Big Brother 4: Why David Lost

As regular readers of this site and Foxes On Idol know, I write several article series on why reality show contestants lose. For most shows, I base it on an article of dos and don’ts that I write up before the show even begins. However, with Big Brother, it’s more difficult because we never really know all the rules until the show begins (or even later, in some cases) and it’s an ever-changing sea of friendships, alliances, and enemies.

Still, last year I took on the challenge and wrote about why each HouseGuest lost. This year, I’ve been incredibly busy and, to be honest, I forgot that I did it last year! That is, I forgot until e-mails started rolling in asking why I wasn’t doing it this year. So, by popular demand, I’m going to start up the series on why each HouseGuest lost. It’s kind of silly to go back to the beginning, so we’ll start with David.

I have to admit, I liked David. Yeah, he was goofy, and some of the scenes we saw with him and his ex-girlfriend, Michelle, made him look a little mean as he had fun at her expense. But I could tell that underneath it all, he knew what was going on in the house and was trying to make plans and to direct his alliance of those left from the Elite 8 and his mini-alliance with Jack and Erika. Most of his goofy behavior was a cover for his strategy, although a lot of it probably also had to do with there not being much else to do in the house.

Most – if not all – of the other HouseGuests also liked David. In a game that has been so emotional this season, it seems strange that somebody who was liked by all would be tossed so early.

David was never meant to go, of course. Dana wanted Alison out, and so in a fit of incredible stupidity, put Alison up against Jack as a “pawn” or “decoy.” She knew Jack was more popular and so Alison would obviously be the one voted out. However, she completely ignored Big Brother history, which says that more often than not, the one you want gone is not the one who will go in these situations.

One thing Dana at least did sort of right was that she nominated somebody who was nominally in the same alliance as Alison, rather than putting up an ex like Jee did the previous week. But everybody knew that Alison and Nathan were tight, so Dana should have nominated Nathan to make sure he could not veto Alison. She didn’t; he did. She was up a creek.

So who was Dana to nominate? Frankly, I’ve never quite understood why she picked David. I mean, was it good strategy? Absolutely! Jack is a smart player and Dave was a smart player. By putting them up against each other, you eliminate not only one of the smartest players in the house, but you also break up an alliance, which is always a good thing if you’re not a member of said alliance. However, considering this is Dana we’re dealing with, I’m not sure that’s why she did it. Dana is not exactly a master of strategy. As we have seen with our own eyes and heard from a number of the other HouseGuests, Dana goes with her emotions. Hell, she was crying after she nominated Dave! Yet, at the same time, she’s said that she hates Erika. So why didn’t she nominate Erika instead? Like I said, it’s not really clear, although perhaps her allies, the Three Stooges and Jun, had some part in it. Jun, in particular, was lobbying to get rid of Dave after Dana had put him on the block. She saw through his antics and knew that he would be a threat.

And in the end, that’s probably the best we can as to a reason. He was nominated because the people Dana really wanted to go couldn’t go – Alison had been vetoed and Nathan possessed the Veto and was therefore safe himself. Once he was nominated, the debate became one of whether they should keep the ex-FBI agent or the ex-Army Ranger. Both of them are obviously strong players; both of them are obviously smart players. But one is in his twenties and has a better chance of winning challenges and allies, while the other is twice as old as the other HouseGuests and is not seen as such a danger. Given that choice, the Stooges and Jun had to go against the one they got along with better and pick to keep the one they thought was less of a threat.

It was an uncharacteristically smart move on their part, frankly, though it had been preceded by a number of rather stupid ones.

Dana did not learn from history about how to nominate a person you want to get rid of. When Alison was vetoed, Dave was her replacement. As such, the other HouseGuests in the “exes” alliance had a rare opportunity to get rid of somebody who was a threat both physically and mentally – and they took it. Dave was simply too dangerous to them, and that is why he lost.

Want to keep up with important events in the house? Check out our Big Brother 4 Spoiler Page for news on who wins contests and other ongoing info.

David Bloomberg is the Editor of RealityNewsOnline and can be reached at RNO@pobox.com.

Be sure to sign up for our e-mail update so you can stay informed about new articles on the site! And take a look at the rest of the site. You can find all of our recent Big Brother articles at the Big Brother 4 page and take a look at our sections on Amazing Race 4 and The Osbournes. You can even buy reality show stuff at our Reality TV Store!

For more news about Big Brother, be sure to check out SirLinksALot!