Reality shows likeBig BrotherandLove Island, which rely on players being isolated from the real world, are rarely forced to break the rules, but in 2001,Big Brothermade the choice to break the rules for the first time, and it changed the course of the show forever.
Big Brotherwas only in its second season when a major world event forced production to do the unthinkable.
On Sept. 18, 2001,Big Brotherbroke its blackout rule to inform the season’s remaining three contestants of the 9/11 terrorist attackson the United States.Big Brotherseason 2contestants Dr. Will Kirby, Monica Bailey, and Nicole Wilson were informed by producers that an attack had taken place on American soil, and Monica’s cousin, who worked at the World Trade Center, was reported as missing.
In anEntertainment Weeklystory from the time, Will, the eventual winner of the season, said that he knew something was happening in the real world. He just wasn’t sure what.
“We knew a tragedy had taken place involving planes in New York. That was really the extent of it.”
By breaking the rules of the show due to the enormity of the situation, and the personal connection of one of the houseguests,Big Brotherproducers felt it was appropriate, butthey were later accused of exploiting Monica’s personal tragedy for views.
Big Brother’s First Rule Break Was Historic
Big Brother Stopped The Show To Inform Guests About 9/11
The momentBig Brotherproducers decided to tell the houseguests that there had been a terrorist attack on U.S. soil will go down in history. A TikTok depicting the incident shared by a user namedjessi_powerscurrently sits at over 700K views on the social media platform.
In a somber tone, hostJulie Chen Moonves privately informs Monicathat the World Trade Center had been hit, and that her cousin, Tamitha Freeman, was unaccounted for. Sadly,Tamitha was later confirmed to have perished in the attacks.
After speaking privately with Monica,Julie informed the remaining houseguestsof the attacks, which was met with shock from the houseguests who were struggling to process the news.
9/11 changed the world forever, and on a smaller scale,it changed the way reality show producers handle keeping contestants cut off from the real world.
Big Brother Production Was Criticized
Some Felt They Exploited The Situation
In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks,the country scrambled to strike the right tone, particularly in the entertainment industry. The attacks were unprecedented, so there was no blueprint for how to proceed.
While some felt that the producers airing the footage of Monica finding out that her cousin was unaccounted for was exploitative of a devastating situation,producers argued that they approached it with sensitivity.
In theEntertainment Weeklystory, executive producer Arnold Shapiro stated that they wouldn’t have aired the footage had it not been conducted appropriately.
“If Monica had become hysterical we wouldn’t have shown that. But they [all] took it, with shock and concern, but very maturely.”
Still, the show faced criticism, including for the way eventual winnerWill said he would be “wasting” all hiswinnings, rather than donating it to causes supporting victims of the attacks. Will later retreated, saying he would “absolutely” be donating to charity with his winnings.
Big Brother Broke The Fourth Wall
Reality Shows Must In Certain Situations
By choosing to break the fourth wall in extreme circumstances, theBig Brotherproducers did the right thing. Airing the footage, although questionable, provided audiences withan extremely compelling scene that displayed true human emotion and strength, something that the country needed at that time.
According to theWashington Post, it wasn’t the last timeBig Brotherbroke the rules in light of real world events: they told houseguest Frankie Grande about the death of his grandfather duringBig Brotherseason 16, and later told players onBig Brother: Over The Topthat Donald Trump had won the presidency.
In all of these scenarios, real world happenings trump reality TV entertainment. While the rules are taken seriously,in some situations, a break is necessary.
Big Brother 27airs Sundays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and every other Friday on CBS.
