Confused American

[bleachy_dude]

I think this year has the right mix of allowing a little bit of game talk without crossing the line into a full blown strategy game like BB Us

 

[des moines]

I consider an alliance more to be HM's getting together strategically to influence the game, Jade hasn't really aligned herself with anyone besides Drew & and that was more BB's doing. I think Jade's just drifting in the middle at the moment, A few friendships but no alliances.

No, Jade literally said while nominating on Tuesday that her alliance is Drew and Tim, hence her nominating Tully for trying to take her place in that trio.

 

[Butterfly_Wings]

The other great thing about the Australian version is that even if you're in an alliance (ie a friendship) not only do you not know whether someone in your alliance will nominate you but you have no idea that the alliance will vote the same way. Ed never votes the same way as the other boys for instance.

 

[bunnielebowski]

I love the Australian version, to me this is what BB is about, people getting to know each other, having conflicts, develop friendships and crushes, gossip, ... And we the people decide who was most entertaining and true to themselves and choose a winner.
I tried the American version but hated it! Saw a bunch of people get in the house and a few guys going you look like a reliable guy let's team up, I watched 3 eps and most of the show was them talking tactics and alliances, nothing about the people or any real interaction, not my cup of tea at all!
I know it's a game and even in the Australian version people play the game but I like that it's much more subtle and also more difficult to play cause there are no clear alliances

I completely agree and I am in the US. The AU and UK BB versions are much better in that we get to know the people more BUT they seem to play to the audience more (ala Dexter and his "journey") which bugs.

 

[oddjob]

I only watched the US series for about a month or two one season. I'd sum it up as Survivor in a House. And like Survivor, by the end, no one was particularly likeable.

 

[bunnielebowski]

I only watched the US series for about a month or two one season. I'd sum it up as Survivor in a House. And like Survivor, by the end, no one was particularly likeable.

That is implying any were likeable at the beginning!

 

[BB1]

I tried to watch the American version.. Because of my fascination with this concept and my goodness, it was awful.
A pile of d grade actors, lacking any real emotion,excitement, social understanding and they are all the SAME.
Love America(ns) but this show can't work over there.

I watched a 10 min Youtube clip and was already tired of it. What a horrible show

 

[Kingston]

Okay. So I've been watching every episode and even posted a question here to try and understand your game which was: why is there no "game talk". Come to find out that its not allowed in your house; strikes and all. BUT, I have read many posts about "alliances", so how can housemates form alliances if they cannot discuss who they will nominate. Enlighten me.

The no nominations talk is something that came about in the early days of the original BB format... I believe it was the HM's in Spain that conspired to have all the HM's face the public vote each week... In other words they basically made the nomination process pointless by strategic means each and every time they nominated... Nominations being a core element of the format the producers sought a way to protect that process... Where as in the US the fundamental flaw was that the public could form and fund voting factions and deliberately keep a HM in the house against the will of the general masses of fans... You can thank Chicken George's wife for the fact that BBUS has strayed from allowing any form of public input that might actually influence "the game"...

I suppose to answer the last part of your question you really just need to look at the word "alliance" in a different context rather than how it's used in competitive based reality shows like Survivor or BBUS... And that forming an alliance within the confines of the original BB format is a lot more tactful than the US one...

BBAU HM's just get around blatantly talking about nominations and the likes through bitching... I mean it should be fairly obvious that HM "X" is going to nominate HM "Y" after they've spent the week venting about how much HM "Y" gets on their nerves or some variation there of... Through conversations like this naturally your friends in the house should have a pretty good idea of where you are going and in general friendships usually grow out of some sort of like-mindedness...

Adding in the fact that HM's are completely unaware of how they are being portrayed in the outside world and that this unknown group of people have the final say adds a whole other element to both "the game" and how particular HM's nominate...

Producers also added another level of tactfulness in asking HM's to give clear and concise reasoning's for their nominations... This is also something that wasn't always asked for or held in such high regards... And in fact in making nominations personal to each HM it actually makes them more strategic and interesting... Rather than floaters who are just voting with the masses because it's what their alliance is telling them to do... And it exposes another level on which the public can judge the HM's and make a more in-depth final decision...

Also keep in mind that the entertainment value of BB was originally intended to be more of a sociological experiment rather than a real life gameshow or soap opera that it has become...

 

[kxk]

Anyone from another country who is confused by our ways, or our BB, can I suggest you read just one article that will illuminate everything I believe.

In my opinion the greatest HM we have ever had came 2nd in 2005, Tim Brunero, a journalist and comedy writer.
He auditioned on a whim and had to be coached by a buddy before entering.
Also, you need to know, Tim faced utterly disgusting pigs in his series, clearly bullying people, and err they were foul, honestly the meatheads are princes in comparison, Heidi is a genteel lady......

Here is the article where he tells his BB story, and it's fun to read, should give some heads up on our ways and nuances of our culture & BB style
http://blogs.smh.com.au/radar/archives/2005/11/post_32.html

And here is Tim's well thought out submission to our government when they wanted to ban BB, after a few scandals
http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/_assets/main/lib101055/179brunerot.pdf


Tim is a legend, and we have another Timmy becoming a legend, love it.

 

[insider06]

Anyone from another country who is confused by our ways, or our BB, can I suggest you read just one article that will illuminate everything I believe.

In my opinion the greatest HM we have ever had came 2nd in 2005, Tim Brunero, a journalist and comedy writer.
He auditioned on a whim and had to be coached by a buddy before entering.
Also, you need to know, Tim faced utterly disgusting pigs in his series, clearly bullying people, and err they were foul, honestly the meatheads are princes in comparison, Heidi is a genteel lady......

Here is the article where he tells his BB story, and it's fun to read, should give some heads up on our ways and nuances of our culture & BB style
http://blogs.smh.com.au/radar/archives/2005/11/post_32.html

And here is Tim's well thought out submission to our government when they wanted to ban BB, after a few scandals
http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/_assets/main/lib101055/179brunerot.pdf


Tim is a legend, and we have another Timmy becoming a legend, love it.

Thanks for posting those articles! I love Tim Brunero and I love your comment about this years Tim

 

[Consuela]

The no nominations talk is something that came about in the early days of the original BB format... I believe it was the HM's in Spain that conspired to have all the HM's face the public vote each week...

Wow I didn't realise that happened in the early days as well? I remember when the HMs tried it in the 2008 series, GH was not impressed. You certainly know your stuff!

 

[kxk]

No worries - Timmy B has a sexy brain, and millions of Aussie women fell in love with him, little by little, he's not only the best ever HM, he's a wonderful human being, and funny.

And I so want him to make a guest appearance - just to Tim & Drew in the diary room maybe?

 

[Kingston]

Wow I didn't realise that happened in the early days as well? I remember when the HMs tried it in the 2008 series, GH was not impressed. You certainly know your stuff!

The first series if I'm not mistaken... I believe GH was the third country to adopt the format after The Netherlands and Germany... Followed by the US and the UK a week or so afterwards...

Did you also know that BBUK was the first BB format to introduce nominations and evictions on a weekly basis? In previous versions nominations and evictions happened on alternating weeks...

 

[Brekkie]

The "alliances" in this series are actually probably a bit more complex than the norm. Definately a boys club of Matt, Caleb and Ed but outside of that you're talking twos and threes - while people who probably think they have control such as Tully and Heidi actually are pretty much on their own.

The girls are quite interesting too - usually the girls go first not so much because the public vote them out but more because the boys nominate them and the girls nominate each other. This year apart from the sugar sisters the girls seem much more strategic in making their nominations - and although 50% of the evictees so far have been female they've done a pretty good job at getting the boys up for eviction.

Indeed if Caleb or Ed go tomorrow will this be the first series where the girls out number the boys a few weeks in?