Eden Caceda prefers his reality TV to be more Orwellian.
Unlike The Bachelor and every other dating show ever (see: The Singles Project, Dating In The Dark, Millionaire Matchmaker and The Bachelorette), Big Brother is about more than just finding love. It’s much BIGger than that.
We’re talking about an incredible social experiment, live on TV – ordinary people shoved together into a manufactured house and screened across the nation. This isn’t some boring quasi-fight-to-the-death reality series about a bunch of girls doing whatever they will to date a guy they hardly know. This is captivating stuff. Captivatingly over the top, contrived, stupid and inane stuff that is so bad, it’s good.
Its psychological torture, worthless tasks and inclusion of everyday peeps just make it the perfect recipe for reality TV because it’s so pointless, yet so exhilarating at the same time. Whether it’s a former magician getting into a dance fight with a self-confessed “male Lady Gaga”, or the heads of house making everyone eat replacement protein shakes so they can get $30 000, it’s preposterous and brilliant.
There’s a reason Big Brother succeeds worldwide: it’s an examination of human behaviour. Sure, everyone in the house flirts and gossips about each other, but these aren’t two-dimensional soap opera characters like the girls on The Bachelor – Big Brother has housemates that shock and surprise us with how they change their minds and why. Yes, it turns the audience into voyeurs, but who ever denied liking having a little peak at what humans become when put in this situation?
Originally published in BULL Magazine, October 17, 2014
Eden Caceda 