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Beckie03
Member
07-05-2007
| Friday, August 24, 2007 - 6:42 pm
**Note: Please Move Moderators if this is wrong area, thanks** MSNBC, wrote an article on what happened last night with Jen... When houseguest Jen Johnson left the “Big Brother 8” house Thursday night, she did so with the show’s first-ever penalty vote: the producers cast a vote against her, making her eviction the result of a 6-0 vote. As host Julie Chen read off her cue card, “Jen, you are the first person in eight years of ‘Big Brother’ to break food restriction rules and get a penalty vote. How does it feel to make ‘Big Brother’ history?” Only on reality TV is eating an offense, although Jen actually agreed during an earlier competition to restrict her diet for 30 days to the cruel high-protein gruel that the producers delight in forcing some of the houseguests to eat for a week or more, apparently convinced that makes for excellent television. A better question, one that Julie Chen might have asked if she was an actual journalist instead of a cue card reader, is, “How does it feel to have been the target of your fellow houseguests’ wrath for seven weeks, and to be punished for violating the rules while others are not? Do you think viewers would have the same impression of your recent meltdown if they knew what happened all day long in the house, with your fellow houseguests constantly berating you, even if you are kind of annoying?” When she was the target of others’ wrath, Jen retained the same, stone-faced expression, water bottle in hand, sometimes trying to talk to the person but never, until this week, matching the anger and enmity that was being thrown her way. Although her punishment was for eating, Jen was also apparently reprimanded for destroying fellow houseguest Dick Donato's cigarettes. The irony there is that Jen’s clothing was vandalized earlier this season by another houseguest, Eric. But Eric is “America’s Player,” one of this season's twists. Three times a week, viewers vote and Eric must do what they say, sometimes performing tasks invented by the show’s often-sadistic producers. One week, the producers asked viewers, “Whose personal property should he covertly target?” The reason: “Eric needs to instigate some drama in the ‘Big Brother’ house. This week, he’s a secret vandal.” During last night's “America's Choice” question, the accompanying video even showed Eric squirting mustard all over her shirt, which Jen washed multiple times but could not get clean. Jen was also targeted by houseguests who weren’t being prompted by producer-created tasks and viewer votes, especially Dick Donato. For weeks, he verbally abused her, and while she'd sometimes attempt to respond to his accusations — some true, some not — he’d continue his relentless assaults: “You’re a for what you did to her. You’re a f---ing liar. ... I will do everything I can to make you the most miserable in the house. ... Get the f--- out of here, you stupid . ... Nobody gives a f--- about you.” Jen is not the only person Dick treats that way, but she did seem to be targeted more than others. On one occasion, he dumped iced tea on her head, and suffered no apparent consequences for that action. While “Big Brother 8” has shown several of Dick’s tirades, it has, in recent weeks, set him up as a sort of hero, ignoring his yelling and swearing and focusing instead on his successful alliance with his formerly estranged daughter and others (including Jen) to defeat a group that wanted to get him out of the house. That gets to the center of what's most fascinating — and most frustrating — about “Big Brother”: its transparency. The show takes place essentially in real time; while the events shown on the Sunday and Tuesday episodes generally happen a few days before, giving the editors time to work, the Thursday shows are mostly live. And there are the live, streaming Internet feeds from the house that allow anyone who pays to watch the drama in actual real time. In addition, this season, the show began offering three hours of mostly uncensored footage from the house every night on Showtime. No other reality show gives its audience access to so much material, and thus so much insight about how reality television is constructed. While we may be aware that we’re watching highly condensed episodes on television three nights a week, those offer a self-contained narrative that has its own internal logic, even if that narrative over-simplifies events or completely ignores others. The clearest and most egregious example of that this season has to do with houseguest Amber’s assertion during multiple conversations that Jewish people can be identified “by their nose” or “by their last name,” and that people who are “really money-hungry” tend to be Jewish. That prompted CBS to condemn her hateful and ignorant remarks as “offensive” in a statement that insisted Amber's comments “will not be part of any future broadcast.” That sets up an odd dynamic: Essentially, there are multiple versions of the same reality. Someone who watches the show only on television will have an entirely different impression of Amber than those who watch or follow the show online. On TV, Amber cries constantly, often about missing her daughter, and reveals that God talks to her about the game. On the Internet feeds, Amber swears constantly, frequently using words like “goddamn,” and makes bigoted remarks. Dick’s on-television persona is similarly disconnected from his in-house personality. He has been openly abrasive since he first entered the house as part of the twist that (unfairly to everyone) brought three players’ enemies into the house. While the television show has shown Dick being confrontational and abrasive, it has excluded, for example, his use of the c-word to describe female houseguests, a word that Eric also uses. The TV show has also excluded houseguest Daniele’s rather shocking assertion that even one of the show's producers called Jen the c-word in the Diary Room. The producers of the show often pull the plug on the live feeds when the houseguests reveal more than they should about what happens in the Diary Room, the one private room in the house where the cast is interviewed by producers. One conversation on the live feeds showed that Dustin felt “harassed into saying things today that I did not want to say” by a producer, and Jameka agreed; before more was said, someone cut the feed, as if they had something to hide. We may never know what actually happens in the Diary Room, whether producers are merely asking leading questions to get the houseguest to be more expressive, or whether they're subtly trying to sway votes and keep the show interesting, as some viewers have asserted this season. The massive quantity of uncensored content that pours out of the house on a daily basis, much of which is transcribed by feed watchers in online forums, makes it difficult for an average viewer to keep up. Some of it, like Amber's comments, reach the show’s audience and others through YouTube, bloggers, and the media. But the rest makes “Big Brother” on TV significantly different than reality. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20423839/ I do not agree with everything that is said, I actually agreed with very little. However, I did find it interesting...
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Boberg
Member
10-04-2002
| Friday, August 24, 2007 - 6:52 pm
I agree with almost all of it. Thanks for posting it. Interesting how they see things just the way many of us here have seen them. Especially since I have no reason to believe the writer is as vested in BB as most of us here are.
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Skydiver6
Member
07-21-2006
| Friday, August 24, 2007 - 6:53 pm
What didn't you agree with?
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Beckie03
Member
07-05-2007
| Friday, August 24, 2007 - 6:57 pm
he dumped iced tea on her head, and suffered no apparent consequences for that action What other action could have been taken besides telling him to stop. It is not by the California Penal Code to be assault... I don't think that CBS portrays Dick to be this great guy all the time. He does do other things inside the house besides yell...he is playing a game after all. I don't think CBS has portrayed Dick in this wonderful light...
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Friday, August 24, 2007 - 6:59 pm
Sure sounds like what I've been seeing. What were you at odds with? Thanks for posting the article and especially so since you don't agree with it.
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Nerovh
Member
06-12-2005
| Friday, August 24, 2007 - 7:04 pm
I thought the article had a pretty good handle on things.
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Carrie92
Member
09-15-2003
| Friday, August 24, 2007 - 7:06 pm
I don't think they portray Dick as a great guy either, but they do embrace his villainy. The show plays its own rock music track when Dick is on the warpath.
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Lucymac
Member
07-06-2005
| Friday, August 24, 2007 - 8:25 pm
I have to agree with most of it too. As far as what else could they have done to Dick? Well he could have received a penalty nom. And I do think Dick gets the benefit in editing and they try to play up the loving father aspect in the DR.
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What555456
Member
06-14-2005
| Friday, August 24, 2007 - 8:28 pm
Lucymac...Dick gets the benefit of editing and BB plays up his loover father side? Say it's not so! Not BB! I am shocked! Shocked I tell you! SHOCKED!
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Mssas
Member
08-04-2006
| Friday, August 24, 2007 - 8:37 pm
I think all the articles I read today are RIGHT ON! You can tell they watched the live feeds. I was impressed with the articles AND all of Jens interviews! She is one smart cookie!
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Tanith
Member
08-25-2006
| Friday, August 24, 2007 - 8:52 pm
I wonder why CBS did not issue a statement about Daniele's and AMber's hateful remarks about Asians being "stingy."
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Fieryfurnace
Member
07-05-2006
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 12:28 am
Tanith, is there a youtube.com capture of the Dani/Amber Asian remarks?
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Jhezzie
Member
07-05-2001
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 12:49 am
I wonder why CBS did not issue a statement about Daniele's and AMber's hateful remarks about Asians being "stingy." No, no, no. Asians aren't stingy. Asians can't drive. I hate when people mix up their stereotypes!
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Caycaye
Member
09-14-2001
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 1:35 am
LOL! Jhezzie!!!! I read the article off of Jokers and I agree 100% and I am GLAD someone at another network is basically "calling out" Allison Grodner for her lack of leadership in keeping the integrity of the premise of the show this season.... I LOVED all of Jen's interviews so far....and I LOVED her on House Calls....EDIck did NOT get her down! I love Jen!
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Prisonerno6
Member
08-31-2002
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 1:40 am
quote:Andy Dehnart is a writer and teacher who publishes reality blurred, a daily summary of reality TV news.
I'd say he is just as, if not more, "vested in BB as most of us here are." If you read his "articles" at reality blurred, they are rather biased.
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Puzzled
Member
08-27-2001
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 6:56 am
I, too, agree with most of the article.
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Sharinia
Member
09-07-2002
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 7:04 am
I don't think they portray Dick as a great guy either, but they do embrace his villainy. The show plays its own rock music track when Dick is on the warpath. LOL - well put 
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Sammy
Member
08-21-2007
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 7:08 am
I still think Jen handled herself well...has anyone ever pondered the possible reason she was aloof to a point; was a protection instint (sP?) that if she showed emotion she knew it would get 100 times worse for her????? then again I truly wish she would have said things out loud rather than wisper things of alliances to those who would listen then just go along with the group.... I'm glad that at least somewhere someone is speaking possitive about her. Don't think I could have lasted in all that negitive ways. She made several attempts but all failed. I also wish that Dick would get somethng for his behavior and the others for their lack of responsibilty in just considering it more or less entertainmetn when he went off...would be nice to see him ignored and left alone.... oh again about that smoking area....should be in the outback.....like most are. Currently it is the main meeting area.....
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Mssas
Member
08-04-2006
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 7:10 am
Below is the first article I read the next day after Jen left. The Desolution of Jen: http://realitytvcalendar.com/shows/bb8/commentary/crd-9286-p1.html After reading this article I was so happy that someone had actually put it in words and was VERY Right On so I felt compelled to send them an e-mail to thank them for putting it out there for others to see. I opened my e-mail today and found I had gotten a reply from the writer of the article and wanted to share it with you all. Enjoy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ roving reporter <rovingreporter@webtv.net> Thank you so much. i've been pleasantly surprised, shocked even, by the positive response to my piece. i wasn't sure what kind of response i would get.... i was afraid that the acceptance of ED's treatment of Jen on the show, extended to the viewers watching the show. Sadly, the bashing of Jen, has also not ended.. Eric had to throw in a horrible dig as she left. I fear that they'll kept up the bashing.. right up to the bitter end. Nevertheless, i am so happy to hear that i'm not alone. There are many, many others, like us out there. So, thank you. Really, thank you for writing to let me know. lovingly, c ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Caprica
Member
02-10-2007
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 7:16 am
Dick may not be portrayed as a great guy but BB edits do smooth the edges off his remarks by playing the rock music or even a comical ditty while he berates others. They also never show his harshest remarks and most of his edits are of him and Daniele working on their relationship to the tune of Young and the Restless type music.
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Kittyab
Member
07-16-2005
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 7:17 am
You know I would almost feel sorry for Jen ... but she started to cook food before she destroyed the smokes. She had it all planned out. I wonder what her demands were for her to stay in sequester?
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Caprica
Member
02-10-2007
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 7:22 am
I think Jen planned on getting a penalty nom for eating but just in case she was removed from the house she wanted to destroy something of Dicks. She believed he was responsible for the mustard and knew that he had not been reprimanded for that. It is also possible that she thought that he would resort to violence after the cigarette incident and hope he would be throw out of the house. Just guessing here not condoning anything.
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Mssas
Member
08-04-2006
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 7:23 am
Please don't feel sorry for Jen. She played the game the way she wanted to. So it didn't get her to the finals because she's a happy go lucky person and refuses to let anyone bring her down. Sure she broke at the end...but she lasted way longer because she's such a positive person and refused to give in till she knew she was going home. I truly admire her for what she did. She was playing against 13 others AND BB.
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Allietex
Member
08-16-2002
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 7:46 am
My perception of the way they show Dick is that they show him as a stand up in your face, tell it like it is he man. How many of us in the past have watched someone lie or act unacceptably and wished someone would call them out. Dick is portrayed as the one who does that. The only thing wrong with that portrayal is that he is not that person at all. Far from it. A more accurate portrayal of him would be as a foul mouthed bully. But that does not fit the profile of the loving father who only wants to reconnect with his daughter. So the worst of Dick is covered up. Like the Saturday morning rant he went on. All they really showed was the pot banging and a few vulgar remarks. The pot banging was treated kind of like a high jenks joke. And who among us have not heard or even said ourselves, the words he used on TV. The essence of his attacks were the revolting, disgusting, things that even the most vulgar of ordinary people do not say. Those were not shown. I believe he does this deliberately. He knows enough about it to know that that kind of language cannot be shown on TV. So he knows the worst of what he says is safe from the show. The most egregious thing about Dick's comments to me is that he actually plans and rehearsed them in private with unconcealed glee. Oh, yeah, Dick is shown in a positive light in comparison to the reality. He is BBs golden boy this season. I am not sure they planned it that way. I think they put situations in the house and as the storylines emerge, they latch onto the one that seems to appeal to the viewers and then they mold the shows to play that up.
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Allietex
Member
08-16-2002
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 7:50 am
I don't feel sorry for Jen for the way she went out. She did break the rules, and she did it deliberately. But I do feel sorry for the abuse she suffered in the house. And yes, I feel it was abuse. I think it went way beyone the game play. Much of the stuff Dick said and did to her were done out of sight of the other house guests, so I see no game value in them. They were pure hate and spite, based on her remarks about him in the butter competition.
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Kdee
Member
07-31-2006
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 8:00 am
I doubt that I would have ever done as well as Jen has. It wouldn't have taken but one time of Dick going off on me like he did Jen and Kail also. Jen rebelled finally and I can see how she felt. She had taken so much from him and no one seemed to care at all. They ignored her and that hurts as much as what Dick said to her....she was in so much pain from all of it. I am glad she left because it was too painful to watch and hear. I do not blame her for anything she has done because she had to be in a horrible state of mind at the time.
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Kittyab
Member
07-16-2005
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 8:05 am
Anyone think she maybe suing BB? I think she kinda hinted to Julie that she felt she verbal abused in the house.
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Mssas
Member
08-04-2006
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 8:09 am
In the HC interview Jen did with Gretchen, She asked her to describe in 1 word the Houseguest. For Dick she said disgusting. That has been my word for what he did also. I was so glad she used it to describe him.
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Mssas
Member
08-04-2006
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 8:11 am
No, I don't think she will sue BB. She even said she'd do an all stars down the line if things were different. ( I took that to mean if the 44 year old wanna be guitar player wasn't a part of it.) And who would blame her!
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Bidasea
Member
08-04-2005
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 9:19 am
He man??LOL and no I don't think/use/or know anyone in my circle who does use any of those words in a rational conversation. If you live in a gutter, then you bring the gutter into everyday life. I personally would never want to experience having conversations with Dick Donato. Jen is not my favorite, but she can still laugh about what a silly little man said about/to her. I just want him to be in the final 2 so that Jen can have a nice time in sequester. I doubt anyone, even Eric, will behave so badly without Dick around to egg them on.
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Boberg
Member
10-04-2002
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 10:27 am
Kdee...excellent post, you captured my feelings well. Unbelievable the amount of cruelty and abuse she took from him. And to make it worse, the others just sat there and did nothing or in a few cases, joined in on the taunting. I am glad she is out of there...like you said, it was too cruel to watch.
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Danzdol
Member
04-21-2001
| Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 10:58 am
thanks Beckie...and thanks MSNBC. I agree 120%
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