Calrissian.com : Big Brother 6 Articles : Housemates Under Pressure

Housemates Under Pressure

Life in the Big Brother house is difficult on the best of days. With Cameras even in the toilet (as Ms. Lesley now fully realises), meagre shopping budgets, 24/7 tasks, and the paranoia of 'what the public make think' , it is amazing that any housemate can leave the house with any degree of mental clarity. It has been especially difficult for this years group of housemates, who have utterly failed to gel as a group, with endless bitching about who might be allied with who..

Craig, buckling under the stress

The past week

Yes indeed, it has been a damn tough week for the remaining 11 rats. The Alliance of Filth - comprising Craig, Lesley and Vanessa, has imploded, with Vanessa now adrift, and Craig desperately trying to find someone new to cling onto. The group has remained highly fragmented, and there is little sign that until another 3 or 4 housemates are booted the group will truly 'bond' - even to a moderate extent. Eight remains the 'magic number' for groups to truly bond, so there is still hope for this currently moody group.

The eviction of Lesley was a fun TV moment, the crowd certainly gave her the mega-booing many had been expecting and hoping for. The fact that the housemates systematically heard how the crowd felt about each one of them was probably a deliberate tactic on the part of BB.

"Always two there are, no more...no less, but which one was evicted, the master...or the apprentice?"

Walking the plank & Body Language

Derek and Roberto entered the house as seemingly respectable housemates, even I was touting them as potential final night candidates. Yet during her eviction interview Mary warned us that they were sly, and it does indeed seem to be the case that the two of them are pretty sleazy housemates. Roberto tipping a meal over Maxwell - bordering on something perhaps even more nasty, with Derek in endless nightly bitching sessions about all those who are 'beneath him'.

When looking for an instance of friends unconsciously copying each others body language, it doesn't come much better than this. Having not been called by BB to nominate yesterday, and with one of their private conversations displayed on the TV screen for all to see, both Derek and Roberto were ostracised (at least temporarily) from the group. Despite all their efforts, it seemed to them that they been unfairly singled out for humiliation by BB.

Lost at Sea...pirates Derek and Roberto

The weekly tasks

It is pleasing to see that the group now have regular 3-4 day tasks to complete each week, in order to receive a 'luxury' shopping budget. The nurse task was pretty good, and it came as not surprise that because the housemates lack any degree of group cohesion, they failed their first major task.

Similarly, the pirate task is great, and the BB production crew can be commended on both these two task. We can but hope that there is more good quality work to come from the busy BB staff at Elstree.
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Housemate Assessments - the past week

Ψ Anthony: He has certainly started to take a more leading role in the group. More playful, and ready to stand up against both Lesley, and a few of the others. I wonder if Anthony believes he has a good chance of winning compared to his fellow contestants? I'm kinda liking him as the days slip by, but I still can't see Mr smile winning.

Ψ Craig: The leader of the now imploded Alliance of Filth is understandably distraught with his current situation. Not only has best friend Lesley got the boot, but he came to realise that his lackey Vanessa was responsible for him being up for the boot yet again. Craig has certainly annoyed many posters in all of the various net forums, and he has probably already dug a hole too deep for him to ever climb out of. If he manages to survive for a few more weeks we can at least be sure of seeing a fine example of a housemate who is perhaps nothing less than a pathological liar.

Ψ Derek: What a turnaround in opinions, on my part at least. From the initial 'hey look, finally a decent professional, polite, eloquent, with good standards', instead it looks like we have a standard political type. Full of haft-truths, bitchy, and always ready to stab you in the back if it'll help him get a little further up the ladder. Derek is digging a very big hole for himself, and it seems that BB may have been trying to protect Sam last week - when it changed the rules again, rather than Derek as I had originally guessed.

Ψ Kemal: Playing the game carefully, and remaining relatively un-nominated. Even Science - his main adversary has yet to make the effort to nominate him for the boot. Kemal certainly has an interesting character, and it was really nice to see his dad on BBLB recently, supporting his son - despite the initial fears that Kemal's family might disown him.

Ψ Makosi: I've not much to say on this woman at present. Her complicity with the Alliance of Filth to bully Sam still bugs me, and I still can't garner any respect for her. Makosi remains vulnerable, her only real ally in the house is Kamel, and sooner or later he'll get the boot. What will missy do then?

Ψ Maxwell: The cheeky chappy has done good work in the past week. He has stood up to the nasty Lesley, in defence of Sam. Credit to him for that act alone. Yet he has also been really great in defying Derek, Roberto, and slimy Craig. Maxwell is certainly standing up for what he believes in, calling Derek, Craig, and Roberto wankers after seeing how Derek called his Saskia an 'assassin'.

As regulars readers will know, I was no fan of this housemate at first. However, for the mere fact of standing up to Lesley, Maxwell gets my support for another week. His recent late night water fun with best pal Anthony is also great to see, rather than going to bed at 11pm - as Derek still does (ohh, what a mistake!), Maxwell realises BB is meant to also be about fun.
For those viewers who want fun in the house, keep this guy in !

Ψ Roberto: Ahh yes, the Italian...the teacher. I was a fan of him until late last week when he started getting right out of line with Maxwell. Tipping food over Maxwell's head was not acceptable, and it remains unknown if BB actually gave him a formal warning for it. Some viewers could justifiably ask themselves why he did not get more severely reprimanded for that act. Does BB want him to make it to final night? I would certainly think C4/Endemol do, although do the UK public really want another European mainlander winning the UK's leading reality show?

Pirate Rob': Utterly pissed that BB won't allow him to nominate

Ψ Sam: With her nemesis Lesley booted from the house, Sam is indeed quite a lot happier with her daily house life now. She has a reasonably good relationship with Saskia, and both Anthony and Maxwell are now on her side. Who is the real Sam though? Aside from the standard lurid stories in the tabloid press, we really don't know much about this young Lady. She seems okay, and at least managed to outlast her arch enemy :) Good luck missy, you'll be damn lucky to survive this third week.

Ψ Saskia: Perhaps even more mysterious than the aforementioned Sam, Saskia is now one of the more powerful members of the house - although not many housemates realise this yet. Saskia certainly may not realise it either, and was shocked to hear Derek call her an 'Assassin'. Saskia to win? Hmm, she certainly would be a favourite for the media hacks, she has the looks, seems to strong willed (remember her little run in with Mary), and if she can keep her current 3 allies happy...she is set to reach the latter stages with great ease.

Saskia is aware of the crowds support for her

Ψ Science: Jeez, the guy has still yet to smile in the house! Okay, I may have missed him smiling at some point, but the point is generally true. Science, aka Kieran appears to lack the happiness gene. There is no way Science can win, he is simply too argumentative, a housemate who has caused too much late night un-rest in the house. When the housemates finally decide his time is up, Science will be out the door without any a single hug goodbye.

Ψ Vanessa: The dullard...the Vacuum...she is actually serving a purpose I had not anticipated. Van' was Craig's secondary lackey, and her loss has caused Craig even more personal upset. She remains relatively mute, and cannot be trusted in the house. As for that foot injury of hers....lol, that bit of TV footage will probably follow her around for the rest of her life, bless ;)
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Group Dynamics - Day 13-19

It has been a terrific week for those watching the group develop. With Lesley gone, Craig ditched Vanessa....and within a short time was desperately lost in the group. He has seemingly ended up with the company of Derek and Roberto. Talk about one rat joining two other rats onboard a sinking ship. However, Craig is VERY different from the two of them, so I do not expect them to fully bring him into their little clique.

Makosi and Kemal are playing a pretty fine game, although most of the housemates clearly recognise that the two of them are playing the game particularly well. Kemal may well be a primary target for nominations within 2 weeks, Makosi should be safe, it would seem unlikely for the group to kick yet another female out (sexist, but probably true).

Current Alliances:

1. The 'Best Pals': Makosi and Kemal
2. The Condescending Cabal: Roberto and Derek, (Craig clinging on the fringe, but is not on 'their social level')
3. Club Loaded: Anthony, Maxwell and Saskia (Sam remains close to Saskia, but is not a club member!)
4. Independent/Wallpaper housemates: Craig, Sam, Science, Vanessa

notes:
'Club Loaded' ©2005 darkhawk76 (BBfans.com)
'The Condescending Cabal' ©2005 Andy_R (BBfans.com)
(any use of such names without permission, incurs the sentence of death and/or a fine of €1 million

further points of note:-

-Sam and Maxwell are now voting against each other, even though they are fighting from the same corner.
-Craig has tried hard to suck up to Derek and Roberto, but he is effectively now lost in the group
-Vanessa is now back to living the life of a fully independent housemate, poor girl
-Science remains happy as an independent HM, and despite all those arguments has only received 3 votes in as many weeks!

House conflicts?

There is just one major direct case of housemates voting against each other this week - although that is probably anomalous, because of BB preventing both Craig and the two Cabal members from nominating. Why are Sam and Maxwell now trying to boot each other out, whilst there are other nastier people to target in the group? This is really weird behaviour from two housemates who should (if they were wise) be closely allied.

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Nominations: Round'3

BB has done it....yet again! Nominations have been seriously tinkered with for the third week running. Craig, Derek, and Roberto were banned from nominating due to one particular discussion about future/past voting. Although as many devout fans will recognise, there is not a housemate in this group that hasn't flirted with some level of nomination talk. It is again clear that BB is choosing to highlight some housemates, whilst ignoring others rule breaking. Fair? BB was never meant to be fair, and long may that continue ;)

Roberto: 6
Derek, Sam: 3
Maxwell: 2
Saskia, Science: 1

With an impressive 6 votes (from a max of 8) Roberto really got slated by the group. Maxwell got kind of close to being up, with the highly argumentative Science still only receiving a mere single nomination ! As expected, wallpaper housemates Vanessa and Anthony did not get noticed by the group.

Sam: tired of the arguments....and probably soon to go

The Week Ahead

Mary and Lesley have both been rejected by the UK public, who is next for the baying mob to boo?

With Derek, Roberto and Sam up for the boot, who will likely go? I foresee an increasing backlash against both Derek and Roberto. However, the anti-sleaze votes will be split between them. Meanwhile Sam will get all the standard anti-female votes, and sadly...I would assume that Sam will be the one who goes this Friday. Of course, if the highlights show give a good anti-Derek/Roberto slant, Sam may survive. I do hope I am wrong, if only so Lesley is further frustrated that her rival continues to remain in the house.

So, a farewell to Sam it would seem.

With Kemal and Science battling it out on a daily basis, and the pirate task already failed - with meagre rations for a second week, the housemates are going to find life in the house increasingly difficult. The question is will one of them break under this pressure and choose to take the quiet way out, via the back door?

yours...

Calrissian : Enjoying the show