Archive through August 06, 2003
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TV ClubHouse: ARCHIVES: Big Brother USA 2003 General Discussions Part 1: Ali Pays for ticket?: Archive through August 06, 2003

Aremid

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 08:05 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I was just reading the LFPs and a poster reported that Justin told Dana that he didn't have the money to come out for the BB finals, so Ali paid for his ticket. The poster also reported that there was no FOTH when he said this, so maybe he was lying.
Since the exes were supposed to be a huge secret, it is strange he would say this. Has anyone else heard anything from Justin about this before? I watch the live feeds, regularly, and I haven't heard him mention anything about this. I didn't realize the potential HGS had to pay their way to LA for the finals. Apparently Dana didn't give a surprised response or anything.
Also, Ali kept going on and on that first night, all upset, that one of her exes might come in. I don't know, very possible, I'm just totally out of the loop on this one, but this has me confused ROFL!
Any ideas about what might be going on?

Aremid

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 08:08 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Tasia was the LFP that reported this. Tasia, can you add any more about what you heard?

Maris

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 08:17 am EditMoveDeleteIP
It seems obvious to me that this ex thing was contrived. If you think about it, when the exes were contacted they must have had a hint because they were probably asked about their previous relationships. Yesterday Jee was in a conversation with either Justin or Robert (my memory escapes me on that) and he very clearly said that he and Jun had a lot of ties and he felt close to her because of their past relationship and family connections. Given the way Jun talks about Carmen and has talked about her since the first show, it is obvious to me that they have maintained a relationship. I am guessing that Jun probably maintained a friendship with his sister and mother.

It may be with the semis, that they had to pay for their tickets and would get reimbursed for their travel expenses out to LA.

Amanda and Scott also revealed that they were in contact with each other before the show as well.

I think this ex idea was a bust and hope they dont do it again.

Stingerman

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 08:23 am EditMoveDeleteIP
IF true then you have to wonder if the "WHOLE THING ISN'T STAGED" I mean come on we saw the acting Ali did on the first night when Justin entered the house.

Why would she do his this if BB didn't tell her too.

I"ve often wondered if this game is scripted and that's why you see them go into the DR and we don't see everything that goes on in there. Not to mention the FOTH that happens for no reason.

It certainly wouldn't surprise me if it was a scripted show.

Ddr1135

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 08:23 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Maybe the "Ali" he was speaking about is the producer Alison? Just a thought.

What555456

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 08:33 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I have assumed all along that these people knew they and their exes were going to be on the show. Most seem to still maintain common friendships and know each other's families and others pretty well. I cannot believe that none of these people told their friends "Hey, I'm going to be on BB" and the friends did not relate this back to their exes when they saw them. "Did you hear about____? She/he is going to be on TV!"

Assuming both of the exes in each pair would have told their friends -- that they were going to be on BB -- it is safe to assume that SOMEONE would have been smart enough to put 2 + 2 together. In fact, they probably all would have been.

"Did you here about ____? She/he is going to be on TV!"

"Hey, me too! Which show is she/he going to be on?"

"On Big Brother."

"Really? That's the one I am going to be on!"

Do the producers really think we are too stupid to know how these things spread within a circle of friends and acquaintances? It would be ludicrous to assume these types of conversations did not occur when they were notified about their selection.

We know that the HG's are coached in how to act and that often when we get FOTH they are rehearsing scenes for the show. We also know this is done extensively on Survivor -- competitions run several times to get the best possible footage. It is likely done with all of the other unscripted shows as well.

So, it only makes sense that at least some, if not all, of them knew what was coming and the scene when the exes entered had been well rehearsed in the couple of days they were in the House before the cameras were turned on.

I agree. The "X" factor is the reason this year is as bad as it is. Just being able to find people who had exes willing to do this winnows the pool of potential houseguests way down. How many possible HG's were dropped because their ex would not go on TV?

Then knowing that five of them were selected not from those who wanted to be on and might have had some character, but only because they were the counterpart to somone else previously selected, further stilted the type of HG that was selected.

This is Hollywood, afterall. It is all fantasy. All smoke and mirrors.

But they do it so well! <g>

Jagger

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 08:40 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I've heard several of the hgs mention communicating with their ex's prior to the show about being finalists in the show, but I never heard any of them say they communicated with the other after they were assured of being on the show.

With having read the rules quite awhile back I do remember seeing that the hgs had to pay most all of their transportation charges and lodging costs, but if they were asked by BB to be on the show I would assume BB is picking up all the charges.

Seanflynn2003

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 08:45 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Among the myriad reasons this is not a scripted show, this is sufficient to end that thought:

Scripted shows on CBS have to be written by Writers Guild of America members;
Their names must be listed in the credits of the show;
If they were not to be (unthinkable), it would have had to been voted on by the board of the Writers Guild, which would have been public, and certainly gotten considerable attention in the media

Case closed.

Maris

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 08:50 am EditMoveDeleteIP
It is not a "scripted" show where you have writers but certainly, I believe, the producers tweak and nudge things along to make things more interesting. I dont believe at all that these houseguests are put in the house in July come out in September without ever having been manipulated.

This year, as in years past, the producers have had their favorites and HGs they dislike. Last year they loved Chiara. This year they disliked Nathan and they like Jee. Ultimately though, it is about ratings and they will help the ratings along. If they didnt stir things up, it would be apparent pretty quickly nobody is going to watch an hour of people, doing abs and playing hearts. The only sponsors they would have would be Suzanne Sommers selling the thigh master or Richard Simons exercise videos.

Hobbs

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 08:50 am EditMoveDeleteIP
But they show writers during the credits.

Jazzzy

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 08:51 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Erika said after she found out she was on the show, that Robert called her up and said Guess what? I'm gonna be on BB. And she thought one of her friends told him, and that the call was just to get her upset.
She says she didn't tell him that she was on the show also.
'
I would think that when you get the first call back, you'd tell everyone the good news, and word gets around. Then when your selected, and your not suppose to tell anyone, they fig it out when you tell everyone that your joining peace corps or something for the same 3 months that BB is on.

Puzzled

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 09:01 am EditMoveDeleteIP
American Heritage Dictionary definition of "scripted:"

1. To prepare (a text) for filming or broadcasting.

2.To orchestrate (behavior or an event, for example) as if writing a script:

So, yes, IMO, it is scripted.

Cricket

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 09:18 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Ddr, you may be right. I often get the references to the 2 Ali's confused. Dana didn't react and she would have if it were the Ali on the show one would think. If it were the Ali on the show, it would blow the other (Producer)Ali's cover about this XFactor being a big secret.

I do believe it is very scripted, which kind of ruins the show a bit. Ali said yesterday in live feeds that the producers gave her something to read in the DR, so they weren't her own words.

How did these producers ever expect to lie and get away with it with this group of bigmouths? I am beginning to see why they contact bit actors and models though. More pliable.

Maris

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 09:21 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I agree about the motivation for contacting bit actors, models and those with theatrical aspirations. They can always threaten them that if they walk, "they will never work in this town again". None of them want reputations of being difficult with the producers.

Penpoint

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 09:48 am EditMoveDeleteIP
The TV broadcasts have writers who take what happens in the house, which is unscripted, and form it into a TV show. They probably work hand in hand with the editors to choose the clips to develop the storylines for each episode. The writers also plan the order of the show and write any narration including much of what Julie says. So, the show itself is scripted; what goes on between the houseguests is not.

Maris

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 09:51 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Penpoint, I admire your faith in Arnold and CBS. lol.

Penpoint

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 09:57 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Maris, it's not that I have faith in the producers, it's just that if the houseguests were scripted, we would surely know about it--some disgruntled HG would have spilled the beans. This is not to say that the producers do not manipulate the HGs, that the questions in the diary room do not plant ideas or doubts in their heads.

Laisey

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 10:04 am EditMoveDeleteIP
No profession writer would ever write all the profanity that's used in the house knowing it would be bleeped for the show. Besides he/she would wear out the f key on the keyboard.

Meggieprice

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 10:04 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I heard Ali talk about the fact that she has never seen the show and did not apply to be on it- therefore she was one of those invited to be on. It is possible Justin was the one who applied and was accepted. So she may have indeed known he was on when they invited her. I am sure there is scripting and manipulation but it still comes much closer to being a reality show than anything else out there. No one can predict how it will go once they are all in that house.

Thunder

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 10:05 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I remember reading in the feeds in the early days that Justin said something to Ali like "I should've known something was up...they kept asking me to tell the fire escape story again and again." This was when Justin and Ali were having a one-on-one convo. I'm too lazy to look it up in the feeds, but I know I read it.

I also remember the first show when they were alone and Ali was unpacking her suitcase while Justin watched and they were marvelling at their fate.

So why would they pretend that they didn't know when they're alone together, but blab the info to another HG? Maybe Ali paid for his ticket for another trip or something, or maybe he is talking about the other Ali.

I think Dana, being in a non-ex situation and therefore under the impression that all ex's were surprised, would have had one of her characteristically passionate reactions to this revelation.

Katlady53

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 10:05 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I don't know about scripting, etc., but Erika sure did seem upset for several weeks about Robert being in the house.

Bastable

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 10:07 am EditMoveDeleteIP
If it were scripted, wouldn't the past week have been a wee bit more interesting?

Thunder

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 10:09 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Meggie, I think it has been surmised that another ex of Ali's applied to be on the show, and that they liked Ali but didn't like the ex that applied, so they researched Ali's list of past boyfriends, and found Justin.

I think Ali and Justin figured this out themselves because neither applied and they were contacted directly by BB.

Cinder

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 10:11 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Meggaprice- I read that another Ex of Ali's apllied to be on the show- which led them to her. Apparently they like Ali's and Ali's other Ex(Justin) better than the applicant.

Meggieprice

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 10:13 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Wow- thanks Thunder and Cinder- that's interesting- so both of them are actually exes and did not apply. I myself think that everyone on the show should be someone who really wanted to be on.