Big Brother: A Song That Dan Has Played Masterfully
Compassionately Written, Smart-Ass-Big-Brother-Commentary by Cindy Rutolo Dietrich
September 20, 2008
In the end I knew Dan Gheesling would win. He just wanted it so much more. He did anything he felt necessary to get himself to the end, whether it was ethical or not. So, yeah, I thought that he would win. I just wasn't looking forward to watching him win. Not that I wasn't long past ready for Big Brother10 to end. Au contraire. I couldn't wait for the Finale. It's just that despite their hurt feelings, and the betrayals I was afraid the jury would reward Dan for being a better player. And I was right.
Robert Garrett, a/k/a "Memphis" on the other hand, said he never expected to win the half a mil. Sometimes you get what you dream about. Sometimes you get what you expect. Memphis never even allowed himself to dream about being the big winner. Memphis kind of floated, lied and smiled his way through BB10. Dan pulled him along on that ride to the end. Then, Memphis decided he'd be satisfied with second place. Not that second place is all that bad. Memphis did leave with a car and fifty grand. But did he perhaps seal his own fate? Did he in effect give up, by deciding to settle for less? Did he in effect hand that win to Dan, because of a lack of will and imagination?
I've always hated movies based on a misunderstanding. I hate having to wait to the end for everything to be revealed. I hated having to wait to find out if the jury would find enough out to truly determine who was good. What was black? What was white? Who was right? The thing that stuck in my gut was this realization: by the time the jury found out that they'd all been deceived, it'd be too damn late. Because both guys still win anyway.
I never agreed with Renny Martyn about Memphis. He may have played a willing villain, but it was just an act. I think he's probably a half decent guy. I just never realized how clueless he was until those last endless days in the house. Then again he did win himself a nice chunk of money, so he did okay for himself. But he could have won so much more. "Winning this veto is huge for me. I'm glad that I have the sole vote to send somebody home this week." That's what Memphis said when he won that last veto. I wondered why Memphis felt safe, or happy about winning that veto. I also wondered why he kept referring to his ability to send somebody home as, "just business." Obviously he'd forgotten that evicted house-guests make a few stops before they get home. After some appearances, they go to the Jury House. They take their hurt feelings with them.
I liked Memphis better before he betrayed Angie Swindell, then Keesha Smith, and dammit even Jerry MacDonald. They were just stepping stones on a pathway to money. He didn't seem to value their friendship and trust as much as he did that potential for money. That goes triple for Dan. I guess I just wanted both of them to realize that there are, or should be, consequences for betrayals of trust. That'll never happen now. They've both won too much. "It was just business." Sometimes replaced, "It was just a game." But they're both an excuse that mean the same thing: those other people, and their feelings were expendable.
I still hate calling Big Brother that by the way. I hate calling it a game because real humans are involved. Real feelings are in play. People need to feel that they can trust one another, even in an adversarial situation. Especially in an adversarial situation they still need to bond. So they still try to bond. They still try to find others they feel they can rely upon. Keesha and Jerry were hurt more by Memphis's betrayal than by the fact that they were evicted so close to the end.
But, days after his betrayal of first Keesha, then Jerry, Memphis was still completely perplexed by their reactions. He couldn't understand why Keesha asked, "Are you remorseful?" 'Why would she ask that?' He wondered aloud. "Why would he feel remorseful when 'fifty-thousand' dollars was involved?" Forget about the fact that they were friends. Forget about the fact that Keesha trusted him completely. Why couldn't she understand that it was just a business deal? Too bad he couldn't figure out the answer to these questions because it cost him first place, and four hundred and 'fifty-thousand' dollars.
I'll never understand why Memphis didn't try harder to talk to, or comfort Keesha. That's what she wanted. That's what she needed. Why did Memphis sulk around the house instead, on her last night there? Why didn't he try to at least explain himself? What did he have to lose? And why oh why let Dan play the sympathetic hero? Couldn't he see the flaws with that move? He not only played a willing villain for Dan, he volunteered. So Dan was the hero. Memphis was the fall guy. And Keesha was crushed. She was so upset she just gave up. We really don't see that a lot. Once she found out that they planned to evict her, that was it. Keesha gave in. Keesha was done. Oh she cried, and swore. Then she cried and swore some more. But she literally threw in the towel. And why? She could have tried to make a deal with Memphis. She could have tried guilting him until he changed his mind. Cause Lord knows the man looked like he felt miserably guilty. But she didn't. She didn't even try. Neither did he. She had almost 24 hours left. But all she did was cry, swear vengeance and pack.
Truly Dan's most daring move occurred just after Keesha's eviction. No one has ever cleverly taken advantage of the those crucial, first moments of just evicted, live, on-air time, before Dan. I've always wondered why they can't seem to even remember that they're still being watched closely, and listened to, live then. Dan remembered though. I think he planned it, and it played out perfectly. Here's what he did, in case you missed it. As soon as Keesha left, Dan said to Memphis, "I really can't believe you did that." (Betrayed Keesha). "You're out of your mind if you think I'm taking you! (to the winning end.) "Out-of-your mind!" He was shouting it out for the cheap seats in the live audience, the cameras, and for us; the viewers at home. He even repeated it to make sure Keesha heard every little bit of it over the applause.
I actually felt a little bit sick watching him pace back and forth. He was expressing fake indignation. Out of the two of them, Memphis and Dan, Dan may be the better actor. All I kept thinking was, Memphis for God sakes say something! Do something! You're still on air. Protect yourself. Explain yourself. Expose him, now! Live. Before the whole world. Before Keesha returns to the Jury House. Speak! Open your mouth. At least respond to him by saying that Keesha's eviction was Dan's idea too. But Memphis said nothing. He might as well have been mute. And Dan wasn't even done. He threw Memphis under the bus during his good-by message for Keesha too. After that I don't believe Keesha would have believed Dan was in it from the start, even if he told her himself. She had such a wounded heart. And the damage had been so thoroughly done.
Dan all but guaranteed himself a win with that live air move. He knew too that he'd now have Keesha repeating what she just heard from her brave, little loyal friend, Dan, inside the Jury House. He set himself even more with that good-by message. And Memphis let another opportunity go by with a thundering roar. Because he could have explained, and apologized in his message too. No one had ever done anything like this before. No one's come close to being as calculating, as careful. This was the first time anyone took the time, and opportunity to actually act out a scene like this, live. It was the master stroke. It was the coup de tau. it was the killing blow. It was also a really low blow. But Memphis let it totally go. It was also brilliantly, evilly done. After that I was sure Dan had won.
"Let's do this like Judas!" Memphis said.....
Cindy Rutolo Dietrich is an entertainment writer, reviewer, rock journalist, poet, hotel reviewer, pianist, singer, songwriting artist from Pennsylvania.
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