BY DC CUEVA
Wednesday night, after five months of a season that had much go on in and outside its world and culminated with more history,
The Challenge gave way to another show that has gone from strength to strength to dominate our summers. After three members of the same cast made it all the way to the final of
Total Madness and became spectators to Johnny Bananas and Jenny West reign victorious at the top of Mount Olympus, it was the turn of the show that introduced them to America to take over our attention for the end of this summer and the first few months of the autumn.
Twenty years ago, the fortunes of a CBS network which fell into the cellar during the 90's put their chips into the reality category to regain its glory days.
Survivor debuted in May and it was at this time in August that the country watched in increasing numbers that first season and leading to nearly 50 million watching the finale. At the same time,
Big Brother debuted as the network put its hopes behind a format that, like Survivor, did so well in Europe that they hoped would emulate their success overseas here. It didn't necessarily translate into that kind of success they hoped for, but thanks to retooling the format it would eventually become a powerhouse that dominates both TV and social.
This week saw the kickoff of the twenty-second season of Big Brother in America, but this time instead of casting a whole new group of newbies, it's past alumni who have joined for another shot on
Big Brother All Stars. BB22 is of most interest to Challenge Naton for two reasons: straight off of her finals appearance one-half of the Swayleigh express,
Bayleigh Dayton, is back to where she first became a TV star on BB20 two years ago. Also returning to the fold after a two-season sojourn to The Challenge is
Final Reckoning and
War of the Worlds cult favorite
Da'Vonne Rogers, who was a houseguest on two seasons: BB17 in 2015 and Season 18 a year later. They are the two players that stand out to us in a summer that began with the live move-in on Wednesday and continues this weekend, with episode 2 airing later on Sunday due to golf's PGA Championship in San Francisco.
There is one other person of note in that BB All-Stars house who shares the same blood with one who also knows what it's like to be scrutinized for 100 days in that famed summer house, and this past week the one who proceeded him as a houseguest got to meet up with a multi-talented superstar who is also an icon to two communities.
Todrick Hall turned 35 years young back in April having already solidified himself as a quadruple threat, but whose journey to stardom began back on the ninth season of American Idol, where the native of the Lubbock area auditioned in Dallas, made it to Hollywood and was eliminated in the semifinals missing out on the final 12 & the live shows.
But that was only the start of a journey that has seen Todrick vault into the stratosphere in the social media age: over 3.5 million subscribe to his YouTube channel which has garnered 775 million views with his many music videos plus parodies and skits. He is also a choreographer having also helped teach many contestants dance moves on RuPaul's Drag Race and has appeared in many Broadway plays. And a few years ago, he let MTV in on how he makes the magic for the 2015 docuseries
Todrick, and where he gets to do all the work by himself and with his friends at his side.
But above all, Toddy has become a role model to the LGBTQ community and people of color, having come out when he was aged 15. It was this fact in mind that last year, his good friend
Taylor Swift appointed him to direct the video for her second single off
Lover, "You Need to Calm Down," which has become an anthem to the gay & lesbian community. The two-time VMA winning video itself not only features Hall, but also Karamo Brown and his
Queer Eye fab five, RuPaul, Ellen DeGeneres, Ryan Reynolds, Laverne Cox, Adam Lambert, Ciara and, of course, Katy Perry.
The fandom who adore Todrick are affectionately called the Toddlerz, and one of them who got to run into the main man himself happens to be the brother of one of the new Big Brother All-Stars. And one who also was on Mama Day's second stint in the BB house is
Paulie Califiore, who made waves during that summer of 2016, and who would ultimately become a new face and villain to Challenge fans in making two finals and scoring Cara Maria, and who made a pit stop on the first season of Ex On The Beach U.S. en route to Final Reckoning.
