It’s safe to say that I was not the biggest fan of Alec Beall. I thought that the Big Brother Canada contestant was not himself during the show and ruined his game by attempting to use too many of the strategies he had seen on the U.S. version of the show. I thought that Alec’s attempts to conjure up the showmance strategy that Chilltown employed on Big Brother All-Stars was appalling, as was his treatment of Topaz who had his back the whole way through. I believed that his confessionals were some of the most coerced in reality television history. I also thought that he gave himself far too much credit. Suffice to say that I also held a grudge because he was chiefly responsible for AJ’s exit (which I am sure he will now admit was the sole cause for his elimination from the game). I had the chance to catch up with Alec after he became the third jury member and asked him if he regretted not playing his own game rather than a mix of the ones he has seen on Big Brother previously. Check it out!
Murtz Jaffer: “The Shield” is an obvious wrestling reference and I am curious to know why you chose to go with it rather than going with something original, perhaps referencing Vancouver or something.
Alec Beall: Hey AJ’s friend! I’m super sorry about the vote and I wish I could take it back. I watched your show before I got in here and I love it. I’m a fan. AJ misses you.
I believe that I came up with the symbol, but at the time, I didn’t know it was a wresting thing. Peter told me it comes from a wrestler named CM Punk. I just threw it up. The name though came from Peter. He is an obsessive fan of Big Brother, so in his preparation to be on the show, Peter took notes on player’s strategies and plotted and planned out what all the greats had done. He then formulated a strategy which he called the Sheyld. He said we were shielding others from each other and those against us. It was all very confusing and I found it hilarious! We would shield ourselves from their attack. The name didn’t really make a whole lot of sense to me – in fact I always said I would never name my alliance.
Slight correction in the spelling of Shield It’s Sheyld. And “You may ask why: but we ask, Why not, bro?”
MJ: That also leads me to my next question. On the show, you kept trying to be someone else and it seemed to me like you wanted to be the Canadian version of other U.S. players. The Sheyld looked like your attempt at Chilltown. You wore a shirt that said that the only person who could judge you was Will. You quoted Boogie’s reference to Richard Hatch in the icebreaker competition. You even thought about hosting Alec’s Last Supper to save yourself (which I assume was a nod to Dan’s Funeral on Big Brother 14). That’s not to mention your alter-ego of Ricardo. My question is who is the real Alec and do you feel like you could have gotten farther if you had just played as yourself?
AB: I have a tattoo that says “Dwarves standing on the shoulders of giants see farther than the giants themselves.” My strategy in the game was to pay homage to all the former greats while adding my own strategic nuance. I grew up watching the show and the real Alec was shaped by watching these guys. My role model is Will Kirby and if you see a bit of him in me, that’s the greatest thing I could ever hope for and I thank you, Murtz, for the compliment.
MJ: AJ is a good friend of mine and I was hoping you could take me back to that instant eviction and why you chose to ignore Topaz’s wishes. If The Sheyld are two of the smartest players in the house, why would you keep one of the stronger physical threats in the house in Andrew (who went on to evict you even after you saved him) instead of a floater who would never put you up or win anything to ever even put you in danger. Do you regret the decision?
AB: Absolutely Murtz. It was the one decision that lost me the game. I knew sitting there that the decision would cost me the grand prize and, more importantly, the title of winner. I sat there and thought, this decision would cost me my game and I did it anyway. Not because I disliked AJ, I like him, but I had promised Andrew 4 days earlier that if it came to him and AJ on the block, I would keep him over AJ. It was a dumb promise. I should never have made it and I regretted it instantly however you know better than I do Murtz, this show is for the fans. I could have kept a floater around and skated to the final two, however I believe that Andrew had the potential to do something big in the house… either for me or against me, and I had to see what that was. His time had not yet come. And as I sit here, I wonder if Andrew will ever step up and fulfill this presumption.
MJ: Thanks Alec.
