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| It doesn't get real til Howard carries someone out of the room |
The MC goes down as a bigtime failure. Modeled on classic alliances from seasons past like The Brigade and The Quack Pack, these five guys couldn't keep their connection a secret, and ultimately couldn't even keep their connection at all. Jeremy's lame attempts to dominate the other four over the Elissa issue pushed things over the edge. Let's never talk about the Moving Company again.
Instead, the real story of Big Brother 15 in the wake of Nick's eviction is the ugliest outburst of awful, racially-insensitive behavior yet from Aaryn and her minions.
Aaryn's actions overnight leave her pretty much irredeemable for the rest of the game, if she wasn't already. They also continue to make watching the show right now a moral dilemma for me, as ridiculous as that sounds. CBS and the BB producers must now have more discussions about how much of this stuff to broadcast, and how to handle the backlash from a large segment of the rightly-offended audience. It won't be easy, they've tread a fine line with it so far, and now have some of the toughest editing decisions yet.
If you want to see the crux of what went down, check out the video here, it's about 5 minutes long. But if you believe in the value of the journey as well as the destination, follow along with my running diary below to see how the confrontation simmered before it blew up.
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7:00 pm PST - Helen has just won HOH and celebrates with her crew of close allies (which seems to have grown bigger all of a sudden, hmmm...)
7:10 pm PST - Howard tries consoling GM about Nick. She's hiding under a blanket and can't even find words right now.
7:15 pm PST - Aaryn and Kaitlin are crestfallen and commiserating. In the shocker of all shockers, they would now "rather be at home, living their lives with friends" and not here with all these terrible people. This sentiment is a staple of all Big Brother seasons but it's coming a little early this year.
7:20 pm PST - GM sobbing in kitchen while a small group mills around...she goes into a classic rant on Judd, of all people:
"Why Judd....why vote the kid out? Why'd ya have to vote the kid out???"
"I'm gonna be 33 years old...just wanted the kid to stay here so I could get closer to him"
7:23 pm PST - Jeremy comes to Helen/Candice/Elissa as they pack up their stuff and prepare to move out of Have Not Room....maybe first time all game he's talked to this group. He tells them he respects the move they made:
"I applaud your game play...I'm kinda stunned...I feel screwed now."
Helen hugs Jeremy.
7:25 pm PST - Watching Jeremy right now fascinates me ... he's steaming inside but knows that hyper-aggression got him in this mess. He's already started the self-reinvention process, he doesn't wanna watch his game to go down in flames with Aaryn and Kaitlin. He's an idiot, but he's not an idiot.
7:26 pm PST - Candice and Elissa haven't stopped hugging for the past 20 minutes. Helen keeps dancing...she's super hyper and sleep deprived after staying up the whole night before to study for the HOH challenge.
7:31 pm PST - Elissa and Candice finally separate. Elissa:
"We've gotta be the craziest cast of Big Brother ever!"
7:37 pm PST - Kaitlin and Aaryn both say they'd rather go home than stay in the House without Jeremy.
7:38 pm PST - Kaitlin and Aaryn both suspect Jeremy is planning to betray them imminently.
7:44 pm PST - Jeremy in the room now with his disgraced harem. Aaryn gives J the "I told you so" about trusting McRae...she's clearly annoyed with Jeremy right now.
7:45 pm PST - Jeremy:
"We got a little too cocky, I guess you could say"
7:47 pm PST - Helen still dancing...#MomSquad consolidating loyalty with Howard/Spencer. Helen wants to know where 4th vote against Elissa came from.
7:48 pm PST - GM sitting alone on the Eviction Couch, sobbing. She's wearing sunglasses and Nick's hat.
7:49 pm PST - Andy comes clean to GM, tells her it's not personal, all game...she's still stuck in the pit of despair. This is the second week in a row that Andy has immediately admitted his vote to someone that got upset about it. He's big on damage control.
7:50 pm PST - Kaitlin/Aaryn alone again...they're reassured in the idea that Jeremy can stay alive by winning Veto competitions...I'm really not sure where they stand on the whole Jeremy issue, and don't think they are, either.
7:51 pm PST - #IronicAaryn:
"It's been 21 days and I'm jaded already....these people are disgusting."
7:52 pm PST - Helen now consoling GM on couch:
"I'm sure he's thinking about you, you'll see him"
7:56 pm PST - Amanda now consoling GM:
"It was purely strategic on mine and McRae's part....do you want some pasta?"
GM: "...he's not gonna like me after we leave...I just needed a little bit longer...I just needed a little bit more time."
7:58 pm PST - Jeremy gets a moment alone with McRae, he calmly confronts him:
"Would you just slit *my* fuckin' throat like that?"
McRae: "They came to me..."
Jeremy: "I thought MC was going all the way, I for sure did..."
McRae: "Just play it cool we'll see where it goes."
Jeremy is handling this like a pro.
8:14 pm PST - Aar/Kait/GM alone at chess board. #IronicAaryn on Elissa:
"No matter what...the entire country knows that she's trash....and if she wins, good for her, she'll need the money, cause she's not going to get a job."8:16 pm PST - Aaryn still wants to leave house...GM takes it further:
"...might as well just fuckin' die."
8:34 pm PST - Interesting group- Candice/McRae/Jeremy/Andy/Amanda/Judd. They're talking about the game in general and how they all "really liked the two guys who've gone home so far" but they just both "had to go" ... don't we all know it?
8:36 pm PST - Mean Girls still at the chess board. They're giggling about how Elissa and other women wear discount accessories. Aaryn uses the chess pieces to create a visual representation of how weak their position is now in the game. Maybe it's the black/white contrast in the pieces that gets her gears turning...
8:39 pm PST - Kait/GM have moved on and are trying to formulate a survival strategy. Aaryn keeps trying to draw it back to her lame chess piece visual. Her army consists of just a queen and two bishops...wonder which one is supposed to be her??? She's annoyed the other two girls won't pay attention.
8:42 pm PST - Jeremy starting to build his bridge back to Judd. He's taking this whole thing a lot better than I thought he would've. A shame he's been such a terrible Man, he's actually a very solid Bro.
 |
| Alllllll kinda crazy |
8:48 pm PST - Aaryn drags sobbing mess GM off the couch and into a room where she can proceed to talk more trash on everyone in semi-private. GM misses Nick, by the way.
8:50 pm PST - GM digs around the room looking for another memento of Nick...after a moment- "I got his Chapstick!"
8:51 pm PST - Kait and Jer now playing chess in near total silence...finally Jeremy offers- "You OK?" Crickets.
8:52 pm PST - Helen and Friends sharing a meal at the big table. Helen promises to reign as The Peoples' HOH.
8:54 pm PST - Jessie faux-sleeping in the room as GM offloads her misery on Aaryn. She says losing Nick is harder than losing a fiance earlier in life. Aaryn:
"His speech tonight almost made me cry."
8:56 pm PST - Amanda comes in and kisses GM on cheek:
"Every time you put on the Chapstick it's like you're kissing him"
GM:
"I never even got to kiss him."
Amanda: "I saw your guys's connection."
Sure you did Amanda...sure you did.
9:00 pm PST - #IronicAaryn about Elissa:
"There's a line between life and game...all of America is gonna see your true colors...character is still character, and America's gonna see that."
I mean, are they feeding her these lines in the DR?
9:09 pm PST - Helen/Candice talking potential noms in private. Helen still pissed vote was 7-to-4 not 8-to-3...they know it was either Jess, Spencer, or Howard that voted against Elissa. They're both convinced it wasn't Howard, even though it was. Sowing these seeds of uncertainty is exactly why Spence and Howie split their vote once they knew for sure Nick was going home.
9:11 pm PST - Hel/Can talking about how GM called them all "scrubs" and "cockroaches" after Nick's eviction, before HOH contest. Helen won't target GM right now, wants to restore relationship. She also anticipates an eventual entreaty from Aaryn (with whom she's previously had talk of a secret deal).
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| The #MomSquad is in control |
"This is for the moms!"
I'm not sure anyone outside this group will ever win MVP. Everyone loves Moms!
9:20 pm PST - Amanda joins their celebration
9:27 pm PST - Jessie talks to a large group of her new allies about eavesdropping on Aaryn & GM's heart to heart earlier. Jessie must be thrilled to finally be like part of a real team...she was always a hanger-on with the Mean Girls...they should not be surprised she turned against them.
9:27 pm PST - Kait & Jeremy have joined the pity party with Aaryn & GM. Kait congratulates GM on "cockroaches" speech.
9:28 pm PST - Insane shit talk session from Team Aaryn about Jessie.
Aaryn: "Why couldn't you keep her happy Jeremy? why couldn't you just be the BB Bicycle Fuck?"
Jeremy: "I guess I should've...I don't like that she's always nipping, it scares me."
Kait: "Why doesn't she wear a bra?"
Aaryn: "$500K or no $500K, at least I don't have pepperoni nipples"
I definitely remember having and hearing conversations like this...in 8th Grade.
9:30 pm PST - #IronicKaitlin:
"I don't have a mean bone in my body"
#OpportunistAaryn: "That's true...but your confidence sometimes comes off as meanness."
9:31 pm PST - Kait climbs in bed with Jeremy...Out of nowhere, Aaryn:
"Ewwww, you guys have to sleep next to Candice..."
9:32 pm PST - They're all badmouthing Candice on perceived hygiene issues...Candice had confessed last week that she once had crabs and they are now bashing her for it.
9:40 pm PST - Amanda/McRae/Andy/Judd in cockpit talking about how they're in control of game.
9:50 pm PST - Aaryn and GM head to the kitchen. Jeremy & Kaitlin start making out as soon as they're alone.
10:04 pm PST - GM returns to Jeremy/Kait, everyone eating in bed. Jeremy is shocked at the failure of his plan to win every single challenge and impose his will on the House.
10:05 pm PST - McRae on GM:
"If she wants to be mad she can be mad"
Judd: "That little tirade..."
Amanda: "'Cockroaches!!' ... It was like a Springer episode..."
Does that reference even play anymore??
10:06 pm PST - Amanda on GM:
"She's 10 years older than Aaryn and she follows her around like a little girl..."
Judd: "It was the same thing with Nick and Jeremy..."
Andy: "Jeremy finally started acting civil now..."
Amanda: "He realizes he's going home, he's not going to win this."
10:10 pm PST - With the HOH shift, sleeping arrangements downstairs are an open question...Jessie and Kait fighting over a bed they both want for themselves. Judd defends Jessie, Kait yells at him then mocks Jessie:
"You're just upset that you're on your 5th attempt at a showmance!"
Well, when it comes to getting down on camera, Kaitlin is the expert.
10:18 pm PST - Jeremy in kitchen with Candice/Howard/Spencer:
"This has been one hell of a day"
Wait about 45 minutes, bud...
10:21 pm PST - Amanda pushing everyone for a discussion on who sleeps where, not a dictatorship ... beds really starting to drive wedges between people and it's soon to get a lot worse.
10:24 pm PST - Aaryn/GM/Kait all still want to go home.
10:27 pm PST - Aaryn/GM/Kait/Jeremy all back together:
"Sooo....does Jess still think she's really gonna sleep in here?"
10:30 pm PST - GM lost Nick's Chapstick.....she leaves the room to go find it...Aaryn, immediately:
"Ohhhhh my god I don't care about this fucking Chapstick!"
Is there anyone besides herself that Aaryn sincerely loves in this world, at all???
10:33 pm PST - Team Helen celebrating loudly in main rooms...in Team Aar Room Kait says: "They wouldn't be doing this if I was HOH right now." Jer- "Helen's been real...it's her Alliance members that are, you know..."
10:41 pm PST - Helen's HOH Room Reveal...much rejoicing. I'll leave those details to next Sunday's upcoming CBS episode.
10:48 pm PST - While Helen shares her joy upstairs, things go crazy down below. Jessie used the distraction of the HOH Room reveal to go reclaim the bed she and Kaitlin fought over earlier. Kait enters and climbs in bed with her:
"You look like you want company..."
Jess: "I do NOT want company...there's some other open beds that you can go finagle, I'm in mine!"
Kait gets up and moves to a different bed:
"Ohhhh my god, you wanna talk about immature..."
Candice enters and sees her own mattress, which Aaryn (not in room right now) had flipped off of its boxspring earlier while everyone was in Helen's HOH.
"Who moved the bed?"
Kait says she didn't do it. Candice fixes her bed and sits down.
10:49 pm PST - Jeremy gets on Jessie's bed now and she firmly, repetitvely asks him to get off...she raises her voice but stays civil...he refuses to get up.
Kait: "This is soooo High School."
Yes, Kaitlin...yes it is.
10:52 pm PST - As Candice leaves, Jessie asks her to summon Judd to the room, she plans to share the bed with him later tonight. Jeremy still hasn't gotten up. Kait to Jessie:
"Still can't ever be alone, can ya, Jess?"
10:53 pm PST - Aaryn and Candice re-enter the room.
Candice: "If someone messes with my bed again it's gonna be all hell in this house"
Kait: "Whooo! I'd like to see that!" Aaryn (with exaggerated mock dialect):
"Watchu gon' do, gurrrrrl??"
Kait: "...Like to see the 'Black Girl' come out of you!"
Aaryn: "Do something right now...or don't talk about it."
She continues mocking what she sees as "black" affectations.
10:54 pm PST - Howard enters room as Candice tells him about the bed. Aaryn continues:
"Whatchu gon' do 'class' girl...whatchu gon' do???"
"You want the black to come out, I'll bring my white out!"
Howard grabs Candice, throws her over his shoulder, and carries her from the room. Incredible moment.
"She's all talk...I'd flip the bed again if I wouldn't get yelled at (by production)....I did that because I wanted a reaction out of her...now I wanna do more things."
10:56 pm PST - Howard trying to talk Candice down from the ledge...he wants to give them the bed and "be the bigger people."
Love how he knows himself:
"I can't get caught up in the verbal, I lose my temper....they just push your buttons, say some fucked up shit, then I'm supposed to defend you."
Candice: "I disagree with you...we can't let them win.'
Howard: "If producers let them do this, then that's what they wanna see."
Andy enters: "You're better than that."
Howard: "We ain't gonna fight that battle...it don't matter where I sleep."
10:59 pm PST - Candice going through the litany of racial-tinged offenses the Mean Girls have subjected her to. She doesn't even know the whole of it, but just the things she's been directly exposed to sound awful when listed like this. Howard:
"Them calling you 'Shaniqua' is the same as the N-word to me...let them be ugly like that on TV we ain't gonna be like that....it's different out in the real world."
11:02 pm PST - Howard:
"Our people will be proud of us for this...if anything I'll take the flak, just stay quiet in the game."
GM comes in and picks at the scab some more, Candice starts to go off, GM leaves after a minute, nothing resolved there.
11:04 pm PST - Howard:
"You know how much acting I'm doing here?"
11:06 pm PST - Mean Girls still bickering with Jessie and telling themselves they've done nothing wrong.
11:07 pm PST - Candice crying, she still doesn't want to give up the bed. Howard knows he'll lose it if he's in same room with that bunch, he keeps pushing her to give up the room:
"We ain't running from nothing...this ain't the 60s, we just being smarter."
11:08 pm PST - Howard:
"It doesn't matter what bed you sleep in, you're going to sleep in a bed"
11:09 pm PST - Amanda enters Mean Girl Room, glass of wine in hand:
"If you wanna clear the air, we can clear the air right now!!"
11:11 pm PST - Amanda to Aaryn:
"You're being portrayed as racist, everybody knows, I've been questioned about it, everyone has...I'm trying to help you, trying to clear your name."
Aaryn: "I didn't say anything racist...I really don't think the DR is gonna portray me as racist."
Amanda: "I can't make this up...I was trying to help you as a friend."
11:15 pm PST - Amanda:
"What game are you playing?? We're playing Big Brother...lies happen."
11:16 pm PST - Amanda wrapping up by telling Jessie that she has support in the House and that Team Aaryn is basically over in this game. Jeremy chit-chatting easily with Amanda - already distancing himself from his ignorant allies, and with some success it appears. Aaryn:
"You just twist all my words, Amanda"
11:20 pm PST - Howard and Candice wrap it up with a prayer, of course.
After that, things got quieter as everyone consolidated their positions and wound down the energy over the next four hours or so. Howard and Candice ended up sleeping on the floor of the Have Not Room.
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Phew! that was a riveting few hours of live, uncut TV. Reading the tea leaves the afternoon before Thursday's vote, I was well aware that Nick was likely the one who would be leaving, and I knew the reaction would be a must-watch, but even I didn't expect this.
I guess I'm just incredibly naive, but I'd have thought Aaryn would realize how off-putting her behavior has been, and change it...for self-preservation purposes at the very least. Instead, she's doubled down on the racism and increased the vehemence of her denials that she's doing anything wrong. She's either a plant from producers or one of the dumbest people to ever grow up in Texas.
Like I hinted in the intro, the persistent prominence of bigoted behavior as a storyline in this show has given me and countless other fans moral pause at the fact that we care so much about a game that allows, and could even be said to glorify, such conduct. I've asked myself more than once over the last two weeks if there actually is a legitimate moral stand to be made on whether or not to keep watching.
Thankfully though, the storyline has developed into an uplifting one. The group of Houseguests who've felt the sting of prejudice are now bonded together and united against the evil of Aaryn's outlook. She has been completely exposed and now faces serious consequences once she leaves the House (a storm of judgement followed by the worst punishment of all for someone with her aspirations: indifference).
I'm especially moved by Howard, who's policy of sitting there and taking it and not letting his inner personal reactions show in his outward gameplay is pretty inspirational. For those who would say that he's put up with too much and should vocalize more disapproval, you can see where his heart really is in that conversation he had with Candice last night. It's awesome how self-aware he is to know that if he cracks even a little bit, he puts his entire game at risk.
Watching and hearing archaic attitudes making a lame comeback in the form of Aaryn's entitled, out-of-whack perspective can get a little nauseous at times, but it's great to see how she's been rebuked by a large, cross-cultural majority of her fellow humans. Her time is gonna come, and it will be glorious. Racism won't go away in the real world, and it doesn't look like it will go away in the Big Brother House either, but shining a light on just how unacceptable it is may do some small good in the long run.
And now, since this post is long enough, I offer the latest Power Rankings with no additional comment. Let's hope we can get back to pure strategy talk next post.
14. Aaryn
13. Kaitlin
12. GinaMarie
11. Jeremy
Third Tier - True Believers
10. Judd
9. Jessie
Second Tier - Devils in Disguise
8. Spencer
7. Howard
6. Amanda
5. McRae
4. Andy
Top Tier - The Annointed
3. Candice
2. Elissa
1. Helen
Very nice recap. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the nice comment, glad you enjoyed it...a little on the long side! Y'all keep reading em and I'll keep writing em!
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