Monday, June 24, 2013

So, it has begun

Two more days until the Premiere airs. Two more days of speculation about who is what and what they will do. The hard core fans are like bookies at the biggest race of the summer: laying down bets, deconstructing the breed and lineage of each house guest, haggling over who has the best chances. And the horses, I mean, the house guests aren't even out of the gate.

A slew of investigators have trolled the Internet to find pictures, videos, blogs, manifestos, resumes, tweets, profiles, recipes, pins, tumbls, flcks, whatever, swarming through every bit of information to toss the kerosene into the obsessive drama that inevitably accompanies every season of Big Brother. Family, friends, neighbours, frenemies, haters, grocers, where the HGs get their avocados or tequila, have flooded the social media for their 15 minutes of fame, either promoting or trying to tear down the HGs.

And what makes it worse? This whole MVP twist which, like many previous twists, will serve to further production's agenda. People are frantically voting, tweeting their favorites, bashing the ones who are threatening their favorite, debating, arguing, scoffing, whipping themselves up into a frenzy. And why? Do we even know what this twist is? What the hell are we voting for? Production and CBS know exactly what buttons to push. They know BB fans are starved worse than those on a fad diet or imprisoned in the cargo of a pirate ship. We will DO ANYTHING for BB!

I'm excited for another season. I'm super stoked that it's all newbies! I start the season like any other with hope that there will be some crazy power struggles, big game moves, fierce competitions, fight-to-the-death Endurance comps and alliances worth rooting for. Yet, my excitement is not as it has been in other years. Why? Because of politics, ego, greed and did I mention bullshit politics? I am forbidden from buying the feeds because I live an invisible line away from the power seat of CBS.

It will make blogging the feeds, um challenging. I will have to rely on the awesome sites mentioned in the right side bar which I will update ASAP.

Until then,

Stay Tuned! :)

p.s. Go Arkansaw :-p Jim

Thursday, June 20, 2013

I'm Back B*tches!

Okay, I have caved to peer pressure and I'm back for yet another, no doubt crazy, season of Big Brother.

The hamsters are safely squirreled away (wow, a double metaphor already) in sequester. The fans are chomping at the bit. The rumours are flying and the early reports about the HGs are splattered all over the Internet. I'm going to be a purist and just make my judgments based on these interviews.

This season is supposedly the 'no floater" season which is a long time coming. It will be interesting how production will pull that off. I would love to see them throw down some old-school punishment for those who try to sleep their way to the end (and I don't mean in a sexual way). Here are the complete interviews from We Love Big Brother.



Let me break this down for you: After each blurb I will be giving them a  C score of 0 to 5 of their chances of making it in this game. (0 being the lowest and 5 the highest) and an S (for Shenanigans) score of 0 to 5 for their ability to cause mayhem in the house.

1) Elissa Slater aka Rachel 3.0 is the familiar face that managed to pull off the miracle of being in Greece and in the BB15 house at the same time. *eyeroll* She has a lot in common with Rachel, making it next to impossible for her to keep this relation a secret.  She will fess up if asked directly. She says that she won't be emulating BB12 Rachel's persona and mistakes. We will see. I think the cards are stacked against her in the game and with the "fans". Rachel was a polarizing personality, making it very hard for Elissa to shake it off. C-2 S-2

2) Nick Uhas is this season's Shane Meaney. He seems like a happy-go-lucky guy who might get steam rolled into an Alpha male alliance or a showmance. He's a Yale graduate who lives in Manhattan. "I'm a mega sucker for girls". Yikes, showmance it is even though he says he will avoid it. (Famous last words). He likes girls with red hair, green eyes, petite who are nerdy. That's pretty damn specific for someone not planning a showmance! C-4 S-4


3) Andy Herren says he watches the show religiously but is not a super fan who hasn't watched the feeds. He compares himself most to Ragan Fox because he teaches and he's gay. In the game, he most wants to emulate Danielle Reyes. He wants to stir the pot but not in an obvious way and create down low alliances but befriend anyone. This might make him a big target right off the bat. C-4 S-5

4) Amanda Zuckerman is LOUD! She wants to make others think she's a floater even though she's a competitor. There is no way this chick will take a back seat in the house. Chances are she will be one of the first nominated. She's not a girl's girl. That ain't good. "If you don't like me, I don't care. If you like me, we're best friends." Yup. First nominated and possibly evicted. C-4 S-5


5) David Girton is a cross between Hayden Moss and Braden Bacha from BB11. If he's lucky enough to get into a solid alliance, he will stick around; otherwise, he will be one of the first on the block. He talks a lot about women and showmances. We all know that always bodes well for the game... C-0 S-1

6) Candice Stewart is a pediatric speech therapist from Houston and a pageant girl. She has elements of Monet Stunson's looks, Danielle Reyes' savvy and Jordan Llyod's charm.  This might very well be a winning combination. I would be surprised if she doesn't go far. And as I'm typing this, she says she identifies with Jordan. Damn, I'm good! haha C-3 S-4
7) Gina Marie Zimmerman is Italian (with not an Italian name) from Staten Island and a pageant coordinator. She's going to be popular with the guys in the out of the house. She seems to have a good balance of chill and ballistic. She has already stated that she will get HoH. C-2 S-5




Early prediction: The women this season will either annihilate the men and take control of the house (I wish) or kill each other (more likely).

8) Helen Kim is a very confident campaign consultant and mother of 2 boys from Chicago. She says she doesn't want to come off strong which will be difficult because she is very eloquent and polished. She is my early favorite. If she can maintain this open poise, she will probably go far in the game. C-5 S-5


9) Jessie Kowalski who is an unemployed U.T. graduate with acting aspirations from San Antonio. She is super bubbly and girly but seems down to earth. She is a super fan who has been compared to Britney but "not as catty". And not as funny. C-3 S-4



10)Jeremy McGuire is a part-Cherokee Houstonite who is "a captain of [his] own ship". He is planning on a showmance with a smooth smarminess that is immediately off putting. He states that it is almost impossible to win the game without a girl. (Watch for a Dr. Will copy cat.) He's a self-proclaimed "all-around package" who is "agile like a gazelle". He will either be the leader of the Alpha Male pack or he will be one of the first on the block. I don't think he will be getting a lot of MVP votes. C-4 S-5


11)Howard Overby comes in with his smooth bass voice from Mississippi. He oozes southern charm when he states that he's an unemployed youth worker. Although his physique screams Alpha male, he has a laid back confidence that will charm the others without trying. "I will surprise you... I will be the first African American to win." Git 'er done, Howard. C- 4 S- 5


12)Judd Daughtery from Tennessee reminds me immediately of a combination of Howie Gordon, Frank Eudy and Zane Knight from Survivor: Philippines. He compares himself as a mixture of Russell Kairouz and Dan Gheesling. I don't see it. Sorry. C-2 S -3


13)Kaitlin Barnaby is a bartender from Minnesota who just broke up with her boyfriend. She's open to a strategic showmance. She proceeds to talk about liking edgy and intelligent men. Sorry Kaitlin. Nothing like that in the house. She never heard about BB (gasp!) until she was recruited (ugh!) by a casting agent at her bar. She seems very personable and laid back. Her strategy is to be flexible.... We'll see. C- 3 S-5

14) Aaryn Gries is a Texan pageant girl who is now a Psychology Major. She has Cassi Colvin and Kara Monaco vibe to her. She hates mean girls and cocky guys, most identifying with Frank Eudy. (That's an interesting connection.) C-3 S-3



15)Spencer Clawson is railroad conductor from Arkansas (I still heard ArkansaW, Jim Early!) who is extremely laid-back  and confident. He compares himself to Enzo Palumbo (I don't see it.) and becomes irked when he is compared to Adam Poch (Don't be dissing the Baconmeister!)  He wants to be the girls' friend which is a non-threatening strategy that often works.  C-4 S-4



16) McCrae Olson is delivery pizza boy from Minnesota who is a fun-loving super fan. He has a vibe that's a cross between geek and rocker. He won't be on anyone's radar which gives him a big chance of making it far in the house.
C-5 S-2



Fandom is being brought in with voting for a weekly MVP. What that means and how it will impact the game is yet to be seen. The campaigning has begun in forums, groups and sites.  I can tell you right now, it's not going to be pretty.

My overall impression of this cast is a positive one but they have yet to go into the house. We all know that stepping through those doors chemically changes people and continues to do so as the days, all 100 them go by!

That's it for now! Stay tuned!