For the past 21 years, CBS has aired the reality show Big Brother during the summer months. In the program, 16 contestants called “houseguests” are secluded from the outside world in a TV-set house for about 100 days with all their activities recorded 24/7. The last houseguest remaining after a series of evictions wins the game.
As you might imagine, with millions of dollars of advertising revenue on the line for CBS and high production costs, they have to ensure that all the contestants follow a strict set of rules and waive most of their rights. To that end, when those who apply to be on the program enter the finalist stage of casting, they are required to sign a 39-page, one-sided agreement designed to protect the network and the producers and to warn the would-be participant what they have in store.
Here are some of the more unusual provisions of the “applicant agreement“:
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Contestants first have to agree to be recorded 24 hours a day, with or without clothing.
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The producers control all the utilities in the Big Brother house, including water.
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Contestants have to understand that they could be publicly humiliated and scorned.
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And besides waiving their rights to sue CBS and the producers, and releasing the show from all liability of any kind, contestants have to keep their mouth shut about what happens in the program. This is how CBS ensures that compliance:
And since “showmances” inevitably flourish during their three months in seclusion, all houseguests have to submit to testing for STDs.
So, why would anyone subject themselves to all this? Perhaps it is the lure of the $500,000 prize for the winner.
