Big Brother Craze

Hey ya’ll! I thought I’d pop in, and before I do another BBi Update, see if we can’t figure out what some Big Brotehr folks are up to. After all, it’s Thanksgiving, I am nearing a food coma, and wandering around the internets is about as energetic as I’m gonna get.

Yes, I know that’s what I do all day, every day. Hush, you.

So - Renny has taken ebay by storm - and is selling everything but the kitchen sink! Props, hats, autographs - and a ‘fly to your house, pop out of a box in a bow and have a pajama party’ package! No, I’m not kidding. Check it out! Way to work your fame, girl!

Alex (BB9) is still hoping to be on BB again, or another reality show, and appreciates the support he still feels from all his fans, while Steven, Dan, Memphis and Brian are headed to Vegas this weekend - can’t wait to see pictures of THAT group out and about!

Crazy James is not only living it up in Paris still - but has gotten engaged! On his birthday even! AND he has a REAL JOB. Inorite?!

Memphis was able to get the truck he’s always wanted - a 1970 box bronco, and will be featured in the January issue of Bronco Driver Magazine. Nice! And if you send him a self addressed envelope with a picture and stamp, he’ll autograph it and send it right back to ya!

Nick and Jen (BB8) are still together, in the oddest coupling to have made it out of BB yet - or close to it anyway, as it seems that Ollie and April are still together as well. Word on the street is that they’re living together now. April’s Myspace is still set to private, and they have lain pretty low since the end of the show. We do know, however, that April will be playing for the Lingerie Football League.

Keesha just got back to LA after a long visit home with friends and family in Ohio - with a side trip to visit Dan the Man. She and her friends even watched him teach a class! She’s doing some traveling for Hooters promotion, but isn’t back to work just yet.

Dan, as mentioned above is back to teaching - his students are keeping him on his toes, and he’s happy to be back doing what he loves. He’ll also be doing some motivational speaking in the new year, which is pretty exciting!

And while I was posting this - Last, but CERTAINLY not least - the one and only Evel Dick posted a myspace blog. He has a new show being shopped around. He mentioned filming a pilot, but the details are that it’s like Kitchen Nightmares, though for clubs and bars, with Evel Dick the night club’s answer to Gordon Ramsey. It’s called EvelDick Behind Bars, and they’ve a bunch of interviews with networks in the works. Awesome!

There ya go - there’s what some of our favorites (and not so favorites) are up too! Here’s hoping your Thanksgiving was fantastic!

This? is funny stuff! My son and all his friends are now contemplating a war of their own. James Rhine from Big Brother 6 and Allstars is in there - I had to watch it a second time to be sure which one he is - there’s lots of action, and in his own words:

This was a fun little project that I got to do recently. I was a little disappointed that you can’t see me that often especially since I don’t die till the end by Nerf gernade… but it was one of the funnest days of filming ever.

I’m pretty sure I’ve picked him out - can you?

The Great Office War

And, since my kids and their friends are jonsin’ to make a Nerf War video of their own… I just have to make sure they let ME play too!

ETA - I got an email from James Rhine yesterday (HI JAMES!) and he mentioned that he was also featured in the latest video from the Pussycat Dolls! You can see the video on his MySpace page!

TWOOOOOOOOOO BIIIIIIITS! (Pweeeeeeese, Eddie! Yes, I watched Roger Rabbit way to often when my kids were younger - why do you ask?)

All during Housecalls for season 9, and well, ever since his own season, Bunky took a lot of ribbing about his back hair. He took it in stride and joked about it as well, ever being the cute little wooly mammoth that he is. At one point during the season, Evel Dick started telling him that he’d take bits for someone to shave said back hair and rid poor Bunky of his own personal sweater.

Evel Dick apparently didn’t have enough pull. But you know who did? The Banker and Howie Mandell! That’s right, our very own Bunky was on last nights Deal or No Deal, with clippers and $100 in hand, as a contestant was asked to ’show her skill’ at her job. Check out the clip!

Original Video- More videos at TinyPic

Howie looks MORTIFIED - he is well known as a germaphobe and that kind of manscaping pushed him to his limit, I suppose. I just sat here and giggled, myself, as the contestant did exactly what Bunky asked for - just a little off the top. A back Mullet. Who’da thunk it? Nice to see the previous houseguests getting airtime, though, isn’t it? James Rhine was recently in a music video by the Pussycat Dolls, and Kaysar has a new commercial out that’s pretty funny - see?

All of which just makes us want July 13th to come all the faster, right? Right! BRING ON THE NEW HOUSEGUESTS!

Here’s the another little surprise for you all! First we had Alex’s interview, then the shirts and etc from us here at Big Brother Craze to James Fans everywhere, through Cafe Press, and now… another interview!

Jen was kind enough to sit down and answer some questions for me about her time in the Big Brother House, so without further ado, here’s the Big Brother Craze interview with Jen Diturno. Enjoy!

(PS - remember, if you get a high load warning, try again in a minute or two. It’s been getting better, but it’s not perfect yet.)

I ask that you do not take the liberty of copying and pasting this interview elsewhere. You may link to it using the direct url: http://www.bigbrothercraze.com/an-interview-with-jen-of-bb9/

~~~

BBC: Let’s start at the beginning! How many times have you tried out for Big Brother? What did the casting process involve for you, and also for Ryan? At what point did they tell you that you’d both be on the show together? And, of course, what advice would you give those currently trying out for the summer season, BB10?

Jen: This was the 4th time I tried out for Big Brother. I got closer and closer every time. This last time I went to an open casting call in Columbus. Big Brother called me and asked if my boyfriend (Ryan) would be interested in doing the show too. They said they were considering doing a pairs season. Ryan never applied, just got on this through me. We knew we were going to be on the show together while going through the process. It wasn’t until they came to our home town to kidnap us, that it was official. Even then, we still did everything separate. We were never allowed to see each other or even talk to each other. We were even in different hotel rooms through the finals and sequester process too! We were treated as individuals the entire time! My advice for others trying out for Big Brother in the future would be to never give up! Big Brother casts for the theme of the season…they cast for a character. If you don’t fit the qualifications this time, maybe you will next time! If at first you don’t succeed, try try again!

BBC: As a fan of the show, how much did you watch/re-watch in order to prepare yourself to enter the house?

Jen: I didn’t do much of that. During my week of sequester, before moving into the house, we were given past season DVDs that I watched, but only because I was bored out of my mind! You can never be prepared to enter the Big Brother house…..expect the unexpected! I actually think I was at a disadvantage having watched all 8 seasons of BB because it made me play the game a little too hard!

BBC: How was your reception when you got home - friends, family, work, fans? Have you been able to catch up on the show since leaving?

Jen: I had a big homecoming party once I got off the plane! It was all very exciting and overwhelming at the same time! I have received both hate and love mail, but so have we all! I have to read things on the internet very carefully because their is a lot of haters out there! I try not to let it get to me, and I am a very strong and independent person so I am able to look past all the bullshit! Work is crazy! Constant people wanting my autograph and picture taken! It’s cool though! I feel like a broken record with the million repetitive questions that I am asked on a daily basis, but hey….it comes with the territory! My friends never thought I would come back after this! Ha ha ha….some of them even though I would come back as a different person! But I am the same Jen as I was before I left! The 15 minutes of fame has not gone to my head and it never will. I know who is important in my life and it’s all the friends, family and co-workers that have been with me my entire life! I love my fans too, but my heart belongs with my home! I have been able to catch up on the show since I have been home. I watch the feeds 24/7 of course because Ryan is still going strong! It’s weird to see him on TV and I miss him more than you know!

BBC: Many previous houseguests feel like they’re not accurately portrayed by CBS on the network shows - there’s many a discussion about getting a ‘good edit’ vs. a ‘bad edit’. How do you feel you were portrayed on the show?

Jen: For the most part, I am who I am. I like you until you cross me and I can be a bitch! I don’t back down from confrontations and I deal with problems head on and that’s exactly what I did on the show. There were a couple instances that were edited and cut in a way that made me look really bad and I don’t appreciate that, but that’s what I signed up for. I knew that could happen and all I can do now is move forward from it. The racist comment did not happen in any way, shape, or form the way it was shown to America! In fact, that was not my way of campaigning against Ryan because it was said BEFORE I was even nominated! So people (haters) can say whatever they want….Ryan and I and everyone that knows us knows how that situation really happened and that’s all that matters! The thing about me saying my picture was first b/c I was gonna win……ha ha hha ha….lol….that’s me and my sarcasm and obviously some of the houseguests just didn’t get it, or me for that matter!

BBC: And naturally - do you think they’re portraying the other houseguests fairly?

Jen: I will let other houseguests speak for themselves on this one!

(more…)

Here’s the first of the little surprises I have in store for you all! Alex was kind enough to sit down and answer some questions for me about his time in the Big Brother House - he was the last to get his questions and the first to get them answered, actually. So without further ado, here’s the Big Brother Craze interview with Alex Coladonato. Enjoy!

(PS - remember, if you get a high load warning, try again in a minute or two. It’s been getting better, but it’s not perfect yet.)

I ask that you do not take the liberty of copying and pasting this interview elsewhere. You may link to it using the direct url: http://www.bigbrothercraze.com/an-interview-with-alex-of-bb9

BBC: Let’s start at the beginning! How many times have you tried out for Big Brother? What did the casting process involve for you? And, of course, what advice would you give those currently trying out for the summer season, BB10?

Alex: BB9 was my first audition for Big Brother and I was lucky enough to be the person they were looking for and get selected. I cannot talk about the casting process but I will tell you it was long - LOL. Finally, for the people trying out for the summer season, good luck. Go as yourself and look good. They know what they want when they are interviewing, be that person, the saying that I’ll leave you with is, “Hey, ya never know!”

BBC: How much of a fan of Big Brother were you prior to auditioning? How much of the previous seasons did you watch/re-watch to help prepare you before entering the house? I believe I’ve read that your best friend (Johnny?) auditioned too, and helped you prepare - true?

Alex: I watched the first 2 seasons of big brother and then didn’t watch again until all-stars and season 8. I watched almost all the seasons to see different type of ways to play the game but of course played the way I wanted to when getting into the house - if I did. My best friend Johnny also auditioned, he is the reason why I made it. I was only going for him and I was picked the first day I was seen and went through the process hoping to get through every round after that.

BBC: How was your reception when you got home - friends, family, work, fans? Have you been able to catch up on the show since leaving?

Alex: My reception was amazing. My mother ran to me and gave me the biggest hug and said how proud she was of me for being the person you are and that’s why your the best. I then went home to a house of like 20 people looking to ask me everything and anything. I then spent Easter Sunday with my family, and Sunday night left to go to Aruba for a week. Came home and had an awesome welcome back party with family and friends from all over and had a blast. Happy to be home, but missed the house.

BBC: Many previous houseguests feel like they’re not accurately portrayed by CBS on the network shows - there’s many a discussion about getting a ‘good edit’ vs. a ‘bad edit’. How do you feel you were portrayed on the show? And naturally - do you think they’re portraying the other houseguests fairly?

Alex: Its CBS, LOL. There is nothing we can do. I don’t really care how CBS portrays me to be honest, because I know I didn’t change the person that I am on the show. So maybe that’s why they had the twist because they didn’t like my style of play or knew I was going to win, who know, LOL. People who watch the live feeds and Show Time know the real me, I haven’t watched the show yet to see how the really portrayed me, that will come in time.

(more…)

Neil posted the following on his MySpace blog today:

Thank you so much for the outpouring care, support, and concern from all the BIG BROTHER fans. This has been a difficult time for my family, which I am dealing with privately. The drama is slowly being resolved, and all is headed to a brighter place.

I am now happy to say, that I am spending time with close friends and family. I wish Joshuah the best of luck and hope that he keeps up our brilliant strategy to win the big prize with my replacement, Sharon. Please know that I will NOT be back to the BIG BROTHER house and contrary to some web speculation, I was not let go for health reasons. Eeek! Again, thanks to each and every one of you for your support during all of this Big Brother business.

All my Love,

Neil Garcia, BIG BROTHER 9

P.S. -Shit Happens- >: O

I’m glad that he’s doing alright, and has the support of friends and family while he deals with the unspecified ‘drama’ - best of luck to you, Neil!

…and it looks like those posting CBS clips to YouTube have caught the fever too! Along with the Dirty Little Secret promos, there’re two new clips that poke fun at the houseguests of Big Brother 8. While the first one is mildly amusing, the second one is laugh out loud funny!

Julie Chen, our beloved Chenbot, will be on Craig Ferguson on February 11th, the night before the premiere! Of course, by that time, we will already know (hopefully!) the Houseguests names and other particulars and such. She should be able to talk more freely then she did on Letterman though!

Chenbot is also already in California, preparing for the premier. Her note from CBS Early Show said she had left, and was hoping to get the Powers That Be to allow her to announce the Twist on The Early Show. Which, of course, all but confirms there WILL be a twist, despite her saying on Letterman she knew nothing. She’s pretty smart though, her programming likely allowed her to deduce that since there’s been a twist every year since Season 4.

Entertainment Tonight was supposed to have a preview of the House yesterday, but it was apparently postponed without even a blip of a mention. Likely that will happen on the 4th, as that’s when we’re expecting the Houseguests have been sequestered and are about to move in. At least, that’s what we’re HOPING, of course.

Though Entertainment Tonight raised our hopes without seeing through, LA Ink was true to their word and we got to see Dr. Will in action on January 29th! One of the girls, Pixie, has decided to get a tattoo that doesn’t really have a story or mean anything to her removed so that she can replace if with something personal of meaning.

Of past houseguests, that is? As we all know, Dr. Will Kirby has been doing stints on that new show Dr. 90210, and we’ve seen the rest of Chill Town, Boogie make appearances there too. That appearance netted them a tie vote and a Realtini for the best Showmance with our beloved Eric and Jessica at the Fox Reality TV awards last fall. I’ve never watched that show (I know – what kind of Reality Queen am I?) but tonight, after a new episode of another show that I avidly watch, I was in for a little surprise – and so are you!

We’ve all been eagerly awaiting Evel Dick’s appearance on LA Ink, which has yet to air. However – for those die hard fans, NEXT TUESDAY, one of the LA Ink girls, Pixie, discovers that having a Tattoo removed is more painful then having one put on. And who is doing the removal?

You guessed it – Dr. Will himself will be talking about laser tattoo removal and seeing to removing one of Pixie’s many tattoos!

So tune in to TLC next Tuesday, January 29th to see Dr. Will in action! And, of course, to discover why Pixie wants that particular tattoo removed of the dozens that she has. It’s sure to make an interesting story and episode!

Still no word for sure when the episode will play of Dick’s visit and tattoo (He gets tattoo’d by Hannah, and Daniele gets a small matching piece as well.) but as soon as I hear or see the previews, I’ll let you know.

I don’t follow much about the other Big Brothers around the world - because really, the US version is more then enough drama for me, especially with our special Winter Session coming up! I knew there were other versions, of course, but I had no clue that Big Brother has been in 38 different countries, and some of the wild antics that have gone on - it’s the sex, lies, and videotape of current day!

Anyway - some lovely random stats for you from the show’s opener: 31 Countries, 2677 houseguests 177 houses 38 countries and 2 billion viewers! Nice to know we’re not alone in our obsession! (grin) When and where was the first Big Brother? The Netherlands in 1999 and? It would take you 14 years to watch every episode of every Big Brother around the world.

Swedes have the most sex, the cheater in UK won, but ended up divorced but who has the weirdest tasks? The Belgium’s like searching for a key in a vat of pig parts. When they ran out of cigarettes they had to blow darts at each other to get more - only the ones that STUCK resulted in the prize. They also let out 100 tarantulas into the house - the houseguests had to collect them, and one was extremely phobic. The worst part? They told them it was 100 spiders, but it was only 99. Hah. The weirdest pets? The pregnant cow in Germany, and the full-grown elephant in Thailand.

And all of that is just from the first part! Click below to catch more of Big Brother around the world - including our very own Project DNA and Evel Dick. Oh, and the topper of all the insanity? It would have to be the pregnant houseguest who delivered her baby in the Netherlands Big Brother house.

Since 1999, all around the world, houseguests have lied, cheated, were loud, were kicked out, were rude, bitched, kissed, fought, and generally made fools of themselves for our entertainment. I LOVE this show!

Part One

The rest is after the cut!

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Here it is, at long last! We all know how busy our America’s Player has been since leaving the house, with all the interviews and making appearances with Jessica all over the place, winning giant martini glasses, and such - so it’s no surprise that he took a little longer then planned to get back to me. However - as we saw all summer long, Eric is a man of his word, and as such as answered all my questions in depth and personally.

No wonder we love him! So here you go, the Summer of BB8, in Eric’s own words (as led - er, questioned - by me, of course!) Enjoy!

BBC: As a ridiculously knowledgeable Big Brother Fan, what was your original strategy before finding out about the America’s Player twist?

Eric: Actually, I was still able to execute many of the basic strategy points that I planned to implement.

A) Wait as long as possible to make an alliance
B) Use the first 2 weeks to protect myself with the HoH while working hard/playing hard/being non-threatening
C) Forging relationships with as many other houseguests as humanly possible (allowing me options later on, as the game is ever-shifting)
D) Come across as a jokester & not a physical threat, so that people wouldn’t see me coming when I made my moves later in the game
E) Always be a part of the majority (as well as the majority within that majority). I consider it a sliding scale of alliances. Be a part of the group in control of the house (ie the LNC’s original 7), but within that group have the majority of 4-5 people, and within that 4-5 have a three, and within that 3 have a two (for example within the original 7 there was the 5 of us that were closer, then me/jess/jameka, then me/jess…obviously this shifted midway through the game)
F) Don’t be afraid to make a big move that shakes up the game

BBC: How did they present the option to you - did you think even for a second of turning AP down? Was Samantha, who we saw in previews but never entered the house, your replacement if you had said no? (SOMEONE has to know who this girl was! I’m betting on you…)

Eric: First of all, absolutely no clue who Samantha is/was, haha. (BBC: DANG IT! Who WAS this girl?!) I found out about the twist roughly 3 days before the show began. I did indeed go through the complete casting process just like everyone else…trust me, this was a bigger shock to me than anyone! The executive producers brought a packet of info to my hotel room and asked me to look it over. I never considered turning it down for a second…I was thrilled and honored to be selected for the show and was ready to fill whatever role they had in mind for me.

BBC: How much of the show have you been able to catch up on? Network, Feeds (via YouTube or refeeds), BBAD, the gazillion of Tribute videos for both you and Jessica?

Eric: I’ve made it through about 2/3 of the episodes so far. Honestly, once you’ve lived it - it’s a tad anticlimatic to watch. Naturally I’ve always loved the show, so that’s not the problem. It’s just that watching 3 hours a week can never compare to living all of the drama 24-7. Jessica & I both love the tributes. They really are a ton of fun to watch - it’s a great reminder of how much fun and happiness we truly shared in the house. It’s our own version of a scrapbook of memories!

BBC: Many houseguests of all seasons think they aren’t shown as they really are on the network shows - how do you feel CBS portrayed you? The other houseguests?

Eric: I think the portrayal was accurate, but not nearly as dimensional as it could have been. For me, so much of what was shown was related to AP that I don’t think people got to see some of the other sides of me on CBS (sense of humor, passion for the show, knowledge/strategic value).

(more…)

So, that surprise. Yeah, I’m still waiting - times two, and soon to be times three! It’s like people have discovered lives outside of the Big Brother House… odd that. (grins)

However, while we’re waiting - everyone who stops by knows that I am a huge Jessica and Eric fan, and like everyone else, I’d be thrilled to see more of them in any way possible. Some of their fans have launched a campaign that aims to get Jeric on the next season of The Amazing Race and have asked for me to let you know where to get more information!

Here’s the announcement Alexis sent my way:

Would you like to see Big Brother 8’s Jessica and Eric compete on The Amazing Race? Join the fan campaign to get them cast on the show! Fans are flooding CBS with letters and woobies to show our support for Team Jeric. To get involved, please visit the fan campaign website at http://loripadillaphotography.typepad.com/teamjeric/ for information, updates, funny promo videos, and exclusive pictures of Team Jeric with Woobie in New York and Kansas.

Also, here is the campaign video to inspire you.

If you support getting Jessica and Eric cast on The Amazing Race, please help us spread the word! This campaign is being conducted entirely by fans like you, and we need everyone’s help to make it a success.

Thanks,

Alexis and Jim

Funniest thing said in the house today? Daniele, upon leaving the DR, where she was going to ask for something to do - arts and crafts or anything. “Apparently we’re supposed to entertain ourselves in this house! I didn’t get that memo! Was that in the rule book?!”

It was funny. Maybe you had to be there. She started to entertain herself by going upstairs to mess with Zach and steal his doorbell and got a “Daniele. Stop it.” from BB before she even got close. Now she’s redressing the rabbit shrub by the door. OH THE EXCITEMENT! WE CAN HARDLY HANDLE IT!

However, earlier, Daniele was the first in the house to put together the untold facts and realize that there would be a live show tomorrow night. No one would confirm it for her, saying only to “Expect the unexpected!” The main telling fact was, of course, that there was no POV Meeting today. That will happen on the Live Show tomorrow. BB let the houseguests sleep in until 2pm, which is going to bite for those who want to get a good night’s sleep tonight!

The conversations have been boring, and repetitive, so! Here are some things to read and talk about instead!

BB8 Dish has an interview with Mike, Zach’s college roommate.

Reality Wanted has a follow up interview with Kail. In it, she admits that she is now glad that Eric won’t win because of the Jen comment he made as he left. She clearly wasn’t aware that it’s a longstanding joke in the house. She’s not the only one, but oh well! I thought it was funny.

Big Sister complains about Dick and his son’s admission to ‘cheating’ by sending a coded letter that got through Big Brother’s watchdogs - though her main complaint (as with other’s I’ve seen) is that BB did nothing about it. Perhaps because the message was outdated? (And Vince said elsewhere that Dick missed well over half the message anyway. Ha!) So, What’s your take on it?

And last but not least, I received this comment via the feedback button from Kathleen: (For the record - only comments under an entry show up to everyone!)

Double Standard used for Asians.
T.V. show - chat rooms & news services ignore derogatory comments @ Asians but burn up the wires in outrage over anti-semantic slur of same type. Pathetic rant by Big Brother’s Amber on “selfish, money-hungry Jews, w/ big noses” (sic) caused national outrage, but Big Brother’s golden girl Dani’s “Asian people are stingy though” as with Jameka’s (the sole African American House Guest) “Eric has chinky eyes” (sic) has garnered no attention. Even more troubling is the lack of concern from posters & denial that the Asian comments compare in any way to Amber’s comments. The handful of posters that have raised the issue in fact have been booed & accused of going overboard in “pc-edness”. Ironically, one poster stated “that compares in no way to Amber’s vile comments”.

Dani’s statements start at about 6.40 minutes in this clip. HG’s talk about wedding rings, credit scores, tippers and Asians (see at @ 6.40 min)

My thought on the comments is they all should not have been made, they’re all wrong and un-pc and such. However, this is a pressure cooker situation, and while many of us swear that we’d never be caught saying such things, we’ve all - admit it or not - said something we regret, that’s against someone and can be an ‘ism of some sort - racism, ageism, etc. None of us are perfect. None of us can say we’ve never once made a comment that would hurt another person, or multiple persons. It’s just that most of us have managed not to stick our foot in our mouths on live TV.

Should all the comments get the same apology from CBS and the people involved? Probably. Should they cause the uprising they have? Most likely. Will it change anything? Probably not - not until we as parents teach our kids not to hate - to accept everyone for the people they are, for personality, not race, size, sexual preference, age, etc. It is not the government or schools or CBS’s job to make sure our children learn these lessons. It’s up to us, and we make mistakes.

Live. Learn. Love.
Move on.

/soapbox. What’s your take on it all? Sound off! I’ll even let you use my soapbox!

And! Don’t forget! TUESDAY LIVE SHOW! We’ll see the Veto Competition, and an eviction and the beginning of the Final Three HOH competition! See you here!

Big Brother, BB8, BBUSA, BB USA, houseguests, CBS, hamsters

[I posted this last week at Watching Survivor, and while we're waiting for the live eviction show tonight, why not do some good?]

It’s been seen time and time again that once the game is over, once the lying, backstabbing, conniving, strategy, winning is over - Reality TV stars stick together - even if they’re from different shows. Now is no different.

Big Brother star - Howie Gordon and his girlfriend Sonia recently received the devastating news that their 4-year-old goddaughter, Rabekah, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Here’s a bit of what they have to say about her:

This past week Howie and I received devastating news. My God-daughter Rabekah (”Bekah”) was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. The specific type of tumor is a Pontine Brain Stem Glioma. They were told it is inoperable.

Rabekah’s parents, Shannon and Glenn, are now in search of the best treatment option. This has become very expensive as they are no longer working and a lot of travel is involved. Thus we have set up an account entitled the “Rabekah Fund” to help cover Rabekah’s medical treatment and expenses.

Rabekah is a beautiful 4-year old little girl. She was born April 16th, 2003. Aunt Sonia was so very lucky to be right in the birthing room as Rabekah was welcomed into this world. She has one older sister, a younger sister and mommy has a baby on the way. Rabekah can’t wait to be a big sister for the second time!

Rabekah has a light about her that emanates for everyone to see, and a wonderful imagination. She likes dressing up like a Disney princess, wearing crowns and jewelry. She loves to sing and dance. Every time Aunt Sonia comes over, the first thing Rabekah does is turn on her music and show off her new dance routine. Bekah’s favorite color is purple and she loves, loves, loves kittens! She especially adores Hello Kitty and the Barbie princess Serafina Kitty.

When Howie first met her last year, he and Rabekah hit if off. They played all night and watched the movie “Free Willy.” They sat on the floor and watched the entire movie from start to finish singing and laughing all the way through. Then the following week after Howie had long since returned to his home in California, Rabekah was helping set the dinner table and set one extra spot. When Rabekah’s mom asked who the spot was for, Rabekah exclaimed, “It’s for Howie!!” Shannon called me right away to tell me that story which I find so sweet. Then a few months later Rabekah found out it was Howie’s birthday and she took her own personal movie of Free Willy from her collection and gave it to Howie for his present!!

Many Reality Stars are banding together to help raise money for Rabeka and her parents to help offset the medical costs of the treatment. They’ve recently moved all the bidding over to Ebay - and there are some fantastic swag and other things to be had - including:

Phone calls from Holly King and Marvin Latimer from BB5, Rachel Plencner from BB6 and Alison Irwin, BBAS, photographs and photochops, autographed and much, much more! Check it out today!

Every season of Big Brother has its stand-out personalities. During Big Brother 3, we met Marcellas Reynolds and knew immediately that he was one of those stand-outs. Since BB3, Marcellas has gone on to host House Calls and appear in Big Brother All Stars. But there’s a whole lot more to the man than just Big Brother.

I recently had the opportunity to catch up with Marcellas and ask him a few questions on life after Big Brother.

Carrie: Hi Marcellas! Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions! For anyone who isn’t up to date on what you’ve been doing lately, what’s been keeping you busy since last season’s All Stars?

Marcellas: Well I’m “Celebrity Stylist” Marcellas Reynolds. Who knows what the moniker means? I’m a fashion stylist. I work with celebrities such as David Schwimmer, Eddie Cibrian, Jennifer Finnegan and several others on fashion shoots and for special events like the Emmys, Grammys… I’ve also become popular on the TV make-over circuit. The Tyra Banks Show, How Do I Look, E! News Daily, The Daily 10, The Greg Behrendt’s Show… the list grows each day. I’m shooting a pilot with Telepictures on the day House Calls starts. I wouldn’t have been available the first episode anyway. I’m literally booked out 2 months
in advance with TV shows and appearances. I just shot MTV’s Next, where I did make-overs on the daters and coming up I have a few epis of a new fashion series for VH1. I’m blessed. And busy.

Carrie: You’ve become quite the fashion maven these days, with columns in Life & Style and all of your television appearances! How would you define your own personal style?

Marcellas: My style? I’d say classic meets casual with a bit of hip. I always do a blazer. Even with jeans. Lately I’ve discovered ascots, pocket squares and scarves. And of course a good watch. Then a great pair of jeans that aren’t ripped or distressed and a good shoe. Men should always wear polished shoes and a good watch. I have a Rolex and a vintage Tag Heuer that I alternate.

Carrie: Who would you say is the best dressed celebrity right at this moment? The worst? Why?

Marcellas: Right now I love Cameron Diaz, Halle Berry and Natalie Portman. They are always sexy, classy, yet still take risks. I also love Mischa Barton. Everything looks good on her. Paris, Nicole and the Olsen sisters are fashion nightmares. Paris and Nicole are Zoe-bots (Rachel Zoe) and have her style. Clones that look just like her. And the Olsen twins never dress to their physical stature. Everything overwhelms them. And they have questionable taste. If someone says,”It’s the bag of the moment,” or shoe or whatever, they have it. Even if it isn’t cute.

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When you watch a show like Big Brother religiously, you tend to start thinking that nothing could really surprise you any more. Well colour me surprised, because Mike “Boogie” Malin is currently sitting pretty on People Magazine’s list of the Hottest Bachelors of 2007. I kid you not.

Mike is listed along with his pal and business partner Lonnie Moore. Okay, so the guy runs some very successful businesses and his restaurants have become pretty darned popular with some pretty big names. That alone makes him a very eligible bachelor. But hottest? Really?

Photo courtesy of Reality Shack.

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