Originally posted by Thrawn
Dan, at the end of the day... it is about who wins as that is the purpose of the whole show. Normality? Like when they are talking to a camera? Or when they are prohibited from doing things that you do in real life? Running around with your underpants on your head isn't considered normal. Do people identify that with normality? Or not going to work or school? Or acting like a total git with strangers in a house that is supervised 24/7?
Normality? Don't think so.
I think watching the characters gives the show a sense of normality, because they are not "acting." They are just a bunch of normal people, and history tells us that the genuine ones usually last to the finish, because people identify with that.
Originally posted by Thrawn
I'm not stretching anything. I just want you to admit that you were wrong about BB having no gimmicks at all...
My point was that there were gimmicks in the show, you said that there were none.
Oh, for God's sake, give it up. Stop trying to hang your hat on irrelevant details. You know exactly what I was trying to say. BB does not rely on gimmicks like other shows even if the one "gimmick" of the shoiw is the astounding fact that somedody actually wins. Big whoop.
The point is, that unlike other shows the contestans have no say in who wins. There is nothing they can do, because it isn't up to them! We just watch them going about whatever they do each day. There are no major gimmicks, just a simplistic concept.
Originally posted by Thrawn
No, but those small 'gimmicks' you said that promote more interest would certainly have an affect on ratings. They will always go to lengths to attract new viewers.
Of course they want ratings. Duh! More ratings doesn't change the rules and the concept of the show. It just means more people watch.
Originally posted by Thrawn
Hang on... I thought the 7pm show was Big Brother? I thought that the actions and thoughts of these people during that time frame would influence people's votes and in turn who wins or gets evicted? They may not have a say, but that doesn't mean the ultimate conclusion doesn't drive the show. It does, with every other reality show Dan. The characters and people "living their lives" it all but a part of it, and it all has a conclusion. It is all set up for this conclusion.
We watch the 7pm show and vote off who we don't want in there, but the people in the house don't know we are doing this, they don't know what we are seeing, and who we are voting for. They are just living their lives doing whatever. Obviously there is going to be a winner, but that fact doesn't drive the 7pm show in the same fashion as when you watch the Apprentice. Instead, it's simply us, the viewer, watching them do what they do, and then deciding who is going to go.
When we watch BB we are voyers, but when we watch the Apprentice we are watching people who are plotting and aiming to win. People often say this about BB, but in reality the contestants have no say, and we simply watch them live their lives in that environment.
Hence the show is different to other reality shows, because the contestants don't have a say.
Originally posted by Thrawn
Their actions and words have an influence. They are all driven by that prize Dan, the whole point is to find a winner, gimmicks or no gimmicks.
The words they speak, will detemrine their character, but it still isn't up to them. It's up to the viewer to assimlate all that info and make a choice to who they want evicted. My point is, that the show's concept is simple, whcih is what I was referring to when assessing why it is successful.
Originally posted by Thrawn
However, saying that there are no gimmicks and that people can relate normality to this show is laughable.
I think people can relate to it, because the charaters are normal people, not actors, and unlike Surviror, or The Apprentice, we are watching them just living. All they can do is "hope" the people in the outside world like them. It's not often you can watch TV and see people talk and swear, when they're not actors. Its like how your mates might talk.