BB16: Has it only been a week?

Dayum! Every year BB starts before the school year ends for me and I've been able to take it in my stride. Not this year. I feel like I've missed a month. Two HoH competitions and one PoV down, four have been nominated, two saved, a PoV used and a replacement is already sitting on the block. Geez! Not to mention the 300 twists this season most of which are bound to bomb (pardon the pun).

Let's start with the whole Battle of the Block concept. After much speculation, it turned out to be more twisted than imagined. The nominees go into head to head competition, with the winning duo being saved and the HoH who nominated them being dethroned. It's a twist that can be very useful to smart players. A strong alliance can ensure power if two members win HoH, nominating 2 people who they want out and 2 strong players from their alliance, to hide it and ensure they win the battle. It requires cunning, trust and a strong alliance. Are there any alliances up to the task? We'll soon find out.

The other "big" twist which will no doubt fizzle this week like the Saboteur and MVP twists did in recent season, is Team America (aka Team Production). The first person "voted in" was Joey. Really? Are we to believe that of all the BB16 HGs, Joey got the most votes? Over "Go Grande or Go Home"? Either Ariana fell asleep at the Twitter wheel or her fans were busy with junior prom. Anyway. Joey is the replacement nominee and slated at this point to go home. Sending Team America back to square one.

So how do the HGs stand after the first round of competitions and a week in the house?

At the top of the heap and this week's MVPs are Frankie and Zach or Zankie as they are now known. Who would have thought these two would form an F2 alliance and puppet master the current HoH (Caleb)? They both have excellent social games, are strategic thinkers and are controlling one of their alliances (Bomb Squad) while reaching out to the loose ends to bring them into several side alliances. Zach masterminded Joey's demise but I can't give him too much credit. It wasn't that hard to do. They are liked by everyone in the house and share the top ranking this week, going into the coming weeks. I look forward to see how they will manipulate the game in the future.

Second spot is shared by Derrick, Cody and Christine who are also members of the Bomb Squad but who also have their side alliances and are building relationships with others outside the alliance. Derrick and Christine are very knowledgeable about the game, navigating the house and its occupants very carefully without standing out as threats. This strategy might prove a more powerful one in the days to come. Cody is likable and in the thick of things without appearing to be an aggressive player.

Hayden, Amber and Nicole are in third place. They have ties with several people and the Bomb Squad. While Amber is a member of that alliance, she seems to be in the outskirts, there mostly because of Caleb's creepy and delusional crush on her. Single white male much? Hayden and Nicole are also liked by most and, more importantly, underestimated.

In fourth place and smack in the middle stands Donny. He's an enigma wrapped in a riddle surrounded by facial fur. He managed not only to save himself with his superior spelling skills in the PoV, but he's fallen off the initial radar so far. Much like Ian Terry did in BB14. He knows the game and being the observant oddball might serve to keep him in the game longer since bigger threats are emerging.

Fifth place belongs to Caleb. He's HoH now but I'd like to see how he reacts when he's not in power. I would say not too well. He has ties with Zankie but he seems to be very disposable to them. He's the mule of the group. He'll do the heavy lifting but someone else will do the thinking. He might very well be one of the next to go unless he saves himself; it all depends on who gains power in the next couple of weeks.

Sixth place is reserved for Jocasta who has not stood out in any way yet. She no doubt will be a fodder nominee or a "pawn" in the next couple of weeks unless she wins something. She doesn't seem to be in any alliances but she's also not slated for an early boot by anyone. Time will tell. She is definitely more toned down than I expected her to be from her preseason interviews.

Just below her is Pao Pao who is on the block now but seems to be safe this week. The power group doesn't see her as a competition threat in any way, well, because she's been sucking at them. She's managed to lie low and tone down her DJ Jersey Shore routine that she came into the house with. Being on the block will do that to a person. It remains to be seen if she can continue to lay low in the coming weeks.

Next to last place is another shared one. Devin, Brittany(the spelling seems to determine how cool the owner is) and Victoria. Devin's insecurity, OCD cleanliness, whining and general twaddling are getting on people's nerves. He's part of the Bomb Squad but not all bombs are detonated successfully. Brittany has the tendency to get in people's faces; and we all know how well that's worked in the past. Victoria's high maintenance and demands are going to wear the nerves thin. Expect one if not all three of these to experience the block in the next few weeks unless things change.

Sitting in last place in the waiting lounge of eviction is Joey, Team American't. With Zach's machinations, Joey decided to implode last night by going to Caleb and telling him  she was voting Devin out (umm, he ain't on the block yet, gurl). This deteriorated into a series of small explosions that rippled throughout the house, ending in her nomination today. What do you expect from a recruit who has zero knowledge of the game, less common sense and a mouth that won't shut?

I won't be crying blue tears if she's evicted Thursday but it gives me a wicked sense of glee that this twist is going to suffer from blue balls.

Stay Tuned! :)

BB16: The hitsay has hit the anfay

The BB16 cast was announced and, already, multiple explosions have filled the BB air. It started on Thursday shortly after the cast announcement, when news of Frankie Grande being Arianna Grande's brother. The outrage spread like wildfire at his unfair advantage of having his and her fan base voting for Team America. It would be a valid point of the voting really counted. Voting results are not transparent really so without that who can prove that production isn't driving that bull cart? 

Anyway, that didn't last long. A new controversy  replaced it as Caleb Reynolds's tweet from almost a year ago surfaced. He's become the new poster child of social media dumbassery that proves the adage be careful what you put out there because it will bite you in the ass. Coming off the heels of a truly horrific season filled with infuriating racist, homophobic and sexist comments, these statements have, rightfully, rubbed people the wrong way.

But, then again, what can we expect from a butthead recruit who lives in BB and social ignorance?

He's one of many people who need to be dragged into a better state of awareness; but, unconscionable casting and a brazen grab for ratings is at the root of this shit storm. With a cast that is predominantly recruits and with a production team of social media experts, the only conclusion one can arrive at is that this is an intentional casting. In other words, they are fully aware that this is out there and not only did they cast this dude anyway, they didn't tell him to delete these horrendous tweets. Controversy is money in the bank while fandom's blood pressure is on  the rise. Cha. Ching. Those who are still shell shocked from last year are screaming foul, while others are protesting he be given a chance. People are at passionate loggerheads over this, but attacking each other is not going to change anything.

This is CBS's decision. Scream at the media beast, but be warned, every tweet, every email, every blog protesting this decision is justifying it in their minds. There is no such thing as bad publicity. Last season proved that. As we seethed in righteous indignation, as we called for the immediate removal of the foul cast that polluted our favourite show, the ratings went up. Most of the offenders went deep in game. One of them won it and the other was a finalist. We never got our comeuppance, except when Aaryn Gries got a new one ripped on every media outlet and by Julie Chen. This while a much worse Amanda Zuckerman was given the hero's edit. Why? What excuse did they give? "It didn't drive the story line."

And there we have it. It's not reality. It's TV.

I mean, they can't even cast people who have the common sense to purge their social media accounts and lock them down before going into sequester. They can't blame those who find it and expose it.

If CBS, Fly on the Wall Production and Kassting wanted to produce pure Big Brother, they  would kill recruiting, toss out their casting manifesto of stereotypes and actually put in the work to vet the applicants. They would have a zero policy against bigotry and automatically nominate anyone who utters hate speech on the feeds. But then  Cinderella would be gay and Prince Charming would be a man of color.

Stay tuned! :)

Big Brother 16 - ALL NEWBIES

Welcome back BB Addicts! It's nice to "see" you again!

After much anticipation, speculation, rumours, twitter wars and spoiler mayhem, the BB16 cast has been officially announced and I for one am thrilled it's all newbies! No offense to the BB alum, a lot of whom I would love to see in a few years time, but I'm happy it's going back to basics as much as BB casting can.

Sure, it's a TV show whose "reality" needs to amp up its curb appeal with good looking mactors, tempered by a couple of geeks and odd peeps. They are predominantly in their 20's with a couple of older house guests to "even" things out. I'm going to dive into their interviews, see what I think.

Amber Borzotra - 26
She's a model/esthetician whose agent probably told her to apply and she got in immediately. She sure is stunning. She's watched the show but says she didn't know too much about it until recently, meaning after she was cast. She wants to keep things positive and is looking forward to the competitions. She wants to ally with women. Let's see how that works out.

Brittany Martinez -29
She's an event planner and a single mother of three. She's another recruit who knew nothing about Big Brother until she was cast. Geez, really?! She plans on being herself, have fun, read people and yeah. She's not planning on holding back on competitions and flirting herself into an alliance with a "strong man player" while getting rid of people who make her life miserable. She has a mellow demeanor but we'll see how mellow she'll stay up in the hizzie. She hopes people will root for her because she's a single mother. Ask BB9 Sheila Kennedy how well that worked for her.

Caleb Reynolds - 26
He's an adventure hunting guide and ex-military. He auditioned for Amazing Race with a friend of his but was contacted by Big Brother which means he too was technically recruited. Before this he would watch BB if it was on which means hardly ever. He's a competitor and probably an early target for an alliance with bros. He will need to insulate himself with an alliance because the others will most likely gun for him whether he plans on "laying back" or not. We'll see where all the hunting aggression will come in.

Christine Brecht - 23
She's a barista and a self-proclaimed bubbly eccentric. The question remains will she be an engaging eccentric or an annoying one? She submitted a video and auditioned during an open casting. She's a BB fan who's seen every season and is looking forward to Endurance. ME TOO!! We have our first geek! She's planning on creating a secret 2 alliance and a bigger alliance. Cool it Christine! Don't overplay!... Too late. She wants to win the first HoH. Girl. Make a coffee and chill.

Cody Calafiore - 23
He is a sales executive and another recruit. Are we seeing a pattern here folks? At least he's been watching BB since season 11. He's another one who's looking forward to the competitions. I must say this is promising for the fans. At least we'll be witnessing some hardcore competitions. He wants to ally with someone he doesn't have to talk to every day. He isn't planning on going full hog in the beginning which is a good strategy.

Derrick Levasseur - 30
He's a married police officer with a 17 month old daughter. He's been watching BB for a few years and auditioned this year for the first time. He seems level-headed and is planning on using his job skills to suss the situation in the house. He wants to have one ally he can trust and blend in while operating behind the scenes and using manipulation. He should have gotten some tips from Tony Vlachos. Who knows? Maybe he did.

Donny Thompson - 40 
Psst. Kenny Brain called and he wants his beard back... He's a school grounds keeper who's watched every season of BB. His girlfriend encouraged him to audition. He wants to work his social game but try to win competitions. His plan for alliances is to wait for someone to come to him. He doesn't want to be perceived as someone trying to make deals with everyone. That's a good strategy unless no one comes to him and he's the first out. Unlike everyone else, he would go for a big threat should he win HoH.

Devin Shepherd - 26
A former pro baseball player, he is a motorcycle salesperson and single father of a 2 year old daughter. (Let's see how much criticism he'll receive for leaving a baby behind like his female counterparts have in the past and probably current seasons.)  A potential showmance with Brittany? Anyway. He has a big personality. That could be good. That could be bad. He auditioned for Amazing Race, never heard back but was recruited to play BB as a result. He says he's a huge fan and "happy to participate because it's America's game." He's planning on playing an honest and moral game. I hope it works out for Devin. Good luck with that. It didn't work well for Howard Overby; but then again, the latter was in a house with some champion crazy.

Frankie Grande - 31
He's a YouTube personality, if the hair didn't clue you in and Ariana Grande's half-brother. He's a "huge fan" of Survivor and Big Brother, having applied to the former. Then "he was given the idea to apply to BB". So a recruit. He's excited to be in the house, but is planning on bringing all his personality in the DR not in the house. Famous last words. Sounds like he's planning on being the "whisperer" behind the scenes, if he's not recognized. He wants to make an obvious alliance with a girl but a true secret alliance with a "jock" whom he'll use as a mule. He has big plans, solid ones. If he follows through, his chances are pretty good.

Hayden Voss (that rhymes with Moss) -21
He's a pedicab driver who reminds me of a cross between Casey Turner (Banana Man) and Frank Eudy. Yes, I know. Weird combo. He's yet another recruit and yeah, Kassting needs to fulfill the list of cast stereotypes that usually backfire in their faces. He's been doing his research on BB meaning he didn't watch before. He's looking forward to competitions and will go for it. He seems like a happy-go-lucky guy who will play honestly as long as he can (5 minutes) and then get cutthroat. He hopes that someone comes to him for an alliance or ally with other friendly people.

Jocasta Odom - 33
She's a minister and mother of 2 little boys. She submitted a video to BB for the first time this year. She's a big fan who's been watching the show for years. Let's pray that she doesn't go in there heavenly guns blazing, because that does not go over well with the housemates or most of the fans. She wants to form a woman's alliance knowing that they can be catty but she wants to overcome this. Preach!

Joey Van Pelt - 27
Hello blue hair. Will you be getting along with pink hair? She's a make-up artist who was recruited and has zero experience with reality TV or BB. She doesn't even have a TV. WTF? Okay. I guess they don't have enough auditions... She too wants an all-ladies alliance because she gets along well with women. As a fan of irony, what are the chances that she, Amber and Jocasta will butt heads immediately?

Nicole Franzel - 21
She's a recent nursing graduate who describes herself as flirty and nerdy. As a self-proclaimed superfan of BB, she auditioned. She too wants to have a secret alliance with a strong male (hmm, who could that be?) and be a part of a larger alliance. She's planning on winning as many competitions as she can. She better have an alliance or she will be out the door.

Paola Shae - 27
She a DJ whose strategy is not to be herself too much "haha". Well that doesn't bode well... She claims she's very special and one of a kind. Okay, now I get it. She's another recruit who sort of watches the show, but is on it to further her career. She gets my vote for the most obnoxious at first impression. She'll no doubt butt heads with others. She will go after the ones she considers most annoying. Can she nominate herself? She's another one who wants an all-girl alliance which probably means that alliance is doomed.

Victoria Rafaeli - 22
She's a photographer and a huge BB fan who's been recruited. She's another fan of the competitions. I expect LONG endurance competitions, people! You best not disappoint! She plans on being both a manipulator and a "coaster" by making an unlikely alliance. She talks the talk, will she walk the walk? That remains to be seen. If she follows through, she might go far as well.

Zach Rance - 23
He's a recent Economics graduate who went to a casting call without being a huge BB fan. He says he's not looking forward to anything in the house except bringing home the money. Can the first evicted do that? He's making me want to pre-evict him just from the interview. When he says that he will make every person in the house feel like he/she is his best friend, I cringe. He reminds me of Andy Herren which is not a good thing. And as I read his bio, that's who he admires. Someone has to.




Okay so let's recap. According to the interviews, there will be a massive girls' alliance. The competitions will either be to the death because they all say they're competitors or very quick because everyone will throw them. There are a lot of "personalities" so may the best one win. Whoever is perceived as a "jock" will have it made because a lot want to be in a secret alliance with him. It will only be a matter of time that all those secret alliances implode. The rest is routine. A showmance. A couple of bromances. The cattiness will doom some alliances. The Alpha maleness will overcome the chill tudes that they are sporting in their interviews.

I say bring it on! It cannot be worse than BB15. Although I am fond of Helen, Howard, Candice, Jessie and Elisa, the rest of that cast made me never want to watch BB again, let alone get the feeds and blog. But this cast promises a fresh start. I probably won't like all of them (Who am I kidding? I won't) but it feels like I can handle this cast. Of course, talk to me when the show and feeds start.

What am I saying? I'll be blogging. Like I wouldn't. lol

Stay tuned! :)

p.s. I don't CARE that Frankie Grande is Ariana Grande's brother. I'll judge him on his time/game play in the house not who he's related to.

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