Fanboys Anonymous

The 17th season of Big Brother is about to begin on June 24, 2015 (my birthday, wooooo) and the cast has finally been announced. There are 14 houseguests all from different backgrounds with different personalities that are set to clash this summer for a chance to win $500,000. As I've been doing for the past few years, this post is going to give you some information on each one of those cast members and my thoughts as well as predictions for what's to come.

Meet the cast of Big Brother 17 - #BB17 2015

Let's take a look at the people who will be competing for the money this year. Keep in mind that my first impressions are based on nothing but the basic information and their interview bio videos. Normally, my opinions change throughout the season, as people can come off one way and then switch gears even as quickly as the first episode. Thus, don't hold me to these generalizations, as I could be entirely wrong! For all I know, the people I'm a fan of below could end up being the biggest jerks and the ones that I hate could be the ones I root for.



INFORMATION: 25 / Digital Media Consultant / Villa Rice, Georgia

MY THOUGHTS: First and foremost, Audrey is the first transgender cast member that Big Brother has ever had. I'd hate to be cynical and say that's the only reason she was able to get on the show, and it might not be, but it's definitely the selling point. The show has always done that with people in the past. If you have an interesting hook that a reality show can exploit, it will happen. Just look at the Donato family. This also means that Audrey will be one of the biggest points of contention for the fan base. There will be people out there that absolutely hate her for no reason other than bigotry, which is sad. There will also be people that absolutely love her for no reason other than political correctness, which is also sad. Both are frustrating and both are probably going to be reasons I hate Audrey's participation in the show. If she doesn't just get blind support from the audience for what she is rather than who she is, and if I don't have to listen to ultra-conservative lunatics bitch and moan about how she's corrupting their children somehow, then I think I'll be on board. Nothing about her is offensive to me yet as far as her personality goes, so I like her more than I dislike her. Unfortunately, she classifies herself as a superfan who is super-adaptable and can be cutthroat like Dexter Morgan. Those people always make me think that they don't have it in them and they're trying to convince themselves that they're better players than they are. Be scared of the silent ones, not the ones that have a louder bark. Also, her job is not a particularly social one, despite how it revolves around social media. Speaking from experience, you spend more time alone than you do interacting with other people, so while she might have an advantage if she really knows the psychology of how people work, she'll be at a disadvantage when it comes to up close confrontation. I'm curious about her physical game as well, as she looks fit, so she could be an overlooked force who is very good in some endurance competitions.



INFORMATION: 30 / Professional Wrestler / Woodland Hills, California

MY THOUGHTS: For those who are unaware, Smark Out Moment is my website dedicated to professional wrestling, so I know people like Austin. In fact, I know who Austin is. He was formerly Judas Devlin in NXT. That is very interesting to me. You might think that I'd have a biased opinion and be rooting for him, but not necessarily. Actually, I don't think he will end up lasting all that long. He will be viewed as a threat very early on due to his athleticism, but he might not actually be as dangerous as he'll be perceived to be. Austin left WWE due to injuries, which could plague him in this environment. Granted, WWE superstars have to be in great physical shape, meaning he's gone through intense training and can tough it out. That, too, could be a downfall, as he might be overconfident. What could save him is that he says he likes to be made fun of and he comes off in his bio interview as pretty low key, so he might be able to get on the good side of enough people to keep himself in the house long enough to play the game for real instead of being booted out within the first three weeks. I'm not loving his strategy of helping people with workouts, though...just saying.



INFORMATION: 26 / Retail Manager / Denver, Colorado

MY THOUGHTS: Becky...I hope, for your sake, you don't end up the way I think you will. I think this woman is beautiful and sweet but utterly screwed for the show. She seemed starstruck and nervous and admits that she likes to talk. I can see that potentially getting under someone's skin if they are jealous of her looks or she says the wrong thing and doesn't know when silence can be the best ally. She also mentioned that she doesn't like personal attacks and that is a killer for many people. Normally, that leads to feelings being hurt and when emotions come into it, people stop playing the game and start trying to be peacemakers, which rubs people the wrong way. Becky is going to be someone who breaks down and cries and her best chances of going far in the game is to be a floater.



INFORMATION: 23 / Graduate Student at Texas A&M / College Station, Texas

MY THOUGHTS: Does this guy's name sound fake or what? He might as well be Cowboy McSoutherncharm. He's going to be every 40-year-old woman's crush this season, so he'll get tons of fan votes on things. He wasn't a fan of the show before and binge-watched it instead, so he probably won't know much of the ins and outs of how to manipulate people and mistakes not to make and such. This guy was cast for his looks and where he comes from. His appeal is totally sexual and he's kind of a dud as far as personality goes. He also keeps talking a lot about how he doesn't want to compromise who he is and where he comes from (I hate that phrase so much). That attitude doesn't go far. People repeat that phrase time and time again in diary room sessions and then they also tend to repeat it when talking to Julie Chen after they've been eliminated and they say they wouldn't change anything because they stayed true to themselves. He even admitted that he'd rather be loved by America and lose than win and be hated. You're going to get your wish, Clay.



INFORMATION: 27 / Poker Dealer / Los Angeles, California

MY THOUGHTS: What worries me about Da'Vonne's chances to win the game are twofold. First, she has already said that she doesn't plan on telling people what she does for a living. The amount of times where that hinders people far outweighs the number of times where it helps. Last year's winner, Derrick, was one of the few to actually pull it off. Da'Vonne will end up telling people at some point and it will make her look like a liar. Another thing that will bite her in the ass is that she's playing for her young daughter. While she has the right attitude in saying that that will motivate her to gut it out and fight harder, the optimism of that statement doesn't override the realism of what will inevitably happen. She is going to miss her daughter—as would anybody in her position—and this will be a big stressor. Lots of people crack under the pressure when they're not able to win Head of Household multiple weeks in a row to see pictures of their children. Can Da'Vonne handle that? I'm not so sure. I also can't imagine her being great at physical competitions, but she is probably amazing at the mental ones, since she should do well with puzzles. That will be a big key to success for her in this game.



INFORMATION: 23 / Personal Trainer / Venice Beach, California

MY THOUGHTS: So this guy's the "free spirit" dude of the season who will be totally chill and boring as fuck even though he probably thinks he's the total opposite. However, he's very personable and a good talker. Jace might have the best social game out of everyone this season and since he has an athletic build that isn't overly muscular, he could be the biggest threat for physical competitions as well. One of the many alerts that came up with him, though, was that he said it's not about the money, but the game itself. I don't recall a ton of those people winning in the past. Jace could be an exception to that, for sure, so I'd watch out for him. If he makes it past two big hurdles (the first couple of weeks before alliances are forged and the middle point when alliances break down), he'll be gold.



INFORMATION: 31 / Retail Associate / Wichita Falls, Texas

MY THOUGHTS: I don't have all that much to say about James. He's pretty bland, unoffensive, and that's about it. James will be the ultimate floater in this season, I think. He will connect with Da'Vonne since he has a daughter as well. I can't imagine people disliking James, but I also can't imagine him being anybody's favorite or someone who will be memorable.



INFORMATION: 25 / Supermarket Cashier / Swansea, Massachusetts

MY THOUGHTS: Jason admits that he's annoying. Yes, he is. He's kind of loud, very lively, and a bit of an attention seeker it seems. I can tell you right now that I'm not going to be upset if he's the first person to go. As far as strategy goes, he says he's going to try to be "the gay glue" with an alliance of women. It will be interesting to see who he aligns himself with the most and whether or not Audrey will be that person or if he'll gravitate toward someone more like Becky. Jason will be a casualty at some point because he plans on backstabbing the women he's tied to, so he'll piss them off and be viewed as untrustworthy. The biggest mistake he could end up making would be to find himself in the position of the gossiper, as that always creates seeds of mistrust.



INFORMATION: 27 / Dentist / Jefferson Township, Pennsylvania

MY THOUGHTS: Remember how Clay had a fake name? So does this guy. Remember when I said Jason was loud? Holy shit, John beats him in that regard. Johnny Mac here shouted the entire interview. Let me be frank by saying that I hate this guy's laugh and his voice, but I like him overall as far as his chances. The main reason why is because he knows that his best bet is to play dumb and also not look like a physical threat, but he says that he does obstacle courses and mud runs and such all the time. He could be able to fly under the radar if his voice doesn't get in the way with people finding him annoying. This guy could end up being one of the most fun to watch and make jokes about throughout the season. His biggest downfall could be the mental challenges, as he doesn't appear to be quick on his feet.



INFORMATION: 23 / Marketing Coordinator / Miami, Florida

MY THOUGHTS: Liz reminds me so much of this one girl that I know. They have similar voices, a similar appearance, and it's really rather interesting. What is a shame is that a lot of people don't like that girl that I know, so I fully see that happening here just by the way she's speaking and her mannerisms. For the record, I like that girl I know, but I also can't be around her too often, and since I don't have a personal connection to Liz, I already dislike her. On top of this, Liz categorized herself as being like Rachel Reilly, who I absolutely could not stand, so I really hope that's not the case. She said one of her strategies will be to wear skimpy bikinis and flirt with people. She's going to piss off a lot of the women and be viewed as the slutty flirt and the stupid ditz. Also, she has an annoying laugh on par with John, so let's hope they don't tell a bunch of jokes to each other. Liz says she's a baby and cries, which hurts her chances as well. I wouldn't be surprised if she was one of the first to go.



INFORMATION: 25 / Server / New York City, New York

MY THOUGHTS: Fun fact is that Meg is originally from my neck of the woods, hailing from Collingswood, New Jersey, which is a few towns over from me. Does that make me want to root for her with the "hometown team" concept? Nope, because I don't do that, as I care about the people and not where they're from. Overall, Meg is pretty bland, even though she comes off as someone that could have a big personality and be tiresome to be around for a while. She calls herself a goose and says a lot of people won't be fond of her being in the house. I can see that. Meg could last a long while in this game if that doesn't get in her way. She doesn't strike me as a physical competitor, nor a mental one, but I could be judging her wrong. Meg's alliance is going to do more for her game than she is. If she's on the wrong side that keeps losing, she'll be a sacrificial lamb, but if she's on the side that keeps winning, Meg will go far because nobody will consider her a threat at the end.



INFORMATION: 33 / Interior Designer / Atlanta, Georgia

MY THOUGHTS: I wish I had more to say about Shelli, but I really don't see anything particularly interesting. She's a pretty face with a stereotypical personality in a lot of ways. For instance, her go-to answer for guilty pleasures was shopping and chocolate and she's an interior designer with what looks like an expensive style and a fake tan. I don't know what else to point out. She wants to lay low, which is smart, so that's good. Will she be good at physical competitions? I doubt it. Will she be good at mental ones? I'd assume somewhere in the middle of the road. Her social game could be middle of the road, too. Blah. Next.



INFORMATION: 22 / College Student / Gouverneur, New York

MY THOUGHTS: Definitely watch out for Steve. He's a superfan who knows that he will probably be able to play off the innocent role and have people pity him, bring him into alliances with the impression that they can bully him around and such. That is going to be an incredibly effective strategy in the long run. If he can play a little dumb at first for the mental challenges, too, this guy could win the entire thing. Steve seems like a good guy. I'll be rooting for him until he does something to change my mind.



INFORMATION: 32 / Professional Poker Player / Las Vegas, Nevada

MY THOUGHTS: So we have a poker dealer and a poker player? Come on, CBS, way to be obvious. Like Da'Vonne, I'm assuming Vanessa will be good at the puzzle aspect of the competitions. Also like Da'Vonne, she doesn't want to tell people that she's a poker player. However, unlike Da'Vonne, Vanessa has a backup profession that she will be able to sell as an alternative take. She is also a DJ and her clothing style fits that persona, so people will look at her and believe it. For those keeping count, Vanessa is also a lesbian, so you can check that off the list for CBS trying to market every facet out there (even though they skipped out on some simple ones, including "the old person"). I'm not too sure about Vanessa's chances to win, but she's a middle of the road type in my mind. More than likely, I'd picture her being a random elimination in week six or something of the sort that just sort of happens without any fanfare, but who knows?
 

I like this cast so far because there really isn't anyone who annoys the living hell out of me. Some people will end up being favorites of mine while I'm sure I'll be hoping some others will leave as soon as possible, but that happens every year. My "fav five" right now are probably Steve Moses, Audrey Middleton, John McGuire, Austin Matelson and either Da'Vonne Rogers or Becky Burgess. My least favorites are Liz Nolan and Jason Roy. As far as winners go, I'm predicting the final three coming down to Steve Moses, Shelli Poole and James Huling with Steve getting the win.

Throughout the season, you can hit me up on Twitter @ToeKneeManGo to get my thoughts on Big Brother as it is happening and as I'm watching the live feeds.