Truth, Lies & A Witchhunt On Videotape
Okay, so he's out of the House now. All you Michael-detractors can smile to yourselves and strut around the place like you're ruler of the world.
I ain't gettin' into it.
For my money, he was placed in an impossible position to be BB's lap dog, and then not afforded the protection he'd need in such a volatile position. In short, he was robbed. I've already gone into my views on this in some detail, so I won't repeat myself here.
But what about his less-than-impressed attitude in his Eviction show? Well, I'd have been 100% the same if it'd been me (and you all know what a great guy I am). When someone like Gretel Killeen is interviewing you, and being nice to you most of the time, but then snapping at you and being unpredictable with her pleasantries and nastiness without warning, it's not surprising that Michael felt he was being backed into a corner and under attack. He obviously already feels that this is how he was treated from the get-go with the Insider thing, so being voted out by the public is clearly going to be a not-so-subtle indication that people are hating you out in the real world.
He felt badly-done-by, and despite the nice, encouraging things Gretel said to him (and some of them were very nice, I wholeheartedly agree), she undid the good of them by having an occasional dig at him and arguing with him about his methods and choices as the Insider (BB has a whole host of 'advisors' before he makes any decisions; the Housemates can't even write down a game plan to sort it all out in front of them - they can only go with what they think is best in their [extremely stressed] minds and [fatigued and weary] bodies, and make their decisions without consultation of any sort with anyone else), so yes - he got defensive and shrank back into his shell. I'm not surprised. I felt bad for him, and watching the BB Top 10 Questions was like watching a car crash in slow motion. Gretel only made matters worse (and more confusing to Michael) by complimenting him, telling him that miming the autocue wasn't funny (who said he was trying to be? The guy just got released from a House where he spent six weeks with the same stupid people, give him a break!), and then snarling at him that patting her on the back wasn't helping as he tried to laugh it off. Then she complimented him again immediately afterwards! Way to make him feel at ease! No wonder he ended up so shy to communicate with you, you cruel and spiteful witch.
Yes, strong words. But he was the only person in six years of the show (where absolutely everyone claims beforehand that they're going to "mix things up and cause some trouble" in the House, who actually came through and did it. Despite BB always claiming to be including real troublemakers and sh*t-stirrers in there, how is the show's first genuinely interesting prankster treated? His contentment to do what no one before him has had the gonads to try was basically abused and thrown back in his face. The show is going to be far weaker as a result of Michael's departure.
The only good thing that I can gleam from him being voted out is that the trend of the girls being evicted has been broken (and it really needed to be).
Yes, Michael annoyed the Housemates. But that's what was so great about him being in there with them all, in such close proximity! Let them go crazy! Yes, he even annoyed much of the public. But only those too short-sighted or stupid to see what he was doing by being the 'self-imposed' Insider in there. The producers of the show were lapping it up - the entire Thursday and Friday night Daily Shows were made up of his toothbrush- and cutlery-stealing antics, and the fall-out from that. The producers were loving it! They probably became jealous that he'd managed to do what all their own crappy mindgames could not do (try as they might) - and that is to get the Housemates to argue and accuse each other while the real new Insider remained undetected.
Michael was the best thing for the show in 2006. Now that he's gone, are we meant to be excited on a daily basis to see just what Jamie and Katie have been up to? ("Oooh! I wonder if they kissed in the spa again today! Or maybe he was so devoted to her that she got upset with him?") How about if Jade is doing a great job as the new Insider? ("Oooh! I wonder if she had to sing again all day! What a great whole week's worth of secret tasks that was!") I wonder if Dino will say something offensive and demeaning to women? I wonder if Camilla will get into an argument over nothing and end up in tears about how everyone else treats her? I wonder if Krystal will say something stupid, take a compliment as an insult, stand around looking confused and vacant, apply enough make-up for a week's worth of "Les Girls" performances, make a move on a disinterested Gaelan, and then giggle for a while?
Quite seriously, if Wifey wasn't strangely addicted to BB06 as part of her pregnancy cravings (yes, really), and I hadn't already started this 'mini-series' of posts on my blog about each eviction, I'd happily not watch another episode of the show from here on. Not in an immature 'protest' about Michael being voted out, but because it really is going to be so boring now that I couldn't care any less about it than I do now. It simply isn't possible.
I think I initially had more to say about this, but the fire has gone out in me now. I just can't be stuffed. So Michael's gone. Fair enough. I expected it, actually (based on the popular groundswell against him in the blogger community alone). I just think it was so massively the wrong decision for the public to make (ably assisted by the bad press he continued to receive from all of the shows hosts except for Mike Goldman), that I'm feeling really unenthused about the whole thing now.
For me, this decision is on par with the Logans beating Tim for the winner of BB05.
.
posted by BEVIS @ 3:24 am
-- 
13 Comments:
I am in total agreement with you over this one, Michael never had a chance. I hope BB is true to his word and that the fines continue and whoever does win comes out with nothing.
Sorry buddy - I'd rather see characters that intesest me (like Katie and David) than watching sociopathic manipulative jerks... I don't watch it to get angry, I watch it to enjoy the people...
I could go on a lot about this one, but instead will keep it short. Did I want Michael to go this week? No. Did I think he was an arrogant, sly, manipulating tool from the moment I saw his intro video? Yes. Was he treated unfairly by BB? Yes. But ultimately the guy got what he deserved.
I read that second-last sentence as 'I'm feeling really euthanased about the whole thing now.'
And it made perfect sense, might I add.
And I agree with you. I think Michael is an annoying human being, and he reminded me of CRAIG IRVINE until he actually starting backing up all his talk with action in the last week. But I wish he hadn't been evicted.
As much as I actually quite like John, I would've voted to evict him if I'd voted this week. I can't stand Camilla, and Michael irritates me, but at least they create(d) some sort of conflict in the house.
Bleh. Stupid Big Brother. I'm only still watching cos I need something to numb my poor, stressed brain, and alcohol is expensive.
If people got what they deserved in the house, Tim would have won last year and boring idiots like John would get voted out along with misogynistic bullies like Dino and Dean from BB05. On that note, I'd also like to notice how I really hate that pushy girls always get given shit for being bossy and 'opinionated' while the same guys (Dino and Dean again) aren't challenged at all. Though Dino was nominated this week so maybe the trend of the last five years is over.
Did you see Michael on noms tonight? I've never seen Gretel lose it like that! It was, as you said, like watching a car crash in slow motion.
Personally, I feel sorry for Mikey. He's not a written villain. He's just a normal guy, albeit arrogant and not as smart as he thinks, he got used for TV ratings. It's unfair he's been made out to be this big schmuck. Reality teevee. I heart thee, but sometimes you go too far.
Dangerous Dave, welcome! (Have you commented here before? My apologies if you have.) Wouldn't it be great if the prize money was all gone by the end of the series. What would the Housemates do if it got down to $30,000 or something? If you thought you were going to be voted out, you'd be spitefully breaking rules on purpose, I reckon - so the eventual winner had nothing left to win! Maybe BB's question during the Lie Risk Detector thing on Monday was because they plan to remove the prize money later if the fines keep coming, perhaps? That'd be cruel and stupid, but I haven't been very impressed with BB and the producers this year at all on many levels.
Enny, fair enough, you're absolutely allowed to disagree. Thank you for saying so. :) See below the dotted line for other thoughts (partially 'inspired' by the points you raised, but which I didn't want to 'direct' solely at you).
John B, Michael was certainly arrogant, sly and a 'manipulative tool'. But yes, that's what made him so interesting in the House. I would have been fine with him not winning, but he should have been in there until the last three or four people so we could enjoy/hate his antics for the duration of the show. (I dread to think what Rove's going to do to him tonight, BTW. It's going to be worse than the way Gretel treated him last night, I reckon.)
Her Radicalness, yeah - 'euthanased' works too. :) Your comment about Mr Irvine made me laugh. If the show gets too much for you and alcohol's still too expensive, try bashing your head against a brick wall until you feel all light and feathery. It worked for me!
Audrey, I absolutely agree with everything you said, especially about how women who act the same way as men are treated so differently. I loved the situation between Michael and Gretel on the Nominations show last night - because he was completely vindicated at the end! The footage was doctored to look like he and David were kissing when we first saw it during his eviction montage! There was no sound, and it was slowed down, so we didn't realise he was talking to, and mocking being about to kiss David, because it looked like they were making out and was indeed cut off before he turned his head so we could see they were mucking around and actually speaking to each other at the time! True, during their little spat at the start there it looked like another slow-motion car crash and I almost wondered if Michael was going to walk off or if Gretel was going to tell him to leave - she was absolutely furious with him for using the word 'edited' (I was thinking he should have said 'packaged out of context', but when we saw it later, I agree that 'edited' was the right word to use!), and she got really hot under the collar with him. Meanwhile, he wanted to finish his sentence and kept repeating himself until she finally let him say his piece. Unfortunately for them both, by the time she stopped interrupting him she had reduced herself to a childish antagoniser just for the sake of being pissed off with him, and he looked more than a bit silly for saying 'the same thing'. When they returned later and she apologised, it was clear (to me at least) that someone had spoken in her ear and advised her to retract her spite and ire because he was right - and he had the good grace to be equally pleasant and good-natured about it as she did (but it was harder to swallow in her situation; she looked really unconvincing and like she was bitter about her outburst not being supported by BB). The footage showed that he did indeed have to field too many questions during the day about a kiss that had never happened, and that the editing (which I'm sure wasn't done maliciously - or I'd like to think so, anyway) had put him in a place where he needed to amend the record. I certainly understood Gretel's standpoint of the footage capturing what really happens, but in this instance it proved to be false - the editing did indeed mislead. Hey, if nothing else, all the controversy has ensured that Michael will be long-remembered, even moreso than Anna or Tilli or Karen. So good on him; I hope he turns his newfound notoriety into something he can use to his own advantage (if that's what he wants to do).
-------------
For me, the whole point behind the show is to see how the psychological experiment that certain situations and outside/unexpected pressures being placed on them will manifest in the Housemates. That is, after all, the notion behind the show's concept anyway. And even this year Gretel has repeated that that's the basic idea. So although I think both David and Katie are nicer people than Michael (I honestly do), for the purposes of the show/game, I can't get over how utterly boring those two are, which makes the show move too slowly and results in a loss of viewers. Michael made it interesting with his mind games and pranks. That's the sort of thing BB tries to do anyway with the Insider (but BB does a pathetic job of orchestrating it), and Michael was more effective on his own than when under BB's 'guidance'. I don't watch the show to get angry either, but BB is the one making me angry through all his stupid decisions. For example, why show the Housemates during the Nominations show on Monday that Michael was the toothbrush fairy? What was the point in that? The whole idea was to infect the Housemates with distrust and doubt about each other. Let them wonder about it until each of them is evicted so they can find out for themselves. BB tells the Housemates that he doesn't reveal stuff about other Housemates. Until a few instances this year (each time with Michael), that has extended to Housemates who have been evicted. BB has turned on Michael for being better at the game than Big Brother! It's so blantantly wrong I can't begin to describe how angry it makes me. It is completely against the spirit of the whole show and only indicates how immature and petty BB really is. He thinks his reputation as the 'all-seeing, all-knowing' God-like figure is at risk? I got news for you, Mr Noble, the secret's out of the bag. You're crap at the game and clearly don't think your decisions through before you make them. You're too busy undoing Michael's handiwork and making the Housemates too 'comfortable' and boring. You're diggin' your own grave, dude. You should have let Michael run riot and left the other Housemates wondering in his wake.
Agreed. Gretel's pandering at the end was pathetic, especially when she held his hand. It was so obvious she'd been chastised and how she could dare suggest they don't edit the show...does she watch it?!?!
I was really pissed off that BB revealed the toothbrush business. He can't say that he doesn't reveal secrets about the housemates and then ruin the one thing that had them all questioning each other.
I have to say though, Michael thinks he is a lot smarter than he is and I can see why some people find that annoying. I personally don't think Gaelen or Krystal stand a chance at winning the game. Maybe he just said that to get them nominated though because he hates Krystal and thus by proxy Gaelen.
I guess my feelings come about because of what I watch the show to see - I'm nosy and like a gossip, so I watch to see what the people do and what they talk about and what they've done etc. I hate shows like Jack@ss and punk'ed etc where ppl enjoy seeing ppl squirm... so I guess diff ppl watch it for diff reasons, and I'm proddly part of the minority ;o)
I understand, Enny. But don't worry, I don't think you're in the minority at all. Otherwise Michael'd still be in the House!
We each watch it for different things, and obviously that's why we all come away with our own opinions, which can differ so vastly from each other. But we all remain buddies throughout, and that's what makes us wonderful.
*hold hands with Enny and sings 'tra-la-la-la-la' until she pulls her hand away and slaps me across the face*
... Fair enough.
I promise I won't slap... I can't promise I won't strike you to throat, but I won't slap... (and you wouldn't even feel me pull my hand away) BWA HA HA!
Mebbe I shoulda put more smilies in my replies ;o)
My goodness, Enny - you're a surprisingly violent little poppet, aren't you! :)
Michelle, I know exactly what you mean ... The real disappointment this year has been Big Brother himself.
I agree with you here Bevis. Now that Mikey is gone, the show is going to descend, as it always does, into the dullness that is Ashley, Clare et al.
Michael was a great housemate as he was interesting to watch and he stirred the pot.
I wholeheartedly agree with the post you left at ausculture (which was where you must have used up your fire!) and this one, too. Michael didn't stand a chance. He was stitched up on day one. He and Timmy (BB05) are the only truly genuine people who have ever had a chance to show themselves (there were others but they got the boot too early). The house will be bankrupt as a result of his absence.
Post a Comment
<< Home