Attention Big Brother Producers:

Foremost, I am a fan and I want to thank you for continuing one of my favorite summer indulgences, Big Brother. Watching the dynamics of the residents always proves highly entertaining.

However, your residents are becoming formulaic. The race doesn’t end predictably, of course. Because you can’t quite predict the chemical reaction of personalities. But it starts predictably.

Typically you have one African-American and one homosexual, to date, always male. You also have the trio or quartet of cocky take-over males.

It’s no secret that these things are put together very carefully. Like a recipe for wedding cake. I assume you probably have worked out quite definitively a safe recipe. Now likely you have on your staff bigger risk-takers. But I suspect these people are suffered and then vetoed by other network executives who, thinking money, prefer tried, true, and safe.

But come on. Give the masses a little more credit for their summer opium. Example. I’m tired of the Big Brother gays. I’m sure Will (BB5), Nathan? (BB4), Marcellas (BB3), and Bunky (BB2) are all very nice people. But haven’t we all had enough? It’s all one kind of gay, isn’t it? How about a masculine homosexual? How about an athletic homosexual? How about a strong, beefy, tough, homosexual? I’m sure there must be some. I’m thinking something along the lines of the Six Feet Under cop. Or even a vicious, mean, calculating, conniving gay. At least that would be new. So far the Big Brother gay is always the outnumbered, outmanned, outcasted one, isn’t he? Nice, noble even, but always the sacrificial sheep. Stop the gay bloodletting. Or, if you’re feeling a little more groundbreaking, how about a lesbian? Isn’t it time we had a lesbian on reality TV? They can’t just be relegated to the ghetto and to Jerry Springer. There must be some lesbian somewhere trying to get on Big Brother. Where are the lesbians? Everything I know tells me lesbians must make good TV, yet I can’t find them. Will someone please explain to me why there are no lesbians on Reality TV? And what of CBS’s “steadfast” goal to “become more diverse and more representative of the public we serve.” Yes, the girl-lounging, caregiving, fashion-designing, sensitive homosexual is a valid choice and a part of my public – I am not nearly trying to suggest that it isn’t valid. But my public also has assertive, forceful, aggressive homosexuals. My public also has lesbians.

Concepts. A manly homosexual who’s a fireman or a cop and a group of two or three other heterosexual men who are caregivers or interior designers. I’d love to see how that plays out. Or you could give the homosexual resident a companion. Instead of lounging with the girls, you could move in two homosexuals. Perhaps a Marcellas type – yes I know he’s a person with all the feelings a person has but he’s also a character and, no doubt, he was picked because he is a type – and a gay jock type. I’d like to see how that plays. Three lesbians. Nix a trio of the flirtatious, bubble-gum chewing girls you normally pick who can’t ever seem to manage to rally a force, and get three lesbians, one closeted, one of the butch variety, and one of the lipstick variety and see what happens. I might even learn something. Or turn the typical recipe around — yes, it’s brave, but I’d admire your bravery. Get nine or ten non-Caucasian Americans and fill out the rest of the residents with Caucasians. Yes, it’s a huge marketing risk. But I’d love to see the Caucasians squirm, I’d love to see the Caucasians look at the world the other way around.

If you lost your minds you could turn the age quotient around. 10 or 12 residents over 40.

But television is always bottom line, isn’t it? Still some of these ideas are no less risky, say, than the gimmicky twin swap-out or uniting unknowing siblings. Something to think about.

I have taken the liberty of publishing this letter on my photoblog at www.snappedshots.com. And while I might appear flippant I am also serious and I would appreciate any feedback I could get for which, with your approval, I would also like to post on my photoblog.

Thanks.

SS, another Armchair Producer