BB16:Douchebag Cowboytches

First of all, I love how when I'm discussing the social issues that arise from this "social experiment", I am told "it's just a game." No. "Jeopardy" is just a game. "The Price is Right" is just a game. "Let's Make a Deal" is just a game. "Big Brother" is not just a game.

It's not just a game when people are targeted and demolished on a deeply personal level. It's not just a game when a male is threatening to physically harm a woman, under the guise of "pranking", egged on by the other males, including a COP. It's not just a game when CBS refuses to address the issues that arise and let people's "game" and safety be compromised.

King Douchebag to you.

In a nutshell, after Caleb's childish hissy fit because Amber wasn't talking to him (the best 4 days in the house according to her), he urged his "alliance" to put her on the block, to "teach her a lesson" so she can "know her place". This played into Frankie's plan which was to put her up anyway. Why Amber? Because Caleb has been throwing her under the bus every time she wouldn't act or react the way he wants her to - like his indebted submissive. Because Frankie wants to be the Queen Bee in the house, not Amber. Because Amber, who has been placed on the block by her alliance repeatedly, has the audacity to say she does not trust them. Because Amber has the nerve to want the girls to stick together, since the boytches are gunning for them (Fact). Because the other idiot-girls ratted her out to the boys who laughed in their faces at the absurdity of the idea of girls aligning.

To continue, Frankie set her up, by telling her that Caleb ruined her game (FACT), and Amber finally fought back, saying she would target Caleb so he can feel what it's like. Of course, she doesn't know that there is no-one in the house she can trust. Christine and Cody quickly ratted her out. Frankie, after digging in his butthole, literally, thought it a perfect plan to give Caleb this information. Zach, his boytch, finally did so, which set Caleb off on a TEAR throughout the house. Now he wants to hit Amber in the face with a banana, throw a pot of water and baby powder on her while she sleeps and tear into her during Live Eviction.

What part of any of this is game?

It's not. Once again, it's people showing their deeply disgusting side in the BB house. Evict the woman. Why destroy her? Her only crime has been to try to play this "game". She has had nothing but kind words for everyone. She dealt with Cayleb's psychotic advances with grace. She's shown nothing but caring for her duplicitous housemates. This deeply-rooted misogyny that has permeated the house, like racism did last year, cannot be swept under the "it's just a game" bullshit. And they're ALL guilty of it. Men and women. Those in the house and evicted. Jacosta urged Caleb to keep trying with Amber even though she knows Amber does not reciprocate his "feelings". Donny has stated that Amber must be encouraging Caleb at night (whatever the hell that means). Hayden has said he wanted to murder her. Zach, Christine and Frankie have said they hated her, with passion. Cody and Derrick laugh at the situation. Victoria, Christine and Nicole have nonstop bashed her. They've all blamed her for Caleb's psychosis, even after they left the show, like Devin and Brittany. What the actual fuck?

So let's talk about game shall we? Because of this dirty plan to evict Amber, most of the Detonators/BS stragglers, aka the boytches and their resident crone, Christine, are falling apart at the seams. They have stated that they don't trust Zach, Frankie, Christine, Hayden and the targets keep moving. Derrick who has tried to contain this clusterfuck, for his own game, has given into the madness too, by egging Caleb on in his lethal vendetta against Amber, who's been his target one way or another throughout this game. Meanwhile, the "outsiders" are sitting quietly as the Douchebag Alliance will pick each other off.

Amber has been accused of not playing a good game. How can she when every single person in the house has been turned against her? How can she gain alliances or numbers to make any moves? Her one HoH was dominated and bullied by Devin and Caleb. She had no chance to make the right choices and if she had, she would still be in the same position.

The females in this game have been equally disappointing, not only allowing the boytches to dictate their game, but enabling them to, by constantly ratting out the women who tried to have their backs - Joey, Brittany and now Amber.

I don't know how this tragic season will end, but I expect not to like the outcome, the way I didn't in season 15.

Stay tuned.

BB16: Big Stalker

I've watched Big Brother since season 1. I started watching the feeds late, in season 9. I've been blogging about Big Brother since season 10. Every season, I've had my favorites and ones I did not like; but since last season, I've noticed a disturbing trend of production sitting back while one or two HGs get bullied, targeted and abused in the house, without warning or repercussion.

Aaryn's shaming last season does not even count. CBS had to air her racism because it caught the attention of other news agencies like TMZ. When she was evicted, Julie Chen mounted her high horse in the interview and confronted her. Aaryn deserved it, but others, like GinaMarie and Amanda who were as bad if not worse, skated, as did others who condoned and encouraged this behavior, like Andy (who won) and Spencer who made F3.

The targets, last season were Howard and Candice. While Howard was evicted early, Candice had to suffer through verbal assaults for being black. The feedsters were outraged. Nothing was done. There were no warnings, no punishments, no penalties, nothing, This continued until she was evicted. While what Candice went through was horrible, uncalled for and disgusting, she had people who rallied around her in the house.

That's not the case for Amber. Because of one man's psychotic and abusive obsession with her, she's been targeted for weeks. Caleb concocted an imaginary relationship with her which prompted him to talk about her to the others non-stop (when he isn't talking about himself), talk for her, watch her while she sleeps, kiss her against her will, make plans to take her on a cruise (which she turned down), marry her, force her on a "date", make idiotic and grand gestures like going on the block "to save her" even when she told him not to culminating in vindictive and aggressive behavior when she would not act the way he wanted her to.

This behavior was encouraged by all the other house guests, some who "hate" Amber for their own twisted reasons and others who use her for their games. Today, they will all gleefully participate in ambushing her not only with a blindside nomination, but with a rehearsed attack during the PoV Ceremony by Zach, a fan favorite, so that the ridiculous Team Harassment can get their unearned cash.

Why? If she's a threat to people's games, it makes sense to evict her. The personal and constant attacks and bashing are uncalled for and undeserved. She, literally, is the nicest person in the house who's never said a bad word about anyone to or behind their backs. Hayden has said he wants to murder her a couple of times. The women constantly berate her behind her back, calling her fake. The men condescendingly dismiss her as a user while using her to manipulate Caleb. This mob mentality rallying against someone whose misogyny is disturbingly apparent blows my mind. Further, there are viewers who excuse Caleb's behavior.

I'm disgusted in the whole thing. At the producers, at these unconscionable house guests, at the fans who glorify them. The best thing that can happen to Amber is to be evicted on Thursday. She has zero allies in the house; her game is done. She needs to be freed from the terror that is Caleb and go back to her lovely life without the possibility of being stuck with crazy cakes in jury.

Stay tuned :(

BB16: 50 Shades of Predictable

As everyone knows, Zach and Frankie won the dual HoH last night. Since they're both in the same alliance, it should be smooth sailing, right? The plan up to last night was to backdoor Caleb. Cody wanted to do it this past week, but didn't because he is a wuss, deciding to do what's good for the alliance. OK.

Frankie and Zach had a preliminary conversation in the beehive room shortly after the feeds came back after the show. After some back and forth, they decided Frankie is to put up Donny and Hayden so that Zach remains HoH and Zach to put up Victoria and Jacosta with Caleb as the backdoor plan. Seems straightforward, right?

Wrong.

The Detonators after Zach is done with them.

Zach mayhem ensued. What began as a mission to talk to the nominees so they don't freak out, turned into Zach promising safety to Nicole, Victoria, Donny and Hayden. After talking to the latter who wanted Amber out, the plan changed again. Zach wanted to put up Amber with Christine, asking the latter to throw the BotB to ensure that Amber stay on the block. Christine refused.

This set Zach off on an anti-Christine tear, deciding that she does nothing for the Detonators, and should be ousted. He approached Hayden with the same proposition (to throw BotB) and after some hemming and hawing, Hayden said okay but told Christine and Nicole that he wasn't throwing anything. Zach decided he now wanted to put up Christine because she had to "take one for the team", saying they need to get Amber out.

Being a natural saboteur, Zach decided to talk to Caleb, telling him that he's heard from several people that Amber is gunning for Zach, so he's putting her up. Caleb wanted no part of this because it's putting a wrench in his Get Amber Alone in Jury creeper plan. Zach wound up telling Caleb that it was Christine, Nicole, Hayden and Frankie that told him this. Caleb reassured him that it wasn't the case, but that he would talk to Amber. Zach emphasized that Caleb not tell Amber who those people are.

Caleb made a bee-line for Amber, telling her everything that Zach said, including who the 4 people were who threw her under the bus. Amber insisted that she wasn't gunning for Zach but should he put her up, all bets are off. She got irritated with this information that people she trusted were stabbing her in the back, and being naive, with little understanding of the game or powers of observation, she approached Christine and Hayden telling them what Caleb said. They immediately snitched on her to Zach and Frankie.

Amber then declared to Christine and Derrick that she wasn't going to talk to anyone in the allaince. DOH! Caleb tried to wrangle her into the beehive room, but she would have no part in it. This set him off on an anti-Amber campaign declaring to anyone who would listen that Amber needs to go, he's done with her, Cody can "have her back" and the rest of his misogynistic bull shit. He finally went up to Zach, Derrick and Frankie to tell them he's on board with getting Amber out, suggesting they backdoor her. He's a prince! As soon as he left, they agreed they need to backdoor him.

Amber had a talk with Hayden who tried to do damage control with Caleb and her because his name got thrown out. Amber told him she didn't believe Hayden threw her under the bus (Double DOH!) and that she has always wanted to work with him. This prompted Hayden to have second thoughts about her, and suggested to Zach, Frankie and Derrick that they go after Caleb instead.

Are you dizzy yet? I'm trying to make some sense of the whirlwind events of last night as a lot of these happened concurrently.

The Detonators watched Zach like someone who recently escaped a maximum security asylum, each trying to reign him in. That didn't work. He changed his mind several times after talking to various people including Cody who said it was better to take out Amber. WHAT? He was pissed at himself for not nominating Caleb and backdooring him this past eviction. This after he went on an anti-Zach tear because Amber told him Nicole told her that Zach told Nicole that the BS was still active and she was on the outs. My head exploded at that point. And I turned off the feeds.

It went around and around until they decided that Zach put up Nicole & Christine (he will get into an argument with Christine staged by TA w/o his knowledge) Frankie will put up Victoria & Jacosta. The change now is that Frank wants to dethrone Zach because he's unstable. The renom and backdoor possibilities are: Zach, Amber or Caleb. Yup. You saw that right. Zach.

Of course all that is subject to change. Interesting to note that Derrick washed his hands of this situation telling Zach to do what's best for his game.

Anyway, Zach's manic episode last night was amusing to watch, along with his demonic laughter and HoHitis, however, he's done nothing unpredictable. Four girls are going up, Amber is his target and if she doesn't win PoV, she will more than likely be going home.

This is probably for the best that she leave before jury if Caleb stays in the game, because he's trashed her game, her standing in the house and has very unhealthy intentions towards her.

Stay tuned! :)

BB16: Ambush, Jealousy and Cray

Those of you who know me, know I try to keep my commentary to game analysis while pointing out socially relevant shenanigans. I'm trying to stay classy and not call HGs name, but it's been almost impossible these past couple of seasons.  I'm like...

I don't even know at this point who's even playing a good game.

Certainly not Cody who's all about blowing steam and bitching about people but never has the cajones to actually do something about it when he has the chance, namely put Caleb on the block to backdoor him. He's lucky he has the much calmer Derrick who has the eye on the prize because Cody's emotions and others' constant manipulations sway his opinions by the moment. He hates to be questioned or put on the spot, making his immediate response a Defcon 1.

Certainly not Zach who's more interested in blowing up the house for his own amusement, making his allies wary of him, questioning whether they want to carry him any more. He's more concerned about who he hates in the house than making game-related moves that will benefit him and his alliance. He even said last night that Cody, Frank and Derrick are carrying him to the final 5. I don't think he'll make it that long.

Certainly not Christine whose sole concern is logging in one-on-one time with Cody and bashing Amber, saying the latter is jealous of her. WHAT?

It's totally feasible that Amber who's beautiful inside and out should be jealous of Christine who is literally the opposite.

I'm not one to comment on looks. I don't think external appearance is something to base an opinion on but what makes Christine ugly are her words and actions. She does not miss an opportunity to slash people behind their backs with no relevance to game or strategy. She thinks she's solid in multiple alliances but she offers nothing except spreading gossip. They might carry her to final 5 and cut her or she might win this season, Anything is possible, since someone like Andy can win.

Caleb can kick rocks, thinking he's running the house but is really the next target to go not because he backed Amber into an ambush date, not because he repeatedly tries to force her into making a commitment to him, not because he kisses her AGAINST her will, not because he refuses to see that she's not into him, not because he talks non-stop about himself, but because everyone has pretty much had enough of him. He thinks that's he's a strong competitor,  but he's just a bag of hot, disturbed air.

Amber is looking longingly at the other HGs having fun while she's stuck listening to Caleb drone on and on.

This ambush date was inspired by a joke Amber made (she should know better) about going on a date with him if he ate a pickle which he hates. He ate the pickle which gave him the right, in his mind, to force Amber into a super awkward and disturbing one-on-one date last night. Fortunately for her, Nicole's conscience motivated her to give Amber a heads-up. This didn't help as Caleb asked her in front of everyone (minus Cody), putting her on the spot, egged on by Frankie, forcing her to agree and literally dragging her outside. This engendered some sympathy for Amber among a few of the house guests except Zach and Christine who found it hilarious. It also, didn't stop those two from bashing Amber almost the whole of the rest of the night.

Amber's game is constantly in jeopardy largely because of Caleb's psycho-babble, partly because of the target Devin painted on her back, and certainly because of the rampant house game of Blame Amber. She's this season's scapegoat. She's been called a liar and a fake when she is the only one, other than Donny, who has not bashed anyone. The lies she's accused of are lies that were told to her. She can do no right in this house. This might change should Caleb be evicted (PLEASE LAWD NEXT!) but I'm not holding my breath. The only chance for her is to win competitions.

Brit's game is done because her mouth won't stop and her machinations are totally transparent in the house. She claims to be up front but her tactics include badmouthing people to each other like they'll never compare notes. She's on the block and going home. Being up against Donny and campaigning as hard as she has are not doing her any favors. Besides, it's good that she go home to her kids like Devin went home to his daughter.

So who the hell IS playing a good game?

Frank's getting some action in the house last night. Eat your hearts out Caleb and Cody!

Although Derrick is the most insulated at this point, Donny is onto him and should Donny win HoH (PLEASE LAWD!) Derrick's game will be in jeopardy. Donny and Derrick are the most observant and steady players this season. The problem is that they're on opposite sides of the house, despite the Team America bullshit. Speaking of Team America. Frankie is obviously playing all angles in the house, literally!. It would be a good strategy but the others are into him and he's been brought up as a target by all sides of the house.

Hayden and Nicole are sitting pretty in the middle of all of this which might help them to skate to the end. But who the hell knows with this season?

Stay tuned! :)

All images from the feeds are courtesy of CBS.com

BB16: Murderous Thoughts and Brainless Wonders

Reality TV is more about TV than reality. That goes without saying, but Big Brother is plagued by a casting formula that makes this show almost painful to watch. Thousands of people audition for BB every year, yet every year their choices are based on looks not willingness or ability to play the game. This season is gorged with recruits taken mostly from a pool of people who want TV exposure, fame and a life in the limelight. This has nothing to do with Big Brother. Coupled with that, they've chosen people who look like nerds, say they're superfans, look like they are "misfits" or "interesting". Then they choose the brother of a popular singer whose followers will bring in ratings.

BB casting is solely based on stereotypes, choosing people on their good looks or their quirky looks. The problem is, looks do not determine how someone will play the game or interact with others. Just because someone wears glasses and is a "super fan' does not make them intelligent or great gamers. Just because someone looks handsome does not mean he won't be a crazy or spineless person. Just because someone says he is like Dr. Will does mean that he isn't an erratic and self-destructive player. Just because someone looks like a happy-go-lucky beach bum does mean he isn't one of the most vile people to be in this season.

The producers could give two effs about the actual game. They care about the show's ratings. This was painfully obvious last season when they glossed over the outrageous and rampant racism, choosing Aaryn to take the fall but ignoring Amanda, Gina Marie and Spencer's huge transgressions, saying it didn't "drive the story". Because of those trolls, Candice, Howard, Helen and Elissa had little chance of making it far in the game. Instead BB15 crowned one of the most despicable character's as its winner. Many called him a good player, but that's saying nothing in a train wreck of a season.

Back to this season. It is clearly being dominated by a clutch of men supported by idiot girls. It's not that the men are playing great games individually; it's that they have stuck by each other with the exception of Devin whose only claim to fame is that he has a daughter and his game blew busted balloons. The dudes are riding easy, while the likes of Nicole, Christine and Victoria continue to blow up their own chances at half a million.

The women who dare to go against this man-brood are immediately targeted and sent packing. Joey went home because her pitch lacked finesse and timing. Brittany will be going home, most likely, because of her inability to choose correct alliances and to trust the right people. Her ego has shot her game. Her intentions have been easily read and those she trusted have betrayed her. Amber is the house punching bag, largely because Caleb has been speaking for her, pining dementedly over her, and throwing her under the longest bus of betrayal, all in an ongoing and tirelessly psychotic attempt to control and win her over.

So today, Donny will replace Victoria on the block. The Veto was given to her by Caleb who chose the money over safety. In seasons with better players, that would have been enough to ensure that he be put on the block and sent home. But this season, all the big bad boys are scared to death of Brittany, like she will wield this magic weapon and eradicate all of them with one HoH which she hasn't won yet. Zach was the only "voice of reason" last night telling Cody to do what's best for his game - nominate Caleb- not what the others want him to do. The two dissenting voices of Frankie and Derrick won over the spineless Cody.

Now, I'm no fan of Zach's game. He stirs up shit just for his own enjoyment. He is a wild card and unpredictable. He's arrogant and a liability to his own alliance. The fact that he pitched himself as a replacement candidate, simply because he was bored, says it all. He's not a mastermind. He's not Dr Will. He's just a punk riding on his own high and the misplaced confidence that everyone has his back.

Derrick is the real HoH and will continue to be as long as one of his many minions are in power. He is the idiot-whisperer as is Frankie. The only difference between the two is that many have Frankie's number and only Donny has Derrick's. Donny is very aware that he is the odd man out in the ridiculous Team America twist. The other two do not have his back and he's onto them. The problem is that Donny has zero power in the game. He thinks that Zach and Hayden have his back but they don't.

This brings us to Hayden who is climbing on the most despicable list. Last night he stated about Amber, "I'd love to fucking throw that bitch off the balcony and watch her splat! She knows everyone hates her." That level of hatred is psychotic and has nothing to do with game. He is as obsessed with Amber as Caleb is and both of them have irreparably damaged this woman's game. The fact that she has nothing but good things to say about everyone, makes this even harder to witness. This makes his BB16 girlfriend, Nicole, very happy because she also hates Amber with a passion.

It's true Amber has zero allies or friends in the house. They have all said nasty things about her and rightfully see her as a threat because she is a competition beast. This is not surprising given the inevitable misogyny that this show engenders. Every year, there's a female punching bag in the house and among the viewers, whether they have engendered those emotions with their words/actions or not. Most of the men in the house have shown one form of misogyny or the other, the worst being Caleb whose attitude towards women is astoundingly condescending and inappropriate. But the guys and most of the women left would prefer to keep them in the house than Brittany who has zero power and only a couple of allies.

Stay tuned! :)

BB16: BB Misogyny

It seems that I blog about this topic every single season - there is an element of misogyny in the way women are cast, seen and treated on BB. This topic has come screaming into the forefront because of not only the way Caleb has been treating Amber, but by the way the others encourage his psychotic delusion. I can say that because I have a degree in psychology.

It's so bad that even CBS is using it on the show tonight.

Caleb has devised a fictitious romance with Amber in his head causing him to stalk her around the house, call her his "queen", talk incessantly about her, get riled up when she doesn't act/talk the way he wants, get jealous if she talks to anyone else, especially Cody, treat her like she can't take care of herself, talk down to her and make these idiotic moves like volunteering to go on the block despite her protests, only to be further enraged that she doesn't prostrate herself in front of him, and finally is gunning for her because she's trying to distance herself from this psychotic behaviour.

He's made statements to many that he wants to cuddle with her (against her will), that he wants to date her, that he wants to be the first two in jury. He's pressured her with subtle threats. He's talked about her so much that every person in the house has turned his/her back to her - wanting her out. All this without her knowledge. All this despite the fact she's said "no" repeatedly in myriads of ways.

When Amber finally figured out that Caleb has gone too far, she tried to talk to people like Jacosta who then went to cuddle poor broken-hearted Caleb and to Cody who doesn't have the balls to defend her to his boys who think Amber is a user and a tease, a notion that is, disturbingly, shared by others outside the house. The girls are no help either. Rather than rally around one of their own and commiserate in her predicament, they say they do not trust her; they bash her; they want her out. Who are these people?

Caleb staring at Amber with Cody on the hammock last night, getting increasingly irate.

While those of us who are witnessing this scenario that reads like a script from a psycho-thriller are horrified, the house guests are enabling and encouraging Caleb's delusions. Many have figured out that he's not all there but have not seen that what he's doing is detrimental to Amber's game and character. They don't care, as long as it doesn't affect their game. People like Hayden, Devin and Zach, who have a hate-on for Amber not only listen to Caleb but fuel his fire. People like Derrick, who is a cop, encourage using the "Amber situation" to benefit their game.

Amber is in a no-win situation. She speaks up. She is a cruel bitch who's hurt the kind-hearted and self-sacrificing Caleb. If she doesn't speak up, she's teasing him and deserves what she gets. This is sparking outrage in some sectors of the viewers, wishing someone, anyone, will take Amber's side in the house. Yet there are others who excuse Caleb's deranged behaviour. blaming Amber. This culture of blaming the victim, of assigning responsibility to the woman just because she's a woman must stop. In the real world, Amber would have recourse, in the BB house, she is trapped with this lunatic who threatens her game.

Devin, who is equally condescending and disrespectful has been called out, but Caleb hasn't. He gets sympathy and hugs.  His victim is shunned and disregarded.  She has not been allowed to play her own game and now that she wants to, she will be targeted. It seems impossible that the women will wake up, unite and take out some of these men, starting with Caleb.

I have wished for years that women would form an alliance like the men have successfully in BB. Other than Rachel and Jordan in BB13, there has not been an enduring all-woman alliance in Big Brother. There are several reasons for that, but primarily it starts the casting which uses social, gender and physical stereotypes to fuel its formula.

This season, Joey tried to, very awkwardly, form a woman's alliance but was evicted first for it. The men, especially Devin and Caleb, (shocker!) scoffed at her audacity to want to do so. Nicole and Christine formed an alliance but they had to bring in Hayden and since then they have expressed doubts about each other.

The situation in the house brings to light how some men view women, how women view each other, how society perpetuates these detrimental notions and how women need to end this catty bullshit and take control of themselves and their destiny.

Stay tuned! :)

BB16: Moving Targets

As expected, Donny took Jacosta off the block and Derrick nominated Devin to sit next to his buddy Caleb. The plan for this week is for Devin to be voted out of the house. This seems to be a unanimous decision. But it's only Monday and many things can happen by Thursday in a house filled with paranoia.

It is best for Derrick and Zach that he go because they would probably be his highest targets for the obvious reasons. Devin himself seems to be resigned to leaving the BB house and join his, now famous, daughter. But again, who the hell knows what he's really thinking? It's hard to believe that all his oomph should dissipate so suddenly. Such a controlling individual to suddenly give up all control is practically transcendental. A joker is always a joker.

On the other hand, Caleb is annoying the HGs as much as he's annoying the viewers. His ridiculous obsession with Amber who is increasingly distancing herself, or trying to within the confined quarters, inspires these deluded actions like volunteering to be nominated... WHAT? Just so she can give him some attention, agree to a date, throw him a crumb, ANYTHING? It's sad and pathetic. But other than that, the "beastmode cowboy" hasn't won any competitions other than the ones that require brute strength. Devin can win many more.

If Devin is evicted the next targets are Donny, Brittany and Victoria.

I interrupted BB to enjoy the summer for a few days, coming back to talk about Donny being a target. WTF happened? Nobody seemed to know until the show last night, where it was revealed that Donny broke Nicole's confidence about Caleb's plan to throw the BotB comp. Donny needs to understand the difference between game talk and gossip. Game talk benefits the player, but gossip doesn't. Being on Team America hasn't benefited in his game, as the other two don't seem to be protecting him when others bring his name up.

Brittany is another victim of running mouth syndrome. She has no numbers on her side, yet tries to manipulate a game she barely understands, thinking she has more right to be there than others who are childless. Victoria is more preoccupied with who's taking her make-up and head bands than the game. She probably doesn't know what game she's playing.

Where do the others lie in the game?

Derrick is at top spot. He's able to manipulate others and has handled his HoH masterfully. Cody, Zach, Caleb and Hayden are team Derrick. He's lined up a slew of targets in front of him, making himself as safe as he can.

Cody's game is all about flirting with the women, having wrapped them around his little finger. The others are using him as the woman whisperer to keep the "silly females" in line.

Zach is playing the sleeping game. He sleeps most of the day, waking up to talk game and eat. He's lucky he has Derrick and Cody on his side and Devin turned into Bonehead Dictator, otherwise he would have been a goner last week.

Hayden is well-liked by most of the house, has shown ability in competitions and is needed by the other males in the house. His game relies on that. As far as alliances are concerned, he's on the bottom rung.

Nicole is a gamer but she's easily influenced and tends to have emotional targets not strategic ones. She's in a good position because she's not seen as a threat by the Alpha males.

Christine is lucky she was included in the BS because other than cackling, and talking smack, she has done very little in this game and would have been targeted with the others. Zach has already brought up the fact that she's basically useless to them, so she isn't as secure as she thinks.

Amber's game is teetering mostly because of Caleb and the target he's painted on her back. She's stated multiple times that she wants to play her own game but he won't listen and he talks a LOT more than she does. She's a proven competitor with the ability to save herself. Despite the tenuous position she's been in, other targets will come up in the ranks.

Jocasta is in the house.

Stay tuned! :)

BB16: Zachass Move

As predicted, Brittany and her mouth have gotten her placed high on the got-to-go next list. She went around insisting that she deserved to be in the house more than others, that the house needed to rally against the 8 especially Devin, Caleb, Frankie and Amber. More importantly, she burned bridges with the person who will more than likely win this game - Derrick. Rallying people the likes of Donny and Jacosta is going to do her no good.

But what do you expect from a recruit who knew nothing about the game?

Anyway, at around 11:20 PM last night, Zach pulls Amber in the storage room to tell her that everyone in the house thinks she's working with Devin and Caleb. He tells her that everyone is trying to save their butt, like Cody and Derrick; and she should too. He tells her that no one is going after her. Amber disagrees, correctly, saying the girls are - Brittany, Nicole and Jacosta. What she doesn't know is that Hayden is gunning for her and she has no allies except cowstruck Caleb. She pinpoints Nicole as the one who wants her our more which is a fact as Nicole has been working tirelessly to throw Amber under the bus tires.. Amber declares, "One of them needs to go this week." Zach agrees and suggests Brittany.

She goes into the beehive room where Derrick is whispering Jacosta and Brittany with Cody, to declare that she isn't in an alliance with Devin or Caleb. When Derrick tries to deny it, she counters that the girls are going around saying it. She then, immediately goes to the bathroom where Donny, Pao and Donny are sitting. "Apparently people think that I have a deal with Devin and Caleb. I can't help that Caleb has some kind of crush on me but since day 1, I'm not..." Pao interrupts her to ask who's been saying that and Amber says that it's been going around.

Shortly after, Brittany comes into the bathroom to ask Amber if that was directed at her. (If the shoe fits.) The feeds go to fish and the conversation is interrupted. The feeds switch to Nicole and Victoria whispering about Brittany and how they can't trust her, and about Caleb's cockiness. Meanwhile, Derrick continues his misting the Brittany situation to make it look like he was solely responsible for Brittany staying when the first person to speak up for her was really Amber.

Around 11:37 pm, Amber walks into the fire room but the girls continue talking. They ask her what she thinks about Zach going home, noticing that she's crying. She comes to sit with them to tell them that the girls (including the ones she's talking to) think that she's working with Devin and Caleb since day 1 or 2, that Caleb has put a target on her back and that she worked so hard to keep Brittany here. At this point, Christine is in the room too.

"There's a difference between being controlled and working with somebody. At this point I am just by myself." She goes on to say that she can't undo what happened but she's starting fresh. She adds that she cannot trust Caleb because he's putting a target on her back, that she doesn't like Caleb the way he likes her, only as a person. Amber tells them that she doesn't know what was being said. Nicole says that she considers the source and that people make things up. (Both of which she has not done.) Nicole points out that they can't know what's really happened until they watch the show. (Sometimes not even then.) Frankie and Hayden join them. Frankie asks what's going on and immediately places blame on Brittany saying she's trying to cover her own ass and diffuse suspicion against her.

Of course, Caleb decides to, once again butt into the situation, and speak for Amber, saying that they are not in an alliance or a showmance. He goes into the beehive room, heated, and Jacosta tells him to dial it down. Of course, his impassioned and stupid speech does the exact opposite or implicating Amber. After his great declaration, he goes into the fire room to find Amber and make sure she isn't mad at him. She tells him she wants to play by herself. She says that's she's not worried, that's she a beast and threw the first HoH comp. The best thing for Amber would be for her to blow him up in front of everyone.. Caleb just cannot extricate himself from her orbit. with his misplaced need to play the cowboy savior. She needs to forget about being liked and making friends. She needs to cut him loose, publicly and completely.

Meanwhile, Zach tells Christine and Frankie that he riled Amber up on purpose to put a target on her back and take it off them, calling himself a genius. Amber already had a target on her back, so I don't see the genius of that move. I'm not too sure he succeeded in doing anything except firing up Amber to get her head in the game. Caleb and Devin are already targets 1 and 2 and everyone has decided that Brittany is the one who started all this because she's worried that people will think that she's working with Devin and they do.

Zach says that the true alliance is the 3 of them, Cody, Derrick and Hayden. He tells Christine that she needs to cut her ties with Nicole. Christine agrees but more out of her fear of confrontation. I find it ironic that Zach has taken Devin's place in making decisions for other people's games. Not evicting him this week will be a mistake and there will be many players who see it but it will be too late.

Frankie brings up an interesting point when he says that the twist is fans versus clueless (recruits). I have been one of the people on the anti-recruit wagon, but one of the best if not the best - Dr. Will - won the game in season 2 with only one season to go by. It's not just that they are recruits. Many of them came into the game not knowing what game they're playing. However, one of the biggest mistakes anyone can make in this game is to get arrogant and underestimate others, play too soon, too hard and implode. Anyway, another day, another cluster.

Stay tuned! :)

BB16:Flippers and Bunny Slippers

Welcome to today's episode of What the EFF is Going On?

It's 7:46 am. Zach, Cody, Jacosta and Pao are still up.  Earlier Jacosta straight up told Pao that it's not looking good for her to stay, that whatever the sketchy plan of the week was saved Zach. Pao doesn't seem to be digesting this nugget of info. Meanwhile Zach and Cody are rehashing recent events, where they stand in a house of mashed alliances and Caleb's ridiculous obsession with Amber who is not into him.

"At the end of the day", Derrick misted Caleb into voting for Zach to stay.  "Daddy" Caleb who wore Amber's bunny slippers all day (yeah WTF?), sent Frankie up to Devoid of Clues in HoH to tell him that Zach is staying. Of course Devin, being Captain Obvious, declared that he's on his own and will come gunning for everyone, leaving Frankie last. I repeat, his strategy must be to get everyone to self-evict because, other than Frankie who's just pacifying him at this point, he has zero allies. It's his own damn fault.

Devin then tried to mess everything up by giving Brittany and Jacosta all the details of the BS including everyone who was in it. This shattered Brittany's trust in Derrick. Of course, Derrick got wind of it, unsuccessfully reached out to Brit, and retrained his sights on her to go, after Devin is evicted. In a head-to-head conflict, my money is on Derrick. However, there are bigger threats in the game, making it doubtful that this will happen in the coming weeks, unless she become collateral damage.

Zach is being given legendary status all over the internet for manipulating Devin into nominating him, so he can blow up the BS. I call BS. That is the lamest bit of revisionist history to excuse a bonehead move on his part. He could have blown up the already failing alliance from off the block. He's just lucky he has better and more influential players as allies, namely Derrick and Cody. The fact is, the only reason he's staying is because Devin wants him gone; and whatever Devin wants, the house and the fans don't. I'm looking forward to seeing his arrogance growing to legendary proportions. This kid is every bit as volatile as Devin. He just has a better social game only because he sleeps most of the day and gets out of people's way whereas Devin's presence is oppressive.

So, let's see how the house stands now.

Amber - Her game is in jeopardy. Her reluctant association with Creepy "Daddy" Caleb will not be easy to sever. Other than him, she has zero allies in the game. The people who like her have little influence, the ones who don't are gunning for her. Her target as of now is Nicole and rightfully so because it's mutual. She needs to realize she's not at summer camp to make friends and drink sweet tea. She needs to sever all ties with Caleb, become vocally straight-up and make some real moves.

Brittany -  As of last night, her game is in jeopardy. She might have Devin in her corner, but she might as well strap herself to a grenade. Now that Derrick and the boys have her in their sites, her days will be numbered. Her targets have been Caleb, Amber and Devin. Given her questionable understanding with Devin, she will more than likely go after Caleb first or Derrick because she's feeling betrayed by him.

Caleb - This kid is messed up. He has a deluded grasp of his place in the house. Devin doesn't trust him. Amber just wants to get the hell away. Frankie might be entertaining an alliance with him but that's tenuous. Caleb's target is Devin and probably Cody because his "woman" is getting too close to him.

Christine - She's pretty cocooned right now. No one has mentioned gunning for her. She has an alliance with Hayden and Nicole. She's protected and trusted by what's left of the BS. Not even Devin believes that she could have told anyone about the BS. Her target is Amber for whatever reason. I doubt she would have the balls to gun for bigger players but that remains to be seen.

Cody - He's golden. Everyone likes him in the house except Caleb for obvious reasons. He's in a solid alliances with Derrick, Zach, Hayden,and  influential with Nicole, Christine Brittany, Amber, Victoria and Jacosta. Devin respects him because Cody has always been honest about where he stands. Cody's targets are Devin, Caleb and possibly Amber.

Derrick - Is this season's house whisperer. Other than being part of Team America, he has solid allegiances with many house guests; and despite the fact that Brittany seems to have turned against him, I have every faith that he can turn her back. He's that good. Apart from his meltdown when he thought Amber was considering putting him up, he's kept his cool, having an excellent grasp of the game. It will be interesting to see who he would target should he get a chance but I'm predicting he won't be going for a position of power. His power is behind the scenes. His stated target is Devin, but he could be saying what others want to hear.

Donny - He is probably the most liked house guest and the first (really second) member of Team America. This should keep him safe for a good long time. Other than stupidly being targeted by Devin, he has not been considered by anyone as a target. He might go up as a pawn but he has two of the biggest smooth-talkers on his side -Derrick and Frankie. He has keen observation skills which will serve him well in the game.

Devin - Nuff said.

Frankie - He has lost fan favor because they perceive him as being disloyal to the newly appointed saint - Zach. He's part of Team America, though maybe America wants to evict him now as being a backstabber. He's lost some ground inside the house because Zach blasted his game during the PoV ceremony (which isn't backstabbing but frontstabbing); but he's still able to keep a handle on all sides of the house. His targets are up in the air. I guess that will have to do with whether he wins HoH and what's going on in the house. I doubt that he will be placing himself in that position any time soon.

Hayden - He's in a good position in the house. Aside from his Cornhole Allaince with Christine and Nicole, he's in solid with Cody, Derrick and Zach. He's come close to winning HoH and will no doubt succeed in the next couple of weeks. The problem is, his unrealistic hatred of Amber is going to make him target her first. That would be a wasted HoH.

Jacosta - She's in the house. She's observant and is liked; but she's considered irrelevant and will become the new Pao.

Nicole - I don't know what to make of her. She's in an alliance with Christine and Hayden and will be protected by them but unless she makes some moves, she will become fodder in the days to come. Yes, she knows the game but she isn't playing it strategically. She's focused on getting Amber out and is too influenced by Hayden and Cody.

Victoria - She's in the house. She's not well-liked. She's an irritant to most people and is tolerated. She's also too transparent and easily manipulated. She'll join the other pawns in this game.

Zach - See the beginning of this post.

So who has the largest targets thus far? Devin, Caleb, Frankie, Zach and Amber.

Stay tuned!

BB16: Crushing It

This is not news to anyone who watches the feeds, but as expected, things went BOOM during the PoV Ceremony yesterday. It seems Brittany put Pao on blast for throwing the BotB competition just before the newly lovelorn Devin took her off the block per their "agreement" the other night. (Yeah, that's null and void.) That was soon eclipsed by Zach's nuclear blast aimed at Devin, Frankie and Caleb after he became the replacement nominee. After that, the house imploded.


Hayden and Nicole got their noses out of joint because they were outed as knowing about Compgate and Pao throwing it. Pao raged through the house, vocally and loudly denying she threw the competition, something that is moot since she sucks at them anyway. Hayden, for some reason, felt the need to tell everyone that Amber knew about the plan even though she claimed she didn't. This incited Nicole's hatred of Amber which was fueled by the fact that Amber allowed Devin to steamroll her into nominating her and Hayden who stayed on the block for a total of 2 hours.

Zach took a final torch to the BS by telling Hayden all about it, naming names, sending Devin and Caleb into a tailspin, latching onto to Amber's idea to ask Hayden to take Zach's place in the BS. While they strong-armed Hayden who finally agreeing just to shut them up (like that's possible) without an intention of following through with it, Christine told Nicole all about the BS with her fear-ridden spin on it.

After Zach finished causing all this chaos, he went to bed for hours, leaving his closest allies, Cody and Derrick to sort through the fallout and try to get him votes to stay. Derrick, rightfully berated Zach's decision to go ape shit during his speech; but it's ironic because Derrick went ballistic even at the idea of being nominated. Devin and Caleb in their utter arrogance, rested easy thinking they put Hayden in their back pocket, salvaged the BS and secured the votes to keep Pao. None of which are actually happening.

It's laughable that Zach is now fighting to stay in the game when he all but dared Devin to put him on the block. It's equally laughable that he would decide to sleep while others literally scrambled to get the votes to keep him. From a game standpoint, I would love it if both Pao and he were tossed out of the game. Pao is pointless and he's a ticking landmine that has not been defused.

It's laughable that Devin has managed to destroy any vestige of an alliance that had the opportunity to run the game because, suddenly, creepily, he fell in crush with Brittany who would rather gouge her eyes out than be in the same room with him, He's joined his buddy Caleb in a deluded love state with the object of their affections wanting nothing to do with them romantically. Devin the Destructor and Caleb his Eunuch Soldier are house enemy #1. I can't say I will cry tears if I see them packing in the next couple of weeks. Their bully tactics, their assumption that the way they view things is the only way, their creepy and unsolicited attachment to women is not something I wish to witness or the house guest to live through.

What does the future hold? As of now, most HGs are gunning for Caleb first, Devin second and the guilty-by-association, Amber third. The worst thing that could have happened for her game is winning HoH with Devin. No matter how vocal she was, her voice was squashed under aggressive machismo. Christine who would literally choke on her own mucus any time she had to speak with Devin is even criticizing Amber for not standing up to him. Hopefully, if Caleb is the first to go, Amber can salvage her game. As for Devin, he be a dead love-struck man walking.

Stay tuned! :)

BB16: Team America - Team Production

It's 6:41 am BBT, Cody, Brittany and Zach are still up brewing yet another mutiny against Devin and Caleb. Their plan is to send the dufus duo's pet, Pao, home. Brittany is planning on outing Pao for throwing the BotB competition during her PoV ceremony speech. If everything goes down as planned, this is bound to be one explosive PoV episode.

In unrelated news, Team America has been revealed. Interesting that no women have made the final cut other than Joey whose placement in the TA was most puzzling. Anyway, these three already were given a mission to get people to talk about bald eagles. Umm, okay, Having completed it last night, they also decided to form the America Alliance. The best quote of the night goes to Donny: "If we need a brain we have a brain. (Derrick) If we need a performance, we have a performer. (Frankie) If we need a beard, we got a beard." lol gotta love Donny.

Later in the night, Derrick and Frankie solidify their bond within the alliance, doing a little bit of revisionist history to aid their cause. Frankie tells Derrick that he hasn't chosen a closer alliance within the BS. BS. He brings up that Zach told him that Derrick called Frankie a flip flopper. Derrick says that Cody was worried about Frankie being trustworthy because he talks to Devin too much. One under the bus. Derrick continues to say that he didn't call Frankie a flip flopper, but that he was playing an "Andy game" (BLECH). Derrick of course left huge portions of that conversation out. They agree that this is now their core alliance, and will use their influence in the house, without giving Donny any credit. You watch and see boys.

Since Frankie turned his back on Zach, a huge portion of BB fans (not including the Grande worshipers) have spewed their rage against him over the internet. This might spell doom to Team America since fans will be voting on their tasks which may or may not include game-related ones, like voting or nominations. Or it could just be tasks involving bald eagles and unicorns. Who knows? It's production's game.

This new alliance joins the other many alliances and "understandings" in this revved up house. So the established alliances are: The Bomb Squad, now mostly defunct, The Cornhole Alliance, consisting of Christine, Nicole and Hayden, America Alliance aka Production Alliance. There are other unofficial and unnamed alliances - The Deluded Alliance between Devin and the voices in his head. The Muscle Heads between Devin and Caleb, and The Mutiny Alliance between Cody, Zach, Derrick and now Brittany. (I named them for clarity)

This leaves a few people in the wind, namely, Victoria, Jacosta, Pao and for the most part, Amber who is in an alliance who underestimates her, treats her like Caleb's chattel and calls her game concerns "emotional". My hope is that she will wake up and gather an army to lead the charge against these ridiculous boys.

The question remains, which of these alliances are real and will withstand the test of time or the end of this week? It's anyone's guess!

p.s. In unrelated news, Devin has declared his crush on Brittany which was brought on by their tearful conversation the other night. (I called it in my preseason assessment BTW) He went from gunning for her to planning their wedding. Okay. Creepy. Caleb, on the other hand is starting to question whether Amber is into him. Welcome to reality, Caleb! Will it be a permanent stay or are you just visiting??

Stay tuned! :)

BB16: They Be Cray Yo

I usually do my ratings towards the end of the week but with the level of crazy in this house, I might have to do it now. I'll be using the cray scale.  Like they got to the bad stash cray. 

First of all, Devin needs to make an alliance between his mouth and his brain cause they ain't connecting.  He's written one too many checks and they're all bouncing. Promises he won't keep. Alliances he doesn't respect. Deals he has forgotten about. First he's targeting Brittany and promising Pao safety.. Then he has a discussion with Brit, they hug it out, they promise to keep each other safe. His new target is Victoria. She talks to him, cries and he promises to keep her safe. Then, he gets pissed at Zach and entertains the idea of putting his alliance member on the block. For being a general douche bag with the worst case of HoHitis, Devin gets: 

At number 2 sits Caleb who cannot control his mouth, emotions or general faculties. Sorry bud, putting on glasses does not a professor make. His brain is not interpreting what's coming into his ears well at all, as demonstrated in every dealing with Amber. This has lead him to also detonate the BS alliance. First he blows up Devin by telling him that women are afraid to talk to him. Then in his apology to Devin, he blurts out that BS members not only want to keep Brittany but want to take Devin out. This short-circuited the tiny part of Devin's brain that was functioning. Danger Mr. Robinson. For being a general creeper and thrower under the bus, Caleb earns:  

Zach lands in third place this week, because he's managed to piss off and spook his closest ally, Frankie and enrage Devin with his "honesty". Not only that, but he does the exact thing Frankie advises him not to do in order to keep Zach safe. His jealous-hatred of Victoria has nothing to do with game and everything to do with insecurity. His arrogance does not allow him to understand that honesty is rarely appreciated in the Big Brother house especially by the likes of Devin, who's simmering in a big ole pot of paranoia. For the fact that he rubbed his genitals with Victoria's hat and running his mouth, Zach earns:

Fourth in this company of fools, lands Pao who is not only a general waste of space in the game, she's done one of the most unforgivable things in BB - she threw a competition to benefit someone else, not herself. Throwing the competition to stay off the radar or to give someone else the opportunity to win, or not to appear as a threat are legitimate reasons to to do so. Throwing a competition that keeps her on the block, thinking she will be kept safe by one of the most unpredictable people in the house is plain stupid. For that reason alone she deserves to be evicted this week and earns: 

Brittany takes her place in this cluster for her bonehead inability to shut her mouth. It didn't take her long to spill the beans to Derrick about her agreement with Devin. Allowing him to persuade her to consider not accepting the PoV if Devin offers it to her and putting him on blast during the ceremony, should earn her the highest cray award. WTF kind of strategy is that? Instead of even entertaining that ludicrous idea, she should place Derrick on the shady list and gun for him as soon as she can. Who refuses the offer of safety in the Big Brother house? An absolute moron, that's who. Taking the safety this week and going back on her promise is perfectly acceptable in this game. Yes, she has cajones and I admire her for that but for even thinking about this idiotic plan, she gets: 

That's it for today, but I'm sure this list will grow and grow.

Stay tuned! :)