Big Brother trundles on
Big Brother is no longer a ratings juggernaut, but the current season did boast one novelty: a Hantz — as in the brother of reality-TV villain Survivor’s Russell Hantz.
Willie Hantz’s recent eviction for violence against another contestant removed one of the current edition’s only buzz-worthy characters. After a rant against his housemates, Hantz head-butted fellow housemate Joe Arvin. The younger, volatile Hantz — a 34-year-old tankerman from Texas — was promptly shown the door by Big Brother’s producers. You can plot against, trash-talk and sleep with whomever you want, but violence is never the answer — not even on Big Brother.
Hantz’s pre-show strategy certainly didn’t pan out. “My strategy is I just want there to be as much drama and chaos, but I don’t want it to be on my part,” he told Zap2it.com before the season began. “But I’m not going to be mean. I just want it to be where I can cause it, but they don’t know what’s going on. And I’m going to try to keep as many of the crazy people in the house as I possibly can for the longest amount of time, ‘cause the more that goes on, the more it’s off me.”
On this 14th season of the reality show, each house guest has been assigned an all-star captain. The grand prize of $500,000 is still at stake, but the all-star whose players win the game also stands to net $100,000. The Big Brother allstars (a great title to put on your resume) are Britney Haynes, who came in fourth in Season 12; Dan Gheesling, who came out on top in Season 10; Janelle Pierzina, who finished third in Season 6; and Mike “Boogie” Malin, the champ of Big Brother 7: All-Stars.
The eccentric, camera-loving Boogie is the main reason left to watch this aging competition.
Host Julie Chen discussed the show’s favourite all-star in a recent interview with EW: “He is great television. He’s really like that in real life. And being that it’s his third time in the house, he gets why he’s in the house. He loves his 15 minutes and he knows how to expand those 15 minutes. I don’t think it takes too much effort. All you have to do is poke it.”
This is Boogie’s third Big Brother — two as a contestant and one as a mentor. Who knew you could make reality TV a career? All you have to do is poke it. (CBS, Global — 10 p.m.)