Let's Return to the Big Brother Household

So, it’s been awhile since I’ve really posted, but work seems to be clearing up a little. Last week…sucked. Without going into too much detail, let’s just say at the end of the work week, I’d put in more hours than I normally do in almost two weeks, both of my arms were bruised from an unsuccessful blood donation, and my cell phone had been stolen.

Good times.

But, all is well.

The same can be said for this season of Big Brother 8, a show I find fascinating even if it’s just simply on too much. Really, CBS? Three nights a week? How is it possible that they can’t consolidate Sunday and Tuesday’s show into one?

In any event, the shit is going down in the Big Brother House. It’s a season where I don’t really like anyone – like, really, ANYONE – but at the same time I think the show is great. Jessica, in particular, seems to understand the game fairly well – but also talks in the dumbest, most annoying voice possible, and gets played seriously hard by folks like Jen and Jameka, even when they aren’t necessarily trying to twist her up. It’s one of the best parts of the show – spend enough time in one house with no access to the outside world, and you over analyze EVERYTHING. Jessica spun out a week ago from a casual and nonsensical comment from Jen, then seemed to believe Jameka when all Jameka was doing was acting confused about the lack of information Jessica and Eric withheld from her.

Then, there’s the editing, which is also pitch perfect. This show has two supposedly devout Christians, Amber and Jameka. They both pray out loud, and apparently quite often. It never occurs without hearing church organ music. Amber was also featured this Sunday in a compilation that lasted quite awhile, where she did nothing but ask people for the definitions of things. Such as, “What’s outing?” “What's integrity?" "What's backdoor mean?"

Note that none of this was said with even a shred of irony.

I’m seriously inclined to make fun of Amber, a woman who described herself as the mother of two, only to later state (without shame) that one of her children was her dog, who she loved exactly as much as her child. She’s flat out dumb, and apparently also a bigot.

But two nights ago on CBS' overnight feed on Showtime Networks, a player named Amber Siyavus Tomcavage stirred things up. The 27-year-old Las Vegas cocktail waitress must have forgotten that the cameras were on when she — under her breath — had a long discourse with housemate Jameka about "the Jews." Her mother must be so proud.

The essence of Amber's complaint? That Jews she has met are "bad" people, and you could tell them by either their noses or their names.

Jameka, who professes to be a Christian, made no reaction to Amber's declaration. None of the footage has been shown on CBS' broadcast so far, but it's all over the Internet.

Amber's exact statement: "The majority of people I know from New York are Jewish, and the majority of Jewish people I know, my gosh, so many are so selfish. So weird. Even my sister always tells me, she's like my sister, and my mom will meet someone and I'll be like, 'I don't like that person. That person doesn't seem like a very good person to me,' and my mom and sister are like, 'You know why?' Why? 'They're Jewish.' How do you know? 'Amber you can tell by their last name, you can tell by their nose.' I'm like, 'Really?'"

Lovely. What a mother she’ll be.

As it stands now, Amber and Jameka are on the block, and both have stated that God has a plan. Amber stated that God personally told her that she’ll win POV, and that both her and Jameka will be in the final two. Impressive level of detail she got from God’s mouth to her ears, no?

What’s really funny about the show is that Jen is still there. Easily one of the more loathsome personalities on the show to start, she seems to have simply gotten quiet over the last few weeks, not offending anyone and somehow becoming a quiet ally of Daniele and Dick, her two biggest enemies to begin the show.

So that’s Amber and Jameka, neither who I can stand. (Jameka is literally insane with her proselytizing, Amber is perhaps the biggest mess to ever be on this show, which is quite a coup. Jen is actually sort of amusing to me at this point, but I’m certainly not rooting for her, or for Zach who seems to be personality-free. Evil Dick is very entertaining and while he’s been brutal in his rants, I tend to agree with him. But I also believe with Kail, who said that no one can dish that out, day after day, without it being part of his natural personality. And that’s not very cool. Daniele is just a kid it’s hard to fault her for being woefully inconsistent with her feelings of what is fair and what isn’t. I wouldn’t be crushed if she won, nor would I if Dick won, but again…not exactly rooting for them to do so.

Eric, America’s Player, is just annoying in so many ways. The Mohawk is thankfully gone, but – and some of it is due to the silly America’s Player thing overall – he’s just so ploying and cheesy. He seems like a nice enough guy but also incredibly insincere. I’d be happy if he wins it just because it would be impressive to get over the obstacle of not having any say in your votes.

So…that leaves Jessica who also falls into that category of “Wouldn’t be crushed if she won.” Never thought I’d say that about that voice, but hey…why not?

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I’d love to see the show go to two episodes a week, and find a way to do the elimination without Julie Chen, or at least on tape since she manages to never get through a single episode without at least one screw up. But overall, Big Brother is having itself quite a fine season, despite one of the weirdest casts in years.