That was the week...
Looking back over the weeks posts, I hold my hands up and say...how wrong could I have been? That's one of the more interesting aspects of this blog... seeing how views change over the weeks.
Well...Mary's gone. Not sure how I feel about that. I just hope Craig earns the extra time he's been given...his tale telling to Big Brother shows that he just might. I watched the faces of the HMs as he told them via Lesley who had been trying to discuss nominations... thrilled rather than outraged I think. I'm sure they're all wondering how they can influence other HMs' nominations without getting caught. Craig was obviously aware that his own actions in revealing Derek's scheming could also be construed as discussing nominations. I think he's made it obvious who he'll be nominating next week. Derek's comment to Science that the house dynamics would be very different without Sam and Saskia is surely no worse?
What I want to know is, when is it discussing fellow HMs and when is it discussing nominations?
I was surprised that Roberto had so many nominations and Mary so few. That Lesley got no nominations is very interesting. Is it tactical voting... no one sees her as a threat? I warmed to Lesley over the week and find her fascination with her own breasts hilarious. Most of Friday was spent adjusting them and admiring them.
Anyway...back to some more BB watching. :)
- posted by cerebral pig @ 4:18 AM 0 comments
Why?
I never find BB easy to watch. I find it quite challenging. The housemates have their challenges to deal with, working out how to survive without going mad amongst all the emotional chaos...some of their choices are not pleasant. I know people say they are just a bunch of wankers and dismiss the whole phenomena but I think that's very very unfair. I think that what they are doing is a massive personal challenge and not without risk. It has to be life changing and I kind of envy that.
It's a criticism constantly aimed at Big Brother- that it's immoral to manipulate people in the way that it so obviously does- cruel and demeaning- exploiting them. But every year, thousands of people queue up to be exploited in the BB house, knowing that the chance of making anything from it is very slim indeed. Are they all sad wankers? Of course not. If I did't have so many skeletons in my closet and a little boy to worry about, and a whole host of neurosis to deal with, I'd be tempted myself. :) Just kidding. I couldn't hack it.
So, for me, there's challenge in the watching... watching my own reactions to what's happening in the house...how I react to the people and what they do...how I feel about them. Do I get the urge to join the witch hunt... how easy is it for me to see them as less than human? Is it possible to remain objective? Can I figure out what is real and what isn't? It's a complex game...immersive for the spectator and a balance of chance and strategy that is extremely unpredictable. I never vote. My involvement is almost always passive. My other half said to me the other day- Who needs friends when you have Big Brother? Of course, he was mocking me but it made me think... As an introvert, I'm easily over stimulated and find the presence of lots of people in my life very difficult to manage so I tend to steer away from that. Perhaps the BB thing is an easy way for me to have the extrovert's experience of people...and I can put them back in the box when it all gets too much. :)
I know this is a bit flaky but I'm just trying to think it through. At the end of the day, ;) feel free to shoot me down.
- posted by cerebral pig @ 11:14 AM 0 comments
Day 7 Too many Chiefs?
I was up into the early hours watching the post nomination fall out. I desperately needed sleep but just couldn't tear myself away until my laptop made the decision to hibernate due to low battery.
Craig did himself no favours at all by moaning about how everyone shuns him, hates him, is rude to him. I heard him trip out the same self pitying speech several times...not very attractive. He really needs to find a more positive slant on this or he is out on Friday.
Then Mary started her- I'm the most intelligent/genuine person in this house- rubbish. She was obviously very cross at having been put up for eviction and saw fit to start accusing everyone of being fake. I think there is a touch of projection going on there with Mary being one of the most affected HMs in the house. It was interesting to see that she forgot to do the intense stare and eye rolling thing that she's been affecting ever since she entered the house. Fake? Real? It's a tv game show for goodness sake!
Cut to Roberto and Science arguing in the kitchen. It was hilarious...pure comedy. At one point, Science was heard to say something like, "You were disrespecting my chicken." It couldn't get any better.
Cut to Maxwell having a go at Kemal...it was hard to tell what they were really arguing about but it seemed entirely pointless and trivial. Kemal followed Maxwell into the bedroom to carry on the argument and it ended with Maxwell doing some very loud, intimidating shouting before the camera cut away, probably worried that something very unpleasant was going to happen. It was as close to physical violence as I have seen.
More of Craig moaning, Lesley arguing with someone or other and I was beginning to lose the will to live.
They can't possibly keep up this level of confrontation. I hope it's just a matter of jostling for position before they settle finally into their respective cliques or the house is going to burn up the the flames of so many raging egos. Last year we saw two well defined groups emerge, leaving a centre ground for the floaters. I don't see that happening yet. Are there too many chiefs and not enough indians in the house? Time will tell.
- posted by cerebral pig @ 8:36 AM 0 comments
Wow!
What a fantastic bit of live telly, even if Endemol nearly cocked it up by not leaving enough time for the nominations to be announced.I was really on the edge of my seat through the whole process, from Makosi’s reaction, to her reasons for nominating Mary, the hurried conferance with Kemal and then the bombshell.
Initial reactions? I was surprised that Roberto and Sam had so many nominations, and even more surprised that Mary and Maxwell had so few. I wonder if tactical voting is an issue at this stage with people voting for those they perceive as their main rivals, rather than picking off the easy targets first? Mary is going to take this badly, and I suspect the great British public will be voting against her on Friday.
Most interesting of all is Makosi throwing in her lot with Kemal, effectively forming a very strong alliance. I think Derek will be taken into their confidence as well, and then Makosi stands a good chance of avoiding being nominated next week which should give her a chance to rebuild relationships and see her through to the middle game.
- posted by thermalsatsuma @ 2:46 PM 1 comments
There's something about Mary
Well, somebody had to use that tagline sooner or later. It’s obvious that Mary is rapidly running out of options – she came into the house expecting to be the center of attention simply for being a bit weird. When that didn’t work she switched into being a victim to get attention, and her latest tactic is simply to say stupid, cryptic and irritating things to the other housemates in the hope that they will somehow be impressed and realize how wonderful and deep she is. None of it is working, and I suspect that she doesn’t yet have sufficient grasp of how the game is played to do anything about it.
It’s too early to make detailed predictions about the voting this week – there are too many housemates and I haven’t really seen enough of them yet – but my gut instinct is that Makosi has done enough to get sufficient nominations to be safe, leaving Mary and one or two others to face the vote. If this is the case then Mary is doomed, which might explain why Channel 4 gave such a favourable edit to the summary show with her party in – cutting a lot of the really weird stuff out. When she leaves she is certain to face a hostile crowd, so I think this is a case of damage limitation by Endemol.
- posted by thermalsatsuma @ 1:01 AM 1 comments
Can ya tell what it is yet?
What a rotten pig! Follow the link to my slideshow painting- make sure you watch it as a slide show- don't just skip to the end.
Apologies in advance.
- posted by cerebral pig @ 8:24 AM 0 comments
Day 5
Science told Craig that he was just on the low point of the rollercoaster yesterday when everything got all too much for the nasty natured hairdresser and he gave into crying. He’s not the player he thought he was going to be. Getting the women together and encouraging them to bitch is not a good strategy. The public don’t like it and if he’s unlucky enough to go up for eviction he just might go.
I have a feeling– and it’s not a very strong feeling at all– that Mary will get lots of nominations and Lesley, Makosi, Sam & Max ( ;) to Neil), Science…loads of others– it’s be easier to say who definitely won’t be up! I think Dek is safe and Roberto, probably Vanessa and Anthony for sure but watch this space. Can you tell I don’t have a clue.
Anyway– last night the singing thing raised it’s ugly head and as Lesley started warbling, I experienced my first Big Brother Blush *cringe* the horror. And Max’s performance was something to behold– very scary… talking of witch, Mary was particularly scary last night– she obviously loves being the centre of attention– vying for attention in the house isn’t easy and I reckon now, that’s why she said wanted to leave…she thought she would be at the centre of things but it didn’t work out that way. The act isn’t working so far– she’s not good enough and playing victim just won’t hack it-so she's changed tack to evil imp. I'm finding her very hard to watch...atm she's telling everyone that BB is going to let her have her dog in the house. The other HMs look baffled. That brittle laugh of hers is very worrying...and I sense the HMs feel the same.
Makosi is the one commanding attention. She is magnificent.
- posted by cerebral pig @ 3:07 AM 0 comments
Spice Sisters
Mary sometimes blows light bulbs. Makosi can make people do things…intense persuasion…but she obviously can’t make them laugh judging by the row of stony faces on the couch when she told her joke. I laughed though.
All the talk of people being deep makes me cringe when I hear it coming from the mouths of people who are so obviously shallow. It seems this new age witchy psychic thing is the spice for BB this year…the thing that is, for now, giving it flavour. I wonder how long it will be before the spiritual spice loses it’s kick and the bouquet garni of housemates – a mix of Mary, Makosi and Kemal is taken out of the pot.
I’m not convinced that Makosi aka Mechano will be successful with her challenge unless she steps it up a bit and if she’s up against Lesley, it’ll be a close call. Mary could be up too. I’m so looking forward to the first nominations– that’ll tell us so much. I don’t have a clue which way it’ll go yet. I’m usually quite good at predicting who goes up for the vote but I just don’t seem to have got into the zone yet this BB.
Happy BB to y’all.
- posted by cerebral pig @ 9:46 AM 0 comments