





We take very little pleasure in writing this particular “Big Brother” article … and we say that in part because we’re taking very little pleasure in “Big Brother” as a franchise in general right now. This is a show that, for so many years, we identified with as fun, silly summer TV. It was addicting, but never in a way that really caused you in varying degrees of angst. There were strategic elements to keep you invested (if you watched with that in mind), just as there were also some other tremendous character moments and silly things that you can watch back or talk about on social media.

However, somewhere along the line, things changed. Maybe it was in season 15 where a number of players were saying racist things and people watching the feeds took it upon themselves to be white knights of justice; or, maybe it’s been a gradual build as more and more people have taken to social media and create multiple accounts with fake names and pictures of houseguests that they can say whatever they want without fear of being called out for it in real life.

Now that we’re almost at the end of “Big Brother: Over the Top,” we can officially say that the social-media negativity has almost completely sapped away a good percentage of our interest — and we know we’re not the only ones. Here’s a small sampling of what you get when you search for the #BBOTT hashtag on Twitter.

1. Fans of one side of the house calling fans of the other side really cruel and offensive names.

2. People compiling lists of every horrible thing someone has done in order to try to either ruin their life outside the house or justify their own distaste for them.

3. Accusations of mass rigging and unfairness at the hands of CBS.

4. Insulting the friends and family of actual players because of things out of their control.

5. Writers / podcasters / updaters being attacked constantly, even when they’re just saying something in jest and trying to lighten the mood. HOW DARE THEY?!

As a whole, we’d say that “Big Brother” can bring out the best in some people when it comes to entertainment. By no means are we meaning for this to be a blanket statement about every fan or tweeter out there. There are people out there who create amazing memes, Twitter hashtags (Hamsterwatch has been killing it with #Deathrace for years), videos, Reddit posts (the “Big Brother” Reddit is a place we often lurk), and really fantastic content. We’ve been on Rob Has a Podcast before and everyone over there is fantastic and always gives listeners a great show. The list of top-notch Big Brother sites is plentiful and these people put a lot of hard work into what they do.

The problem comes with the people who either use the show as a way to channel their hate, or become so emotionally invested in a specific outcome that it distorts the view of this as a fun, silly, and at-times ridiculous game. People were up in arms over a competition involving super-cheap mirrors in the backyard. A conflict over Krackle bars turned many into the morality police. Some people on Twitter determined that Shelby was having intercourse with someone in the Diary Room based off of a joke. Some people try to justify Jason’s offensive comments by saying that it’s “Jason being Jason” and that he doesn’t mean them; others feel like he’s just as bad as anyone from season 15. Nobody can agree on anything, and the America voting made it worse. It’s a shame, since we really love this cast and feel like it’s the best they’ve had in a few seasons.

We don’t want to ramble too much here, but here’s what the fandom should to do after this season is over: Take a deep breath, and realize that no matter who wins, we’re all going to be okay. The rest of the headlines from this month alone show us there are more important things going on than who wins, and while we should enjoy the show, “Big Brother” shouldn’t become a source of stress. It shouldn’t become an arbiter of negativity. It shouldn’t make us want to go on a path of destruction just because someone said something that makes us angry.

If you’re anonymous on Twitter with ever-changing names and and an egg for a picture, why not just stick to one thing and a defined point of view? Why not take a real risk and put yourself out there and be accountable for your words? The best BB content on the web, bar none, is from the people who either stick more to the facts, or aren’t afraid to have a real platform and make it clear that this is who they are. They can be funny or be about the strategy; it doesn’t matter. You just know who they are and what you’re going to get from them.

The problem is that some of negativity from this season is causing even some of the best “Big Brother” tweeters to stay silent just because they don’t want to deal with it anymore. Yes, we can all say “have a thick skin” or whatever, but those who say that probably haven’t experienced some of what is dished out on social media these days. It’s one thing to hear one or two negative things a day, but try dozens of them every hour for months and imagine what toll that takes on a person when you’re trying to have a good time with a show you love.

We know it probably won’t change, but we thought this would get our own personal plea out there for some of the fandom to lighten up and have a little more fun moving into season 19 or into “Big Brother Canada” in the spring. The negative vibes are one of the reasons we’ve posted fewer update posts as of late, and don’t talk about it as much on social media like we usually do. There is nothing else like “Big Brother” on American television, and given that we’re almost at Thanksgiving, isn’t this the time to be happy and grateful that we have a show as fun as this one?

We want to know what you think. Leave us a comment in the box below and tell us if you agree or disagree with our feelings on this season. If you do find yourself interested in securing some other news when it comes to “Big Brother,” be sure to head over to the link here right now. (Photo: CBS.)

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