Most people might not know this about me, but I absolutely love the summer reality television show, "Big Brother" on CBS. If you don't know what that is, it is a series that follows a group of contestants, known as House Guests, who are living together in a custom-built home under constant surveillance, and competing for $500,000. The House Guests are completely isolated from the outside world, and can have no communication with those not in the house.
I know exactly what you're thinking! "That's just trashy reality TV." Okay, it could definitely fall under that category. I guess you could say that I like reality game shows. My favorites are as mentioned above, "Big Brother", and then "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race." (Shoutout to Team Fun on the most recent season of TAR also.) I have been watching Big Brother since season 12, so that's eight whole summers I have spent counting down the days until it starts, then watching intently. Having the live feeds makes it twice as fun. Since I have lots of experience watching the show, and could be somewhat considered a "super fan", I have many reasons why I totally think I could make it far in the game and maybe even win.
Okay, so the first thing is you have to have a killer social game. And that means talking to the people around you, forming alliances (that don't screw you over), and just being friends with everyone in the house. I think that on the first night, I would immediately just jump in to trying to get to know everyone. I definitely WOULD NOT make alliances on the first day because honestly, when do those alliances stick together? You need to feel everyone out and wait a little while before making any big game moves.
Plus, in the beginning, most moves aren't considered big. I would try to make friends with the first HOH (Head of Household, the one who nominates HG's for eviction,) but I wouldn't put all of my eggs in that basket. Floating around as a friend to a big alliance (or even a small one) in the beginning means that you will be kept around for at least a few weeks as a vote for their side.
During those next few weeks, I would try and solidify my own alliances, maybe as a leader, but maybe not. Waiting to solidify your alliances gives you more time to get to know the people around you and know whether or not they're actually crazy and will ruin your game, because that actually happens more than a non-watcher might think.
To me, being a "floater", or someone who isn't really a part of any specific alliance, is not that bad of an idea. Because if you aren't close to anyone, you can easily be pulled to one side to vote and you would stay. Being a floater has negatives, too.
You are more likely to become a Have-Not (they have to sleep in a special, uncomfortable room and can only eat "slop" aka gross oatmeal for a week) and you are also more likely to be used as a pawn by the HOH.
If you are a pawn, you get nominated to be on the block for eviction in hopes that someone from the major power alliance wins the POV (Power of Veto, which gives you to ability to take a HG off of the block). If someone from that alliance does happen to win POV, you would be taken off of the block and a bigger threat would go up in your place and be backdoored.
I personally would try to avoid being a floater because it has more cons than pros, but if it happened, I wouldn't be that concerned! Plus, sometimes floaters do end up getting pulled into alliances or even forming a loose alliance with the other floaters.
Playing "Big Brother" means you have to be ready for lots of fun, zany competitions. There are a few categories of competitions, such as HOH competitions, POV competitions, sometimes Have-Not competitions, and also special competitions that sponsor a new CBS show or a movie.
These competitions are all very different and can be brain games, physical competitions, or both. The first game played is usually an HOH competition to see which HG has the most power all week. I would NOT want to win the first Head of Household. As a big fan of the show, I can see why it would be something to brag about, but the first week is not a good time to nominate anyone.
Everyone is just starting to get to know each other, and I wouldn't want to make enemies right off the bat. I think that after the first competition, I would try to win a few of the more fun and brainy competitions, as I am not much of a physical threat. Winning a competition means you get more power in the house, and who wouldn't want that? You also get to improve your social game through winning competitions because if you have power, people will want to talk to you.
If I played "Big Brother", I most of all would try and be a good person and play genuinely. Being a mean, rude person right off the bat makes the other HG's become warier of you. I am a nice person and I would try and play that way. Being a not-so-nice person would just not be good for your game, and it would also make America dislike you and be less likely to vote for you for special rewards or powers.
On "Big Brother," sometimes you do have to tell a few lies and play a little secretively because it is BB. Overall though, being a good person would help get you farther in the game.
