This summer treat from CBS is truly one of my guilty pleasures. I have not been a die-hard from the beginning, but have been a big fan for the past four seasons. I don’t obsess over the live feeds, but I do check web sites which give updates that the people who only watch TV miss out on.

Recently, I have seen some criticism of this current season, mainly from a self-developed reality TV “expert.” A tour of the house for some journalists in the midst of this season has evoked some of the backlash, apparently. I guess it’s easy to equate the houseguests lack of chess playing with stupidity. I’m kind of stunned that no one complained that the players weren’t wearing ascots and monocles as well.

As players stood facing eviction on Thursday, they did nothing but profess their kinship with the people who would decide their fate. The speeches talked about friendship and family. Somehow, that seems to bother some of the critics.

I agree that we don’t want racists and homophobes spreading their thoughts through the Big Brother house, but what’s so wrong with this version of the social experiment showing that people can actually find some common ground and get along? Why does respect – feigned or not – make the show such a target for some critics?

The bottom line is that the cast might not have the kind of people who spin their summer on television into the glamorous job of reality TV personality, which really leads nowhere except public appearances and maybe a return engagement on their show or some other reality franchise.

So Lane, Hayden and Enzo might not welcome guests to a Vegas nightclub or Peoria bar. The fact that they have moved through the game by developing strong relationships and staying out of the way of those who can’t control their ego should count for something. It’s not all about starting arguments and holding grudges.

While those who immerse themselves in reality TV may see this season as an utter dud, the television audience wholeheartedly disagrees. The Thursday double eviction show drew the series’ largest audience in more than two years with more than eight million viewers.

So the reality critics may find this season doesn’t meet their standards, but they really should provide the entire picture and acknowledge that the audience might actually find a kinder, gentler cast on Big Brother more appealing.