

I do not believe that statement is word-for-word accurate. Jeff P. from Survivor admitted part of it as I mentioned in the other thread. Please see the other thread, so I do not double post here.

"How unfair was the HOH competition." I'm not good enough to be able to link threads.

Costacat

Friday, August 08, 2003 - 10:34 am EditMoveDeleteIP
How unfair was the HOH competition?

Realtvfan

Friday, August 08, 2003 - 11:08 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Thanks Costa for the link.

My comments here are different from the one's I listed in the other thread.

If you look to the history books regarding the Quiz show scandal of the 1950's, congressional hearings clearly outlined what is improper behavior with this type of programming.

Mark Burnett did not study his history books when he created Survivor 1 in 1999 and was almost caught by Stacy's lawsuit because of his personal actions. Mark literally came within 2 spoken sentances (while talking to Sean and Durk) of losing that lawsuit. CBS fixed that problem with subsequent Survivor shows.

BB is not violiating any of the improper behaviors outlined in the 1950s, but they are allowed to slant this game for ratings as long as they do not repeat the specific improper behaviors. Just as they have been slanting the game since BB2. Just as Survivor producers slant their games for ratings since Survivor 1 as well.

Jack is also old enough to potentially know about the Quiz Show scandal from the 1950s. He has the potential for a better understanding of what is proper or improper legal behavior for the producers.

This is why legal departments cost so much money.

Maris

Friday, August 08, 2003 - 11:15 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I always thought BB was classified as a reality show and not a game show. I also remember reading somewhere last year that the reason they structured the pay of the houseguests was to cover their legal butts so all the HGs are salaried. My understanding also was that the final two players receive a bonus at end of their run.

I dont think the game is fixed but I think that each competition is set up to favor two hgs. Long before they walk into the house BB has determined what their strengths and weaknesses are. Depending on where things are stragically in the game, that is how they decide on a given competition. Each person gets their shot at winning a competition.

Realtvfan

Friday, August 08, 2003 - 11:26 am EditMoveDeleteIP
My understanding is that because BB/Survivor/etc... are a competition between contestants with prize money involved (very similar to a game show only longer and outside), Stacy's lawsuit was allowed to be heard. The prize money is the issue.

I completely agree with everything else you said. The game is slanted, (sometimes heavily) but not fixed.

Laisey

Friday, August 08, 2003 - 11:26 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I don't think the producers have decided who will win. I do think it entirely possible they might do whatever they can to keep the final three from being from the same original group and if two of the three were actually exes of each other, they'd probably be dancing on the bridge across the moat to the FOTH music,

Gina8642

Friday, August 08, 2003 - 11:32 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Did Stacy officially lose her lawsuit? Or is there still action pending?

Realtvfan

Friday, August 08, 2003 - 11:36 am EditMoveDeleteIP
To the best of my knowledge, (I do not know if it was appealed) Stacy lost. Sean and Durk gave very damaging testimony to Mark Burnett's actions, but Mark did not cross that line of improper behavior. Especially since Rudy was a personal friend of Mark's who did not apply for the show as the others did. MB came unbelieveably dangerously close to that line from a legal department standpoint though.

Lancecrossfire

Friday, August 08, 2003 - 01:24 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Probst has stated a few thines that the challenges are established at the beginning before the game starts--both in terms of what they are and the order they are done.

I don't know if BB is the same way--but at least for Survivor that is the story they stick with.

I'll use the balancing challenges in Survivor as an example--they give females an advantage typically. In S2, it was clear Tina could have stayed forever, but gave it to Keith. At the time it meant nothing to Tina in terms of where she stood in the game. But had it been later and she was up for getting booted, many folks would have commented how the challenge was set up to allow her a better chance to stay.

Xarph

Friday, August 08, 2003 - 01:41 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Lance, in the interview with Arnie, he says that all the games are not determined at that start of the show.

However, given the results of today's POV they could not have rigged the game for more of a boring results. Robert winning POV at this point is a big Yawn.