The Rebel Billionaire
Survival of the Hippest - My Theory of "Rebel"ution
By Eleanor Meilinger
December 27, 2004
Due to circumstances beyond my control, I have not yet seen the December 21st episode of "The Rebel Billionaire". In place of my recap, I offer my thoughts on how I expect the rest of the series to play out, based on what we have seen so far. In order to remain unbiased, I never read other articles about an episode until after I have completed my own, therefore the arguments I am about to present may be moot due to the outcome of last week's challenges. However, I am a gambler and the more I review the information I have collected, the more convinced I become that I am on the right track. Perhaps it is folly, but in light of my theory, all of the events and format flaws that puzzled me since the premiere have begun to make sense. Perhaps it is desperation - being an admirer, I need to believe that there is a method to Sir Richard Branson's madness in entering into such a venture and then conceding so much control over what is ultimately seen by the viewers to other people. Perhaps I had too much eggnog and not enough sleep. Whatever the driving influence, here is my theory for what it is worth:
Shawn is going to win. In fact he told us so himself within the first fifteen minutes of the premiere episode. It took a "Series of Unfortunate Events" for me to figure it out, but that's what I have come to believe.
Keep in mind, when "The Rebel Billionaire: Richard Branson's Quest for the Best" was first presented, applicants hoping to participate on the series were told they would be playing for an undisclosed prize to be revealed at the end. It was promised to be the largest prize in Reality TV history. According to Branson in the introduction to the first episode, none of the contestants were aware of what they were competing for. The Grand Prize was not revealed until the winner was declared.
Now, let's go back to that first episode. The contestants were transported to Branson's estate in Oxfordshire via a taxi driven by Sir Richard himself, disguised as a friendly old London cabbie. This was purported to be the first challenge, Branson's opportunity to screen his selected participants before they felt that they were under scrutiny. Based on these observations he eliminated two players immediately from a pool of three that he found wanting. Shawn was among those three, but he was given the opportunity to remain on the show and hopefully dispel the poor first impression he made. Obviously quite a bit of conversation took place during each of those journeys (The taxi carried three players at a time which never accounts for Michael's arrival - maybe he rode shotgun) but we were only privy to a small sampling. The one clip that was shown several times took place while Shawn, Nicole and Jennifer were traveling to the estate. When the "driver" inquired if they knew Sir Richard, Shawn was quick to reply, "Yeah, he owes me money. I'm not sure how much though" with what will become his trademark impish grin. This could have been a continuation of an earlier conversation where they joked about how Branson was notorious among cabbies for being a poor tipper and how everyone seems to say that he owes them money but that took place in the cab with Steve, Sara and Erica. Looking back, the phrasing is pretty strange, regardless of the context. I'm not suggesting that the entire show was rigged from the beginning (though we'll explore that theory as well later on) and this was a sort of "nudge, nudge, wink, wink" inside joke. I'm just pointing out that if Shawn does in fact turn out to be the winner, this statement will have been pretty prophetic in an ironic way.
In order to prove my theory we have to accept certain things about reality TV in general and some specific to this series. First of all, we know that the shows are edited to achieve a certain perception. We also know that the action is steered for maximum drama and effect. Another ploy that has become a standard tool utilized by producers to tie events together or provide illumination about certain individuals is the taped interview that is filmed long after the show has wrapped, where the players expound on their feelings about other contestants or the events as they unfolded. It is never claimed that these are in "real time". In most cases it is quite obvious that the cast members are remarking with hindsight on past events, and the audience never sees the interviewer who is submitting questions geared to elicit the maximum controversial statements from disgruntled players or smarmy self-congratulation from the successful ones.
The standard contract for any of these shows has the contestants agree to allow their words to be edited or even dubbed at the producer's discretion. We have come to expect that much of reality TV isn't exactly "real". We've lowered our expectations since the initial RTV boom and are satisfied with a series that provides interesting characters, not-too-obviously staged controversies and an engrossing format. We like to have heroes and villains but they are not always necessary to make a series good. In truth, a solid format can carry a show for the duration of a season. Favored underdogs and bad guys may not make it to the end but viewers seem to remain loyal as long as the battle for the prize is the ultimate goal.
We can accept all of the flaws inherent in the reality competition genre. Given this much leeway, it's hard to fathom what ultimately kept "The Rebel Billionaire" from becoming a successful series with a loyal audience, until you realize that the basic components missing from the start were a clear format, a defined goal and rules that could be followed not only by the contestants but also by the viewers. The initial intent was to take 16 of "America's best and brightest" and recreate some of the adventures that Sir Richard Branson himself encountered on the path to amassing his fortune and creating what is today known as "The Virgin Group". There was never any lucid explanation of what the challenges would entail or what the criteria for judging would be. The only concrete piece of information was that the selection of the winner would be left to Branson himself.
Reality TV Calendar will send you the latest casting calls as soon as they are released. Calls are often short notice with short deadlines. You need to make contact immediately. You can't do that unless you have immediate notification of the call. One Time Payment, Only $7.95.
Click For More Information.
