$50,000
September 7, 2000
7:51 a.m.
Would you turn down $50,000 guaranteed for a 1 in 6 chance of winning $500,000? That's what the folks in the Big Brother house did last night. I was actually quite impressed. CBS is rolling in their rating's grave. I don't think I would be so smug about it, but the network started the show by parading "Beth"--a young woman who would be inserted into the house if one of the original crew left--in front of network television audience. And they basically said she was brash and offensive, and promised to give the audience a good show. But the gang of 6 decided to thwart their plans by turning the offer down, most saying that the experience was worth more than $50,000. Interesting. I'm glad they turned the money down. Yes, BB is not as competitive as Survivor. It's very different, and in very many ways it is far more interesting than its island-based sibling. The addition of the American public as the final voting mechanism makes this difference fairly profound. Think about it. The nominations really don't make that much difference in reality. The public decides who wins. The people in the house know this, so they are working to find the angle the public will support--or at least not throw out of the house. But CBS has to hate that because the type of behavior that gets people kicked out of the house is exactly the type of behavior that makes ratings skyrocket--as in the case of Survivor. Strange world, eh? Understanding the true personal dynamics of a show like this is important to a writer, I think. Watching the way people behave in different groups, watching the way things change as various types of personalities are removed. Fascinating....and important to be able to capture on paper, too. Think about it next time you have one of your characters leave a group behind in a room.   Will I never learn? We stayed up very late last night watching Spinal Tap on VH-1's "Where Are They Now" show. Then another half hour while they did their spoof of "The List." What this means is that I only got 500 or so words added to the story...so I won't be done with the draft until at least tomorrow.  Hey, Ron. Would you leave for $100,000? Daily Persistence is © Ron Collins |
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Current Working title of this story: "The Man with the Silver Touch" |
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