Dear CBS:

Not sure what is going on with this year’s season of Big Brother, but this season (24) has already lost me as a viewer.  Look, I’ve recapped this show for years and always made it to near the end.  I must admit that by the time we are at “only four left, who will win” I’m begging my editor to let me stop since the season that saw the second coming of Nicole.  Up until then, I found the show enjoyable.  I found the competitions fair.  I found contestants I could care about with true back stories.  I didn’t see nearly as many wanting to make it big in California or who appeared to have come on the show hunting for a “big break” or movie contract.  I will admit that Big Brother 23 was a dream.  The cast, stories, and strategy made you want to pull for the group as a whole and as “The Cookout.”  It was what I had been waiting for since the early seasons and a joy to recap.  In fact, there was concern on whether Big Brother would be over before my season show, Riverdale, came on.  Now, I could care less about this season or guests for this year.

Let me start by saying this.  It isn’t only me who could care less. Let’s start with the long-term fans, many who are casual viewers.  A few of them have asked why I’m not covering Big Brother this year and I said “Riverdale.”  Then they drop their bombshell.  They don’t care about the show.  They hate the “house guests.”  They don’t think anyone at CBS cares for what the long-term fans want.  Even the discussion groups I belong to on FaceBook (or Meta) do not have posts going to it.  Since I recap, I do NOT post there.  The reaction I am seeing on discussion boards for the show, FaceBook and Twitter seems to be the same.  One message I got via Messenger today said one friend thought the show was dying because CBS didn’t need it and soon will be no more.  She will not be finishing the season.

I must admit, I watched both Sunday and Wednesday show in 20 minutes Thursday afternoon and often looked for a way to fast forward not only the commercials but also the ‘blah, blah, blah – we must get Taylor out.” This seemed to be the only theme.  No strategy – just get the girl out.  Now having seen the same thing on week one live feeds, I know who (and what) is behind this.  I won’t speak of the person because I promised I wouldn’t talk negatively about a contestant who was no longer on the show.  As long as they are on the show, I find them somewhat fair game as they could change their actions.  Only thing is, evidently the training sessions on sensitivity and awareness didn’t have an impact on this bunch.  They are socially unaware and often come across to casual viewers as bullies. 

Let me name a few problems.  The first is the “Mean Girls’ Club.”  I can’t call it the “Bad Girls Club” because at least those women stuck together.  These girls don’t mind deciding that someone who appears different needs to go.  There’s no “chance” for them.  Case in point is Taylor.  From the casual viewer’s point of view, all Taylor did was model her “last show” dress because the others had asked her to do so.  That’s when they started shutting her out.  If they didn’t want to see her dress, they shouldn’t have asked.  Taylor can’t help that she was a beauty contestant with years of training on how to present herself.  We’re not even sure if she wanted to show her dress or not (apparently from what I saw in live feeds, the answer is no).  She may not have even wanted that lifestyle but her family did.  Have any in the Mean Girls’ Club” actually gotten to know Taylor.  No!  They too busy trying to get her out of the house.

Problem Two:  gimmick casting.  I’m not sure who came up with the casting list this year but there are real problems.  One guy looks like a reject from Fast Times at Ridgemont High.  Did his casting line read:  a surfer dude?  One tries to talk Southern but it is not your typical Southern style.  Granted, my region is mid-Atlantic (North  Carolina) but even this has its own accents. I have been to the Crystal Coast, Outer Banks, Appalachian Mountains here.  I have traveled to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.  I’ve even been to London and, after a week, was asked which Lake District area I was from.  So, when I heard the accent one contestant was using, I couldn’t identify the region. When I was told the South, I went what!  I have friends from the Deep South and they don’t sound like that.  And, at no time or in any region, have I heard the term “something butterbeans” used.  Whoever dreamed that up needs to visit the South.

Problem Three (and I’ll stop here for this week).  While the girls have a Mean Girls’ Club, the boys are acting like they are in a movie football locker room where they trash talk the girls all the time.  They make Taylor seem like they have seen her information on the back of the bathroom door.  The guys, like the girls, have zeroed in on what they see as negative (getting the week one person out due to their friend who left).  While I am sure the girls’ opinion has caused their views, they don’t even seem to want to get to know her or to find out who she is.  I am honestly getting tired of the bad mouthing that occurs as soon as they can open up.  It’s getting tiring and fans are tuning out. Thus, CBS, I have two more weeks of Riverdale which I am not going to miss so Sunday will not see me watching.  I have the Below Deck series I am enjoying (for the scenery mostly).  My question to you is why should I watch Big Brother when I have objections to the antics of the house guests.  I know you can’t do anything but at least get in there and train these people about people’s feelings and their actions.  I’ll catch the show when I can and read the live feeds but my letters to you may not be weekly anymore.  I’m sure Big Brother production won’t care!