Big Brother Craze

I woke up to some interesting - and happy! - news this morning! On the Early Show, Julie Chen, our beloved Chenbot, had some good news to share: She’s pregnant!

I know! The preseason reboot must have been a doosey!

Ms. Chen told the viewers this morning that she’s pregnant with her first child, and couldn’t be happier. She rubbed her tummy and said that no, it wasn’t a big Sunday at the buffet table, she’s simply starting to show. Her due date is October 4th, and she made sure to let us know that she is not taking maternity leave beforehand, she still plans on hosting Big Brother this summer! She emailed Allison Grodner over the weekend to say “Don’t worry! I can still do the show!”

She even joked that the headlines could read “Big Brother gives Birth - Medical Miracle!”

All kidding aside, all of us at Big Brother Craze send our heartfelt congratulations to Ms. Chen and her husband, Les Moonves (CBS President and CEO). May your pregnancy progress smoothly and you and the baby remain healthy and happy throughout!

A Chenbot baby.
Could it GET any better?!

Are you anywhere near Michigan? That’s where the first casting call is slated to be! Check it out:

WLNS TV-6, Lansing, Michigan’s CBS affiliate and market news leader, announces that it will be hosting Michigan’s only open casting calls for Big Brother 11.

Think you’ve got what it takes to live in the Big Brother house and win a half million dollars? Apply now to be on BIG BROTHER 11. Big Brother 11 Open Casting Call is Wednesday, April 1st from 5 to 8PM at Eastwood Towne Center, 3003 Preyde Boulevard, Lansing, MI 48912.

Applicants who are interested in trying to be a contestant on Big Brother 11 must be present at the Open Casting Call to be eligible. Eligibility requirements and applications are available at wlns.com. Applicants can bring their own tape to the casting call or have WLNS record one for them at the event. Specific requirements are clearly stated on the application. All applicants who choose to have WLNS record their segment, can purchase a DVD copy for $18 per copy. WLNS will deliver all applicant’s tapes and applications to CBS c/o Allison Grodner Productions in the specified format. All applicants must completely fill out the application and must sign the tape log at the event.

Think you might want to show up to watch? Eastwood Towne Center will give away a $250.00 shopping spree to some lucky spectator.

“We are excited to bring this event to Lansing” said Julie Tadgerson, the local CBS Station official. “There are only a few places in the country hosting local casting calls. Lansing currently is the only place in Michigan. We have been receiving phone calls and emails from all over the country regarding the event and that’s pretty exciting, considering we have not run a single promotional announcement yet. Somehow the word is getting out that WLNS in Lansing is hosting this casting call. For me personally, if I were eligible (and I am not) to try out for one of those shows it would be the Big Brother! It would the experience of a lifetime to win a half of a million dollars! That would be awesome. Plus, how often do spectators get to win a $250 shopping spree from a cool mall like Eastwood Towne Center?”

Sounds like fun! Wonder if Dan’ll be there… and the biggest question - will YOU be there? If so, be sure to let us know how it goes!

ETA: Big Brother Network reports an earlier casting in the LA area - though I don’t have any other info on it - here it is: California - March 28, 2009 in Los Angeles, California

Man - I can’t wait till the next season! It kills me to see only a couple posts here and there! I do hope that all of you had a happy and healthy Christmas, with plenty of presents and pie! Here at Casa de Lessa, we certainly did, despite my getting the tummy flu for Christmas. Inorite?! Ew.

FYI, Just so ya’ll know… Everyone is welcome here, no matter what place you hang your hat and call home! I don’t expect that I’m your one and only Big Brother source (though I’m ever glad for those who have found me and keep coming back for my ’special’ brand of snarkitude! You are all rock stars in my book!) - there’s a lot of differing opinions on the interwebs when it comes to us rabid Big Brother Fans, and everyone finds a place where they belong - then lurk on half a dozen other sites too. At least, that’s what _I_ do, and I’d expect that you do the same. So - everyone is welcome here! All places fans of all peoples, as long as mutual respect reigns supreme.

Now, to the REAL question - will there be another strike (SAG this time) and if so, will there be another winter Big Brother? Right now, all signs point to no, but we’re still scouring sites for any and all information that will let us know for sure. The latest speculation says that there are plenty of episodes of many of the prime time shows already in the can, since they started filming earlier after the writer’s strike last year - that means they already have episodes done through the spring, so the earliest Big Brother would have to come in to fill some slots in mid-June, which isn’t really very likely. But hey, stay tuned - as soon as I know, you’ll know!

…already missing your daily dose of Lessa? Still wishing that I would give in and just audition for BB11 already? Well - you’re in luck!

No, I’m not auditioning for BB11. I love bacon and chocolate too much to get that bikini bod, and my kids aren’t old enough yet! But! I’ve just been notified of something EVEN BETTER.

Ok, maybe not, but something FUN anyway! Guess who was chosen to participate in the first ’season’ of Big Brother Interactive, the Online Big Brother Game as one of the 13 IGuests? That’s right! ME! Come September 30th, I’ll be moving into the ‘interactive house’ where I’ll be participating and interacting with the other chosen houseguests in the forums. The first Head of Household competition will be October 1st, and until then I’ll be busily contemplating my strategy.

Will I be the Online version of Dan? Memphis? Libra? Keesha? Renny? - we KNOW it won’t be April or Ollie… Maybe I’ve got some Evel Dick-like tricks up my sleeve? Eric, Jessica? Or maybe, I’ll be Carol.

Who’s Carol?
Exactly.
(First boot of BB8. Heh.)

Time will tell! Big Brother Interactive starts in just 8 days… you all will cheer me on, right?! Even if I’m the first one booted out?

PS - Scroll down for more Evel Dick After Finale interviews - they’ve been added to the ED entry!

That’s right - it’s time for another revamped yet OH SO VERY FUN twist for the big brother house! You can record a wakeup call, and possibly have it used to wake up the houseguests! Check it out!

Submit Your Wakeup Call!

When they did this in Allstars it was one of my FAVORITE things EVER. After a night of being woken up every 15 minutes, they had to compete in a POV competition that was grueling, and hysterical to watch! Not sure what they have planned for the calls this time, but who knows - YOURS could be chosen! If so, be sure an let us know, huh?

In the house, things are pretty boring. We had the promise of a political debate earlier, but Libra wouldn’t take the bait and walked away. Though she did mutter under her breath about dumbass people. Heh. No explosions or anything today, just a lot of smug people awaiting Thursday…

It is what it is, right?

~~~~

1:15am BB Time - Dan and Memphis don hats and bandanas, and burst in on the hippie room to attack Renny, Libra and Keesha with pillows…. which was so endearingly cute and boyish as they screamed and laughed and the girls squealed and giggled, that I can’t help but love D/M a little bit more. I better be careful - because the ones I adore always get booted! Tsk!

Now Renny is wound up and entertaining us all. Srsly - if you don’t have the feeds? GET THEM.

And hey - check out our new Screen Cap Gallery, huh? It’s all shiny and new… with gazillions of random caps broken down by day. How cool is that?

Alrighty, Big Brother Crazies! Now that we’re up and stable for the duration, it’s time to welcome all of you back who stuck with us during this little setback as well as welcome all you new folks that have found us! How can we do that? How else?! With a giveaway!

That’s right, Big Brother Craze has teamed up with the ever-fabulous Barbara over at Knitting Passion to put out a unique gift set for the winner of this contest. In fact, it was all Barbara’s idea! She’s pretty awesome, she is, and I’m not just saying that because she’s my mom!

So here’s how it’s going to work:

1. Contest runs will begin at 12:01 AM Alaska Time, July 28, and run through Midnight Alaska Time on August 1.

2. To Enter – Leave a comment on THIS POST. I know, hard huh?

3. Each comment will be a single entry for the giveaway – but ONLY the comments on THIS POST. Feel free to comment elsewhere – in fact, I’d love that – but only the ones on THIS POST count for the giveaway.

4. I will accept multiple entries, as long as you are not spamming the comment section. Every relevant comment WILL be entered into the giveaway.

What is a relevant comment? Something about Big Brother, of course! Name a favorite houseguest, the houseguest you hate the most, favorite season, what you think of THIS season, etc.

Also, flattery toward the Big Brother Craze and Knitting Passion writers WILL get you anywhere, or at least entered into the giveaway. Bribery also accepted, though it will only get you an entry into the drawing, not a guaranteed win. We like chocolate, cashews, long romantic walks in the park at sunset, bacon, roses and Doritos, among other things. Choose accordingly.

Also considered relevant – any comment that is in reply to the comments before it – feel free to derail the conversation and carry on and cavort within the comment session. Just don’t be all spamlike, ya know?

5. Winner will be determined by Random Draw. I will use the ever popular random.org and have it choose. I’ll even screen shot the process so that you can see that I did not cheat in order to favor those with good bribery and flattery skillz.

6. This giveaway is part of the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival. All visitors from the Carnival are welcome to enter, and I encourage all of you to go visit Bloggy Giveaways for some other fantastic prizes!

7. The management reserves the right to declare a comment ineligible. That’d be me, folks, and it’s not like I’m making this difficult, so play nice, ok?

8. Obviously, you’ll have to email me your home address in order to get your prize! If you’re not willing to trust me a little there, don’t enter! I promise I won’t stalk you. Honest.

9. The winner will be chosen and announced by 8pm Alaska Time on August 2nd.

Of course, now you want to know what you’re going to win, right? Right! Every single Big Brother Fan knows that if you’re going to watch the feeds, the shows, and hang with other fans, Coffee – or some other caffeine substitute – is necessary. And sometimes, you need a beer just to make it through (or a bigger mug to hold more coffee, either way). So we here at Big Brother Craze and Knitting Passion designed a prize package to help you cozy up to your addiction.

The lucky winning commenter will receive the following as part of the prize package:

1 Big Brother Craze Coffee Mug – for those early morning wake up calls after you’ve stayed up all night listening to the houseguests talk about everything, anything and nothing.
1 Big Brother Craze Beer Stein – for those times the houseguests drive you to drink. We know it happens. We’re here for you.
1 Knitted Cup Cozy that fits over a to-go paper coffee cup – for those times where the home brew is not enough, and a trip to the coffee shop is needed – if only to remind you that the outside world exists. Don’t worry, no one will dare steal your cup when it’s protected by THIS cozy!
1 Knitted Dishcloth – to wash your mug and stein, of course! Or to hang up and admire, use as a coaster, wipe your tears when your favorite is evicted, your choice!

Cool, right?

And don’t worry, there are other possible prizes. Because I love you all, the following comment numbers will receive a Big Brother Craze sticker: 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, etc. Do I think I’ll get that many comments? Nah – but feel free to prove me wrong!

See, couldn’t be easier to win, right? Right! So comment away, tell your friends, and let’s have fun!

Bloggy Giveaways

Of past houseguests, that is? As we all know, Dr. Will Kirby has been doing stints on that new show Dr. 90210, and we’ve seen the rest of Chill Town, Boogie make appearances there too. That appearance netted them a tie vote and a Realtini for the best Showmance with our beloved Eric and Jessica at the Fox Reality TV awards last fall. I’ve never watched that show (I know – what kind of Reality Queen am I?) but tonight, after a new episode of another show that I avidly watch, I was in for a little surprise – and so are you!

We’ve all been eagerly awaiting Evel Dick’s appearance on LA Ink, which has yet to air. However – for those die hard fans, NEXT TUESDAY, one of the LA Ink girls, Pixie, discovers that having a Tattoo removed is more painful then having one put on. And who is doing the removal?

You guessed it – Dr. Will himself will be talking about laser tattoo removal and seeing to removing one of Pixie’s many tattoos!

So tune in to TLC next Tuesday, January 29th to see Dr. Will in action! And, of course, to discover why Pixie wants that particular tattoo removed of the dozens that she has. It’s sure to make an interesting story and episode!

Still no word for sure when the episode will play of Dick’s visit and tattoo (He gets tattoo’d by Hannah, and Daniele gets a small matching piece as well.) but as soon as I hear or see the previews, I’ll let you know.

Last night’s Survivor Finale had a little added bonus for the dual reality show addict like me… there were two Big Brother Promos! Whoo! Both of which were AWESOME, and the first of which made me snort my diet coke out my nose as I laughed.

Brilliant editing, CBS. You make my reality junkie heart proud.

Here they are - enjoy!

That’s right, CBS announced today that Big Brother 9 will return early, and premiere on February 12th for the first ever winter edition! According to the January/February scheduling, Big Brother will air on Tuesday at 9pm EST, Wednesday and Sunday nights at 8pm EST - deviating slightly in order to allow Survivor 16 to continue on it’s traditional and time-slot winning Thursday nights at 8pm EST, starting February 7th.

Of course, we’ve all been speculating for weeks about this, and to have official word is nothing short of Awesome - because ya’ll know how we love to be right! The only downer, of course, is that this means the Strike goes on, but the thought of two seasons of Big Brother practically back to back makes me positively giddy! (A life? Who needs a life?)

Now, all we need is confirmation of the cast - you spoilers out there with insider information, get on that! I’m sure soon we’ll have more rumors then we know what to do with, of course, as Reality BBQ reports that the Semi-Final interviews began today, though there are still open casting calls happening so there is STILL a chance to get your application in and be seen!

Allison Grodner did promise us some season specific twists to make it stand out from the summer staple, but there’s no official (or Unofficial) word on what those might be. All she promises is more of the Soap Opera we have come to know and love!

So, are you ready for another season? Will you be getting the feeds? Which of the rumors already talked about are you hoping are true? Will it be another Surreal Life, or something monumentally better… or worse? Time to dish, darlings!

You know everyone is talking about it, everyone is hoping, everyone is speculating – will there or will there not be a Big Brother 9 as early as February? Will it be a normal one, or a celebrity bitch fest? WHEN WILL THEY TELL US?

Well – It seems there’s a bit of a scoop posted over on Zach’s blog by his friend Mike – you’ll have to take it for what it is (hearsay!) but perhaps he’s not messing with us… MAYBE IT’S TRUE and oh my goodness how cool would THAT be?

Big Brother 9 Confirmed
By Sysop
November 9, 2007

In a conversation today with Robyn Kass of Kassting Inc the primary casting agency for Big Brother, it was confirmed that Big Brother will commence in February.

They are very busy at casting the show as I write this and Robyn asked me to pass on the word to get your applications in or contact her at her website, http://kasstinginc.com/ .

I asked Robyn during our conversation if the Big Brother rumors were speculation or was there a basis in fact? Robyn replied “We are casting with the thought in mind that the house guests would move into the house during the first week of February.

I can not quote on the following, but my feelings are it will be a normal Big Brother, not a Celebrity Big Brother and it is a strong possiblility that the summer Big Brother will also take place.
Mike

Ooooooooh just the thought makes me giddy, how about you?! Soon as I hear more, I’ll post more!

The Reality TV Awards will be aired tomorrow night on the Fox Reality Channel! I, of course, will be covering all the shenanigans, and reporting back with official word of winners and losers and already made famous face plants!

I’ve also heard from one of my upcoming surprises - It is STILL in the works - and will occur soon! Promise!

Looking for a few good (MySpace) friends? Try these!
Amber
Dick
Daniele
Dustin
Eric
Jameka
JenWork
JenPersonal
Jessica
JoeBB8FanClub
Mike
Nick
ZachBB8FanClub

Hey - You’ve only got about 4 hours left to get some official props from the Big Brother House! And Zach still has some stuff up too!

Keep checking back, folks - those surprises will be worth it! Happy Friday!

[I posted this last week at Watching Survivor, and while we're waiting for the live eviction show tonight, why not do some good?]

It’s been seen time and time again that once the game is over, once the lying, backstabbing, conniving, strategy, winning is over - Reality TV stars stick together - even if they’re from different shows. Now is no different.

Big Brother star - Howie Gordon and his girlfriend Sonia recently received the devastating news that their 4-year-old goddaughter, Rabekah, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Here’s a bit of what they have to say about her:

This past week Howie and I received devastating news. My God-daughter Rabekah (”Bekah”) was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. The specific type of tumor is a Pontine Brain Stem Glioma. They were told it is inoperable.

Rabekah’s parents, Shannon and Glenn, are now in search of the best treatment option. This has become very expensive as they are no longer working and a lot of travel is involved. Thus we have set up an account entitled the “Rabekah Fund” to help cover Rabekah’s medical treatment and expenses.

Rabekah is a beautiful 4-year old little girl. She was born April 16th, 2003. Aunt Sonia was so very lucky to be right in the birthing room as Rabekah was welcomed into this world. She has one older sister, a younger sister and mommy has a baby on the way. Rabekah can’t wait to be a big sister for the second time!

Rabekah has a light about her that emanates for everyone to see, and a wonderful imagination. She likes dressing up like a Disney princess, wearing crowns and jewelry. She loves to sing and dance. Every time Aunt Sonia comes over, the first thing Rabekah does is turn on her music and show off her new dance routine. Bekah’s favorite color is purple and she loves, loves, loves kittens! She especially adores Hello Kitty and the Barbie princess Serafina Kitty.

When Howie first met her last year, he and Rabekah hit if off. They played all night and watched the movie “Free Willy.” They sat on the floor and watched the entire movie from start to finish singing and laughing all the way through. Then the following week after Howie had long since returned to his home in California, Rabekah was helping set the dinner table and set one extra spot. When Rabekah’s mom asked who the spot was for, Rabekah exclaimed, “It’s for Howie!!” Shannon called me right away to tell me that story which I find so sweet. Then a few months later Rabekah found out it was Howie’s birthday and she took her own personal movie of Free Willy from her collection and gave it to Howie for his present!!

Many Reality Stars are banding together to help raise money for Rabeka and her parents to help offset the medical costs of the treatment. They’ve recently moved all the bidding over to Ebay - and there are some fantastic swag and other things to be had - including:

Phone calls from Holly King and Marvin Latimer from BB5, Rachel Plencner from BB6 and Alison Irwin, BBAS, photographs and photochops, autographed and much, much more! Check it out today!

It’s finally here! The Big Brother 8 cast was announced this morning on The Early Show, and it appears to be a somewhat diverse group of people. Allison Grodner confirmed once again that some of the houseguests will learn that they’ll be sharing the house with “the last person on earth they’d ever want to see” walk through those doors. This sounds an awful lot like the X-Factor, doesn’t it? They’ll probably do the premiere the same way as they did for that one too.

Anyway, without further ado, here is your Big Brother 8 cast:

Amber, 27 years old, cocktail waitress from Las Vegas, separated

Carol, 21 years old, student from Lawrence, Kansas, single

Daniele, 20 years old, waitress from Huntington Beach, California, single

Dick, 44 years old, bar manager from Los Angeles, single

(more…)

Okay, so it’s not really new per se, but it’s different and that’s what counts.

A poster at RealityBBQ had this to say:

It has an Alice in Wonderland theme. The colors are pastel and very bright. This house will pop! The bug room is now a room for “big people” and through a small door is a room for “little people”. The Love/Hate room is now “The Harem”. The back yard is filled with animal shaped bushes. The wall upstairs’s wallpaper is a summer northeastern forest.

It was all quite beautiful.

To confirm the fairy tale theme, some photos were posted today at TVGuide.com. Included in the photos is this image, which clearly shows the memory wall with 14 spots. That means 14 houseguests.

One bedroom is crowded with 5-foot long beds, while another features a dresser that the houseguests will have to climb a stepladder to be able to reach the top drawer. Outside there are indeed topiaries cut into animal shapes, as well as a giant chess board and a spinning tea cup.

This fairy tale theme is much different from the dark flaming walls of last season, and it’s a welcome change. My guess is that this fairy tale thing will be carried through the competitions as well.

Also, there’s this little blurb in The Early Show’s newsletter:

“Big Brother” fans, get ready! We are putting the final touches on the new house and this summer’s big twist in the game as a new group of houseguests is packing their bags. I just finished looking at a DVD of the people who will be vying for the half-million dollar prize starting July 5, and this group is one of the most diverse and outspoken groups yet! It’s bound to be an exciting season. And this year, for the first time, we’ll be airing a three-hour nightly broadcast on Showtime 2, “Big Brother, After Dark.” It’ll be live action from inside the house every night from midnight to 3 a.m. That’s when the houseguests are at their craziest … whether they’re partying, strategizing or simply hanging out.

Hopefully that means that the website and cast reveal are only hours away!

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