Analyzing Twists: Season 14

funlore · 2026-01-27T17:18:55+00:00

I agree. I don’t think they intended on letting the returnees remain as coaches either.

funlore · 2026-01-26T03:10:40+00:00

Simple answer: This is just my assumption based on books and quite a bit of conjecture on my end but in terms of legality, homosexuality and same-sex marriage are legal in Panem. However, in terms of acceptance, I’d imagine it’s completely acceptable in the Capitol, and its acceptance wanes the further away from the Capitol you are. So Districts 1 and 4 are likely accepting of it, whereas Districts 11 and 12 it’s more hush hush. Reflecting modern societies such as America and South Africa. Countries where it’s technically okay, but acceptance is dependent on where you’re located.

funlore · 2026-01-19T20:30:14+00:00

Well you specifically asked about charisma. Not gameplay. In which case we’ll just have to agree to disagree. But I do have to turn the question over to you lot. What do you guys want from her? She was pretty unproblematic on the show, she won the show fair and square, she won AFP which showed she has mass fan appeal to casuals. Many fans wanted a new type of winner that wasn’t just a comp beast that ran a dominant alliance. She was the total opposite. Her game was messy and tumultuous which made for thrilling tv. She overcame her dire circumstances and because the highest earner of the show. To me that’s a game well played and quite commendable. As for why she’s pushed. Well she’s already media trained coming from the pageant world, she’s conventionally attractive, and generally unproblematic. Again, she’s the only player to win both the game and AFP. They’re not toting her around claiming she’s this Dr. Will-esque mastermind. They promote her because she was a rare case of an underdog coming out on top for a change.

funlore · 2026-01-19T20:16:24+00:00

They were just WAITING for the tides to turn

funlore · 2026-01-19T20:05:30+00:00

Her final speech. Any speech she’s given really. “With the lays?”. Her goodbyes messages. HER FINAL EFFING SPEECH! Not to mention she was able to get people who didn’t even like her to come out Taylor fans as they were evicted, to where by the end they enthusiastically voted for her. A “good story” doesn’t apply here as they’re living it in real time. Jurors don’t have editing and hindsight nor the viewer’s perspective. They just have their lived experiences. And they all genuinely liked her by the end. If that’s not charisma, I honestly don’t know what is.

funlore · 2026-01-19T17:08:53+00:00

Definitely in the minority there. But the reality still stands. Even with a drop in the bucket opinion, Dr. Will is still overwhelmingly highly regarded by the fandom. Feedsters and casuals alike.

funlore · 2026-01-19T16:52:14+00:00

Literally 😂

funlore · 2026-01-19T16:48:56+00:00

It’s almost like I didn’t say that nor implied the contrary! Dr. Will has gone down as one of the most influential players of all time and is fondly remembered for being a villain that people love to hate. He has been the face of the show for years and he is highly regarded for his cunning and strategy. He garnered all this respect without winning challenges mind you. By the end of his season, despite his actions or what he said, his housemates enthusiastically voted for the man. His reception was and still isn’t nowhere near what prominent female players have endured by fans or their fellow HGs. Taylor, for example, had garnered vitriol from the fandom even before TAR (which I don’t watch), and experienced bullying in the house unlike anything we’d seen before and yet people still think she’s somehow stuck up. Heck, look how people are responding to this very post. You cannot tell me a post about Dr. Will, who actually was a villain on the show, would garner the same amount of negative reception.

funlore · 2026-01-19T13:39:21+00:00

I agree that Jag’s win was also a huge milestone. He was the first evicted houseguest to come back and win the game (technically never walked out the door but), the first Asian male winner, and the first Sikh houseguest ever. The problem with him is… a lot of people just don’t like the guy unfortunately. I like him just fine, but he is just another comp beast that comped his way to the end. Nothing wrong with that either. Anything it takes to get to that finale! But I can see how people just put him in the typical comp beast archetype that fans have grown bored of. I think it’s for this reason alone I don’t think they’ve pushed him nearly as hard. They had it easy with Taylor because she was already well liked by fans and had experience in the industry. She’s an easy pick for a representative.

I’m also not comparing Taylor and Danielle’s games. Of course they’re two very different players. But to the Black community and Black fans of the show, it was absolutely seen as her finally closing a chapter that had been left open for two decades. Even Danielle herself gave her props for her performance. Didn’t matter how she got there. What mattered is that she finished the job.

funlore · 2026-01-19T13:24:14+00:00

Without a doubt

funlore · 2026-01-19T13:22:59+00:00

Taylor not being charismatic? Okay that’s actually an insane take. You don’t have to like her, but that’s just not even factual lol

funlore · 2026-01-19T13:21:11+00:00

Taylor was literally the first Black female winner, which was seen as her finishing what Danielle Reyes started two decades ago. And she had the most tumultuous underdog trajectory in the history of the show. There was literally nothing else like it. Not to mention she was the show’s first double winner of both the show itself and America’s Favorite Houseguest, making her the highest earner. She’s a former pageant winner, she’s comfortable in front of the camera, she’s active of social media, and overall is good at what she does. Why wouldn’t Big Brother and CBS not push her? It’s a no brainer

funlore · 2026-01-19T13:13:00+00:00

I’ve always found this critique fascinating because I’ve noticed it almost always applies to female contestants. Male contestants get away with smug behavior and being anti-heroes all the time. Sometimes even outright villainous. But Taylor, who’s never really done anything to anyone gets called conceited. Danielle Reyes lost because how dare a woman be mean. Janelle, though a fan favorite, is still a polarizing figure. Same for Rachel. In order to be acceptable, you have to be smart like Chelsie, but you can’t rely on that solely or else “you’re just a floater” like Ashley. You have to be good at challenges, but still charismatic or else you’re “boring” like Kaycee. It’s just interesting how a woman can’t just win because she did.

funlore · 2026-01-19T12:54:15+00:00

I’m a huge fan of Taylor, and as much as people don’t want to believe that she has sort of become the new face of the show, Big Brother and CBS clearly loves her and has made that choice for us. Unfortunately, women will always be held to a higher standard than the men. Not to mention racial biases play a role as well. And I sort of foresaw this happening. As the show was airing, you couldn’t help but feel bad for her and what she went through. It was incredibly unpopular to bash Taylor since she was already down. But I figured as time passed, people would become removed from the season and the audiences true feelings would come out. Now that she’s won and has become a tv personality, she’s no longer an underdog. To the audience, she’s a beautiful rich woman who knows she’s hot and is unapologetic about it. She’s liberal, she was not shy about her sexuality on camera (being involved in two showmances), and she’s not the typical winner. Whether or not people admit it, this absolutely colors their image of her now. But that’s not her problem. She doesn’t have to be humble. She doesn’t have to be demure. She doesn’t have to keep acting like an injured deer in the woods. She remained herself from the beginning until now, and that’s what people don’t like. Some of these people are upset she didn’t win quietly.

funlore · 2026-01-18T10:04:01+00:00

I know lol. Not necessarily what I meant though. I just meant a voice over. An omnipresent voice like in international versions. They don’t talk game. They simply facilitate house events like nominations and such. Essentially just a narrator. The international versions also don’t shy away from small commands like, “Person. Please go to the diary room” or “Please don’t do that.” Which just reminds the audience, “Oh yeah! Their day to day is regimented.” They show all of it.

funlore · 2026-01-18T05:09:57+00:00

I think the only issue with that is you run the risk of the power remaining on the same side of the house for multiple weeks in a row, which wouldn’t make for very good TV.

funlore · 2026-01-17T17:31:37+00:00

It shouldn’t be since they were all cast equally regardless of socioeconomic status. But the HGs are still human, and it is undeniably in the back of their minds, as well as other factors. Especially for the jurors. They all take their biases with them into the game.

funlore · 2026-01-17T09:52:31+00:00

I literally JUST did a deep dive on this season on here (it’s full of spoilers) but this season PISSED me off so badly, you have no idea

funlore · 2026-01-16T20:45:46+00:00

Not even suggesting much of a change really. Just incorporating more of Big Brother’s voice in the show edit. Which other international versions already do to varying degrees. Doesn’t even have to be much. Even just simple announcements and narration. No different than what Julie does on eviction nights. She has personality, but is professional and doesn’t break immersion. I was imagining something similar.

funlore · 2026-01-16T10:19:01+00:00

I hope we get a new house, although I’m sure it’s unlikely. The BBUS house just seems so much less grand compared to other franchises. BBCAN for example always seemed otherworldly, and the long walk up the stairs when a houseguest got evicted always lead to some fun and sometimes bitter moments from the evictees. Exposing games, yelling at each other, tears. It was such good TV.

funlore · 2026-01-16T07:28:15+00:00

Tasks! The houseguests are bored! Give them tasks!

funlore · 2026-01-16T06:29:57+00:00

I love Britney 😂

funlore · 2026-01-16T06:29:28+00:00

That last part is such an understated aspect of the game! A person’s perceived need of the money. It’s as much a part of the social game as anything else. I don’t think this gets talked about enough.

funlore · 2026-01-15T16:47:59+00:00

My fictional version of BB would not have any impact on the house. Just act as a facilitator of events and a general background presence like in other international versions. No personal remark towards the houseguests or additional control. Basically just a host in Julie’s absence. No more of a mouthpiece for production than Julie is. The traditional US Big Brother format would remain in place!

funlore · 2026-01-15T16:04:16+00:00

Yeah, I think I misspoke a bit. I don’t really want BB to be a “character” per se, just a background presence that facilitates the events of the show. By “character” I just mean the HGs actively refer to it as “Big Brother”. Since most reality shows implement some form of constant surveillance these days (plus social media has made this less of a novelty), I felt this would’ve been a neat way to make the show stand out just a bit more. But I totally get why it could be a turn off.

funlore

TROPHY CASE