Big Brother’s Latest “All Star” Venture Premieres Today, But Will Anyone Pay Attention?
Whether we’d like to admit it or not, America is kind of in disarray. We’ve been trying to flatten the COVID curve since March to not much success, both sides of our political spectrum are pulling to shape the nation, and social justice protests or cancellations are happening almost every day. It’s been a lot to unpack in this wild year that will forever go down in our memories as smog. While it’s almost strange to understand traditional life will resume soon, some people are in a hurry for this to happen more than others. In the middle of the pandemic, not only did The Bachelorette film, but now one of the Big 3 reality shows, Big Brother, is returning today.
By design, that Big Brother takes a handful of people and puts them in a home together and throws away the key. Week by week, the contestants vote one another off until eventually one of them claims the winning prize of half a million dollars. It’s fun and is still one of the most popular reality competition shows to exist despite being over twenty-years-old. The pandemic has canceled both Survivor and The Amazing Race for obvious reasons, but given the limited contestants and the obviously socially distanced setting of the show, producers have decided to give a thumbs up for a new season of Big Brother. Probably to its benefit, CBS isn’t having a bunch of newbies to come on, especially since last season brought out questionable behavior from a handful of misbehaving contestants. Now, producers have decided to label this version as another “All-Stars” season, or more so maybe – who could we get that lives in the Los Angeles area and would do it. We’ll know the cast tonight as they have been under wraps for the live premiere episode, hoping for big ratings. But, even some of the series’ most notable “stars” have refused to return for obvious reasons: Look at what’s going on around us! Check out this tweet below from two-time runner up, Paul Abrahamian, who dispelled rumors of his return and boldly suggests we should focus on other factors in our lives than reality television:
#BB22 pic.twitter.com/yu8TuMpuuy
— DEADSKULL 🇦🇲 (@deadskulltweets) July 27, 2020
We all clearly need a distraction from our current reality, but is a reality show the way to do it? Big Brother is arguably at its best when the contestants are battling one another in fiery competitions and verbal disputes. Is this really what we as a society should be entertained by in a pandemic? The nation is consistently being shaped by the day and we should all be gearing ourselves towards the future. Yes, many tune out any form of television and have no interest in watching Big Brother, but does it make anyone else uncomfortable that the Real Housewives franchise and Keeping Up With The Kardashians are still filming?
On the flip side, airing this upcoming season could be the series’ biggest yet. With many lockdowns still in place, folks may be tuning in now more than ever to watch the buzzards attack. After all, there are so many “Karen” videos that have gone viral, Big Brother attacks are a little similar in scope.
The contestants’ choice to participate could shoot them into celebrity territory for the first time in ages. And also, the house they are staying in may be the safest place from COVID-19. But their choice to join and be completely cut off from the outside world could backfire: Did they put money and fame ahead of morals and their health? Only time will tell.
Big Brother season 22 airs tonight on CBS. Will you be tuning in this summer?
Writer’s Note: This is the opinion of one Instinct Magazine contributor and does not reflect the views of Instinct Magazine itself or fellow contributors.
