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big brother

Big Brother’s Most Hated Houseguest Per Season- Seasons 1 to 8

by Ryan Shea

Big Brother fans, we only have seven more months to go until another diabolical season of our favorite reality show begins! Just like in scripted dramas, reality shows like this tend to have people that we absolutely adore and root for, and ones that we despise and want out immediately.  The key difference with Big Brother is that the people that can be universally hated inside the house are ones that happen to be love outside of the game.  So the question is, who was most hated inside and out of the house in each season?  Let’s break down seasons one to eight here.

Credit to: Survivor Sucks
Credit to: Survivor Sucks

Season 1:

Inside the house: Will Mega

Outside the house: Chicken George

Season one of the US version of Big Brother was so boring due to the lack of charisma in their houseguests and many other facets that the show was almost canceled after its first season.  The personalities just wasn’t colorful, and it lacked the pizzazz that other versions across the globe were able to obtain, so maybe the most hated was the actual show.  Albeit, inside the first season house, Will Mega was definitely the most hated inside the house as his extreme views on pretty much everything got under everyone’s skin and he was the first houseguest to ever be voted out of the Big Brother house (it was considered to be “banished” then, not evicted).  Crazy to say this, as he was so loved in BB All Stars, but he was hated outside of the house due to his family and hometown doing sneaky things to rally votes to keep him over Brittany, resulting in her banishment.

Credit to: Wikia
Credit to: Wikia

Season 2:

Inside the house: Nicole

Outside the house: Shannon

Season 2’s cast was a lot more blunt, volatile and honest about their opinions of each other and aspects of life that made it still the best season of BB to date.  Nicole, who eventually came in 2nd place, was hated pretty much from the get due to her intense personality and colorful language that didn’t rub well with others.  Also take into her betrayal of pretty much everyone in the house, it was a no brainer that Will won the game in the end.  Outside of the house, there were numerous complaints about Chilltown member Shannon regarding her treatment of houseguest Autumn and ill mannered behavior of a good portion of the house.

Credit to: Reality Game Forums
Credit to: Reality Game Forums

Season 3:

Inside the house: Josh/Amy

Outside the house: Danielle

It pangs me to say that Danielle, my favorite BB player of all time outside of Dan, was so vilified but the truth is she actually was.  She was hated because she knew how to play the game, and the American audience just couldn’t seem to comprehend that.  Inside the house, Josh was hated for pretty much being annoying and making shady moves, and Amy was disliked by a couple of the girls for being way too talkative and immature.

Credit to: Wikia
Credit to: Wikia

Season 4:

Inside the house: Alison

Outside the house: Alison

Sorry, Ali, but you kind of made this easy on us.  Ali’s problem in the game was that she talked shit about every single person she played with in a vicious way, got into a ton of fights when she was caught in lies, and also hooked up with half the men in the game.  She had epic meltdowns and made Danielle from BB3’s diary room sessions look like something from Sesame Street.  It completely rubbed everyone in the house the wrong way, resulting in her only getting one vote out of seven and a general disdain from the public as well during and after the game.  Bonus points to include Erika for calling Jee a “fresh off the boat immigrant” and “Korean piece of shit”!  Good one Erika, thank god social media wasn’t really around then otherwise your career would’ve been over.

Credit to: Wikia
Credit to: Wikia

Season 5:

Inside the house: Jase

Outside the house: Holly

Jase made it pretty easy for him to be hated in his season, which is why I was personally floored that he was voted in by America for BB All Stars.  The majority of the houseguests inside the house hated him as he acted like a tool during his stay, went after Diane, Adria and others when he felt they weren’t being honest, and just generally being a very brazen player midst a group of very sullen guests.  Holly was just… annoying.  Very annoying.  And her relationship with Jase just furthered that and she was evicted very early on in the game.  Yay.

Credit to: Survivor Sucks
Credit to: Survivor Sucks

Season 6:

Inside the house: Janelle

Outside the house: THE FREAKING FRIENDSHIP ALLIANCE

Janelle was an insane badass in her season who should’ve won, we all know this.  She was hated by a bunch of insecure sheep who had nothing better to do with their time than criticize her because they were so jealous that they weren’t her.  Outside the house, the Friendship alliance is still the most hated in BB history for so many reasons.  Take Eric, who legit was a cult leader who spewed his racist views on Kaysar, ego driven rage when he was in power, and so many other things that made him tacky as f in the house.  Maggie just sat back and watched everyone in her alliance implode and burn, Jennifer was backstabbing and gross during her HOH week, Beau did nothing in the game, April was the most hypocritical houseguest the show has ever had with her views on Janelle’s plastic surgery and so much more, and Ivette was a whiny pain in the ass who never should’ve made it as far as she did.  Thank god none of them came back for future seasons as I’m sure the network feared loss of viewers for dealing with the friendship again.

Credit to: Wikia
Credit to: Wikia

Big Brother 7:

Inside the house: Janelle

Outside the house: Erika

Janelle went through another season of being hated, but this time it was more out of jealously from a lot of the houseguests due to her competition wins.  Many thought it was unfair when she was HOH the week that Erika happened to have hers dethroned due to a “malfunction” with the equipment they used during the competition, but she also rubbed a lot of houseguests the wrong way by getting rid of the wrong people and not focusing on getting rid of Chilltown.  Erika wasn’t exactly liked in the game either, but outside of the game people didn’t really like her due to her being the one to break up Chilltown in the end and just how she portrayed herself regarding her pathetic relationship with Mike Boogie. It wasn’t a shock that just like Alison in Season 4 that she only received one vote in the end.

Credit to: Wikia
Credit to: Wikia

Big Brother 8:

Inside the house: Dick/Jen

Outside the house: Kail

It would be easy to say that Dick would be the most hated houseguest outside of the game, but seeing as America kept him in week after week when he was nominated I guess that wasn’t the case.  America really didn’t like Kail, as every week that she was nominated she was voted out by America regardless of who she was up against.  She was the consistent pawn in the game to get out bigger threats in Nick and Erik, but she was just that boring that America wanted to see the guys stay as opposed to her.  Dick was of course hated by a lot of people for the words he used against them, especially against Jameka and Amber, and Jen was just hated as she had a very unique personality that a lot of them couldn’t figure out.  I happened to love Jen and hope she comes back one day.

Stay tuned for Seasons 9 to 17 Thursday…

Filed Under: ENTERTAINMENT, TELEVISION Tagged With: big brother

Big Brother Winners- From Worst To Best

by Ryan Shea

Season 17 of Big Brother concluded last week with uber fan Steve Moses winning by a vote of 6-3 over Liz Nolan.  It is hard to believe that this show has been around for 15 years now since it premiered in the summer of 2000, and what’s even harder to believe is that it was widely considered to not be renewed after an insanely lackluster first season.  However, the show found a format that worked for its audience, and it has done a good job somewhat at maintaining that strategy since 2001 and keeping a loyal fan base throughout.

The show has had seventeen seasons, so of course it has had seventeen winners.  Many of the winners have played a “snake in the grass” strategy where other ones have been brazen and bold since walking into the house on day one.  Some have even done a good mixture of both.  Question is, who did the best, and who did the worst?  I am ranking the winners from worst to best, and you may be surprised to know who I think is the best in the end.  Keep in mind that I am taking what happened outside of the game (Adam Jasinski, ahem) and just focusing on the game itself.  Sound off on what you think fellow BB historians!

Credit to: Big Brother Network
Credit to: Big Brother Network

17. Lisa Donahue- Big Brother 3

Lisa was the antithesis to Will Kirby the summer before, and is part of the reason why she won the game overall as it was proven a nice person could win this thing.  Problem is that Lisa didn’t deserve a goddamn vote from anyone on that jury.  Yes she played a good game in terms of alignment and all of that, but when you are sitting next to arguably the best person to never win BB (Danielle Reyes) it is hard as a fan to understand what made Lisa’s game even a fraction better than Danielle’s.  It was a hella bitter jury that was angry at Danielle due to her playing each and every one of them and that is why Lisa won.  So in my eyes, Lisa didn’t win anything because of what she did, she won because of what Danielle did.

Credit to: Wikia
Credit to: Wikia

16. Hayden Moss- Big Brother 12

Hayden, just like Lisa, was a very likable player (even more so when he played Survivor).  I just find that his win to be somewhat of a foregone conclusion as he really didn’t have a strategy at all besides aligning with three other dudes that dominated.  I like my winners to have individual strategy, which neither him or runner up Lane seemed to possess.  That is why he ranks low on my list.

Credit to: Tumblr
Credit to: Tumblr

15. Adam Jasinski- Big Brother 9

I hated this season for so many reasons (read here), but Adam just kept finding himself in the right place at the right time and really didn’t have any clout as to why he won in the end.  Now he’s not winning in life at all.

Credit to: Wikia
Credit to: Wikia

14. Jordan Lloyd- Big Brother 11

YJordan’s strategy was to be nice and sweet.  That’s it.  It was hilarious watching her answer the jury questions which really was just talking in circles to where i couldn’t even figure out what she was saying.  I hated Natalie but at least she had a cohesive strategy to get to the end.  It was a bit Lisa/Danielle again with these two and that’s why Jordan won.

Credit to: Big Brother Daily
Credit to: Big Brother Daily

13. Steve Moses- Big Brother 17

I gotta give credit to Steve as making it past 16 other players is incredible in the first place.  He just made so many bad moves to get to the end that it’s hard to figure out how he really made it there.  During the live double eviction, he put up Meg and Jackie, which made virtually no sense.  Him and Johnny had ample opportunities to get rid of Austwins and Austin, and they just kept them in the game.  I just feel if you are a BB historian and things are that blatantly obvious, you should go after a visible alliance and get rid of them.  That simple.  Kudos however for getting rid of Vanessa in the end.

Credit to: IMDB
Credit to: IMDB

12. Eddie McGee- Big Brother 1

Yes this season was forgettable and was such a different format compared to what it is now.  Eddie did a great job though of getting the American public to like him and that is why he won in the end.  Also, with a group of people in the end who were just nice and plain people, Eddie had a fire and bold personality that at least made it semi interesting to watch.

Andy Herren - Big Brother 15

11. Andy Herren- Big Brother 15

This season was filled with scummy people.  Andy wasn’t one of them, thank god.  Andy’s likability helped him win in the end, like Lisa and Jordan, and he won due to his great ability of floating.  His best move in the game was creating The Exterminators and convincing McCrae that Elissa voted out Amanda during the double eviction when it was really him.  He ranks low on my list though as I for one have never been the biggest fan of blatant floaters winning this game.

Drew Daniel, one of the houseguests on BIG BROTHER 5. Photo: Tony Esparza/CBS ©2004 CBS BROADCASTING INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Credit to: Tony Esparza/CBS

10. Drew Daniel- Big Brother 5

Drew did a great job at winning competitions and screwing over his girlfriend in the end.  He barely beat Michael though, something that he would’ve had the same problem doing with Diane.  Had it been him and Nakomis in the end, he wouldn’t have had a snowflakes chance in hell of winning.  That is why he ranks low on this list as he didn’t really have that much of a cohesive strategy to win this thing with a majority.

Rachel Reilly, Manhattan Digest, Big Brother
Credit to: Cartermatt.com

9. Rachel Reilly- Big Brother 13

I will say that I loved Rachel in her original season, and had her and Brendan not made themselves such outsiders and tried to form an alliance with the rest of the house to take The Brigade out, she would’ve had a very good shot at winning BB12.  However I really think Rachel won BB13 because she proved that she could be a great gamer without her boyfriend there, and was a much better strategist than Porsche to win in the end.

Credit to: Wikia
Credit to: Wikia

8. Mike “Boogie” Malin- Big Brother 7 All Stars

Mike was the second to last choice to be in the BB7 house and I think he was planted there to resurrect the Chilltown alliance which he did a very good job in doing so.  Many people see Will as doing the majority of the work however Mike did an amazing job at playing literally everyone in that jury (more than anyone Erika) and won the game in doing so.

Credit to: Wikia
Credit to: Wikia

7. Maggie Ausburn- Big Brother 6

Everyone hated Maggie and her alliance.  I personally couldn’t stand the 4 others in that alliance but the one person I thought was playing a great game was Maggie.  Maggie simply won because it took her 15 minutes to convince Howie to nominate James and Sarah which for the most part kept The Friendship alliance having power until the end of the game.  She easily manipulated April and Ivette in the end to have them fight with each other and she just sat back and watch it implode.  And she developed great bonds with people like Ivette so when it came time to decide who to take to the end, Ivette chose her over Janelle (which was an insanely stupid decision).  That is why Maggie ranks so high on my list as she really was an insanely smart strategist.

Credit to: Fans of Reality TV
Credit to: Fans of Reality TV

6. Dick Donato- Big Brother 8

Big Brother 8 was hard to watch sometime due to the antics of Dick, however I watched that season over recently and kind of understand what he was trying to do.  You are literally in a hamster wheel for three months and he was doing whatever it took to get into the minds of these people and mess with them to where their insecurities was ever present and thus so became weaker and weaker in the game.  He also did great in competitions and aligned with his daughter the whole game to get himself to the end and win.

Jun Song, Big Brother, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: Gold Derby

5. Jun Song- Big Brother 4

Jun played an absolutely outstanding game in Big Brother 4. She masterfully manipulated her ex Je and then when the time came she got rid of him as he was a huge threat to win this game in the end.  Knowing this to be true, she aligned with the most hated person in the house (Alison) and watch Allie take person after person out including Robert in the end.  Alison had so much blood on her hands, that Jun was clearly viewed as the lesser of two evils and won the game (rightfully so).  Using something as simple as cooking is incredible and played a big part of her winning as well.  I think Jun’s win is very underestimated and she played a much better game than anyone else in that house.

Ian Terry, Manhattan Digest, Big Brother
Credit to: Wikia

4. Ian Terry- Big Brother 14

I had a hunch that Ian had this game on lock from a very early stage.  He was really the only person to see how Dan was operating in the game, which is why he focused on aligning with him to the end where several jury members were bitter and angry towards the BB10 winner.  Now usually I can’t stand when the jury angrily votes for the lesser of two people to win a game (See: Lisa), however Ian really did play such an amazing strategic, mental and physical game that it made sense for him to win in the end.  He went from student to master in a matter of two months. That my friends, is amazing.

Derrick Levasseur, Manhattan Digest, Big Brother
Credit to: fansofrealitytv.com

3. Derrick LeVasseur- Big Brother 16

I wasn’t really a fan of BB16 as it was full of a bunch of people who really didn’t understand how to play the game.  Derrick however, was not one of those people.  Derrick brilliantly made it through to the end of the game by forming The Hitmen alliance that brutally took each and every person out of the game, and just like Maggie did to Ivette, he had Cody take out the last remaining player in Victoria which rode him to victory.  The fact that he made it that far in the game to final three and was never on the nomination block is a testament to how amazing he played the game.

Dan Gheesling, Manhattan Digest, Big Brother
Credit to: Wikia

2. Dan Gheesling- Big Brother 10

I find that every generation of Big Brother has its legendary winners.  The first was someone who I will be writing about shortly, the latter is Derrick and in the middle we have Dan Gheesling.  Dan could’ve easily been second out in BB10 after his alliance member Brian got the boot in week one.  However Dan took that downfall and completely reversed it for himself by allowing the rest of the houseguests to implode on each other and take each other out each week.  He aligned with Memphis all the way to the end where he won the game easily as people saw Dan’s game as superior over Memphis.  Job well done.

Manhattan Digest, Will Kirby, Big Brother
Credit to: Wikia

1. Will Kirby- Big Brother 2

The Michael Jordan of Big Brother.  Don’t need to write much here.  If you have watched since the beginning, you know why Will is viewed as the best player to ever play this game, and how he should be the only two time winner besides Dan for his amazing effort in BB All Stars.  Legend.

Related article: 10 Best Players of All Time

Filed Under: ENTERTAINMENT, TELEVISION Tagged With: Adam Jasinski, Andy Herren, big brother, CBS, dan gheesling, derrick levasseur, Dick Donato, Drew Daniel, eddie mcgee, Hayden Moss, ian terry, Jordan Lloyd, julie chen, Jun Song, Lisa Donahue, Maggie Ausburn, Mike "Boogie" Malin, Mike Boogie, rachel reilly, Steve Moses, Summer Staple, will kirby

Big Brother’s Sixteen Seasons Ranked From Worst To Best

by Ryan Shea

Another season of Big Brother is shortly upon us as 14 (as of now, there might be more) houseguests compete to be the last person standing in the BB House and win the grand prize of $500,000 dollars.  The show, which started in the year 2000, has captivated audiences nationwide and has grown in size each year with it being a great summer staple for audiences to tune in on.  The backstabbing, strategizing, twists and so much more have made Big Brother one of the best reality shows in the history of television and that is why it has stood the test of time in a myriad of shows that have fallen below its wayside.

With sixteen seasons now under its belt, and millions of fans who have watched from the beginning or just came on board last summer, the show has driven in tons of comments and opinions on who played the best and what seasons were the best.  Manhattan Digest answered the former part of that question last year with our Top 10 Players Of All Time (boy the responses to that were colorful) and now we are following up with a ranking of the worst to best seasons of Big Brother in our own eyes.  What seasons did we think sucked major balls and which ones kept us glued to our television screens all summer long?  Take a look at our rankings and let us know what you think.

Big Brother 9
Credit to: Wikia

16. Big Brother 9

The season that really only existed because of the writers strike that was going on that particular year.  And boy, do I wish it didn’t.  This season looked like a bunch of rejects from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette who were all just deplorable human beings and not one of them developed a cohesive strategy to win the title.  Let’s not forget about the actual winner, Adam, who used part of his winnings to fund a drug ring and went to jail for it, and Joshuah who made a disgusting and cruel joke to a fellow houseguest about her father’s suicide.  There is a way to enjoy the villains in this game but more on a “love to hate” level.  This group was just plain disgusting and was a joke to what this show really is about.

Big Brother 1
Credit to: Wikipedia

15. Big Brother 1

Yes, it started it all, however the concept of Big Brother 1 is completely different from what the show is now, or even what it became after its first year.  The first BB was completely controlled by the American audience who voted out the houseguests each week.  Here is the problem- they kept all the nice and sweet people and got rid of all the troublemakers which really doesn’t do well for a show like this.  It is precisely the reason why the format was completely changed the next season to avoid this happening again.  Not saying it didn’t have a satisfying winner in Eddie and memorable houseguests like Chicken George, but it lacked a lot of the pizzazz that the show later on became so known for.

Big Brother 15
Credit to: Wikipedia

14. Big Brother 15

Yes, this season was entertaining however it was entertaining for all the wrong reasons.  It made national headlines for its blatant racism from houseguests Aaryn and GinaMarie and despicable language from Spencer as well.  A lot of people were tuning in not to really root for anyone but to see the hot mess that this season became.  Lets not forget how insane Amanda got in the house and her amazing edit throughout the season that finally came to a head right before she was evicted.  Andy was not really the best of winners as he sort of just got himself there by going from alliance to alliance, however this season kind of became like a car crash- you didn’t want to watch however you couldn’t take your eyes away.  Highlight of the season- Aaryn’s eviction.  Julie Chen’s professional reading.  Audience reaction.  Everything.

Big Brother 12
Credit to: Reality Game Forums

13. Big Brother 12

This season’s twist was over in week one as the “Sabateur” was figured out and evicted quickly.  Wow.  Yes this season did introduce us to the world famous Brenchel, and the hysterical Brittany, however once the former was evicted out of the house the power pretty much remained with “The Brigade” (Lane, Hayden, Enzo, Matt) and never switched out of it.  That made for a boring end of the season and a predictable but likable winner in Hayden.  Meh.

Big Brother 5
Credit to: Wikipedia

12. Big Brother 5

This season had quite a unique twist in the game of “DNA: Do Not Assume” where it was revealed that two of the houseguests were actually related (Cowboy, Nakomis) and that a pair of twins were playing the game all along as one person until their part of the twist was revealed (Adria, Natalie).  Those dried out pretty quickly though and even though the show had a great final four, it would’ve been a much more satisfying final two if it had been the two ladies (Diane, Nakomis) rather than the two men (Cowboy, Drew).  Drew won the title that season and perfected that floater strategy while never really being a huge threat to be evicted.  Once again, meh.

Big Brother 13
Credit to: Wikipedia

11. Big Brother 13

I mimic this season to be like when Survivor did Fans vs. Favorites, in that six favorites (Jeff/Jordan, Brendan/Rachel, Dick/Danielle) came back to compete with eight newbies.  The problem with this season is that it became just like the Survivor season called “Redemption Island” where they pretty much handed Boston Rob the check after playing three times before that.  This season was tailor made to have BB12’s Rachel win, and the audience was quite aware of that throughout.  Granted, it was the first time where a good portion of the viewing audience warmed up to Rachel as she played the latter part of the game without Brendan for the first time, which made her a much better gamer, however it just seemed a bit obvious what was going on and therefore gets this a low ranking.

Big Brother 11
Credit to: Reality Tea

10. Big Brother 11

This season really had some awesome standout moments, such as Jeff using the Coup’d’etat to get rid of Jessie, Chima’s insane meltdown which led to her expulsion, and the great lie set up by Kevin and Natalie to get them further into the game.  What really made this season shine though was seeing someone truly likable in Jordan make it past two strong competitors in Natalie and Kevin and win in the end.  It really was the first time in the game you saw good (Jordan) triumph over evil (Natalie) and it left you feeling very satisfied for the first time in a long time on that show.

Big Brother 7
Credit to: Reuters

9. Big Brother 7- All Stars

Big Brother All Stars was quite the anticipated season in the summer of 2006 as many fans couldn’t wait to see the best of the best compete one more time for the half million dollar prize.  The show eventually became Season 6 vs. Chilltown vs. everyone else which resulted in one of each making it to the final 3.  Will proved for a second time around what a genius he is in this game, and Janelle proved once again what a force she is when it comes to the competitions.  Had those two been swapped in as the final two over Mike and Erika, I would’ve put this higher on my list.  Because that would’ve been one hell of a finale to see who would win between two of the best competitors to ever exist on this on this show.  Instead, we had Mike Boogie win, which isn’t so bad based on the game that he played but at the same time wasn’t as satisfying as the other two.

Big Brother 4
Credit to: Wikipedia

8- Big Brother 4

I think this was the first season where you really saw ruthless players shown in the frontline and not just chatting in the diary room.  Big Brother 4 gave us what might be their best twist to date, when five of the original eight houseguests had to spend the summer with an ex of theirs.  Some used it to their advantage, whereas others crumbled early on.  This was the first season where you saw a true floater Jun perfect that strategy and really ride it to the end and win.  You also saw, for the first time, a dominant female competitor in Alison who was hated by most of the jury but was unable to get evicted due to her amount of competitive wins and sticking by Jun until the end.  I still think Jun is very underrated in terms of how she played this game, but for me this season was satisfying in its win and its strategy from day one.

Big Brother 16
Credit to: Zap2it

7. Big Brother 16

I only ranked this season high due to it having one of the best winners in Big Brother history- Derrick.  Although the show had quite the oddball characters in Frankie, Zach and Caleb to keep you entertained throughout the summer, it was Derrick’s gameplay that really kept you glued to your screen.  He made it 3 months in the house never being nominated ONCE, and this was a season where you could’ve been nominated each week in many different facets.  One of the most satisfying winners the show has ever seen, Derrick ranks up there with the likes of Dan and Will as one of the most savviest players to ever play the game.  Well done bud.

Big Brother 8
Credit to: Wikia

6- Big Brother 8

It is hard to follow up an All Stars season with something of the same caliber, but it seems CBS did that in the form of “Evil Dick” Donato.  Dick made the show that summer with his insane antics on the other houseguests and made their lives a living hell throughout the entire summer yet still winning in the end against his own daughter Danielle, who many didn’t vote for on the account that that felt she rode her father’s coattails throughout.  Love him or hate him, he made for good TV, as well as other houseguests such as Whamber aka Amber and Erik, the all around good guy who had the advantage and disadvantage of being “America’s Player” AKA America controlled what he did in the house.  Such a great and memorable season for the records.

Big Brother 14
Credit to: Zap2it

5- Big Brother 14

Big Brother 14 saw four houseguests return in the form of coaches (Brittany from BB12, Janelle from BB6 and 7, Mike Boogie from BB2 and 7 and Dan from BB10) who eventually turned in their coaches uniforms and played with the rest of the group as contestants.  There were two people who really made this season as great as it was and that was the lightning bolt in Dan and the little engine that could in Ian.  Dan manipulated the shit out of everyone in that game, the same way he did in his original season, and made it to the end with so much blood on his hands that it made it impossible for him to win with such a bitter jury to deal with.  Normally this would annoy me as then the person who wins is the one who just got there and didn’t make any enemies, however Ian played a phenomenal game by masterminding getting Mike Boogie out of the game as well as his compadre in Frank, then zooming towards the end of the game and taking down Dan for the win.  Also, Dan’s funeral in the game goes down as one of the best moments this show has ever seen.  Sheer brilliance.

Big Brother 6
Credit to: Wikipedia

4. Big Brother 6

Big Brother 6 introduced us to Janelle Pierzina, who in one short summer became one of the most memorable houseguests to ever play the game.  This summer had a twist where everyone came into the game with a loved one or someone they knew outside of the house.  When Janelle lost her partner in week one, and being an outsider from the most hated alliance in Big Brother History (The Friendship), the odds were truly against her.  However, Janelle blasted through the game with competition wins, turning the other side against each other and making it all the way to the final three only to be stopped by Ivette’s stupidity.  Other great houseguests that season were Veto king James, hilarious goofball Howie, and the beloved Kaysar.  This is truly the best season when it comes to good vs. evil and set the stage for how badass the show got in its later years.

Big Brother 10
Credit to: Wikia

3. Big Brother 10

Big Brother 10 started off really like any other season did.  A little saddening in the beginning of it with not so memorable players being evicted each week.  Something that was forming week to week was Dan’s incredible strategy and his way of playing each houseguest to never view him as the aggressor and watching them take each other out while he still looked like the good guy in the end.  He won the game with every vote going towards him over his Robin in Memphis, and played a brilliant strategy throughout which puts him up there as the best player of all time with Will Kirby.  Other memorable houseguests was the conniving Jerry, who originally looked like the friendly old guy who later turned into Mr. Grinch in many different ways, and Renny who exemplified similar traits with a southern twang to it.  Such an amazing season.

Big Brother 3
Credit to: Wikipedia

2- Big Brother 3

To understand why the sequester/jury house exists you have to go all the way back to 2002 and see why it happened in the first place.   Big Brother 3 was truly an incredible season with a great and diverse cast that made it one of their most watched seasons to date.  What made this season great though was the duo of Jason and Danielle, who took down every single alliance in the game and made it all the way to the final three never being nominated once.  The only problem that they dealt with was the eventual winner in Lisa, who won against Danielle due to the other houseguests seeing what she said about all of them in her diary room confessions throughout the summer.  BB2 and BB3 had all the houseguests go home when they were evicted, so they were privy to all the information going on in the game which made Danielle winning that much harder for herself.  She really played a perfect game and to this day is considered to be the best player to never win Big Brother.  Also, you have the best moment in Big Brother history when Marcellas doesn’t take himself off the block after winning veto only to be evicted minutes later.  Incredible.

Credit to: Wikia
Credit to: Wikia

1- Big Brother 2

This is a no brainer for me.  This season started this whole thing off with a bang.  In this particular season, there was no power of veto.  Once you were on the block, that was it.  You had Justin getting himself expelled for his knife usage on fellow houseguest Krista that made him the first houseguest to ever be ejected from the game.  You had the incredible toothbrush incident that Shannon did to Hardy that was just fun and creepy to watch.  You had Nicole go from being public enemy number one in week one to working her way all the way to the final 2.  And then you have Will Kirby, who absolutely perfected the strategy of “take me to the end because everyone hates me and I won’t get vote.”  Except he did, and he won.  Will to this day is still viewed as the best to has ever played, and that is arguably so.  If there is one season to watch, regardless of how dated it is, this is the one to do so.

What are your thoughts on this list?  What would you change, and what would you keep the same?  Did you also know about the Big Brother 17 premiere party happening in Hoboken and Jersey City this week?  Check out this link to learn more on how you can attend. Best of luck to the BB17 players and another great summer!

Filed Under: ENTERTAINMENT, TELEVISION Tagged With: big brother

Big Brother’s 10 Best Players Of All Time

by Ryan Shea

Dan Gheesling, Manhattan Digest, Big Brother

Big Brother 16 concluded last night with front runner Derrick Levasseur easily beating fellow “Hitmen” alliance member Cody Califoire 7-2 last night, only losing votes from waste of a houseguest JaCosta and America’s Favorite Houseguest and hopefully new Soap Opera Stud Donny.  This season was highly different from last regarding minimal controversy from the players inside the house (besides the insanely arrogant and over the top Frankie, who is only getting this sentence in this article as his ego is already blown up as is) yet was criticized for it not being a very good season strategically.  The game drastically changed this year with its “Battle Of The Block” format and having four houseguests go up each time which made the game that much more interesting, yet became very bland and boring when it was the same people getting wittled away each week and there never really being a power struggle in the house that didn’t favor The Bomb Squad.  That being said, Derrick has been credited with the likes of Dan Gheesling and Will Kirby as one of the best players of all time for his efforts this summer, which leads me to the purpose of this article.

Big Brother has had sixteen seasons and over 100 houseguests all vying for one thing- to win the $500,000 dollar prize and be the last one to leave the house.  Question is, who are the best players to ever play this game?  Not everyone who has played this game the best has actually won.  Heck, there are even people who didn’t even make it into the top 2 who have played remarkably.  Some BB winners have made it to the end based off of luck/other people getting them there (Jordan, Maggie, Andy) and others have relied on brain power and will power to get them to the winners circle (Will, Jun, Ian, Rachel).  Overall though, who has played the best games in BB history?  Take a look at who I think were the best, from 10-1.

 

Jun Song, Big Brother, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: Gold Derby

10- Jun Song- BB4 (Winner)

Some may find this choice to be a bit controversial as there was quite the public disdain for Jun and runner up Allison Irwin this season, as well as the other bitter houseguests who felt forced to vote and congratulate them.  I however, think the opposite.  BB4 was really the first season that I got into back in 2003, and knew pretty much from day one that Jun was going to win.  How?  Jun pretty much did a phenomenal job explaining herself when the jury of 7 interrogated her in the final episode.  A floater yes, but she knew that ultimately she relied on herself to get to the end.  She knew exactly when to ditch a particular group and rely on the one person that was vilified more than anyone else in the house, Alison, to do her dirty work.  She also played her ex Je very well in the game and when the time came to get rid of him she made the first move upon her first HOH win.  Smart, savvy and aware of her surroundings, Jun really did play the most intelligent game of BB4, even using something like cooking as a way to interact with the houseguests and see what kind of habits they have to determine what kind of person they are like.  Brilliant.

Janelle Pierzina, Big Brother, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: Wikia

9- Janelle Pierzina- BB6 (3rd Place), BB7 (3rd Place), BB14 (Who cares)

I love Janelle.  Janelle is to Big Brother what Peanut Butter is to Jelly.  She is a legend for so many different reasons and in my opinion paved the way for future women in the game like Rachel Reilly & Danielle Donato to name a few.  If I’m honest though, her shining season was BB6 as BB7 I felt the network carried her through the entire time as she generated a larger audience and BB14 she really wasn’t playing at all.  BB6 Janelle was an absolute beast and is part of the reason why the Big Brother houseguests are a lot more blunt and honest with each other as opposed to earlier seasons where things were a bit more sullen and quiet.  She really was a fighter in her season against quite possibly the most hated alliance in Big Brother History (The Friendship) and made it to the final 3 by consistently winning competitions and intentionally pitting the other side against each other, like the infamous April vs. Ivette fight.  Had Ivette done the right thing and brought Janelle to the end, Ivette would’ve probably still won but Janelle to millions of her fans will always be known as one of the best for her amazing ability.

Derrick Levasseur, Manhattan Digest, Big Brother
Credit to: fansofrealitytv.com

8- Derrick LeVasseur- BB16 (Winner)

The most recent winner and quite impressive if I must say so myself.  Being touted as the new Dan/Dr. Will, Derrick played a pretty much flawless game by always staying in the background of the drama and never making himself a target throughout his 3 month stay inside the Big Brother house.  He allowed other hot headed people like Frankie, Beast Mode, and Devin for example make hot messes out of themselves and huge targets while he laid pretty with his “Robin” Cody and watch everyone implode, leading him to victory.  Whereas Dan and Will in previous seasons got themselves into some pretty hot water with a lot of the houseguests, that didn’t seem to be the case for Derrick.  Him winning against Cody, who if Cody took dumb dumb Victoria to the end would’ve won the damn thing, was easy as it didn’t take much convincing for the jury to hand him the $500K prize.  Would love to see him come back one summer if they ever do All Stars again to see how he would pair up with other greats in a season that didn’t have many outstanding HG’s.

Rachel Reilly, Manhattan Digest, Big Brother
Credit to: Cartermatt.com

7- Rachel Reilly- BB12 (9th Place) BB13 (Winner)

Rachel Reilly is pretty much like Licorice.  You either love it or hate it.  Rachel is one of the most polarizing cast members the show has ever had, and really made her mark in both seasons.  A threat from the get go in season 12, Rachel’s bold and brash personality pretty much clashed with everyone in the house minus her boo and showmance at the time Brendan.  After being blindsided in her season 12 eviction, Rachel came back with a vengeance in Season 13 with her partner Brendan.  With Brendan evicted not only once but twice, Rachel really showed what kind of an all star that she came to be by playing the game fantastically by herself for the first time in a season and a half.  She battled bitter enemy Danielle and made it past some pretty strong newbies in Kalia and Adam and won the game 4-3 against the basic Porsche (sorry girl, weak candidate for F2).  Rachel was gutsy, admirable and smart and proved not only once but twice why she is one of the best to ever play this game.

Nakomis Dedmon, Big Brother, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: Wikia

6- Nakomis Dedmon- BB5 (4th Place) BB7 (13th Place)

A random choice per se, but Nakomis should’ve been the winner of BB5 over the people who came after her- Diane who lost the game due to her fascination with a pretty boy, Cowboy (Michael) who used his family the entire game to get to where he is, and Drew who really just used Diane to get to the end without really having to do much.  Nakomis was the smartest person in BB5, and took avoiding eviction in week one and storming all the way to the final four pretty much unscathed.  Just like Jun, she really just relied on herself and not the benefits of a big group (The Four Horseman) or a love connection (Diane/Drew) to get where she is.  Her unique look and personality originally scared people off but once a good core group of people got to know her (Will, Adria, Natalie, Karen) they viewed her as the leader which ultimately got them past a ton of other players.  Also she came up with the brilliant “Six Finger Plan” to get rid of her biggest nemesis in the game that season, Jase, something that is still viewed as one of the best game moves in BB history.  Smart.

James Rhine, Manhattan Digest, Big Brother
Credit to: Wikia

5- James Rhine- BB6 (Seventh Place)  BB7 (Seventh Place)

If Caleb from this season of Big Brother wants to call himself “Beast Mode” he should really go back about 10 years to see who really was the first person to perfect what it meant to be a beast in the house.  With the Power Of Veto still being somewhat of a new thing on BB at that point, James took the opportunity to win it 5 times in his season, setting a record at that point for veto wins from one houseguest.  His back was against the wall every week, due to his physical ability in challenges but also his master manipulation to go in between both alliances and do it spectacularly yet very obvious at the same time.  Some may blame James for the downfall of his alliance due to how sneaky he is, however he is one of the reasons why Big Brother 6 was such a remarkable season, and why he was no doubt a shoo in for the All Stars the following summer.

Ian Terry, Manhattan Digest, Big Brother
Credit to: Wikia

4- Ian Terry- BB14 (Winner)

Oh Ian, the little engine that could.  When I saw the cast for Big Brother 14, I would’ve never guessed that the Tulane chem student would’ve even come close to being the winner, let alone beat who some consider as the greatest Big Brother player of all time (more of that later).  Ian’s presence in the beginning of the game was quiet for the most part, only getting highlights for his social awkwardness and crush on fellow houseguest Ashley.  It wasn’t until his masterminded the amazing plan to get out another Big Brother legend- Mike Boogie (Season 2 & Season 7 All Stars Winner) where Ian really started to shine and become one of the biggest players of the season.  Being one of the biggest members of The Quack Pack, he sealed the deal for many of his arch rivals including juiced up Ronald McDonald Frank.  He famously battled Dan in the final 2 and held his ground, easily beating him mainly due to a mixture of a bitter jury and seeing Ian for what an amazing player that he is.  Would love to have another All Stars season with Dan and Ian in it.  Maybe next summer?  Who knows.

Manhattan Digest, Will Kirby, Big Brother
Credit to: Wikia

3. Will Kirby- Season 2 (Winner) Season 7 (Fourth Place)

People are gonna be freaking floored that I put Will this low, however I have my reasons.  Yes Will did it first, and some say did it best.  Having no Power of Veto, once you were on the block- that was it.  You weren’t getting taken off unless you chose to eject yourself, so that aspect made it that much harder to keep yourself in the game.  Will convinced everyone in that game that if you take him to the end, you will win.  Could he have done it against Monica, Hardy or Bunky (3rd, 4th and 5th place)?  Not sure.  But Nicole was an easy win due to the amount of enemies she had on that jury and the convincing voices of Mike Boogie and Shannon to name a few.  Winning 6-3 in the end, Will played practically a flawless game minus his multiple nominations and over the top behavior inside the house.  Had it not been for Janelle listening to Erika’s loud mouth in Big Brother 7, he could’ve won All Stars the same way he won BB2.  Let’s hope we haven’t really seen the last of Will Kirby on BIg Brother.

Danielle Reyes, Manhattan Digest, Big Brother
Credit to: Wikia

2. Danielle Reyes- Season 3 (2nd Place) Season 7 (6th Place)

I hands down am a firm believer that Danielle Reyes changed the way that Big Brother has been played for the past 11 seasons.  Why?  Because she was so damn good in her season they had to start using a jury/sequester house so the houseguests didn’t know everything and anything that is going on.  I also believe that she is the best player to have NEVER won this game (Even Will Kirby uttered that).  Danielle ruled season 3 with an iron fist, and really used one of the best strategies to have ever been used in this game- the reliance of one other person and herself.  It is how Jun won, it is how Evil Dick won season 8, Dan won against Memphis and countless other victories in this game called Big Brother.  Danielle brilliantly strategized taking down each alliance in the game- the original 6, the cartel, the boys vs. the girls, Eric/Lisa, Roddy/Chiara, then knocking out Marcellas when she had the shot and Amy to get to the final 3.  Who was the person in her way?  Lisa.  Danielle’s biggest mistake was not winning the final HOH nor Jason, yet the problem with BB3 was that all the houseguests got to go home to their families and friends and see all the diabolical things that Danielle was doing and saying, resulting in the most bitter jury this show has ever seen.  Lisa won 10-1, which many see as completely unfair as she practically got a free ride to the end based off of other people’s game.  Danielle played the game flawlessly and should’ve won it fair and square.  Just like Will in All Stars, she also fell to the annoyance and presence of Erika, but that season had its fair share of problems from the get.  Danielle has said on her Twitter in recent years that she would never play the game again, but I dream of a day where she re-enters the game and wins something that should’ve happened twice before.

Dan Gheesling, Manhattan Digest, Big Brother
Credit to: Wikia

1- Dan Gheesling- Season 10 (Winner) Season 14 (2nd Place)

I don’t think there needs to be much said here to describe really why Dan is the best player in Big Brother history.  Easily making his way in Season 10 to victory by making his wingman Memphis do all his dirty work while he worked behind the scenes?  Done.  Coming back into the game as a coach in BB14 and commanding the strongest alliance that season?  Sold.  PERFORMING YOUR OWN FREAKING FUNERAL ONLY TO RISE FROM THE DEAD AND GET VETOED OFF THE BLOCK?  Yup.  Dan is a fucking baller, and would’ve beat anyone in the final 2 if it wasn’t for Ian.  If Julie Chen, whom I love, ever decides to really leave BB, I think he would make a fantastic replacement host as he is the savviest, smartest and most intelligent player this show has ever seen or will see.  All Stars for a third try?  We can only hope!

Agree or Disagree?  SOUND OFF! 

Filed Under: ENTERTAINMENT, TELEVISION Tagged With: allison irwin, ariana grande, bb10, bb14, bb16, bb2, bb3, bb4, bb5, bb6, bb7, bb8, big brother, cody califoire, dan gheesling, danielle reyes, derrick levasseur, frankie grande, ian terry, jacosta, james rhine, janelle pierzina, nakomis dedmond, rachel reilly, tulane, will kirby

Big Brother 15- The Season That Could’ve Been

by Ryan Shea

Credit to: Huffington Post
Credit to: Huffington Post

 

Every season lately I go into Big Brother thinking it will be somewhat reminiscent of the older seasons, when real fans of the show were picked and not aspiring actors/models/douchebags and people voted on who THEY wanted out and not vote in a group consensus which equals to being a complete coward.  This season was quite possibly the worst season of BB with the exception of the oft forgotten Season 9 (You know how the guy that won ran into a zillion drug problems with the law and another guy went to jail for beating up his pregnant girlfriend.   Keep it classy).  Even with the cast being as bad as it was, this season had so many problems from the get go that even an avid BB fan that i am didn’t really watch it in the beginning.  I started truly watching when Aryan, oh wait I’m sorry Aaryn, received a ton of media attention for her lovely racist ways and it brought me back to see what had really developed on the show.  Since that time, I have been watching it non stop and have come to several conclusions on what went wrong with this season, and ultimately how each houseguest performed in their stay.  Here is how I viewed things-

MVP Epic Fail- When Julie Chen announced the first twist on her show “The Talk”, I really thought it was an innovative way to keep this show fresh and new.  That was, until I saw that Elissa was a part of this cast and had the feeling that because of the whole “Brenchel” army thing that she was going to get the MVP every week.  It was very frustrating because there were so many ways that they could’ve made this MVP thing more fun.  For instance- take the top 3 America voted that week and then have the houseguests themselves vote on who the MVP would be.  America/the producers tend to rig things so if the houseguests voted that would make the paranoia, alliances and everything else that much more on a heightened level and therefore enjoyable.  But all we saw was Elissa be in control and then Amanda be on the block every week because America despised her/Aaryn wasn’t eligible.

16 PEOPLE!!- I’m all for a bigger cast each year, but 16 became kind of a bit much.  Plus this was an extended season so the usual 70-75 days they spend in the BB house became 90 days.  It just felt like it went on for a while and because there weren’t that many likable people in the game it just felt like it dragged on (and still feels like that).  When the four jury members came back into the game that one night, I was like- JESUS were are 70 days into this game and there are still like 11 people in the house.  WTF.   It just became exasperating and that is that.

Now onto how each player in eviction order-

David Girton - Big Brother 15

David- You were the a typical “asshat” lifeguard who only came on the show to have a showmance with the racist.  As Andy lovely put it, “You Won A Hamburger”.  That’s all you put into this game.  BAI.

Nick Uhas - Big Brother 15

Nick- Nick was really one of the only likable contestants I saw in the beginning, but Elissa made a very smart move in nominating him as MVP and then Helen doing all the work to get him out.  As I’ve said recently regarding GM- run for the mother fucking hills dude.

Jeremy McGuire - Big Brother 15

Jeremy- Winegate.  Rubbing your ass on other people’s clothes.  Homophobia.  Sexism.  Putting people down.  That’s all you, brah.  What a great guy you are.

Kaitlin Barnaby - Big Brother 15

Kaitlin- Kaitlin at that point was viewed as the strongest of the “Mean Girls” alliance and the house was smart for getting her out.  Looking back it should’ve been Aaryn that week due to that in the weeks after she became a beast of a competitor, but Kaitlin was the smart choice and she could’ve gone the distance I believe had she stayed.

Howard Overby - Big Brother 15

Howard-  I loved Howard for so many reasons besides the fact that he is beyond sexy.  He was a true gentleman in the game and never raised his voice when he had ample opportunities to do so in regards to the insane racism that so many other things that happened.  He protected Candice and was just an all around good guy.  The problem he had was his physical stature and his lie to Helen regarding that ridiculous alliance he had in the beginning of the game.  I hope he gets to play again in future seasons because I really think he wasn’t given a fair shot.

Candice Stewart - Big Brother 15

Candice-  My boo.  Although she got a little bat shit cray cray in the house, I really loved Candice because she was an expressive individual that unfortunately played with her emotions too much in this game and that is why she left.  She was really smart as to be the first one in the house to try to get Amanda out but unfortunately it was to no avail.  I think she is one of the only wildcard votes in the jury house also.

Jessie Kowalski - Big Brother 15

Jessie- Put it this way-  sweet girl but had no power whatsoever in the game to do anything as she was always in the bottom end of the totem pole in both alliances she was in.

Helen Kim - Big Brother 15

Helen- From week 2 I had Helen truly making the distance in this game.  She reminded me of a lot of people that won this game in past years from Maggie to Dan in that she had a firm grip on her alliance and was a great leader that people listened to.  She had one big problem- Andy, who I believe was the reason for her demise, not Amanda.  Him swaying to the 4AM Alliance really helped him out for a while and that side was able to get out a truly great competitor.  If they do All Stars again, I hope she is someone considered.

Aaryn Gries - Big Brother

Aaryn- BOY OH BOY I CAN’T WAIT FOR WEDNESDAY!  Why?  For so many reasons.  This is where I truly hope CBS gets really smart and shows EVERYTHING SHE SAID so that she can get a better idea of how much of a disgusting, vile piece of shit that she truly is.  No, your mother can’t even help you out in this one girl.  You did this yourself.  As awesome as that eviction interview that Ms. Chen did it didn’t even scratch the mark in terms of all the nasty and putrid things you said in the game.  Good luck in the future Aaryn with anything, you are royally screwed for life and if you would’ve just kept your damn mouth shut and faked it in this game we would’ve rooted for you because you were a badass competitor.  Stupid.

Amanda Zuckerman - Big Brother 15

Amanda- You are a scary girl.  They gave you an amazing edit almost to the end but for everyone who watched the live feeds and saw who you really were really is why you were the one on the block every week thanks to MVP.  Amanda really was a smart cookie in the game as she controlled a good amount of the evictions until Elissa won HOH and that’s when everything crumbled and her power was no more.  I give GM a ton of credit for putting her McRanda on the block and sending her out of the game as she would’ve been a tough one to beat in the end.  She is a mixture of Dr. Will in terms of gameplay and Evil Dick in terms of mouthiness.  Yikes.

 

Elissa Slater - Big Brother 15

Elissa- So boring and forgetful I forgot to even include you in the original posting of this article.  Wow.  You played this game as such a polar opposite of Rachel in terms of how quiet and non-confrontational you were.  That is all in fine, as Rachel got quite annoying in the game sometimes, but it took you almost 60 days to win a damn competition and do things.  I do have to admit that you were pretty smart when it came to putting up the right people when you were MVP (David, Nick) but besides that you were just a wallflower that really wasn’t going to garner any votes in the end.  Sorry/Not Sorry.

 

Judd Daughtery - Big Brother 15

Judd- The Stud?  Judd played a really great game originally and if Helen were to look back on things she would’ve convinced Aaryn to either A- keep the nominations of Spencer/Jessie the same, or B- get Amanda out that night.  She went after the wrong person.  As happy as I was for Judd to come back into the game, he really didn’t do much game play upon his arrival except for the whole “Exterminators” deal.  The fellow 3 exterminators were smart to get rid of him yet I do wonder if he would’ve garnered any votes in the end of the game based off the idea that he got a 2nd chance to play.

McCrae Olson - Big Brother 15

McCrae- I had such high hopes for this guy originally in this game.  He had the chance to be that Dan, Ian or Dr. Will and he blew it by hiding in Amanda’s panties the entire summer.  Seriously.  He won the first HOH and then after that had Amanda do all the dirty work while he slept all summer and didn’t socialize.  The only vote he would’ve gotten in the end was Amanda’s, that’s it.  He only has himself to blame for this one.

As for the remaining three, I will save that for a later article detailing who has the best chance to win in this game and ultimately how I think they made it to the end of the game. Needless to say, this wasn’t a good season of Big Brother at all and I hope in future seasons that the producers learn from their mistakes and just cast FANS of this game and not you know, racists.  Check out the finale this Wednesday night at 9:30 pm Eastern on CBS.

 

Filed Under: BREAKING NEWS, ENTERTAINMENT, TELEVISION Tagged With: aaryn, amanda, andy, big brother, dan, dr. will, gm, helen, howard, ian, jessie, julie chen, mccrae, nick, spencer

Big Brother 15- This is some bullshit.

by Ryan Shea

Credit to: Tumblr.
Credit to: Tumblr.

 

I wrote something similar a little while back regarding Big Brother but since then the level of bullshit and ridiculousness that has happened in the house has gotten so out of control that I really just can’t hold my tongue anymore.  The fact that this season has turned into what it has is really the producers to blame but seeing as they are pulling in a decent amount of viewers this year I am sure that they are laughing all the way home, so why would they care who is hating the show this year?

First off, after the double eviction on Thursday night, I can firmly say that the majority of this country feels that there is no one left to root for.  Not that there really was in the first place.  The men are getting decimated one by one and the two people that went home on Thursday were ones that I was rooting for the go the long haul (Judd in particular).  Did anyone else think it was kind of ironic that the two racist pigs in the house got rid of the African Americans each week? Hmmm.  Oh and Gina Marie you are a disgusting troll who in the real world could never get a guy like Nick.  Saying the things you said about Asians and African Americans, especially what you said to Candice on her way out the door regarding her mother, really shows the kind of person that you are and I can’t wait to see the look on your face when you see how much America hates you and that you got fired from your pageant job (I really am curious to know how in god’s name she got that job in the first place).

This being said, let me break down each person that is left to give my personal opinion on them.  Normally I would rank this from who I like the most or who I think is playing the best, but I really think all the people that are left are frankly terrible so let’s just leave it at that-

1. Helen- I was originally Team Helen in Week 3 when she won HOH because I felt that her group was the outcasts that finally got some power.  Over the weeks though, her cocky attitude has really rubbed me the wrong way and she is completely in the dark about how Amanda and some other people really want her gone.  The icing on the cake came on Thursday night when Aaryn won POV and she said “Girl, you are Janelle.  Don’t you realize that?” Or something along those lines.  Aaryn being Janelle is like Melissa Joan Hart being Meryl Streep.  In other words, not even close.  Helen, shut up seriously you are annoying.

2. Aaryn- or shall I say Aryan.  Good god girl.  The funny thing about her is that if she NEVER said anything racist or did that stupid shit that she did early on in the game most of America would actually be rooting for her.  That’s the funniest part.  She’s won three HOH’s and a POV and clearly is a smart cookie when it comes to winning things.  Unfortunately, she’s listening to what everyone else wants.  The fact that BB hasn’t rigged it to get her out so we can all watch that eviction interview like they rigged Jeff winning everything really annoys me because that would be riveting television.

3. Gina Marie- you are a waste of space.  You are a joke.  America laughs at you.  Take Nick’s hat off.  Nick- run for the hills dude.

4. Spencer- As a fellow bear, I find Spencer the only attractive man left in the game as he is quite cute.  That’s as far as I am going to go about this.  He is alone in the game and will be put up every week because these houseguests are going with the majority each time and refuse to put power players up so they will go after him until he gets home.  No shot in winning in the game.

5. Jessie- Cute girl but at the bottom of the totem pole in terms of an alliance.  Her winning HOH would’ve been crucial as she is the only houseguest left who I feel would go against this majority bullshit, but seeing as she didn’t its a matter of time before she enters jury.

6. Andy- Andy is the most pathetic houseguest they have had in a very long time.  He also is another awful example of a gay man playing this game.  He can’t keep his mouth shut and tells Amanda everything.  He’s formed an alliance with Amanda and McCrae, which is stupid in the sense that if they are in the final three together they aren’t taking Andy.  Andy is a true floater that just like some other houseguests can’t make a decision for themselves.

7. Amanda- Girl, you are getting a phenomenal edit this year.  In the house, you are a ballistic psychopath who has gone after pretty much everyone and their mom this week.  You are another person that I can’t wait to see your reaction when you find out that America put your ass on the block twice and not Judd (who should still be there).  Amanda has said some pretty racist stuff in the house too, which I think is unfair for them to not show seeing as Aaryn has gotten the brunt of everything so far.  She is the one to beat in my opinion because everyone in this house is scared.

8. McCrae- Amanda’s right hand man.  He hasn’t had to do much because of her, so I really see him riding this to the end as I predicted a while back.

9. Elissa- Who?

I really, really hope that someone goes back into this game as they have done in other seasons.  If so, bring Judd or Candice back and please have them kick one of these people out.  There has been a common thread in the past couple of seasons in that the person that wins the game is generally a likable person both in and outside the game (Ian, Hayden, Jordan, not Rachel).  I just hope the show comes to their senses and realizes this and does something about it.  Because if Aaryn, Amanda or Gina Marie win this game I will lose it.

Filed Under: ENTERTAINMENT, TELEVISION Tagged With: aaryn, amanda, andy, bb15, big brother, candice, gina marie, helen, judd, spencer

Big Brother 15 Jumps The Shark- Doomed, and done.

by Ryan Shea

Credit to: Huffington Post
Credit to: Huffington Post

 

I was so amped to do a ton of write ups this summer about my favorite reality show of all time, Big Brother.  Having been an avid fan since I was in high school, I yearn and look forward this show every year and marvel in its wizardry of alliances, mental anguish, sillyness and above all Julie Chen saying “But First”.  Over the past couple of years or so, the show has really taken a down turn in terms of finding original houseguests that we root for and the redundant aspect of past houseguests showing up to compete again, similar to what Survivor has exhausted for over a decade now.

So when I found out that with the exception of Elissa, Rachel Reilly’s sister, that everyone else was brand new to the game this year, I was freaking ecstatic.  Even in the short period of time that I had to view the houseguests and get to know some of them before the show even aired, I wasn’t necessarily thrilled at a lot of the choices but happy that it was going to be brand spanking new.  Then the show started, and I was instantly turned off by a lot of the people.  The main issue is that when you read a lot of what these people are about outside of the house, they aren’t die hard fans but wannabe actors and models who are trying to make their big break in Hollywood.  The hardcore gamers are a select few that sometimes clearly know what they are doing by winning the whole damn thing (BB10 Dan, BB14 Ian, and the earlier seasons).  So that was a huge turn off.

Credit to: EW
Credit to: EW

 

Then, not even a week into the game, a zillion reports came about of certain houseguests saying extremely insulting racist, homophobic and misogynistic comments about others in the game that was a complete turn off.  This might have been brought on a bit by what is going on with Paula Deen, but the difference here is that we have taped footage of some of these people saying this stuff.  Take for instance Aaryn, this dumb naive Texan who said about Helen, the only Asian-American houesguest, “Dude, shut up and go make some rice”.  Fellow contestant GinaMarie added “Andy was like, ‘I’m gonna punch her in the face,’ and I was like, ‘Maybe that’ll make her eyes straight.'”

That is only the beginning of these horrid people.  The conversation then turned to Howard and Candice, two African-American contestants. “Blacks stick together … They’re like tokens … They’re like black Barbie and Kens,” someone on the tape says, before another voice says that Candice’s “blackness” was coming out.  They then worried aloud about Andy getting the MVP “because everybody loves the queers.”   GinaMarie is from New York mind you, which has a huge gay population.  Good luck coming home to that sweetheart.

It seems as if this short period of time has led to a ton of fallout not only from Aaryn and GinaMarie but the show and network itself.  Aaryn has been dropped by her modeling agency Zephyr Talent, who had this to say in a statement (I love how honest they are and didn’t give a pageant answer in this)-

“Aaryn, season 15 cast member of Big Brother, revealed prejudices and other beliefs that we (Zephyr Talent) do not condone,” the page reads. “We certainly find the statements made by Aaryn on the live Internet feed to be offensive. Any views or opinions expressed in personal commentary by Aaryn, either on any live feed from the House or during the broadcast, are hers alone and do not represent the views or opinions of Zephyr Talent. Upon much consideration, we have decided to release Aaryn from her contract with Zephyr Talent.”

GinaMarie has also been fired from her day job, East Coast USA Pageant (WHAT THE FUCK WITH ALL THESE MODELS AND PAGEANT GIRLS) after not only that comment but stating that welfare is n*****r insurance, with them having this to say about this classy gal-

“We are actually thankful that this show let us see GinaMarie for who she truly is. We would never want her to be a role model to our future contestants.” “In a business where we are surrounded by beauty every day we are saddened to see something so ugly come from someone we put on a very high pedestal.”

Now here is the thing, CBS states they aren’t condoning this because it doesn’t reflect what the network thinks but someone has to take a stand.  This is similar when in BB8 that they kept Evil Dick in the house even after he tortured the other houseguests and lit a burnt cigarette into Jen’s arm and dumped iced tea on her head.  And as much as I love Janelle, her drunken rant in BB6 going after everyone calling Beau a “gold digger” and April a “whore” was bad as well.  Eric in that season was the absolute worst houseguest of all time going after Kaysar for his religious beliefs which was the catapult to everyone in the world viciously hating The Friendship Alliance.

According to TV By The Numbers, Big Brother earned a series low with last night’s episode at a 1.6 18-49 demo, and only 5.6 million viewers (they average around 7-8 million an episode and the eviction ones are higher normally).  So clearly, there has been some backlash on this.  I don’t understand why Allison Grodner, who runs this show, won’t step in and do anything because quite frankly it makes her look bad and she has been the blame for why this show has been fledgling for years now.  The show in the beginning was people who were avid game players who were there to play the game, not some pathetic actor types who have no idea how the game is played then become beloved reality stars.  If CBS is smart, they will oust Aaryn and GinaMarie ASAP.  Here is an idea- let’s watch video of their former employers firing them on air and see their reactions.  That would be a ratings bonanza.

Big Brother as far as I see it has evicted themselves from a good and fun show to a drab and pathetic excuse for reality TV.

 

Filed Under: BREAKING NEWS, ENTERTAINMENT, TELEVISION Tagged With: allison grodner, big brother, CBS, homophobia, racism

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