I suppose the smart money is on Nadia to win Big Brother 5. She seems to be the talk of the town, not to mention the bookies. She is the most glamorous of the roommates. Shell has the good looks but Nadia has the personality. But deep down, I can't help but be annoyed every time I see her on the screen. From her persistent whining about not having cigarettes to her scary, maniacal laugh, I've just had it with her.
I haven't been very good at choosing winners, although I should point out that I have always distinguished between who I want to win and who I think will win. In the beginning, I wanted Dan to win because he seemed to be my type of guy -- a dry wit coupled with a mean streak -- but then I realised that Dan's wit was not insightful nor was it particularly funny. It was not unlike a grandmother who has had a little too much Tia Maria and is really just venting her frustrations.
After that, against all common sentiment, I wanted Ahmed to win. Sure he was a small, bigoted, misogynist Somalian with a penchant for breaking plates and decapitation (of papier mache human figures), but we can't all be perfect. He was provocative even though he slept most of the day. He was contemplative and really, really, really didn't like being in there... except when he was flirting with Becky or the Jungle Cats were being cool to him. The fact that he so wanted to leave made me want him to stay even more. He was an original member of the Jungle Cats, even if Victor and Jason were playing him for nomination votes. But, he was soon evicted.
After that, I wanted Victor to win. He was, in many ways, the archetypal BB contestant. Paranoid and scheming, he was really the most interesting character. He was the worst gangsta ever, preferring to sing I'll Make Love to You while humping the floor and the movie Titanic to pimping hoes and flashing bling. But, his paranoid self-delusion was comforting because I knew that I'd be him (minus the gangsta front) if I were on the show. Hell, I'm that way, and there isn't any chance of me beating out 9 others to win £63,000.
Now that Victor is gone, I want Jason to win. Brooding and in his own way delusional, I think he has become the thinking person's choice. Why doesn't he act like he's having fun? Well, when asked, he replied that there is no reason to have fun, so why pretend? That is tough love, my friends, tough love. The only problem is that I think he is loathed by the Nadia-squad. He really dislikes her and has voiced his opinion a number of times, most notably after the military exercise when she used some very pejorative terms to refer to Jason. But, I think Jason may have something going for him. In as much as Nadia is the most favourite of the house, I would also suspect that she is the most reviled. That may give Jason some voting fire power. He is the anti-Nadia and is going to garner the anti-Nadia votes. Dan and Shell (Shell is the hot cousin you wish you could kiss, but is really too nice (and too related) to ever go through with) are okay, but not exactly polar extremes the way Nadia and Jason are.
So, I think I would have to say that Nadia will probably win but Jason is the true winner in my eyes.
Friday, August 06, 2004
Nadia in America
This is a letter that I wrote to Heather Havrilesky, television critic for www.salon.com. She is my hero in the world of television critics.
Dear Ms Havrilesky,
I'm not sure how much access you have to actual British television in the US but rest assured it does extend past The Office and Coupling to such topical fare as TVs Naughtiest Bloopers and The Man Who Ate His Lover. Most important in my life for the past ten weeks has been Big Brother 5.
I know your feelings on the US Big Brother and having seen the US version, I understand your feelings. It is not a guilty pleasure it just makes you feel dumb for watching. In contrast the UK BB is a pleasure to watch, especially this year. A great mix of almost-archetypes. There is the anarchist who was thrown off for, well, breaking the rules; the gangsta best known for singing I'll Make Love to You while humping the floor; a gay hairdresser with the disposition of a cool grandmother who is, deep down, really a snippy gay man; the fairy princess who mows the lawn while naked, a handsome guy who, on the outside world is part of a group of handsome guys named Team Handsome; a Scottish bodybuilder who entered the house wearing nothing but a thong but has since turned out to be a really miserable git (my choice to win, by the way); Nadia, a transsexual woman who, believe me, optioned for all the upgrades in her operation; and Ahmed, the inspiration of Ah-mania!, a 45 year old ex-asylum seeker who spent his time breaking plates, crying about how he wanted to leave and decapitating papier mache mannequins made from forms of the housemates various body parts. Oh, and he also tried to stage a military coup all by himself.
I know I am coming off as a fourteen year old girl when in actuality I am a 25 year old ex patriot living in London. I got into Big Brother here last year as a student as a way to wind down, and now I just can't get enough.
I was speaking to a co-worker about the various contestants and about the fact that Nadia is the odds on favourite to win. Personally, I find her annoying almost due completely to her laugh, and while I might be accused of being facile, I should remind you that this is only Big Brother and not, say, a presidential election where presidential laugh is only the third most important characteristic. But, to the point, I was thinking about how a Portuguese transsexual would play on American TV.
I imagine radio call-in shows inundated with statements like "I was forced to have a conversation with my 5 year old about this "woman" that I really didn't want to have. This kind of thing doesn't belong on television." I am certain there would be this discussion on at least one or two middle-America radio stations, but is this the kind of issue that would extend beyond the heartland?
Could Americans handle Nadia on one of the four major networks?
Plus, they cut The OC after seven episodes and it won't return until next year!
Sincerely,
Brett Davis
Dear Ms Havrilesky,
I'm not sure how much access you have to actual British television in the US but rest assured it does extend past The Office and Coupling to such topical fare as TVs Naughtiest Bloopers and The Man Who Ate His Lover. Most important in my life for the past ten weeks has been Big Brother 5.
I know your feelings on the US Big Brother and having seen the US version, I understand your feelings. It is not a guilty pleasure it just makes you feel dumb for watching. In contrast the UK BB is a pleasure to watch, especially this year. A great mix of almost-archetypes. There is the anarchist who was thrown off for, well, breaking the rules; the gangsta best known for singing I'll Make Love to You while humping the floor; a gay hairdresser with the disposition of a cool grandmother who is, deep down, really a snippy gay man; the fairy princess who mows the lawn while naked, a handsome guy who, on the outside world is part of a group of handsome guys named Team Handsome; a Scottish bodybuilder who entered the house wearing nothing but a thong but has since turned out to be a really miserable git (my choice to win, by the way); Nadia, a transsexual woman who, believe me, optioned for all the upgrades in her operation; and Ahmed, the inspiration of Ah-mania!, a 45 year old ex-asylum seeker who spent his time breaking plates, crying about how he wanted to leave and decapitating papier mache mannequins made from forms of the housemates various body parts. Oh, and he also tried to stage a military coup all by himself.
I know I am coming off as a fourteen year old girl when in actuality I am a 25 year old ex patriot living in London. I got into Big Brother here last year as a student as a way to wind down, and now I just can't get enough.
I was speaking to a co-worker about the various contestants and about the fact that Nadia is the odds on favourite to win. Personally, I find her annoying almost due completely to her laugh, and while I might be accused of being facile, I should remind you that this is only Big Brother and not, say, a presidential election where presidential laugh is only the third most important characteristic. But, to the point, I was thinking about how a Portuguese transsexual would play on American TV.
I imagine radio call-in shows inundated with statements like "I was forced to have a conversation with my 5 year old about this "woman" that I really didn't want to have. This kind of thing doesn't belong on television." I am certain there would be this discussion on at least one or two middle-America radio stations, but is this the kind of issue that would extend beyond the heartland?
Could Americans handle Nadia on one of the four major networks?
Plus, they cut The OC after seven episodes and it won't return until next year!
Sincerely,
Brett Davis
The situation was no better today than it was yesterday. The floor of the tunnel is 10 tiles wide and they were taking up anywhere from 7 to 9 of them! But, the real kicker is that there are two to three tiles on the other side of the hallway. That means that they think they are so important that they can just stroll down the middle of hallway and everyone else be damned. What assholes.
Now, while I may have put on some extra poundage as of late I can still fit into that one square if need be because of the contours of the hallway, but what of our huskier lads and lasses? What are they to do?
Now, while I may have put on some extra poundage as of late I can still fit into that one square if need be because of the contours of the hallway, but what of our huskier lads and lasses? What are they to do?
Thursday, August 05, 2004
Well, day two of the second round of blogging has begun, and let me just begin my stating that things are going to start out on a pretty hate filled note. My first two targets of the day are people who take the Thameslink train and alight at King's Cross and Hello Kitty banner adverts.
As I am apt to do when on weekday mornings, I take the Underground to work from Finsbury Park to King's Cross. I try and get in the car closest to the Thameslink entrance of KX to give me a couple of seconds head start before the rest of the morning commuter rabble get to the stairway and clog it up. From the stairway, I take a left and walk down the long, long, long tubular hallway towards the escalator. My train always seems to arrive at the same time as a Thameslink train. From their platform, the Thameslink passengers need to travel down the long, long, long tubular hallway to get to their Underground line. It is then that the tubular hallway becomes a battleground.
In the struggle for hallway dominance, Thameslink always wins. The cocky Thamslink passengers take up 4/5s of the hallway and leave the rest for the Victoria Line wimps. There aren't any more of them than there are of us, but it might have to do with the fact that they walk slightly downhill. I mean, it made a difference back in the olden days when one had a kingdom to protect and feudal lands to defend. Attack from on high because it gives you the upper hand, so to speak. They are just so stubborn about it too. Walking around like they are cock of the walk, with their "suits" and "briefcases" filled with "files" and a "newspaper" and a fancy, overpriced "pen."
We are important too. People who get off at King's Cross maybe don't wear a suit of the traditional kind. Just because we happen to wear a sensible polo and jeans and carry one of those triangluar backpacks that the kids seem to love filled with the latest David Sedaris book instead of an FT doesn't make us any less important in the larger scheme of things. Give us our due, at least half of the hallway.
The second issue of the day is the abundance of Hello Kitty advertisements on the internet. They are everywhere that I am in the virtual world. Isn't Hello Kitty past its heyday yet? I mean, its been around far longer than the Tamaguchi Egg and that was a matter of life and death.
And now the Hello Kitty phenomenon has followed me into my home. My home! Yes, if you look at the top of my page what do you see? Two simple advertisements for Hello Kitty wares. What is really surprising is that these are two competitors. While I applaud the spirit of capitalism employed by these two vendors, I just can't imagine that this is what Adam Smith had in mind. Hello Kitty sellers battling it out for control of Hello Kitty turf right in my front yard. Its like using the Socratic method to get someone to admit that yes, Sprite is more satisfying than Slice.
As I am apt to do when on weekday mornings, I take the Underground to work from Finsbury Park to King's Cross. I try and get in the car closest to the Thameslink entrance of KX to give me a couple of seconds head start before the rest of the morning commuter rabble get to the stairway and clog it up. From the stairway, I take a left and walk down the long, long, long tubular hallway towards the escalator. My train always seems to arrive at the same time as a Thameslink train. From their platform, the Thameslink passengers need to travel down the long, long, long tubular hallway to get to their Underground line. It is then that the tubular hallway becomes a battleground.
In the struggle for hallway dominance, Thameslink always wins. The cocky Thamslink passengers take up 4/5s of the hallway and leave the rest for the Victoria Line wimps. There aren't any more of them than there are of us, but it might have to do with the fact that they walk slightly downhill. I mean, it made a difference back in the olden days when one had a kingdom to protect and feudal lands to defend. Attack from on high because it gives you the upper hand, so to speak. They are just so stubborn about it too. Walking around like they are cock of the walk, with their "suits" and "briefcases" filled with "files" and a "newspaper" and a fancy, overpriced "pen."
We are important too. People who get off at King's Cross maybe don't wear a suit of the traditional kind. Just because we happen to wear a sensible polo and jeans and carry one of those triangluar backpacks that the kids seem to love filled with the latest David Sedaris book instead of an FT doesn't make us any less important in the larger scheme of things. Give us our due, at least half of the hallway.
The second issue of the day is the abundance of Hello Kitty advertisements on the internet. They are everywhere that I am in the virtual world. Isn't Hello Kitty past its heyday yet? I mean, its been around far longer than the Tamaguchi Egg and that was a matter of life and death.
And now the Hello Kitty phenomenon has followed me into my home. My home! Yes, if you look at the top of my page what do you see? Two simple advertisements for Hello Kitty wares. What is really surprising is that these are two competitors. While I applaud the spirit of capitalism employed by these two vendors, I just can't imagine that this is what Adam Smith had in mind. Hello Kitty sellers battling it out for control of Hello Kitty turf right in my front yard. Its like using the Socratic method to get someone to admit that yes, Sprite is more satisfying than Slice.
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
Okay, so I've pasted a link to my blog in the signature of my emails. Trust me, I am doing this against my better judgement, but I just wanted to test the waters. What I'll have to do is make sure I don't let that puppy slide when sending an email to someone who has significant control over my future socioeconomic status (bank lenders, potential employers, IRS or other government officials). If I receive too many "That's dumb" statements, you can be sure the link will be the first to go.
The other good thing about having it there is that it kinda forces me to keep it up to date. If I'm going to be advertising this thing I should probably keep it somewhat relevant to the times. To be sure, this is just a fad and I probably won't even care about it in five days time, but I might as well give it my all.
The other good thing about having it there is that it kinda forces me to keep it up to date. If I'm going to be advertising this thing I should probably keep it somewhat relevant to the times. To be sure, this is just a fad and I probably won't even care about it in five days time, but I might as well give it my all.
Let me also point out an issue I have with the word blog. Blog is obviously a contraction and elision of web log. I have to admit to not really liking this, although I should also say that I am not a big fan of contractions, abbreviations or anything of that sort. I dislike the word combo compared to the majestic glory of combination. I have found that it is pretty easy to cut out of the vocabulary except in two instances. If you walk into a Subway and order a Cold Cut Combination, they won't know what you are talking about (true story and it happened at the Subway at the corner of Greenwood and Glenview Rds in Glenview, Illinois) and you simply sound foolish referring to the Combos (the snack treat) as Combinations. I am hoping for the day when I can be an uptight curmudgeon stuck in his ways, when I can refer to those new fangled snack treats as Combinations and get away with it because I'll be dead soon and its just not worth the effort to laugh at me.
I also dislike it when people refer to Commonwealth Avenue in Boston as Comm Ave. Again, what is really the point of picking a fight with people who refer to a street in a city in which I have never lived? We all have standards and I can't stand -- nay, I won't stand -- for the relaxing of verbal attitudes anywhere.
I also dislike it when people refer to Commonwealth Avenue in Boston as Comm Ave. Again, what is really the point of picking a fight with people who refer to a street in a city in which I have never lived? We all have standards and I can't stand -- nay, I won't stand -- for the relaxing of verbal attitudes anywhere.
Well, here we are again. Face to face. If you remember, I made a prediction that I would write in this thing maybe five or six times and then never touch it again. How wrong I was! I wrote in it only twice or thrice more, and then never touched it again... for 15 months! I can be such a fool sometimes.
To think that I have been wasting my days doing work, having conversations, traveling the world (well, nearly 1% of it), eating food, sleeping, etc., when I could have been updating a webpage that no one ever reads.
I guess I should be questioning why I am even writing this as though I have a captive audience.
Personally, it is good to add some distance between me and me again when I read it. If I don't and just write as though I were writing to myself, there would be a tendancy to simply skip over stuff because, well, I think faster than I type and I could simply recall the memories I have of my opinions faster than reading them. If that makes any sense.
Plus, maybe one day, someone will stumble across my little patch in cyberspace. Probably not, if only because I'm too self-conscious to go around promoting this thing. I remember that I used to have a webpage at university, and everytime I mentioned it (which was rare), people made fun of me. So, to be safe, I'll just let John Q. Public stumble across it while looking for pornography.
I suppose I should make some sort of prediction like the one I made when I first created my blog. I predict that I will post seven or eight times between now and the end of the week, and then my postings will decrease by eight per week, until next week, when I don't publish at all.
To think that I have been wasting my days doing work, having conversations, traveling the world (well, nearly 1% of it), eating food, sleeping, etc., when I could have been updating a webpage that no one ever reads.
I guess I should be questioning why I am even writing this as though I have a captive audience.
Personally, it is good to add some distance between me and me again when I read it. If I don't and just write as though I were writing to myself, there would be a tendancy to simply skip over stuff because, well, I think faster than I type and I could simply recall the memories I have of my opinions faster than reading them. If that makes any sense.
Plus, maybe one day, someone will stumble across my little patch in cyberspace. Probably not, if only because I'm too self-conscious to go around promoting this thing. I remember that I used to have a webpage at university, and everytime I mentioned it (which was rare), people made fun of me. So, to be safe, I'll just let John Q. Public stumble across it while looking for pornography.
I suppose I should make some sort of prediction like the one I made when I first created my blog. I predict that I will post seven or eight times between now and the end of the week, and then my postings will decrease by eight per week, until next week, when I don't publish at all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)