Big Brother 8, As I See It: The Party's Over...

I have to start by saying “Wow”… did Jessica and Jameka look just gorgeous on the finale?

And did you feel as sorry as I did that when Zach walked into the sequester house and was told that, but for one wrong answer, he would have won Big Brother 8 hands down? That had to hurt.

I have to say this was probably one of the toughest juries I’ve seen. Darling and Daddy were called everything from “evil and his evil spawn” to “a pimp and his ‘ho” - and that was from Jameka??

The jury questions and challenges were some that I expected. They wanted to be convinced that Dick’s continual harassment and rudeness were his strategy, and they wanted Daniele to admit that she hid behind Dick’s skirts for most of the game. She never did admit it, though.

Amber’s reasoning about Darling’s relationship outside and inside the house made no sense, but I considered the source. If you want to base your vote on respect, then respect how someone played the game; not who they were/are romantically involved with in or out of the house.

Dustin made the remark about condoning bad behavior by voting for Dick. I know what he meant, but bad behavior sometimes wins Big Brother. And we know that Dick’s was probably among the worst behavior on record.

Zach was correct in that Dick had attacked each member of the jury in some way. His attacks on Jen were the worst; however, his diatribe against Zach in the three part HOH competition came close. He just didn’t burn him with a cigarette.

Dick made a surprising statement in that he believed Eric to be the best player in the house. I totally agree with him on that one. Dick, in his speech to the jurors, was honest. He knew what he had done and what he had said. He also explained it as his strategy. And that’s just what it was.

Dick was calmer and more rational in his statements to the jury and in the finale than he was during his whole time in the Big Brother house. I have said before that I think Dick has a good heart – and it was focused on his daughter and the hell with anyone who tried to get in their way. There was a glimpse during the finale of a kinder Dick Donato – it’s unfortunate that we only saw the “Evil Dick” during the game. But, being “Evil” won it for him, so what do I know?

Eric, in his final challenge as “America’s Player”, set about it the way he did most of his tasks in the Big Brother house. He made his statements to his fellow houseguests without rancor, without anger, and with rationalizing and justification. His reasoning that they should vote on strategy was sound and I believe that the houseguests respected Eric’s logical thinking and explanations. That was what made Eric the best player in the house. Dustin made the comment that Eric could sell anyone anything, and I believe he could.

Jen, we knew, was going to have difficulty voting. Her admission that she didn’t want to vote for either one was one I expected, but she had to vote. I think we all knew that Dick wasn’t going to get her vote.

Jameka’s vote didn’t surprise me either. I think she was completely put off by Dick’s behavior and trash talk in the house and it offended her senses. Dick complimented Jameka by saying she was the best hearted person in the house. I agree; Jameka was probably just too nice to be in the Big Brother house – you have to be a little bit of a B***H to play this game.

The other houseguest’s votes were predictable. Even without Eric’s powers of persuasion, I think most of them had already made up their minds. And they voted on who was the most strategic player. That was Dick. I do take issue with Dick’s statement that he and Daniele are the “best team ever,” though. I can think of some better ones – like Will and Boogie.

Eric’s role as “America’s Player” certainly surprised the houseguests, didn’t it? I know we all saw him whispering to Jessica as his clips played – I am sure he was trying to reassure her that his feelings and actions towards her were real. I hope they are. They are a cute pair and certainly kept us entertained. I was even more endeared to Eric than I have been (and you know I have been endeared to him since day one) when he apologized to Dustin and Amber. He was doing America’s bidding. Had he not been, perhaps two other people would have been sitting in the hot seats tonight.

Dick played the game. I have said it again and again that there was no doubt he was playing, despite my disdain for his methods. Perhaps because I am of the “you get more flies with honey than vinegar” thinking, I particularly disliked his treatment of his fellow competitors. I understand he was trying to take focus off his Darling Daughter and make himself the bad guy. It worked. A lot of people do not understand how Daddy Dearest stayed in the Big Brother house, especially after his treatment of Jen, but that was for the producers to decide, and they decided he wasn’t out of bounds. He knew that. He knew exactly how far he could go and what he could and couldn’t get away with. And it worked.

Darling Daughter did a lot of hiding behind Daddy’s skirts. She continually pleaded with the houseguests to not “judge me by him.” That worked also. She was also very good at winning competitions. Although she may be tied with Janelle for winning the most, that’s the only thing she has in common with Janelle, besides them both being blonde. Her constant whining when things didn’t go her way and her antagonizing Daddy Dearest to bully her competitors were a study in manipulation. But it worked. Daddy Dearest and Darling Daughter, with their advantage of having a blood tie played the good cop/bad cop to the nth degree and came out the final two. It was no surprise to me that they ended up where they did. And the winner was no surprise to me.

In my mind, Willie Nelson is singing “Turn Out the Lights, The Party’s Over” and it is. That’s it. The winner has been declared. We all knew that the last name Donato was going to be on both checks, we just didn’t know who was going to be the big winner. But, was the big winner a real winner? Did Daddy Dearest, by vilifying, bullying, intimidating, cursing, and going off on tangents win not only the big prize, but also the heart of the apple of his eye? Time will tell.

Peace!

Eileen is an intake operator for a legal referral service in Cincinnati, Ohio by day and spends her free time with the little ones that call her the “Queen of the Grandmas” and their parents and practicing Yoga which she thought was going to be the “lazy woman’s exercise”. She got fooled. She welcomes comments and constructive criticism at ohiograndma2003@hotmail.com. She thanks all the readers who have sent the most incredible emails! And to those who doubt there are real winners, she says, “Who Dey!” as she will be watching the Bengals on their way to Super Bowl!

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