Big Brother: All-Stars - Air Date June 21
The Chenbot is back! Two weeks until the season premiere, but tonight we got to find out who the 20 contestants are that we get to choose from. Until next Wednesday, June 28th, go to CBS.com and vote for who you'd like to see back. The top six vote receivers are guaranteed a spot in the house, while 6 more will be chosen by the producers to provide balance. The cruel twist is that only twelve House Guests will be entering to play, and the eight who aren't won't find out until the evening of the premiere.
But who should I vote for, Tabby, I hear you ask. No need to worry your pretty little heads about it. As a public service, here is a list of the twenty candidates with little bit of sassy analysis of each thrown in.
Season 1
"Chicken" George - Ah, George. Some of us out there still blame your friends and family for getting rid of Brittany. Many years have passed though and you're forgiven for their bypassing of phone charges. Near the end of his time in the Big Brother house, George got a wee bitty nuts. Sometimes in an entertaining way, other times in a hoping he doesn't stab everyone with chicken feathers in their sleep way. Why vote for him? As the only representative of the first season it would be nice to see him back. I've heard a lot of arguments that the first Big Brother was a totally different game and so people think none of them should be eligible. That's silly. We need one of them in because it was a totally different game. We've seen everyone else compete in the current version, let's see how George handles it. It would make him the freshest element of the whole season.
Season 2
Bunky - Setting the standard for bald gay men for seasons to come, Bunky was a nice guy if a little bit of an emotional wreck. He didn't set the house on fire with his gameplay, but he was certainly memorable. Why vote for him? It would be nice to see what he'd bring that's new with him to the game this season, and hopefully he would play to affect the game instead of just being a vote. Besides, if he teams up with Marcellas and Ivette, we'll get to see the strongest gay alliance since Big Brother 5's Four Horsemen.
Dr. Will - Dr. Will was to Big Brother what Richard Hatch was to Survivor. He set the standard for gameplay for every season to come after him. This is a man who would tell people he will lie to them then procede to lie to them and still get away with it. It helped that he was very entertaining and he appears to have grown even more egotistical. Why vote for him? He's the standard bearer for Big Brother strategy and deceit. As long as he is in the house, he will keep us watching.
Mike "Boogie" - The Hardy to Dr. Will's Laurel. The Chico to his Groucho. The Larry to his Mo. The Bush to his Cheney. As egotistical as Will but without the brains, looks, or charm. Why vote for him? He feels he has something to prove, and should the good doctor go back in the house, there's no guarantee Mike will team up with him. Having that something he feels he needs to prove, he could actively work against Will and that could be fun to watch.
Monica - I'll be honest with you, when I first heard about Big Brother 7 being all about the All-Stars, I went and looked at the past players and she didn't occur to me at all. Of all the potential House Guests, she's the one I remember the least. That could work to her advantage though. Why vote for her? She could be the next Amber. Not the most memorable from her original season only to come back and win the whole thing. Add that to the potential entertainment value of her temper she could make a whole new name for herself.
Season 3
Marcellas - Love him or hate him, you do notice him and you can't forget him. Always entertaining, it doesn't matter if you cheer him or boo him he adds definite flavour to the house. And hey, he's been good to Realivision, giving a little upstart blog our first ever interview and for the second post ever at that. The only problem with him going back into the house is that House Calls just won't be the same. Gretchen, it'll be up to you and I know you won't let us down! Why vote for him? After making one of the most famous and memorable gaffes in Big Brother history, Marcellas has something to prove. He's also been a fan and a student of the game since he left the house, so as long as he reigns in his emotions he could well play one of the most solid strategic games of the season.
Lisa - Arguably the last and only "good" player to win the game. She was fun to watch and admits that she road coattails to the end. There is something to be said for playing the social game though, something she did much better than Danielle, her opponent in the final two. Why vote for her? Because she is nice and pleasant and fun, and she promises to play the game itself more than last time. Can she do it? We'll only know if she's in the house.
Danielle - She's the devil! THE DEVIL! As aggravating as she was in the diary room sessions and as much as she set people against my beloved Roddy, she played a great strategy game. Except for strategizing how to get people to vote for her, but she may have learned from her experience. One of the most memorable "villains" of Big Brother history, she is definitely an All-Star. Why vote for her? Because she does have a good grasp of strategy, and it would give us a chance to see if she can improve her social game to get the votes if she makes it to the end.
Season 4
Erika - Another nice player, she might be too similar to Lisa for both to go in. Or maybe not. The similarities could either bring them together or really drive them apart, and Big Brother if nothing else is an intesting socialogical experiment. Expect to see a lot of pink clothing if she returns. Why vote for her? She picked a nice alliance last time and it cost her. Will she play more cutthroat this time around? Without the added distraction of her ex-boyfriend around, we'll be able to see a more focussed Erika in the house.
Dana - To this day I will argue that she made one of the most boneheaded moves in all the Big Brothers. She was already in a strong alliance with no need to shake things up, but she jumped ship early for guy she had a crush on. She then topped it off with some of the most annoying rationalizations ever. Why vote for her? Looking back, she knows she made a huge mistake and it cost her dearly. Playing the game with her head instead of her hormones would be a new experience for both her and for us.
Alison - Oooooh, Alison! Until last year she was arguably one of the most hated House Guests ever. She switched sides in the house seemingly weekly, yet she still managed to keep people's trust through a mix of lies and seduction. Her biggest problem should she go in this season will be getting any trust from anyone. Why vote for her? The house needs its villains and she's one of the best. She will have to work hard to gain any trust and that in itself would be fun to watch.
Season 5
Jase - One of the most memorable players ever, and abuser of the famed "mandana". The craziest player since George, Jase was a constant threat in the physical challenges and his wacky attitude hid a glimmer of intelligence. Without Scott "Savage" to boost the worst parts of his personality, Jase could still be entertaining while remaining possibly a little more grounded. Why vote for him? That ego in the same house as Dr. Will? Come on! That's television gold!
Cowboy - Really? Did everyone else say no? Memorable, sure. He's the only person ever to have asked his teammates to deliberately throw a competition so he could win just once, and he really meant it. Overly earnest and loyal to a fault, Cowboy was little more than a dependable vote and it's really hard to see him changing. Why vote for him? I honestly can't think of a reason, but if you found him entertaining enough, why the hell not?
Nakomis When she popped up on the screen, I let out a cheer. I really thought she never wanted anything to do with Big Brother again and am I glad I was mistaken. The originator of the Six Finger Plan to oust Jase, Nakomis made a lasting impression on the game of Big Brother. Now known simply as "backdooring" and used more times since, when it was first proposed it was brilliant and original. Nakomis' biggest problem in the house was that she was an outsider at the start, and different enough that when she was to share a bed with Scott "Savage" in the season premiere he opted to sleep elsewhere. She made friends later on, but by then it was too late to get a solid, early alliance going. Why vote for her? She's shaken up the game once already, and without having to go through the awkward period of having this tattooed girl Jennifer explain to everyone that she'd rather be called Nakomis, she'll get off to a much better start.
Diane - She really should have won her season but she made some costly mistakes, the biggest of which was carrying her boyfriend through to the final three together with one of his original alliance members. She wasn't the first woman to let her hormones screw up her game (see Dana above), but she's the one who had the best chance of winning if she hadn't. Why vote for her? She's a smart woman who has learned from her mistake, and one of the biggest female physical threats in the run of the series.
Season 6
Howie - Ah, the Jedi. He made playing with lightsabers look like lots of fun, damn it. A little too obsessed with sex, Howie is certainly an entertaining character. The biggest problem is that he made too many grevious errors in his season, and those errors not only cost him but they cost his alliance the game. Why vote for him? Not everyone in the house needs to be a mastermind, and he really can be lots of fun.
Kaysar - One of the most popular players ever, Kaysar came out of nowhere to take the Big Brother world by storm. An Iraqi American and a Muslim, he went into the Big Brother house as the secret partner of his friend Michael to give a human face to Iraqis and Muslims and show a side that most people don't get to see. The biggest problem is he wasn't very familiar with the game, and that cost him not just one eviction but two. Numbers matter and he found out the hard way that it's better to keep the person you can't trust around and get rid of the ones you know are very much against you. Why vote for him? It's tempting to say you don't have to, because he has enough fans out there to be a shoo-in, and that's not even counting the ones with auto-voters. However, Kaysar is a very smart man and now that he was able to accomplish his one goal last season, it would interesting to see if he'd be more into the gameplaying this time around.
Ivette - The second surprised cheer to escape my lips tonight. I was siding with the majority throughout last season and wanted to see her gone as much as anyone else. After Janelle won the phone call, Ivette's tears were like nectar to me too. Then something happened. As the season started coming to a close, I stopped looking at the players as good and evil and started looking at them as human beings (I was as embroiled in the hate as much as anyone else and really didn't like what I was becoming). With Ivette I saw the loyalty in her, and the love for her family and girlfriend. Someone who, outside of the sphere of influence of her alliance, would have more in common with her "enemies" that she could have imagined. It was a huge house last year and that contributed to isolation between the two groups, but now that we've seen the extreme I don't see that happening again.
Where Ivette really won me over though was outside of the house. Sure, she dished out a good amount of negativity during the season, but she took it as well as she gave afterwards. She went boldly into chats, and has a message board where she doesn't ban critics. I'm a big fan now so I was happy to see her come back and put herself out there once again. Why vote for her? Everything I just said. Despite all the hatred she's encountered, she's willing to put herself back out there, and she's learned from her mistakes. She's still Ivette and she's still emotional, but if you've ever believed in redemption then you have to give her a chance.
James - The Veto King. Last season he went into the house with every intention of playing a weasily game, and he did quite well at it. The biggest problem is that he was playing with his girlfriend Sarah as his partner, and that distracted him too much. If he gets back in this year she will be watching from outside rooting him on, so all his concentration will be on the task at hand. Not that he would be playing without a handicap. Like Alison and Dr. Will, he would have to face the issue of having to build trust with people who have seen him play. However, he's also shown enough loyalty that he should have an easier time of it. Why vote for him? Despite his politics, he's a smart man (hee hee!) and to pit him against some of the other smart players on this list would make for a more compelling game. There are also enough physical threats on this list that winning the veto will be a lot harder, making the social gameplay that much more important.
Janelle - You could argue forever in circles who was the more popular player from Big Brother 6, Kaysar or Janelle, but one thing you can't argue is that Janelle was the more successful of the two, getting all the way to the final three. Seemingly just another shallow bottled blonde in the beginning, she started winning us over when she talked about chess and how she was using it to guage the other House Guests' strengths and weaknesses. Another surefire bet to get back in, it seems almost moot to even present an argument for her return, but present an argument I will. Why vote for her? You can never go wrong with smart in Big Brother, and she ranks up there with Diane as being one of the biggest female physical threats in the game.
There you have it, your twenty choices. Ideally we'll end up with a balance house with representatives of every season, with smart players and entertaining players, and with good guys and bad guys. If I may give you just once piece of advice it's this - don't just vote for who you like but vote for who will make the most compelling television.
But who should I vote for, Tabby, I hear you ask. No need to worry your pretty little heads about it. As a public service, here is a list of the twenty candidates with little bit of sassy analysis of each thrown in.
Season 1
"Chicken" George - Ah, George. Some of us out there still blame your friends and family for getting rid of Brittany. Many years have passed though and you're forgiven for their bypassing of phone charges. Near the end of his time in the Big Brother house, George got a wee bitty nuts. Sometimes in an entertaining way, other times in a hoping he doesn't stab everyone with chicken feathers in their sleep way. Why vote for him? As the only representative of the first season it would be nice to see him back. I've heard a lot of arguments that the first Big Brother was a totally different game and so people think none of them should be eligible. That's silly. We need one of them in because it was a totally different game. We've seen everyone else compete in the current version, let's see how George handles it. It would make him the freshest element of the whole season.
Season 2
Bunky - Setting the standard for bald gay men for seasons to come, Bunky was a nice guy if a little bit of an emotional wreck. He didn't set the house on fire with his gameplay, but he was certainly memorable. Why vote for him? It would be nice to see what he'd bring that's new with him to the game this season, and hopefully he would play to affect the game instead of just being a vote. Besides, if he teams up with Marcellas and Ivette, we'll get to see the strongest gay alliance since Big Brother 5's Four Horsemen.
Dr. Will - Dr. Will was to Big Brother what Richard Hatch was to Survivor. He set the standard for gameplay for every season to come after him. This is a man who would tell people he will lie to them then procede to lie to them and still get away with it. It helped that he was very entertaining and he appears to have grown even more egotistical. Why vote for him? He's the standard bearer for Big Brother strategy and deceit. As long as he is in the house, he will keep us watching.
Mike "Boogie" - The Hardy to Dr. Will's Laurel. The Chico to his Groucho. The Larry to his Mo. The Bush to his Cheney. As egotistical as Will but without the brains, looks, or charm. Why vote for him? He feels he has something to prove, and should the good doctor go back in the house, there's no guarantee Mike will team up with him. Having that something he feels he needs to prove, he could actively work against Will and that could be fun to watch.
Monica - I'll be honest with you, when I first heard about Big Brother 7 being all about the All-Stars, I went and looked at the past players and she didn't occur to me at all. Of all the potential House Guests, she's the one I remember the least. That could work to her advantage though. Why vote for her? She could be the next Amber. Not the most memorable from her original season only to come back and win the whole thing. Add that to the potential entertainment value of her temper she could make a whole new name for herself.
Season 3
Marcellas - Love him or hate him, you do notice him and you can't forget him. Always entertaining, it doesn't matter if you cheer him or boo him he adds definite flavour to the house. And hey, he's been good to Realivision, giving a little upstart blog our first ever interview and for the second post ever at that. The only problem with him going back into the house is that House Calls just won't be the same. Gretchen, it'll be up to you and I know you won't let us down! Why vote for him? After making one of the most famous and memorable gaffes in Big Brother history, Marcellas has something to prove. He's also been a fan and a student of the game since he left the house, so as long as he reigns in his emotions he could well play one of the most solid strategic games of the season.
Lisa - Arguably the last and only "good" player to win the game. She was fun to watch and admits that she road coattails to the end. There is something to be said for playing the social game though, something she did much better than Danielle, her opponent in the final two. Why vote for her? Because she is nice and pleasant and fun, and she promises to play the game itself more than last time. Can she do it? We'll only know if she's in the house.
Danielle - She's the devil! THE DEVIL! As aggravating as she was in the diary room sessions and as much as she set people against my beloved Roddy, she played a great strategy game. Except for strategizing how to get people to vote for her, but she may have learned from her experience. One of the most memorable "villains" of Big Brother history, she is definitely an All-Star. Why vote for her? Because she does have a good grasp of strategy, and it would give us a chance to see if she can improve her social game to get the votes if she makes it to the end.
Season 4
Erika - Another nice player, she might be too similar to Lisa for both to go in. Or maybe not. The similarities could either bring them together or really drive them apart, and Big Brother if nothing else is an intesting socialogical experiment. Expect to see a lot of pink clothing if she returns. Why vote for her? She picked a nice alliance last time and it cost her. Will she play more cutthroat this time around? Without the added distraction of her ex-boyfriend around, we'll be able to see a more focussed Erika in the house.
Dana - To this day I will argue that she made one of the most boneheaded moves in all the Big Brothers. She was already in a strong alliance with no need to shake things up, but she jumped ship early for guy she had a crush on. She then topped it off with some of the most annoying rationalizations ever. Why vote for her? Looking back, she knows she made a huge mistake and it cost her dearly. Playing the game with her head instead of her hormones would be a new experience for both her and for us.
Alison - Oooooh, Alison! Until last year she was arguably one of the most hated House Guests ever. She switched sides in the house seemingly weekly, yet she still managed to keep people's trust through a mix of lies and seduction. Her biggest problem should she go in this season will be getting any trust from anyone. Why vote for her? The house needs its villains and she's one of the best. She will have to work hard to gain any trust and that in itself would be fun to watch.
Season 5
Jase - One of the most memorable players ever, and abuser of the famed "mandana". The craziest player since George, Jase was a constant threat in the physical challenges and his wacky attitude hid a glimmer of intelligence. Without Scott "Savage" to boost the worst parts of his personality, Jase could still be entertaining while remaining possibly a little more grounded. Why vote for him? That ego in the same house as Dr. Will? Come on! That's television gold!
Cowboy - Really? Did everyone else say no? Memorable, sure. He's the only person ever to have asked his teammates to deliberately throw a competition so he could win just once, and he really meant it. Overly earnest and loyal to a fault, Cowboy was little more than a dependable vote and it's really hard to see him changing. Why vote for him? I honestly can't think of a reason, but if you found him entertaining enough, why the hell not?
Nakomis When she popped up on the screen, I let out a cheer. I really thought she never wanted anything to do with Big Brother again and am I glad I was mistaken. The originator of the Six Finger Plan to oust Jase, Nakomis made a lasting impression on the game of Big Brother. Now known simply as "backdooring" and used more times since, when it was first proposed it was brilliant and original. Nakomis' biggest problem in the house was that she was an outsider at the start, and different enough that when she was to share a bed with Scott "Savage" in the season premiere he opted to sleep elsewhere. She made friends later on, but by then it was too late to get a solid, early alliance going. Why vote for her? She's shaken up the game once already, and without having to go through the awkward period of having this tattooed girl Jennifer explain to everyone that she'd rather be called Nakomis, she'll get off to a much better start.
Diane - She really should have won her season but she made some costly mistakes, the biggest of which was carrying her boyfriend through to the final three together with one of his original alliance members. She wasn't the first woman to let her hormones screw up her game (see Dana above), but she's the one who had the best chance of winning if she hadn't. Why vote for her? She's a smart woman who has learned from her mistake, and one of the biggest female physical threats in the run of the series.
Season 6
Howie - Ah, the Jedi. He made playing with lightsabers look like lots of fun, damn it. A little too obsessed with sex, Howie is certainly an entertaining character. The biggest problem is that he made too many grevious errors in his season, and those errors not only cost him but they cost his alliance the game. Why vote for him? Not everyone in the house needs to be a mastermind, and he really can be lots of fun.
Kaysar - One of the most popular players ever, Kaysar came out of nowhere to take the Big Brother world by storm. An Iraqi American and a Muslim, he went into the Big Brother house as the secret partner of his friend Michael to give a human face to Iraqis and Muslims and show a side that most people don't get to see. The biggest problem is he wasn't very familiar with the game, and that cost him not just one eviction but two. Numbers matter and he found out the hard way that it's better to keep the person you can't trust around and get rid of the ones you know are very much against you. Why vote for him? It's tempting to say you don't have to, because he has enough fans out there to be a shoo-in, and that's not even counting the ones with auto-voters. However, Kaysar is a very smart man and now that he was able to accomplish his one goal last season, it would interesting to see if he'd be more into the gameplaying this time around.
Ivette - The second surprised cheer to escape my lips tonight. I was siding with the majority throughout last season and wanted to see her gone as much as anyone else. After Janelle won the phone call, Ivette's tears were like nectar to me too. Then something happened. As the season started coming to a close, I stopped looking at the players as good and evil and started looking at them as human beings (I was as embroiled in the hate as much as anyone else and really didn't like what I was becoming). With Ivette I saw the loyalty in her, and the love for her family and girlfriend. Someone who, outside of the sphere of influence of her alliance, would have more in common with her "enemies" that she could have imagined. It was a huge house last year and that contributed to isolation between the two groups, but now that we've seen the extreme I don't see that happening again.
Where Ivette really won me over though was outside of the house. Sure, she dished out a good amount of negativity during the season, but she took it as well as she gave afterwards. She went boldly into chats, and has a message board where she doesn't ban critics. I'm a big fan now so I was happy to see her come back and put herself out there once again. Why vote for her? Everything I just said. Despite all the hatred she's encountered, she's willing to put herself back out there, and she's learned from her mistakes. She's still Ivette and she's still emotional, but if you've ever believed in redemption then you have to give her a chance.
James - The Veto King. Last season he went into the house with every intention of playing a weasily game, and he did quite well at it. The biggest problem is that he was playing with his girlfriend Sarah as his partner, and that distracted him too much. If he gets back in this year she will be watching from outside rooting him on, so all his concentration will be on the task at hand. Not that he would be playing without a handicap. Like Alison and Dr. Will, he would have to face the issue of having to build trust with people who have seen him play. However, he's also shown enough loyalty that he should have an easier time of it. Why vote for him? Despite his politics, he's a smart man (hee hee!) and to pit him against some of the other smart players on this list would make for a more compelling game. There are also enough physical threats on this list that winning the veto will be a lot harder, making the social gameplay that much more important.
Janelle - You could argue forever in circles who was the more popular player from Big Brother 6, Kaysar or Janelle, but one thing you can't argue is that Janelle was the more successful of the two, getting all the way to the final three. Seemingly just another shallow bottled blonde in the beginning, she started winning us over when she talked about chess and how she was using it to guage the other House Guests' strengths and weaknesses. Another surefire bet to get back in, it seems almost moot to even present an argument for her return, but present an argument I will. Why vote for her? You can never go wrong with smart in Big Brother, and she ranks up there with Diane as being one of the biggest female physical threats in the game.
There you have it, your twenty choices. Ideally we'll end up with a balance house with representatives of every season, with smart players and entertaining players, and with good guys and bad guys. If I may give you just once piece of advice it's this - don't just vote for who you like but vote for who will make the most compelling television.
posted by Tabby at 10:10 p.m.
5 Comments:
Very good article.
Yes! Great article!
Now I really don't know who to vote for...and it doesn't do me any good to vote for all of them...:D Thanks! Great summary!!
well, done SB. I'm thinking I'm still a bit confused, but I've narrowed my votes to Marc, Chicken George and Evil Dr. Will. *sighs* I don't know, so tough.
Awesome write up Tabby! I truly did laugh right out loud and you made some compelling arguements. I am throwing all my male votes to James, but am voting for several of the gals. I am looking forward to a fun summer and an exciting game.
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