Scott Benton, bored and sleep-deprived on the overnight shift, found himself taking dares from his colleagues, playing random prerecorded Big Brother announcements over the speakers, disorienting the players and making them laugh. He didn’t dislike the cast, he told me; it was hard not to feel some tenderness for people you watched all day. But being in the control room felt like being a prison guard—it was tempting to use your power.
