Chima's Blog on BB12

Di(v)aLogue

An opinionated woman is often seen as difficult, contentious, a bit of a menace... I prefer the term, Diva.


Thursday, June 24, 2010


Trolling With The Homies...




Big Brother 12 is coming soon and the trolls are prepped and ready to go! Salivating, licking their gums, and gnashing their teeth in anticipation of the new houseguests unwittingly entering their noxious grasp, they have waited all year to resurface. Teeming with venom, stupidity, hate, and their preferred weapon of choice, anonymity, they await their next victims.

As much as these new houseguests think they know what they're getting themselves into, they have no idea. Yes, the house itself is stressful. There truly is no preparation for living amongst fourteen complete strangers purposely selected to drive each other nuts, but what lurks outside of the house is truly unexpected. Even the most beloved houseguests will be subjected to their fair share of haters. The trolls do not discriminate because it's not about the person they're attacking; it's more about them spewing the vile hatred they harbor inside at whatever is within striking distance.

Now usually trolls stay within the scope of forums, message boards, comment sections of articles/blogs, etc., but the Big Brother trolls band together and travel far & wide to attack us where we live (well as close as they can get) Twitter, Facebook, P.O. Boxes, & sometimes our personal e-mail addresses. Over the years they've even gone so far as to petition to get houseguests (and their parents) fired from their jobs. They've made it their life's mission to ruin our lives because you see; they have no life of their own. Death threats? Par for the course. Insults? "NIGGAR!", "You diserved to get raped!", & "THAt SERIAL KILLER sHOULD HAVE FINISHED YOu OFF!" were just a few gems hurled at me from behind the keyboards of the trolling cowards. And if you know anything about me, I was more bothered by the misspellings & ALL CAPS than the toxicity launched my way.

The houseguests are playing a game within the confines of a well-decorated fish bowl where every word spoken and action taken is documented for perpetuity. A game in which lying, manipulation, backstabbing, etc. are sometimes very necessary strategies in order to win; emotions run high, stress is inevitable, mistakes are made, drama ensues and we do it all for the fans of Big Brother...there's no us without them. There's no show without us. Our real lives shouldn't be the subject of troll meddling. Save that for the game. You can't text 1 to get us fired or text 2 to have us meet our early demise. It's called perspective. Get some. Preferably one less skewed, like... It's a freakin' reality show for your entertainment!

I'm a fan of reality TV as well, my current favorite being the Real Housewives franchise. How good was the catfight that was The Real Housewives of New York City ?! I was enthralled by the bitterness, floored by the craziness, and entranced by the ability of the women to look so fabulously divine while being so downright dirty. Well, Alex's wardrobe was questionable at times, but I digress.

Of course, I picked sides. Primarily Bethenny's over Jill's. That's what you do in reality TV! However, do I hunt down the villainous stars of my favorite shows to unleash an onslaught of rage? No. Unlike trolls, I'm content with my life and myself. And I don't have the time or the inclination.

Reality TV stars are real, three-dimensional people, but reality TV features only the side viewers can mock & hate or love & root for. There is no in between. Naturally, we're seen as caricatures of ourselves wherein people "know" us strictly as one type. Fans of Big Brother get this, go along for the summer ride, add a little snark here & there, and drop the animosity when the season is over. Trolls? All they know is pure malice, atrocious self-loathing, and trolling with their fellow haters, the homies...

Posted by Chima Simone at 8:28 AM

helloooooooooooooo!! I posted this right below you!

well I had posted it, mysteriously it disappeared. go figure.

anyway, I thought it was a good read and a good blog. There is no doubt in my mind that certain "fans" sent her those things about being raped etc and that is truly sad. Why go to those lengths??

That's terrible. That's why fans should just stick to watching the show and stop trying to participate! CBS is only handing out one check.

'Big Brother's' Chima Simone Runs Down the New Houseguests


By Chima Simone
Published: June 30, 2010








Big Brother’s Answer to "Jersey Shore":
Enzo Palumbo, a 32-year-old insurance adjuster from Bayonne, N.J.
A self-proclaimed character, he thinks he’s already a celebrity and has apparently used the Jersey Shore Nickname Generator because the best he could come up with was “Meow Meow." We all know “The Situation” is taken, but really?! His strategy, plainly put, is winning. And with Mafia as part of his planned alliance name, that just may happen. By any means necessary.
The Definitive Diva of the Season:
Monet Stunson, a 24-year-old model from Glen Carbon, Ill.
Monet told the producers she couldn’t wait to taste slop so we know she’s a good liar. She has strutted her stuff for Gwen Stefani’s label L.A.M.B, placed 1st runner up for Miss Illinois USA 2008, and one of the accomplishments she is most proud of is her "good driver’s license picture." I can hear the collective “She’s a spoiled, entitled, little b----*” grumblings from here. Oh wait, that was directed at me? OK, never mind.
Obviously proud of her looks, this princess lives a privileged life, yet will soon get a cold shower wake-up call when she finds out slop isn’t so tasty after all, especially after a full week of what I can best describe as pig’s feed masquerading as flavorless oatmeal.
The Brains Are Back in a Big Way:
Matt Hoffman, a 32-year-old web designer from Elgin, Ill.
Former contestant on the fourth season of NBC’s "Average Joe: The Joe Strikes Back," Matt is the smartest person to ever play the game (his words). Even telling the producers he’s smarter than them. Word to the wise, Matt, don’t talk smack to the producers.







A seasoned reality competitor & MENSA member whose motto is “I don’t want the world, I just want your half” should fare just fine in the cutthroat "Big Brother" house.
Foxy Floater:
Ragan Fox, a 34-year-old college professor from Los Angeles
Ragan’s strategy is to float-on until war is declared while also maintaining a secret alliance on the side. He plans to use his gayness for good & evil so maybe Enzo will get that “good gay guy” he’s looking for in his mafia alliance. Writer, poet, and podcast producer, Ragan also brings an intellectual creativity to the game. Humor is his thing so I expect many inspired diary room sessions from him; each one presented with him possibly sporting a different color bow tie? I can only hope. Maybe his penchant for them will rival last season’s Kevin Campbell’s obsession with scarves.
She’s a Hustler Baby, She Just Wants You to Know:
Rachel Reilly, a 26-year-old chemistry graduate student/VIP cocktail waitress from Las Vegas
Rachel’s strategy is to employ that well-honed VIP bottle service skill set to the game. That translates to using what you got to get what you want, the ultimate result being big money in Vegas and a nice prize in "Big Brother." And this girl’s got a lot: Hawaiian Tropic bikini body, brains, beauty, & personality. This sexy scientist will win the men over and the women? Well, my guess is that they’re expendable as far as she’s concerned.

Secretive Salesman:
Lane Elenburg, a 24-year-old oil rig salesman from Decatur, Texas
Lane is not revealing his strategy. How did he get away with that one? That was a biography must-have last season! A former collegiate athlete, he’s well equipped for the physical challenges. In addition, this muscle-bound man works in public relations so he’s very familiar with spinning public opinion and that will undoubtedly help him in this game.
Doesn’t Do Lemons Unless They’re a Garnish:
Annie Whittington, a 27-year-old bartender from Tampa, Fla.
Her life’s motto is “When life gives you lemons … say f--- the lemons and bail.” Well, that’s the strategy I employed in the game, but not Annie. She has declared, "I will be the winner of Big Brother." and plans to use her bisexuality as a secret weapon. Outgoing, overly dramatic, and loyal, I expect some fireworks from this girl if and/or when that loyalty is betrayed. Disloyalty is inevitable and she claims to have the worst of a very important component in this game, luck.
Quiet Storm:
Kristen Bitting, a 24-year-old shoe boutique manager from Philadelphia
Kristen is willing to do close to anything to win. She grabs life by the balls so surely she won’t hold back in the "Big Brother" house. According to her bio, she is very misunderstood by strangers. That is not necessarily an asset in a game where you have an extremely short time to make a good first impression on your fellow housemates. She says we’ve never seen anything like her in reality TV … well, don’t shelter us from the storm, Kristen. We want to see this!

Purported Backstabber:
Hayden Moss, a 24-year-old college student from Tempe, Ariz.
Hayden claims he’ll stab anyone in the back to win a half a million dollars, but after reading his bio, I’m not so sure. Something about him, maybe his fun loving, hang-loose attitude and charming smile, exudes a guy who is there to win,but undeniably also there to have a good time at all cost.

Jeff’s Doppelganger?"
Brendon Villegas, a 30-year-old high school swim coach from Riverside, Calif.
Not according to his bio, but CBS’s “The Early Show “ clip sure portrays him as the next Jeff Schroeder, a huge fan favorite from last season. He may be our resident "Big Brother" heartthrob looking for a showmance with a girl bearing a sweet rack personality, but in his bio, he states he wants to win women over and then turn them against each other. While he claims he’s scared of that lovely girl that may win him over with her kind-heart, I don’t sense fear. I detect cold calculation. A PhD in Biom. Physics isn’t needed to orchestrate catfights, but his intelligence could help him win the game.
A Mix of Chelsea Handler & Martha Stewart:
Britney Haynes, a 22-year-old hotel sales manager from Huntington, Ark.
Sooooo Britney is a comedian that knows her way around crafts and a kitchen? That remains to be seen, but she did tell America to remember whatever comes out of her mouth is purely sarcasm. Her strategy is to play hard to get. Um, this isn’t "The Bachelor," but OK. Egomaniacs and old people are her most undesired roommates. Well, one out of two ain’t bad. The eldest houseguest is 40 years young.
Survivor:
Kathy Hillis, a 40-year-old deputy sheriff from Texarkana, Ark.
Criminal profiling, reading people, and investigating are part of her daily job so I don’t see her being fooled very easily. Self-described as tenacious & having survived ovarian cancer her life’s motto is “Never give up, never give in, and never use the word defeat …” She may have to put aside her dislike of living with women to get ahead in this game, but I don’t see that being a problem for her. Kathy vowed to her Grandma that she would apply to Big Brother when she got well, now she’s there to win.

Pot Stirrer:
Andrew Gordon, a 39-year-old podiatrist from Miami Beach, Fla.
Andrew describes himself as sneaky. Am I gullible enough to fall strictly for that little tidbit? Yes, but here are some other clues that seal the deal for me: First, his bio reads like the definition of saboteur, especially his reference to his missing his daughter. That would be so sweet if it didn’t come second to watching ESPN daily as the most difficult part of living in the "Big Brother" house.
This man has no desire to win over the audience. Bingo! He doesn’t have to because he’s working on behalf of America. Secondly, his first two favorite activities are gaming and poker. Lastly, he wants to incorporate many players’ strategies, most notably, Russell Hantz of "Survivor," a notorious saboteur. Russell’s name was actually tossed around as a desired addition to the "Big Brother 12" house by many fans.
Maybe those lucky viewers will get a little taste of the tampering with Andrew. We shall see...
***
Now to my pick for this season’s America’s player, “The Saboteur."
Inspired by "The Mole," this season’s twist includes a player that is there solely to sabotage their fellow houseguests. The player will not try to win the $500,000 grand prize, but he or she can win cash by getting to at least the halfway point in the game.
“The Saboteur,” who many are referring to as a revised version of season 8’s “America’s Player,” will be revealed during the live eviction show on July 15.
Stay tuned.

This sickens me...last season gave a well diverse cast and just by looks only AG has fallen wayyy short they basically gave us a token and the cast looks like a bunch of swimsuit models. This is not even close to reality.

I think you give them far too much credit... They look pretty average to me as far as looks go. Maybe there aren't a whole lot of dogs and misfits trying out... Besides you've been a fan for many seasons now PJ...Did you really think there would be a house of Chicken George, and Jerrys in there? This whole whine in general that a lot of the fans do as a whole is pretty tiresome.

Chima on 'Big Brother': Britney Out and the Brigade for the Win
By Chima Simone
Published: September 10, 2010 @ 9:50 am


Enzo may have started the Brigade, but Hayden is determined to finish it as the last man standing. Winning Head of Household this week, Hayden put the plans in motion to get out the only woman left and lone outsider. The Animal had tunnel vision and Britney was his blind target.

Naive Britney refused to see what was directly in front of her the entire game. She thought the Alpha males of the house were her inner circle, but they had inconspicuously banded together on day 2 and proceeded to dictate the game from that point forward. Britney stood on the periphery as they even succeeded in controlling her HOH by puppeteering the removal of a pivotal Brigade member. To her credit, The Brigade went undetected by everyone in the house, a couple opening their eyes when it was much too late.

Ragan warned her about them last week, but Britney chose to believe she was one of the boys, Lane was her best friend to the end, and she was therefore protected. When nominated alongside Lane, she felt confident in his promise to take her to Final 2. However, Britney, having proven a worthy POV competitor in the past, wasn’t content to lie down and float to the finals on his coattails. She knew this final Power of Veto competition was the most important of them all and was going to fight until the bitter end.

Silently rooting for her, Lane’s plan was for Britney to win, remove herself from the block, and send Enzo home without having to get his hands dirty, but his strategy didn’t stand a chance against Hayden’s winning streak. The Animal hustled and eked out another win, thereby solidifying his nominations and Lane’s renewed allegiance to the Brigade.

A grenade had hit the Britney and Lane side alliance. It was a guarantee Enzo, the only vote, would be sticking with the Brigade, and she was on her way out. The Brigade knew it and it was time Britney knew it too.

Lane opened up about the Beast, Enzo announced the Meow Meow, Hayden confessed the Animal, and they all divulged the inner workings of their now exposed alliance. At first Britney appeared unfazed by the disclosure, but when Hayden made it clear he would not be using the Veto and the $10,000 she won in a luxury competition would have to suffice as her grand prize, she became visibly upset and shaken.

Devastated, Britney retreated to the rust room where Lane later approached her and assured her his intentions were always good and she left to the jury house believing that. Voted out directly after the live veto ceremony, Britney told Julie Chen she begrudged Lane nothing and even cared a lot for Enzo and Hayden. The loyalty to the Brigade knows no bounds as Matt has shown, but maybe she’ll finally reveal their secret to the jury that awaits.



In the jury house, Matt still has yet to mention the Brigade, but he did open up to Ragan about his wife’s good health and lack of illness; this time abandoning his typical smirk for a huge grin as he offered, “Sorry?”

Matt’s apologies are the worst. They lack a critical factor --remorse. Moreover, “Sorry,” should always be declarative, no question mark about it.

The whole scene was devoid of emotion on Matt’s part, but Ragan appeared deeply betrayed. It would have been nice to delve further into that “explosive moment we’ve all been waiting for” the voiceover promised, but Rachel interrupted with her unique brand of manufactured drama. She does have a knack for making everything all about her, but we’ll take it. How else would we get little digs like Ragan’s “We don’t share a common reality,” to Rachel? Oh Ragan, no one throws barbs like you. Rachel’s “queen” jab doesn’t even come close.

Also thrown around were Lane, Enzo, and Hayden in the first part of the final HOH competition, Rumble in the Jungle. A test of endurance, Hayden stayed on his rope the longest and advanced to the third part to face off with Lane, who won the second part in a face morphing competition. The final HOH of the season will be determined next week during the live finale where one of these Brigade members will win the cash prize of a half a million dollars. Hayden’s mastery of the most recent comps has him possibly sitting pretty in one of those Final 2 chairs, Bieberish hair and all.

Regretfully for Enzo, the man who started the Brigade, his fate lies in the hands of either Hayden or Lane. He has to rely on the Animal or the Beast to take him to the end, but at this point in the game; it’s every man for himself, all loyalties aside.

Meow Meow’s social game may have been flawless, but his inability to win competitions at crucial moments may prove to be his downfall and result in him casting a winning vote rather than receiving one.

http://www.thewrap.com/television/blog-post/chima-big-brother-britney-out-and-brigade-win-20741