Fan Forum - Big Brother 6 (US #4- The end is near.

This article is from Reality Reel. It's long but worth the read. It's the best post-season BB6 article I've read so far:

Big Brother 6: The Finale: The Agony Is Over

Big Brother 6 / Big Brother 6
Date: Sep 22, 2005 - 12:52 PM
I suppose doing anything else — like sticking a fork in my eyeball — would've been at least as pleasant as subjecting myself to the gaucherie of sitting somewhere stationary for an hour (without vomiting) and watching a television show where one has to choose between Maggie and Ivette for a half-a-million dollar prize. Well, come to think of it... it could have been, I guess, April and Beau. And then I could've stuck that fork in both my eyeballs.

By David W. Taylor (Email Me)
Reality Reel Media
09.22.05

But, of course, to be honest (honest like Maggie & Ivette...) I wasn't watching the Big Brother 6 finale to catch another snapshot of Maggie and Ivette sitting in those plush Big Brother armchairs — grinning like teletubbies — and feebly holding each other's hands and entwining each others wrists and forearms in a typical display of gross-out schwarmerei. No, I was just gathering further fertile evidence that these skunks and their allies, aptly branded with the label of Nerd Herd, are as irksome and repellant as they appear. And every week their stinking mess expands and inches upward. If that's humanly possible.

If one had to look at one footnote in the entire Big Brother 6 season that would ultimately define (and damn) this group of crazed Cappy cult figures it would have to be the Jury Deliberation segment broadcast during the finale hour. On the improvised deliberation set erected somewhere on an estate in Napa Valley, you had Janelle, Howie, Rachel and James sitting opposite Beau, April and Jennifer. It looked like a roundtable on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. And we were shown and we experienced two very different groups of people.

The four members of "The Sovereign Six" interacted within the group, and with each other, as one would expect from fully sentient, engaged adults. They asked questions, proposed hypothetical scenarios, laughed, argued; they were animated and humorous. James was even objective enough to criticize Ivette — whom, of all the Herd, he had cultivated a friendly relationship — and also support her when he felt it was warranted.

The three members of the Nerd Herd, on the other hand, were fairly docile. April spoke up the most, though often defensively. Beau made intermittent yelps, though usually these were smart-aleck retorts when Ivette's good name (and so then, we gather, his own) was besmirched. And Jennifer rarely opened her pie hole at all. Jennifer's main contributions to the proceedings was the infrequent smirk or twisted look of bewilderment which she seems to have mastered quite well while hosting archenemies Rachel and James in the sequester house. This is interesting... Jennifer is the one responsible for manipulating the Kaysar Promise; it was her Promise, after all. One would naturally think she — such a bold warlord! — would be among the most outgoing and opinionated of the bunch. Her silence and dumbness — punctuated merely by facial ticks — only speaks to her true subservience.

This is significant when considering the psychological ramifications of this group who decided to deify a runt-like Las Vegas Fire Captain, named Eric, who metamorphosed into the spiritual leader of this clingy Big Brother quasi-oligarchy. In order for Eric to assume this heavy mantle he would need (besides his big muscles) underlings upon who he could heap his wishes and beliefs. This opportunity was given to him by the five passive female personalities (and this certainly includes Beau) who came twittering and enthused to be corralled under "Cappy's" paternal wing in the big, ugly, scary Big Brother House.

Of course, this came at a huge cost... namely that while being pumped-up, comforted and befriended by Eric — and then by his omniscient doppelganger and henchman, Maggie — you were to disclaim any ownership of the ultimate prize (whether you knew you were doing so or not). This was eerily personified by someone so mesmerized by "The Friendship Alliance" as Jennifer who, among many of the ridiculous tales she wove, claimed that she was aware that she was "sacrificing myself for my group" by choosing to backdoor Kaysar. Being cognizant of sacrificing yourself in the middle of a TV game show for a group of strangers (known for a few weeks) is incredible. Sacrificing half-a-million dollars for what? The greater Eric & Maggie casus belli? An email from Beau?

Or, say, someone like Ivette who had ample opportunities to make triumphant strategic plays in the game in order to advance her personal agenda — and the legendary welfare of her down-and-out Miami family — but instead chose to make plays that only meant that The Eric-The-Fireman Jim Jones Kool Aid Cult would remain intact and thrive. As it happened she sneaked by with fifty-thousand dollars, which, I guess, is a just reward for being the number one Cappy sycophant. Yes, Ivette was quite the little vassal, despite all her rants about being so "Cuban" tough and all that stuff: "I am blunt, I'm honest, I'm outspoken, I'm loud..." Cool! But can you think for yourself?

But, lo, the real prize would await Maggie — the earthly conduit in the House for the dear departed Cappy. Without Eric's ad hominem firehouse communal vision to download, Maggie would step-in and become his alter ego. Without Eric, and then Maggie, the Nerd Herd would have scattered like maggots, hell-bent to absorb themselves into stronger hosts. It was interesting how this scenario was explored and realized at the Jury Deliberation.

April makes some apt observations: "I think that Maggie knew that she was going to be carried by me and Ivette... so why would you need to make the plays?... I think she was throwing things..." This theme is harped-on — Maggie above the fray, protected — by Janelle and crew, and April responds with this suggestion: "You pretty much think that Maggie manipulated us in order for her to play the game and get to the end..." And Janelle breaks in with, "Because she sucked so bad..." James and Howie simultaneously crack-up on the set... because it was totally true and fantastic: Maggie tanked at Big Brother gaming and was being shielded by the other Nerds. For the greater purpose! CAPPY!

"It wasn't like we didn't know that..." retorted April defensively. I guess wanting to appear cautious, strategic, engaged... but also unwittingly admitting that the group of them, in some real sense, enjoyed being manipulated so their little support clinic could stay open for business. Janelle rushes-in with another rude awakening: "Then why didn't you get rid of the bitch?" It all comes down to this answer: "I liked her..." says April. "... no, no, no... Maggie, I don't know, I, I think she deserves to be at the end. I really do..." James puts his hands over his face in feigned shock... The Herd "thinks" Maggie "deserves" to be at the end but no one has yet given a plausible reason why. Because Maggie was passed the baton by Cappy? Without daddy, mommy would have to win this thing? A few seconds later, Rachel comes up with the salient Maggie quote of the night: "She bonded your group..."

After this lunacy, the jury throws some softball questions at Maggie and Ivette. Maggie stands up and tells everyone why she deserves their vote: "I haven't seem to've been able to display hard enough what I was doing in here. How much of a player I was... to blend in... let others take a bigger roll... Because I gave 110% of myself to be here..." Ivette: "Because I played it being Ivette..." Ho hum. More nerd-ish nonsense from the Herd: Maggie gave it 110% to... blend in! Ivette was... Ivette! After the assault, Maggie, looking drained and stumped, leans over to Ivette and says, "I want a hug... what the hell?..." Oh, poor Maggie. She got some toughie questions... give poor Maggie-pooh a hug... Let's have a sleep-over... Remember to bring Beau's "Love Rock" and that picture of Cappy and his Union Cap... And can I play with the hem of your capri pants, honey?

But America was not in a hugging mood. When the sequestered house guests ambled-on into the studio... the only cheers and whoops in the room were for Rachel, James, Howie and (uproariously) for Janelle. The three Nerd Herders got only perfunctory applause. When the evicted guests strode in, Eric received a tepid welcome — noted for being incredibly under-whelming. Kaysar walked into a scene of bedlam. All Jennifer could do throughout was lean over and whisper into April's ear, trying to look cool and thoughtful during an utter embarrassment.

Howie said it all though; he took the elephant in the room and stuck it in everybody's faces, causing Maggie to look like she'd swallowed a corkscrew. "Unfortunately I can't vote on America's number one choices in Kaysar or Janie..." says Howie. "I'm stuck voting for America's last choices but don't hate the house guest, hate the game..." For the first time all season, sweet Maggie looked like she could strangle a cat. Her top was about to blow. The woman behind the curtain took a tiny step forward...

Julie Chen also, finally, did her duty and mentioned Kaysar's 82% America's Choice Vote, among wild in-studio approval, and crawled all-over April about her "If America did honestly pick her... the fans that watch this show are all pieces of *****..." quote. There were boos and hisses. Both episodes only reinforced America's support for the only sane, humorous and rational group of citizens in the Big Brother House.

Of course, Ivette was never called out for her bigoted comments (on the live feed) regarding Kaysar. She's reportedly called Kaysar a "sand ******" and a "fake muslim." Big Brother producer, Arnold Shapiro, made typical horse manure of the whole imbroglio and in explaining why these comments weren't broadcast (trying to deny BB6 was shielding the lesbian Ivette from unfavorable press) said on the CBS "House Calls" chat program: "I wouldn't want my name on a show that was having those kinds of things spoken..." Hmm. Well he did; and he even signed over a fifty-thousand dollar check to the bigot. Hollywood is a wonderful place!

My only wish is that Kaysar had simply opted to say nothing to Jennifer. As she is even worth inhaling a breath over. But what he did say was the next best thing, "(sighs) Jennifer, next time think for yourself..." It was succinct and all-encompassing — applicable to the entire Cappy Herd — but was soon lost in the piffle of Nerd Herd mentality... Jennifer reasoning (one pulled from her vast collection of reasonings) that "I did think for myself" but that she was "swayed" by her group (and Eric loudly inserting, "Absolutely!"). Oxymoron after oxymoron. And Eric piping-in with "Kaysar got upset that Jenn swore on her life and, you know, swear to God, I'm not going to put you up... and he did the same exact thing to me but I guess the same medicine doesn't taste the same..." Kaysar just shook his head and the crowd rose up and booed. The mighty Eric-The-Fireman booed right there in his seat.

And for big-bucks Julie Chen that should've been the moment! to get the darn show rolling. The perfect segway for a real, down-dirty give-and-take between the "Sovereign Six" and the "Nerd Herd," right there, in the trenches. Mano a mano. Real Reality TV! But, no... this was interrupted so we could watch Sarah and James hug and kiss. Ah, the Nerds win again. Thank god its over.