Jess14

I didn't think Tyler's comments about Steve were that bad in this week's episode, but his comments earlier in the season about Steve and the male models were completely inappropriate. They need to stop staging so many of Fredrik's scenes. They just look ridiculous. I don't believe for one second that he jumped out of his very expensive car, left the car running and door open, and hopped into a fountain.... ridiculous. I remember reading an article about him a while ago where the reporter sat in on one of his meetings and mentioned how much more low key and professional in a real setting. I would much rather see that. I don't really get Tyler's seller. She wants someone who loves her very unusual, highly specialized designs, but she seems offended when they want her furniture and curtains...... Those aren't exactly the easiest rooms to furnish unless someone does plan on re-painting. I'm just not a fan of Steve's penthouse. Yes, the views are amazing, but that only goes so far for me. I prefer most of the other condos and townhouses that have been on the show. I've never lived in a highrise, but I work on a high floor and have great views at work, and it's nice, but nothing about that makes we want a condo super high up. How often do you sit there staring out of the window? I'm curious how the Delta variant is affecting the business now. I remember feeling similarly to how the agents were feeling around May - June. It felt like things were getting back to normal - then the delta variant hit...

No chance of advancing? Did I miss BB getting rid of HOH comps and veto comps (and all of the other little side comps where people can buy safety). Looking at Derek, he got rid of his biggest shield in the game and didn’t play for safety. No one made him do either of those things. I’ve just never heard of people not being part of a big alliance as having no shot at advancing. It’s not even like the Cookout have a lock on competitions.

I’m referring to the reaction to them, which is IMO about the power that they hold in the house. The Cookout wants a black winner, and it’s a show where someone gets eliminated each week. Of course, to get to a black winner, they have to vote the white houseguests (and all others, including 4 of their own) out. If they didn’t have the power (numbers) to control the house, I don’t think there would be anywhere near as much controversy as there is. I don’t remember anyone caring about Dayvonne and Bayleigh being aligned even though they were also quite clear that they wanted one or the other to win because there had never been a black winner. They just didn’t have any power or control.

Yep. I also think it’s the “large” part of the Cookout that is driving a lot of the controversy. If say, the Cookout was just Tiffany Xavier, and Derek F, and they were the only black houseguests in the house, I question if there would be this reaction. I strongly doubt it even though the concept of the Cookout would be exactly the same. It seems more like the fact that they have the numbers to wield power like big (and primarily white) alliances have in the past, are sticking together, and are getting rid of people’s favorites that is at the real root of the issue. It’s the “power” part of the equation, not the “race” one, IMO. That’s how it looks to me at least.

I’m not quite sure I’m following. I’m also not sure how Frenchie and Christian’s actions as HOH in a season with 50% POC and in a season where the teams were split into 4 groups, in such a way where all of the POC or white players could not be clustered in one or two groups, is in any way indicative of the previous 20 years of the show, when those things were not the case. Regardless, we don’t have to agree. I don’t think every white houseguest or HOH has targeted minorities and never said that. I referred to unmistakeable patterns on the show. If you think the majority of black houseguests were dramatic and that’s why they got targeted and/or weren’t included the big alliances, that’s certainly your right to think that. I disagree and simply don’t see much to back that up.

That is the worst idea ever! Players trying harder to be liked by “America” than playing the game is not going to fix anything.

I cant agree with the premise that most of the black houseguests were similar and/or dramatic - Howard was nothing like Marvin who was nothing like Lawon who was nothing like David who was nothing like Dayvonne who was nothing like Amanda, and so on and so on. However, even if they were all similar in terms of dramatics, there have been plenty of white houseguests who were dramatic and/or annoying but made it into big alliances and/or went far in the game. I guess I can understand the urge to try and find any factor other than race to explain why the black houseguests are rarely ever fully included in the big alliances and so often evicted early. However, sometimes the common denominator is the common denominator, and there’s no way around that.

They weren’t as big, but did the Brigade keep their alliance secret while making it to the end? I don’t remember much about that season honestly, but I remember Brittany being shocked and distraught when she was told that she would be evicted at the end. Otherwise, I can’t remember any. I can’t remember any others. Usually someone flips and breaks up the big alliance or a big vote reveals it, like the big alliance was revealed back in S4 with the ex twist.

Was Cody called a racist for putting up David and Kevin? Perhaps it happened, but I don’t remember that being thrown around a lot. People didn’t like the Committee, but IIRC, most of the racist comments were directed at Memphis and Christmas and not all bc of who the nominated. While there may be apprehension on the part of some houseguests about nominating 2 Cookout members, the notion that “the rest of the house can’t put up 2 black houseguests for social reasons” seems to be a way to avoid crediting the Cookout’s superior social game. We have 20 years of the show where houseguests had no problem nominating and evicting black houseguests when there where far fewer of them in the house! Outside of a few ppl, like Aryan (and I don’t remember if she even nominated any of the minorities during the season) who made explicitly racist comments, I haven’t heard of these houseguests being social pariahs once they leave. Here, there’s a reason why the other HGs haven’t put up 2 cookout members, and part of it is that the Cookout have done an excellent job of cultivating side alliances and relationships. That was made easier by the group pairings to start out the show, but it’s not like the rest of the HOHs have knowingly putting up close friends to avoid putting up 2 black houseguests.

I feel like BB needs to make the vote counts secret. Just have Julie say, “the house has voted, and [houseguest], you are evicted from the BB house.” Sure, that still may not get rid of the dominance of big alliances, but people wouldn’t have to be so worried about throwing a rogue vote/flipping, and then being easily exposed by the vote count. While I agree that season has gotten boring because the Cookout (who I have no issue with otherwise) has become dominant, what’s crazy is that the other players have mostly taken out each other. It’s not like last season where the Committee had a stranglehold on the HOH. Here, Frenchie took out Travis (with Derek X’s help); Derek X took out Christian; Christian wasted his HOH on Whitney; SB looks like she’s about to take out Claire or Derek X… The rest of the house has done the Cookout’s bidding every step of the way.

Fredrik should not have taken Steve’s advice, and let it go. He came off as highly insecure for someone who is so successful. Now, I do think the developer and his partner described Ryan’s actions as very differently than Ryan did, so on some level, I can see why Fredrik was annoyed, but regardless, he seemed overly emotional and petty, just like Steve said. Speaking of Steve, I’m surprised by how much I like him this season. I liked him when he first came on the show m, then i thought he got to be extremely arrogant, but now I like him again. Glad that Tyler sold the townhouse for a decent price.

I have no idea what is majority or minority, but there’s seems to be more conversation around race and the Cookout than I remember in past seasons about the alliances that were all white (not counting the seasons that had unquestionably racist comments). But to go back to my previous post, this is not happening in a vacuum, but in the context of 20 years of the show. If almost all BB casts had been predominantly black and almost all winners had been black, then I think you would see different opinions about the Cookout (the alliance probably would not even be a thing, at least not explicitly so). I know I would view the situation differently, but that world does not exist. Certainly, that doesn’t mean other people can’t look at it differently, hate the alliance, and root against them. With that said, I’m personally not bothered by the Cookout, but I want them to face some real adversity ASAP because I don’t like seeing one big alliance control the game, no matter who it is. It’s boring, and I like chaos on BB. I would be perfectly happy with Derek F going next. Glad to see Britini go! I don’t think she was cut out for the game.

Who said they’re getting a pass? I see multiple people on this thread alone, people on Reddit, and people on Twitter complaining about the Cookout… I think it’s fine for people to dislike the Cookout as much as any other alliance, but everyone isn’t going to look at in a vacuum and pretend like there is no reason why they would form an alliance. We have tons of seasons, where there are a one or two black people, who usually get excluded from the big, main alliance and then get picked off. Whether one thinks this was due to racism, unconscious bias, or somehow a complete coincidence, that’s been a typical pattern. This is the first season where there have been enough black players to form a powerful alliance and protect each other, and they did it. Just like you see women stick together in a lot of fields that are male dominated - no one has to like it, but everyone isn’t going to be up in arms about it either.

Over the past few seasons, I had grown to like Ryan and Fredrik the best, but both are starting to seem more like they did in the earlier days of MDL, when neither was all that likeable. Ryan taking more of the commission from Steve on that listing seemed sleazy AF, and Fredrik has been acting ridiculous all season. And now, we’re back to Fredrik-Ryan drama - great, because lord knows that why we all watch the show *sarcasm*. I do agree with whoever mentioned the power imbalance in the Fredrik-Derek relationship in regard to their move to the west coast. That move was definitely all about Derek. In lots of relationships, one person loves and is more committed to the other more, and Ive always thought that was Fredrik based on what has been shown on the show. I am glad that Steve has dialed back the arrogance this season. I found him to be really unlikeable last season, but he’s not bothering me at all this season. In terms of his high rise listing, I would hate to be so high up in the air. Yes, the views are nice, but what if you have to evacuate quickly. I just wouldn’t be comfortable being that high up.

I’m not for the drama between the brokers. It’s boring. I’m really hoping that article is overblown, especially since the actual trailer only shows Fredrik in an argument with Altman. I like Fredrik, but I feel like after he had mellowed out some, he’s been playing up the ridiculousness on both the last 2 seasons of MDL LA and NY. He needs to chill.

Are there any recent videos of Kat dancing and screwing up, or is the belief that she couldn’t possibly be top 16 based on her rookie season training camp? She’s been doing this choreo for 3 years now, and she is very pretty. Not surprising to me at all that she may have scored well with the judges. I mean, it’s not like she was given point or triangle. Show group is almost half of the team at this point.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlWvWv9lujT/?utm_medium=copy_link Here is a 2018 post from the DCCs featuring her. And yes, she looks significantly different. It’s unfortunate, and I hate to speculate, but when Caroline and Rachel suddenly look fluffy standing next to her, it’s hard to think that there isn’t a problem. I just hope that if there is one, she is getting the support and help that she needs.

While I agree that the DCCs are not sincere when it comes to diversity, this is not the first time that they have put 2 WOC in the triangle. Back around 2013 (I think), Mia was point and Jackie was also in the triangle along with Emma. I'm also surprised that Erin didn't make show group, but I'm not super shocked about Kat making it. She's not the best dancer, but she's not terrible. I don't think there is any comparison between her and Savannah either. I still thought Savannah looked a half step behind when she was an upper vet. I've never really thought that when watching Kat in routines.

Goodness, that’s terrible. I honestly feel like Judy is the only one of the 3 who consistently looks nice. Some of Kelli’s outfits are also horrendous.

Agreed. Ultimately, I don’t think they could leave Jordan off given her results in 2021. She definitely earned her spot. In general, I just think this crop of gymnasts wasn’t necessarily ideal for a 4 person team, although they certainly could have won gold. I think in the best case scenario, a team of Simone, Suni, Jade, and a healthy Morgan Hurd/Riley McCusjer may have been the best positioned team to maximize the score across all apparatuses, but Jade had the individual spot, and Morgan and Riley weren’t healthy. If you look at many of the other options that were in contention, I don’t think they add much more to the team total than Jordan.

I think that’s true. No one knows what caused Simone’s issues here. However, Simone herself talked about the pressure she was under after qualifications. Also, while she has been under pressure before, including Rio, I think that was very different than what she faced here. That team was never portrayed as “Simone and the team” like this one was. There were 2 gold medalists on that team, including the reigning AA champ, and Raisman was considered the leader of the team, although Simone was certainly the best gymnast on the team. Also, a lot of media attention (and basically all of the negative attention) was aimed squarely at Gabby. There wasn’t really “she needs to be brought down a peg or 2” against Simone, like there was this time. So, I agree that putting a goat on her leo wasn’t the issue, I just assume that it was the totality of the situation that weighed down on her. However, unless she says, we probably will never really know.

Yes. It’s really not an either/or situation. There’s nothing wrong with Simone owning the fact that she’s the GOAT when it’s true. At the same time, it’s very possible that the fact that her name couldn’t be mentioned without also mentioning that she was the GOAT also played a role in putting unnecessary pressure on her. It’s a competition, and while I don’t for one second believe that Simone believed that the Olympics would be a coronation, it was certainly treated that way, especially by the media - and there was never a check on it either. Even the team coordinator played into that by suggesting that tenths didn’t matter because the US (on Simone’s back) was just so much better than everyone else. Other teams, like the Russians, and gymnasts were not even mentioned as being factors. I have friends who truly believed that Simone was going to sweep the golds in Tokyo, when in reality, she would’ve been lucky to get bronze on bars under any circumstance, and beam was never a guarantee given the start values that a couple of the Chinese gymnasts have (she would’ve won vault, floor, and AA definitely at her best). I cannot imagine the intense scrutiny and pressure that she had to be under heading into the games, which were already being held under less than ideal circumstances. Anyway, I’m so thrilled that Simone bounced back and won bronze today. I hope that this medal and the resilience that she displayed helps to salvage this experience for her, and I wish nothing but the best for her going forward.

I may be getting my years confused, but didn’t Keyra make training camp for the first time that same year? Keyra and Cersten were only on the team together for a year before Cersten retired and Keyra was cut. If Keyra and Kayelynn were both trying out as rookies at the same time, it seems highly unlikely that Keyra had anything to do with Kayelynn not making it. The other LSU girls (Cersten, Erica, Tess, Jacie, etc) perhaps and certainly Denise Dicharry may not have put a good word in for her.

Didn’t Milan make some comment about her placement in the formations, basically insinuating that she should’ve been closer to the front? I thought that is what the criticism was over since Milan was never a standout in DCC style. I 100% believe her about the academic/school/show group/editing stuff though.

I really enjoyed seeing Ronita again. I’m glad she’s doing well. I liked seeing this side of Fredrik, and I hope they can work out a way to purchase the home for the teens. Such a shame that the donor pulled out. Does Steve have a lot of listings in NY? I’m sure he does, but it seems like we’ve so little of him this season, and a big chunk of it was the house in the country. Maybe his sellers wouldn’t agree to allow him to put the listings on the show.