[lambruscokid]

1. Can you tell me a little about how you first came to be a fan of Big Brother (for example, have you watched any previous series)?
This is the first series I have watched. I heard that BBUK was going to have a housemate with Tourette's, and I wanted to see what that was about. I honestly only planned to watch the first or second day and let it drop. But when I saw what Pete was like, I was hooked instantly.

2. How do you watch the show (for example, do you watch the daily highlights show on C4, live streaming on E4, BBLB, BBBB or BBBM on E4?)
I download (Bittorent) the daily shows, BBBM, and the occasional BBBB and BBLB. I also watch the live stream from time to time.

3. Have you made any purchases related to the show (e.g. DVD’s, books or other merchandise (t-shirts, mugs etc.)?
No.

4. Have you ever attended any events related to Big Brother such as eviction nights, personal appearances by housemates, book signings or other events?
No.

5. Have you ever auditioned for the show? If so, please tell me a little about this.
No.

6. Can you describe for me if you have met any of the stars or production personnel involved in the show or worked for the show in any official capacity?
No.

7. What do you most enjoy about BB (for example, particular contestants, the ‘reality’ element, the ‘liveness’ of the show, the regularity of nominations and evictions, etc)?
I like the relatively direct look at the HMs daily lives, and how they each handle situations. The situations that happen in the house are like a microcosm of social situations that happen in everyday life, but distilled and concentrated. When you watch the HMs for a while, you begin to see characteristics in different people that you might identify with yourself, and it's interesting to compare how they handle things to how you yourself might. For example, Pete's ability to see the good in people, and his sunny disposition, is something I try to remember when I'm in a stressful situation. Conversely, thinking about how ridiculous someone like Lisa looks when she lets her temper fly reminds me not to let myself get aggro or confrontational.

8. How do you feel about housemates who appear to be playing a game on the show?
It just makes them look bad in my eyes. I'm sure everyone thinks about how the game is going, but being so blatantly strategic just turns me off. I would rather see someone win because they were likeable and fun, not because they were manipulative and scheming.

9. How do you feel about the ‘romantic’ relationships that often develop on the show (e.g. Grace/Mikey, Michelle/ Stewart, Helen/Paul etc.)?
I think it's cute. It's like when you're away at camp for the summer. It also adds a drama to the whole show that is fun to watch.

10. How does your support or dislike for these couples affect your viewing of the show?
It doesn't really, except when there is a blatant attempt by others to sabotage the couples. I took an instant dislike to Susie when she nominated Grace, because it was obvious that one thing she was doing was to split her off from Mikey. I also started to dislike Lea when she began interfering with Pete and Nikki.

11. Do you try to find out what twists the producers have planned in advance (e.g. new contestants, surprise evictions etc) Why/why not?
Not really. I don't mind knowing, but I'd rather find out when the producers want us to find out. They're planning the show to give the best suspense and drama, so why diminish the impact by looking for early info?

12. Do you feel that knowing or not knowing about these twists affects your viewing in any ways? If so, please give examples.
Since I get the daily shows several hours late, hearing who is nominated ahead of time makes the show a bit less fun. But that's minor, so overall it doesn't.

13. Can you describe for me how you interact with other fans, either online (e.g. lurking or posting at message boards, moderating or running sites or forums) and/or off-line (e.g. talking to friends about the show, attending evictions or other BB related events such as book signings or nightclub appearances).
Posting at the message boards, mainly. Since I'm not in the UK, most people here haven't seen the show. I do have one friend who watches, so we get together to watch the eviction shows.

14. If you lurk or post online, please describe a little about the forums you visit and how you came to be involved with these sites.
I started with a site that had the torrents of all the shows, as well as forums of their own. I'm a member of a different tracker site, through which I found the first Big Brother site that I was posting at. The forums were fairly quiet, though, so I decided to search for a place with a more lively bunch of members. This is it!

16. Do you feel that the term ‘community’ fits these particular online groups and why/why not?
Yes. Everyone here has a common interest (obviously), and you find some members who are very active, so you start to look forward to their posts, just like you'd look forward to seeing a friend of yours at work or a cafe.

17. How important are these online spaces to your fandom of BB??
Very. I find myself pausing the show to post a topic, or see what others think of it. Since there aren't many BB fans in New York, it adds a lot to be able to come here and find people really getting into it.

19. If you could know more about the show or know more people who liked the show, which would you choose and why?
More people who liked the show. The fun comes from talking about it with friends. What fun would it be to know more about the show if there was no one to share it with?

20. Has your involvement with online community kept you watching the show even if it became less enjoyable (e.g. with contestants you disliked or series that were dull)? If so please give examples.
Probably. I really wanted to shut it off when Susie came in, but knowing that other people disliked her made it easier to stomach the times she was on.

21. Who are your favourite contestants from the current series and why?
Pete, Nikki, and Glyn. I can identify with Pete, because he seems to come from a similar background to my own. Nikki is someone I warmed to when I realised that she had a sensitive side, and has had to overcome real trouble in her life. Glyn is just fun, I suppose partly because he's so happy to be in the house, and partly because he keeps a positive vibe among the HMs.

22. Do you feel that you are similar to particular contestants/relationships in the current series? If so, who, and why?
I feel most similar to Pete. My days of makeup and mohawks are more in the past than the present, but I think our reasons are similar. When you come from a working-class background and don't fit in for some reason, it just seems natural to gravitate to things like the punk scene, or in his case, whatever scene you want to call it.

24. Do you feel that there are any divisions within BB fandom you are a part of? (E.g. divisions between those who favour certain contestants?)
I think there's some division between fans, but it's more gray than black & white. Fans of Richard and Susie generally don't like Nikki or Grace, and I'd be in the pro-Nikki, anti-Susie camp.

25. Can you describe what you imagine the typical BB fan to be like?
I don't think there is a typical BB fan. All different types of people seem to watch for an endless number of reasons.

26. How would you respond to critics who cannot see the appeal of Big Brother (e.g, those who describe it as cheap, trashy etc.)?
People who dismiss things for being "trashy" or "low-brow" are usually too insecure to enjoy them. If you're worried about how people will view you, you might labor to only enjoy things that are "sophisticated." If you're secure in who you are, though, you can have fun with guilty pleasures and not worry. I'm sure no one would think Sir Ian Mackellan was lowbrow if he admitted he liked BB - his reputation is secure. So why worry about what people will think of you? Old money doesn't flaunt its wealth, and real sophisticates don't have to spend all of their time carrying a copy of Anna Karenina to prove their intelligence.

31. What is your age?
35

32. Where are you located (e.g. county/country)?
New York City

33. Are you male or female?
Male

34. What is your occupation?
Writer / magazine editor