DCBLOG ExtraTime: A Big Brother Looks for The Anonymous... with a Survivor and a Meme King

BY DC CUEVA 

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The Cookout with Big Brother show host
Julie Chen-Moonves on BB23 finale night (IG)

Of the group that comprises this year's MTV Battle of the Eras Challenge cast, three-fourth's of the field had their start as MTV'ers on The Real World, Road Rules, or were initiated on the two Fresh Meat seasons. The entire Fourth Era group comprises of only one native MTV castmate, while everyone else came to us from either Survivor, overseas shows, Love Island U.S. prior to its breakthrough on Peacock, or in this case a summer tradition in Big Brother as it rages on with its twenty-sixth season.

Season 22 three years ago came during a pandemic, tense times in this country, and in a new era for the show: the events of the prior year and of previous seasons beforehand saw CBS make a pledge to make their reality show casts be inclusive and reflective of our diverse society. And it was almost right out of the gate that Big Brother made history: six houseguests - all of whom black -- all secretly worked together as a team to make it to the end together... thus, The Cookout made reality history by the time they partied away at the wrap parties and at Todrick Hall's house after that Fall 2021 finale.

The past couple years have seen four members of that group compete again on the CBS iteration of The Challenge USA, and only one of them in Kyland Young graduated onto the MTV version... and after debuting on Battle for a New Champion he is now on Season 40 alongside two champions in Kaycee Clark and Josh Martinez, and the posterboy of this crossover in Paulie Calafiore. But they are not alone when it comes to Big Brother alumni extending these 15 minutes beyond summer: a fellow member of the Cookout also returned to TV a week ago... this time somewhere else on the cable dial.

For two weeks in July and August, this blogger did something he only usually does infrequently when it comes to his TV viewing habits: he made USA Network a regular stop on the dial. The reason: a cable network that beat ESPN to the punch in holding TV rights to three of the four major sports in the early '80s revisited those all-sports days to devote non-stop cable coverage to the Paris Olympics... all part of that 19-day Games binge-watch. USA is best known for its longtime relationship with WWE, original series like Burn Notice and Silk Stockings, or for old-school fans - Cartoon Express and Up All Night.

Show Art & Photos: NBCU/Rico Torres

When USA returned to regular programming post-Olympics, it temporarily will become linear television's sole home for WWE's two main series of both Smackdown and Raw... and the spot that follows the ladder has become as coveted a landing spot for big reality series, as MTV has seen the likes of Jersey Shore and Teen Mom to launch everything from where Nurys got her start on Are You The One, to then her and Paulie going onto Ex On The Beach USA. This past week, USA began its latest late Monday night reality endeavor from the producers of both The Traitors and The Circle, but one that actually takes a cue of sorts from both the ladder and from Catfish: dishonesty.

The Anonymous is a show that brings twelve players together in what is called "the ultimate game of covert deception" - one where they have to manipulate, mislead and play a game of whatever it takes to win $100,000. It all takes place in two different worlds: a real one, and in anonymous mode like any social media user who uses a burn account or a fake ID on other platforms... and it's the Digital Anonymous Networking Interface - "DANI" - who has invited these dirty dozen together to live under one roof, and to play this totally new game where everyone can offer their own opinions of their fellow players, and to try and win their way to the jackpot through weekly tests and where every move is seen. But in every other instance, they will have to remain sequestered in their own rooms.

The unquestioned headliner of the cast to the average reality fan is that aforementioned member of The Cookout, and the one who won the whole thing on Big Brother 23. Xavier E. Prather, Esq. can no doubt thank the scheduling gods above for having The Anonymous serve as an early present to celebrate him being certified as a member of Michigan's State Bar as he's now a lawyer back home in Kalamazoo, but his return to TV comes two years after an early exit on Season 1 of The Challenge USA. It's certainly a different result compared to what he had that summer of '21 when he was unanimously chosen by the jury on finale night and the $750,000 winner's check... but he's not alone in reality representation.

The other contestant on The Anonymous with a previous reality show appearance to their credit is one that you have to go deep into the library to find out more about her: Sandra Diaz-Twine is the lone two-time winner in Survivor history having won both Pearl Islands (Season 7) and Heroes vs. Villains (Season 20), but few know that she has a bloodline who's also competed on the franchise. Daughter Nina Twine has twice competed on the Australian version of the show on both Blood v. Water and Heroes v. Villains down under (and was temporarily available for a brief time on Paramount+ here), having being medivac'd on the former and making her way to the top five on the ladder... but her coming onto this show actually marks her American television debut.

The remainder of The Anonymous cast features someone for everyone: Seattle's Marcel Cunningham is a gaming YouTuber dubbed the "master of disguise," while Sydney Dorsey of Georgia is a country girl with a Kardashian energy. Texan Dillian Frelow has a booming personality for the LGBTQ crowd to get behind, while Michiganite Lilly Jenkins mixes beauty and brains. Saudi poker player Robbi Jade Lew can use her bluffs at the felt table to help her go deep, while LA's Jack Usher got himself set for this game by playing board games of all things. Former Tennessee rower Kacie Mize works for a true crime podcast and can lean on her investigating skills... and Charlotte's Chris Shulstad is taking a break from fishing camp to try his luck, as does Bronx Army vet Tyrenna Tolbert.

But while Xavier and Alanna have the experience of being in this ringer before -- and the rest of the cast have so many varied backgrounds prior to coming onto The Anonymous, to the rest of the pop culture community who stayed up to watch this premiere than the first night of the convention, one person stood out above of them. For proof: just glance at all of those screencaps from a rather infamous event that turned tents and sandwiches into much more than just simple everyday items.

Seven years have past since the most infamous of all Ponzi schemes in modern-day pop culture: a master of deception Billy McFarland invested $27 million out of his own wallet to throw the Fyre Festival. The luxury music event that wasn't garnered immense attention as this ultimate of frauds put him behind bars... and which produced not one, but two well-acclaimed documentaries that hit stream-ville within 100 hours. Netflix's original film on Fyre was one-upped by Hulu's similar doc a few days before its 2019 release, which scored an exclusive interview with the creator behind the event... but the former was responsible for a classic character who was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame.

One of those tasked to produce the ill-fated Coachella wannabe in the Bahamas was Andy King, a music event producer who is called the "Concierge of New York City" as a party planner extraordinaire who now calls Charleston, SC home base when not doing those Big Apple parties. But it was when he was asked by McFarland to try and help a festival that was starting to going by the wayside did he ship out hundreds of water bottles to those who paid a fortune who got stranded on the island, among many other tasks that went beyond his usual job title. And it when he appeared in the Netflix documentary and his unapologetic deadpan quips that struck a chord with audiences, thus earning him a spot on this show... and below: the intro to Andy, and a possible Challenge combine - throwing balls inside holes.

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