If you're like me and thought the dizzying string challenge on Thursday night's episode of Big Brother was going to last forever, I'm sorry to say you were totally wrong. I don’t want to spoil it, but the entire challenge lasted a total of thirteen minutes. Do you believe? It all counts for so many contestants - with four jury members back at home and a chance to vote Vanessa out over the others - I think this endurance challenge will be one of the most enduring on Big Brother The longest history. So while it's more like the shortest endurance challenge in Big Brother history, I find myself wondering, what is the longest endurance challenge?
It turned out to be longer than thirteen minutes. Even longer than thirteen hours.
Because while the stakes are high for the Big Brother 17 guests, it's not enough to keep them hanging on for longer than the Season 6 crew. Or maybe, this challenge is too difficult? I might pass that hand spinner and probably start vomiting, so I have to give crazy props to the houseguests who last longer than a minute. It’s beyond what I could do, that’s for sure. But thirteen minutes doesn't give guests much of a chance to stick around, which is downright bad for the jury members who are keen to get back into the house's good graces. One case of motion sickness and they were screwed.
So, thirteen minutes later, when John and Vanessa were still standing, I was pretty impressed. But you know what’s more impressive than thirteen minutes?
Try fourteen hours.
That's the length of the longest endurance challenge in Big Brother history, which took place in season six (see video below - all three).
The game is an intense one on many levels, mostly because guests have to hold down a button in an enclosed glass case and not let go. However, if they do let go, they can choose from a limited number of boxes to see if they win a prize. The first few people to let go completely did so. They won Netflix subscriptions, plasma TVs and even cash. So imagine, if you will, that you stood there for fourteen hours with a button - probably having to pee like crazy - while your roommate gave up and won some nifty prizes?
The whole thing seemed very cruel to me. That's probably why the show has never repeated this challenge in the nine seasons since it aired. I think the producers have learned their lesson about how much time and stress is reasonable for a tenant to endure.
Thankfully, the competition is more durable this season. Or at least get to the whole unbearable part faster.
For more on this season of Big Brother , check out Bustle's podcast, The Diary Room.
