CBS should be ashamed of ‘Big Brother’

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Dick wasn’t the only contestant who behaved badly and was given a pass by the producers. The cast spent time casually stereotyping ethnic groups; during one conversation, Daniele called Asians “stingy,” and Amber Siyavus, who’d previously spewed a string of anti-Semitic stereotypes, agreed. America’s Player Eric Stein and Amber made unacceptable comments suggesting incest between Dick and Daniele. And on and on.

None of this made it on TV, although it was broadcast live online. CBS even helped let the contestants off the hook. After journalists revealed that CBS wouldn’t let reporters ask evicted houseguests like Amber about their comments, the network decided to stop allowing the media to interview those who were evicted.

All of this had a curious, if unsurprising, effect: It generated interest in and conversation about the series, even if it was negative attention. The only time producers cut the live feeds from the house over content was when the houseguests accused the producers of cheating and manipulation, which just fuels conspiracy theories that they have something to hide.

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Early on, there was speculation that the producers were campaigning during private Diary Room sessions to keep Eric, America’s Player, whose continued presence in the house generated web site page views and text message fees as viewers voted to tell him how to vote, and became invested in the show in a brand-new way.

All of the evidence indicates that executive producer Allison Grodner and her team have done everything in their power to not only end up with reunited father and daughter sitting side by side at the end, but to keep viewers interested and engaged, even if that means keeping them incensed.

Ratings for this season have been up over last year’s all-star season, and the show’s web site now receives about one-third of all network TV web site traffic. In other words, it worked.

Andy Dehnart is a writer and teacher who publishes reality blurred, a daily summary of reality TV news.

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