After three years writing for Her Campus, I don’t think I need to reiterate the fact that I’m Brazilian. However, I’ve never mentioned one of the pillars of the Brazilian experience: BIG BROTHER BRASIL, also known as BBB. BBB is a reality show that’s been running for 25 years, in which a group of 20-30 strangers is put together in a house isolated in the middle of the Rio de Janeiro woods, for 100 days, with cameras everywhere 24/7, competing for a large monetary prize that increases each year. The public decides who wins through weekly elimination rounds using online voting. This year, it’s 26 people competing for 3.5 million Brazilian reais, which roughly converts to 600,000 dollars. Throughout the show, there are certain activities called “tests” that they must complete to earn rewards, such as a video from the family or immunity.
Just to ensure I’ve made myself clear, these people are being filmed 24/7 with high-quality equipment, they wear a microphone 24/7, and everything they say and do is recorded. The only place in the house without cameras is the toilet. Yes, even the shower. That’s why they shower in bathing suits. Plus, they have no contact with the outside world AT ALL. You can’t see or talk to anyone except the folks in the house, OR if you win some of the aforementioned “tests”. You can’t write down anything, as the public needs to know what you think. You can’t whisper. You can’t speak a foreign language. You are completely exposed to the entirety of Brazil’s 220 million people. Freaky, right? Yeah, a little. But oh so entertaining. And oh so popular – millions of people apply for a spot every year!
Before we start discussing this, I wanted to share a few more details about its inner workings. There are always doctors and mental health counselors on site. The production team is also always monitoring the participants, ensuring that everyone is doing well (to the best of their abilities, as stress and sadness are inevitable). Additionally, participants can get expelled from the program if they break any rules, such as exhibiting aggressive behavior. They can also choose to leave at any time by pressing a button in the middle of the living room that periodically turns green to signify its activation.
If you look at it through a social science lens, this is the craziest psychological experiment of all time. During this show, we can see what extended social isolation and surveillance do to people over time. A notable case happened in 2024 with the influencer Vanessa Lopes. As the days passed, Vanessa became increasingly more disturbed by everyone else in the house, claiming they were all actors hired to ruin her life. In the end, she ended up pressing the button and leaving the house after roughly 3 weeks. This is just one example of someone who didn’t enjoy their BBB experience and just HAD to leave; throughout the show’s history, 9 people have withdrawn in total, mostly citing the pressure.
As the show progresses and more people get eliminated, the house grows quieter and bigger. The participants start becoming a lot less chatty and often spend long periods of time just lying down in silence, staring ahead. This usually starts happening at around the 70-80 day mark, when there are roughly 10 people in the house. This really shows how no human is an island; at the end of the day, we need company.
Another way we can look at this is through a sociological lens. At the BBB house, there is a different social contract than the one out here. In the “real” world, it is usually frowned upon to hurt others for your own benefit. However, at BBB, it is expected. It’s “part of the game”. If you try to maintain the external social contract and play the game without hurting others, you’ll be quickly eliminated as the public won’t find you entertaining. It’s an odd Hunger Games-esque vibe that if you’re not ruthless enough, they don’t want to watch you. However, there are limits to that. If you become rude with no goal for your advancement in the game, or betray your allies, that’s also a surefire way of getting eliminated. Therefore, you must be ruthless, but not too much. It’s a fine line to walk.
A very popular line said by many after elimination or even inside the house is “I’m not like this back home”. This really shows how the BBB social dynamics can really mess with your mind, so that you no longer care who you hurt to get what you want. That has also been a reason for a couple of voluntary withdrawals: they just didn’t know how to play the game. They didn’t know how to be that one person the audience wanted them to be.
One could argue about the highly unethical nature of this show. However, is it really unethical? It’s all voluntary. You choose to send your application in. After 25 years on air, BBB has made it clear what it’s all about. Plus, you can leave at any time. Additionally, no one leaves the house empty-handed. Participants get a weekly stipend just for making it through the week. There are also a bunch of additional awards you can win from sponsors, ranging from new TVs and apartments to 10 thousand Brazilian reais worth of food delivery. It’s up to each individual to do the math and ask themselves: Is it worth it? For some, it very much is; BBB has changed many lives. An example is Maria, the winner of the 2010 edition, who used the award to get cancer treatment. Some people go just to have the experience and aren’t in any dire financial need, showing how much of a cultural staple it is: folks just wanna BE there. There is a lot of nuance to the ethics of this.
Overall, there are many ways you can analyze reality shows, especially BBB, in the context of the social sciences; I am barely scratching the surface, but this is a good, simple way to start. Maybe one of my Sociology/Psychology major readers could finish the job for me? Thank you!