On Chima’s Departure: In Defense of Allison Grodner

While the events of last night and Chima’s ultimate departure from the show still remain clouded in speculation and innuendo, I am confident that viewers will be completely informed and shown video-taped evidence of exactly what occurred in the Big Brother house early this morning and how the game will play out from here.

What I found most disturbing while reading the discussion form this morning is the persistent bashing of production, and specificaly Allison Grodner, the show’s Executive Producer. Ms Grodner has been an integral part of the show’s production since season two. She and Arnold Shapiro believed that the psycho-social experiment and the innovative 24-hour live feed concept of Big Brother that aired the first season-- and failed so miserably in the ratings--could be revitalized and produce a summer show like no other. It was the combined genius of Grodner and-Shapiro that crafted the brilliant changes made to the game in Season 2. Not only did those changes save the show and CBS’s summer dominance in the ratings, but created the Big Brother phenomenon that exists today.

For the millions of people whose summers are planned around the Big Brother program, the live feeds and message boards, Big Brother is a guilty pleasure and an addiction that has no cure. Each season brings with it cast members we love, those we hate, and those we simply love to hate. And, as we BB historians well know, there have been casting mistakes in the past that required production to take action.

While the interview process and psychological testing required by each potential house guest is rigorous my question is: without the help of psychic intervention, is there any way to predict that an intelligent, articulate, well-educated, exotic black beauty that possesses the physical and emotional strength to survive one of the most horrific life experiences one can possibly imagine, would disrespect the show, its producers and it’s millions of fans simply because she fell victim of the lying and back stabbing that had been her alliance’s modus operandi from the beginning? I don't think so.

At this point the details of Chima’s departure from the show have yet to be outlined. All we know for certain is what we have seen and heard for ourselves:. Chima’s insensitive racial slurs against Middle Easterners, the American people, and the show’s viewers in general; last night’s refusal to put on a microphone—which is a contractual obligation; as well as her blatant disrespect for production and the legal contract she entered into in return for the opportunity to be on the show that she hoped would further her career.

I am confident that Ms. Grodner will be completely forthcoming regarding the events that took place behind the FOTH that clouded our view last night, and that we will actually see these events for ourselves in the very near future.

While this forum allows we Big Brother fanatics the opportunity to feed our insatiable desire for information regarding house guests and their actions, provides us the opportunity to post our comments and share our love or disdain for the same--and even to question production’s motivation from time to time—my simple request to all who love this forum is that we hold ourselves to a higher standard than Chima, and stop the constant personal attacks on Ms. Grodner’s integrity.