Ruining Big Brother 18 – July 27th

There are two different experiences, both called “Big Brother”.

One is the television show Big Brother, as the CBS producers present it to broadcast tv audiences, three times per week. But the other is what is actually going on in the Big Brother house; the experience of the house guests, unfiltered — or at least less filtered — by television editors.

Fetchland presents Ruining Big Brother. It’s less “spoiling” Big Brother and more pulling back the curtain, to ruin our collective illusions about reality television. Enjoy! Or better yet, recoil in horror…

Daily BB House Stats:
HOH – James
HOH Nominated – Frank and Bridgette
Veto Winner – Michelle
Evicted – #1 Jozea #2 Victor #3 Bronte #4 Tiffany
Battle Back Winner – Victor
Have-Nots – TBD – none yet

The July 27th Big Brother TV show served as a sweet refreshment after a bland two days of feeds. In fact, seeing Paulie’s opening credits hair really gave us a yearning for the days of yore… but new fun lies ahead and the Veto show reminds us that there’s still half a season left for BB18. It starts with James quoting Paulie by saying, “you can bounce checks in the Big Brother house” about putting Bridgette up even after he agreed not to. Still Bridgette and Frank feel understandably betrayed. He’s comforting and kind to sad Bridgette but also doesn’t really berate James, saying that “everybody lies in this game,” which is true.

There’s a funny jig in the storage room as Paul, Day, Nicole, and Zakiyah express their joy in an interpretive dance. Next Frank goes to James in HOH and says he’s not feeling too bad because he knew this was coming but “poor Bridgette”. Then he tries to lay some groundwork to get a different person (Mama Day) nominated if the Veto gets used this week. James tells us in Diary Room that Frank is wasting his time trying to “okey doke the okey doker,” which is pretty accurate and amusing.

Finally we get to see the Veto player selection. Of course, Frank and Bridgette will play with James and, out of the houseguest chip bag, they select Day, Nicole, and Michelle to play along with them. Paul vents a little about how Da’vonne or Michelle have to win because the house keeps confusing the name Paul with Pawn and putting him up for nomination. This is the beginning of Paul’s now blossoming trend of busybody business. Whatever, bro. You can demand somebody win a competition when that person is you and you’re playing in it. Period. It’s each houseguest for oneself in the Big Brother house.

The Veto comp is a fabulous rave party OETV competition and super cool. The players hear “dope” tracks about the competitions played thus far this summer and the objective is to match the track OETV describes with the discs hidden in colorful goop puddles. It’s a serious challenge with rope climbing, disc finding, and water slides. James admits right off that he threw the comp, although we know he moaned and groaned about going out first. Turns out that was just a tactic to score sympathy cuddle time with Nat. But, hey – who can blame him? During the second track Michelle takes a nosedive slam to the noggin and it looks like she has a major head injury because red paint from her hair streams down her face. A head trauma has never seemed this funny before and Michelle’s over it pronto. She then goes on to win the Veto, her first big competitive win this summer.

Afterward when Michelle and Frank talk she admits that she’s jealous of Bridgette and wanted to be Frank’s “ride-or-die” which we already knew but helps clear our perspective on why exactly Michelle holds such a powerful grudge against Bridgette. Then Paul gets angry every time Frank tries to campaign and he’s not part of the conversation. Mama Day does a fun Diary Room where she says it’s kind silly for Paul to keep sticking his head into Frank’s campaigning but she also likes it because it’s DRAMA. Da’vonne eggs Paul on just the tiniest bit and then he “throws down” on Frank in the kitchen but Frank doesn’t really fall into it. “I’m the one on the block!” he points out, undeniably. Paul then criticizes Frank for trying to get himself off the block; a hilarious hypocrisy, given the nature of the game. Also, isn’t this exactly Paul’s goal along with every other houseguest? How can he not see that his need to stick his nose in everything comes from precisely the same motivation Frank has?

Michelle ponders what she should do, or at least pretends to. So, they call a house meeting in HOH to discuss it. Paul starts the meeting off saying it’s to discuss the Veto. Frank pipes in immediately to say he wants the Veto used to take him off the block and Mama Day to go up, nominated in his place. Paulie says it’s all to “no avail” and sorry, Bro and It’s not gonna happen. Frank thanks him and Day for having backbones and telling him straight up. The meeting adjourns when Paulie pronounces it so then prances across the room on his high horse to leave.

Next The TV show reveals  the morning bathroom confrontation between Michelle and Bridgette. It’s edited pretty accurately to how the discussion really happened. Fairness reigns. Yes, Michelle really was that unreasonable. Then Michelle claims the Veto usage such a hard decision; it’s “the hardest she’s had to make thus far in the game”. Amusing because she never even really considered using the Veto and also hasn’t had to make any decisions of import thus far anyway. Michelle’s Veto speech points out her respect for James in making “a big game move” and for Frank since he campaigned for himself. Thus, she expressed her latent bitter feelings for Bridgette by omission. Speaking of neglecting to do things, Michelle also didn’t use the Veto. Big surprise. Bridgette re-confirms that she won’t campaign against Frank, her best friend in the house, and that this is really the worst cases scenario for her. We agree, Bridgette. You’re screwed. If only there were some secret power coming that might change the whole game and turn everything upside down in the Big Brother house…

– Katherine Recap