With this being my last day as your guest blogger on StaticBlog, allow me some pathetic fanboy indulgence that is sure to embarrass the proprietor of this site.
This upcoming Sunday, July 13, marks the beginning of the 10th season of possibly the most sublime reality show of them all: “Big Brother.”
To say I’m elated is putting it mildly. I like “Big Brother” the way dogs like sniffing other dogs, the way Kanye West likes himself, the way Amy Winehouse likes anything that can be ingested via mouth or needle.
“Big Brother” is my addiction.
I’m embarrassed by it, sure, but only up to a point. The program is brilliant, after all, brilliant by virtue of it being naked, unadulterated sociological mind-manipulation. Its cleverness stems from its deceptively bareboned conceit: Dump strangers of various ages and socioeconomic backgrounds together, roll a camera on ‘em, and see what happens. Any student of politics or sociology could find enough intrigue in “Big Brother” to fill a library of academic papers. One of the better “Big Brother” fan blogs, House Happenings, is downright erudite in its dissection of the show’s dynamics.
Its cult of fans call the “Big Brother” houseguests “hamsters,” and for good reason. The show’s relentless 24/7 coverage over the Internet and through a range of blogs effectively reduces the competitors to wheel-turning rodents. It is the ultimate step in voyeurism as entertainment, and it is essential TV.
See you in a few months. I’ll be away on a very, very extended high.
– Chase