So they just completed the final episode of Big Brother on CBS tonight and while I don’t agree with the winner I am intrigued by the process. I know it’s just like Survivor and many other “non-scripted drama” shows which I normally avoid. But its my wife’s summer fling and I love her, so I watch it too.
One of the things that interested me most is the tie in with game theory and how it crossed many of the ideas addressed there. For instance, it was both a cooperative and a non-cooperative game. It was cooperative in that alliances formed and non-cooperative in that each person was competing to win the final prize. The requisite twist was that the other house-guests voted between the final two to determine the winner. So while you formed relationships and voted to evict other contestants, you needed to make sure they would vote for you if you were left.
While watching, the part that I really got into was the timing behind the decision to turn on your alliance. In every contest that time comes, but when does one strike? The disadvantage of turning too quickly is alienating yourself and being eliminated. But if you stay loyal too long, you’re gone. The least fortunate was Dustin on his elimination. At the time he volunteered to sit next to the eventual winner with the confidence of his alliance. What actually happened was his eviction based on the realization they might not have the chance again and that faced against him in the final vote Dustin was likely to win.
Towards the end of the game it also bit lovers Eric and Jessica. While they considered themselves safe in their alliance they were both eliminated in one night back-to-back. The unfortunate part of their elimination was that they had the chance to vote out the eventual winners but held onto their alliance, bringing about their final demise.
All-in-all an OK distraction for the summer. And an interesting excuse to bring greater depth to a seemingly shallow show.
Recent Comments