The Love Movement

Well well, it looks like Evan does have a chink in his invincible armor. On all these challenges he never got any and now that Veronica is using her big *beep* and her big ass to lure him into submission, all future Challenge participants will know how to dethrone the king. Just cuddle with him! I don't even think Evan and Veronica kissed or did anything! Just a little bit of night time snuggling and Evan will protect you. I mean, he pretty much screwed up the whole game plan for the Champions by wavering on the Veronica versus Kelly Anne or Veronica versus Kimberly decision. He was weak and faltered and somehow Ibis got tossed into the Ruins. All while Veronica laughed her way to the bank. Sex sells people. And cuddle buddies can be just as powerful!

So the key to staying on the challenge if you're a girl is to hook up with the alpha males. I know the feminist in everyone wants to cry out and scream but the truth of the matter is, it's put out and stay put in today's game. Examples: Johanna is being protected by Kenny because they have a thing. Wes manipulates his little heart out for Kelly Anne because they are together forever and ever and love each other. Johnny is Kenny and Evan's third wheel, but it's a love triangle so they've got each other's backs. And realize that Sarah, my new favorite contestant and the "Marriage" in my FMK sandwich, knew this going into the game and hung out so much in the Champions room that she got verbally attacked by crazy Katie.

As this Ruins Replay shows, the "old school" ways just aren't cutting it anymore. Gone are the days when Coral and Veronica can just bitch eye their way to dominance. Now you gotta Shauvon your way to the top. Oh wait, bad example. Anyway, the point is that if I were Kimberly or Sarah or Casey, I'd try to jump Johnny and get him to protect me. I know that's a loathsome thought but hey, it's a lot of money for the taking right?

While I'm on the topic, did you guys see MTV's pathetic attempt at creating a RW/RR Hookup Chart? It's ridiculous. Have you seen the "The Chart" (video) on The L Word? Or look at this X-Men one. This is how a hookup chart should be done. Hell, last summer I made a hookup web of all of my college friends and in an hour we had something that was so convoluted we had to turn to a computer for organization. And we know that RW/RR incest is more prevalent than all three of those webs combined. If I had the time I would do this right. This is an insult to hookup webs all over the galaxy. Put some effort into it MTV. If you're gonna do a hookup chart, do it full out! And yes, I'd pay $20 for a wall sized poster if they ever did make one. I mean, wouldn't you?

A moment of silence for Ibis (I'll let someone else eulogize Wes). I mean, she was a good teammate, was totally useless as a competitor, beautiful to look at, and was headed for a backstabbing at some point or another. She seems like a really fantastic person though. The real question is: how did she ever win a challenge and get on the Champions team? I must have missed that one. She seems like Challenge dead weight. Glad I drafted her.

Oh wait. I just read her interview on a Ruins blog and she "had an accident two years ago where I was paralyzed from the waist down." Whoops. Didn't know that. Now I feel bad. Glad I drafted her...without sarcasm this time.

Update: And HT found Ibis' blog and passed this entry along.

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Week 5 Scores

Rules:
+1 point for each week your person stays on the show
+1 for winning a personal challenge in the Ruins

Scores:
Week (Total)

George: +2 (13)
Remaining players:
Veronica +1 (4)
Syrus +1 (5)
Eliminated players:
Evelyn (0)
Danny (2)
Tonya (2)

Victor: +3 (18)
Remaining players:
Dunbar +1 (4)
KellyAnne +1 (5)
Casey +1 (4)
Eliminated players:
Adam (1)
Wes (4)

HT: +6 (23)
Remaining players:
Evan +1 (4)
Johnny +1 (4)
Susie +1 (5)
Sarah +1 (5)
Cohutta +2 (5)

Yasmine: +3 (16)
Remaining players:
Kenny +1 (4)
Darrell +1 (5)
Johanna +1 (4)
Eliminated players:
Brianna (1)
Katie (2)

Jon: +6 (16)
Remaining players:
Derrick +1 (4)
Brad +1 (4)
Kimberly +2 (5)
Eliminated players:
Shauvon (0)
Ibis (3)

Another week, another elimination. For me, this week hits home as my team's heart and soul is sent packing. In a twist of fate, Wes loses to Cohutta, as the gods of relationships have a liking to irony. Oh well, here's to you Wes.

HT looks even more unstoppable, as for the 2nd week in a row, her end picks have pulled off Ruin victories. George continue to limp on, but I fear for her prospects. Jon finally goes into the ruins through a voting coup! All 6 nominees voted for Veronica to go into the Ruins, yet in a suprise twist, Syrus leads the counter nomination of Ibis. It was as if Syrus knew deep down inside that his destiny was to be paired up with Veronica on George's team, and that he must protect her!!

At the end of the episode, Susie calls out Johanna having feelings for Wes, as Johanna eyes were welling up as Wes was leaving. Is this creating an awkward scenario in the house? KellyAnne discusses the topic with Johanna, and describes that she doesn't like Johanna. Perhaps there will be a Kelly Anne - Johanna battle in the near future. We'll see.

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Dead Weight

There was a lot of cleaning house this week, and with the loss of Danny, Tonya, and Katie, the house is a little bit quieter, a bit less dramatic, and a whole lot more boring. I agree with Jon. Someone have a naughty hookup already!

First off, did I just see Tonya catch a bug with her hand and eat it? EAT IT. And chase it with a beer. I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. Maybe she sensed she was going to get kicked off so she might as well use some camera time for her Fear Factor audition tape. After some Wikipedia searching, I found out that Tonya did some Playboy and Skinemax soft core porn, so I guess there's no telling what this poor girl will do for some attention.

As for the cast's treatment of drunken Tonya, I think it's kinda okay to have a little fun with drunk people when they're drunk, especially when they're just asking for it. Tonya is a sad pathetic character, so that's different. But I have a friend who goes into narcoleptic mode when he's drunk...like falling asleep as he's talking to you. So I don't see much harm in putting his hand down his pants or shirt over his head or writing "Balls" on his face when he's passed out. He asked for it. And it's funny. Plus he makes loads of money and lives in West Village. I don't feel so bad for this guy. As for Tonya, she's an alcoholic, porn star going through a divorce. Not so much to laugh at there. And the whole boys-ganging-up-with-the-lotion-and-powder-in-the-face scene was a bit disturbing and reminded me a little of The Accused, which if you haven't seen it, doesn't turn out well for Jodie Foster. I can't say much for Veronica except it's obvious she used words over sticks and stones to push the Tonya crazy button, and crazy mode she went. When someone's that drunk and out of control, they just have to be forced to go to bed and sleep it off, not instigated into violence. Goodbye Tonya, maybe Brianna can find you a new gig.

As for my team, I got 2 players sent into the Ruins this week: Darrell survived, Katie did not. And I'm glad for it.

Darrell took out Danny, aka El Lardo. I believe Mr. Tres Hamburguesas is still married to Melinda whom he met on The Real World: Austin. I'd really like to put bets on how long that marriage will last. Seeing that Danny doesn't have much going for him other than his looks, he better try to get that six pack back stat.

I found out from the behind-the-scenes web interviews, that the Katie-Sarah feud started when the cast was playing F***-Marry-Kill, and Sarah decided to "kill" Katie. Who wouldn't kill Katie? She's an easy target. There really isn't anyone I'd marry on this show, but if I had to choose out of the remaining guys, I guess it would be TJ Lavin. Cheating? Sue me. I would F*** Kenny...or Darrell. Hey wait a minute, they're on my team! The truth comes out. To my fellow league participants, who would you F***, Marry, Kill?

Before Katie got eliminated, she was talking about how this might be her last Challenge. She has to get married, have kids, which I guess means that Challenge life is over. Katie is 30 years old, which I guess is about retiring age for most Challengers (unless you're Syrus, or Mark, or Eric Nies). My roommate just went to the live theatrical version of Green Day's American Idiot at the Berkeley Rep and got an "Under 30" ticket discount. My other friend gets a gym membership discount for being under 30. Since when did turning 30 mean falling off the cliff? We're expected to have earned enough money to pay full price for things and be too mature for Challenge debauchery. It's just not fair. At least Katie's shown us that she's still immature enough to have raging tantrums for no reason. Thanks for showing us that you can be in your thirties and still be unhinged.

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Power Puffs

Why are we talking about Wes when the real love-hate relationship here involves the douchebag trio of Kenny, Johnny, and Evan? Let's start with the latter. On Inferno 3, Evan was a mastermind but sort of affable and hard to dislike, even if he was a little annoying and overly talkative. Trio-ed up with Kenny and Johnny, he seems to have gone over to the Dark Side. These meanies are incredibly evil to Tanya. Who squirts a person with lotion as they're turned around? Or flips powder in their face while they're drunk? These are middle school antics and while they may be emotionally breaking Tanya down in the spirit of "the game," aren't they human at all? Plus, isn't Tanya a strong competitor and their teammate? It's just cruel what these boys did. On a side note: Kenny's caricatures are kind of good.

That brings us to Veronica. Was she right or wrong to antagonize Tanya to the point of physical violence? I think if someone is going to step in her face, she had every right to verbally fight back. She didn't have to back down, not one inch. And she didn't. Having said that, what do you think her "low blow" was that sent Tonya over the edge? Ten bucks says it has to be about Tonya's divorce right? I mean, what else could have been that low of a blow? What this episode has taught me is that I need to prepare a similar super low blow for each of my friends. Something I can pull out to instigate them to slap me, in case we're on a RR/RW Challenge. Hum, my brain will be churning tonight. And I love the way Veronica tried to punish Evan. "No cuddle time for you anymore!" Um, I think he rejected you baby. Nice try though.

I did have a big problem with the simpering way Evan tried to make it all better afterward the blow up. Suddenly he was Tanya's best friend and hugging her and saying how much they all loved and supported her. If I were Tanya, I'd divorce the whole cast, even if they were the only family I had left.

Here's what I wish: I wish that I had drafted Sarah. She's got cool hair, she's got an arm sleeve, she's part dolphin, she's got some attitude, and people seem to like her. Why did I take Kim over Sarah? Kim is totally boring and Sarah is so cool. Especially when she says (probably pre-scripted) lines like "I came here to do two things...kick ass and chew gum. And I'm all out of bubble gum." HT, can we trade?

I'd also like to see more drunken hook ups. This season is totally devoid of hook ups. I know all these people have been around the block a few times, many of them are now settled down, but there's just not enough bedroom action going on. I mean, I know the roster of single ladies is practically zero but shouldn't somebody be hooking up? I mean, Evan's a free agent now, let's go girls!

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Week 4 Scores

Rules:
+1 point for each week your person stays on the show
+1 for winning a personal challenge in the Ruins

Scores:
Week (Total)

George: +2 (11)
Remaining players:
Veronica +1 (3)
Syrus +1 (4)
Eliminated players:
Evelyn (0)
Danny (2)
Tanya (2)

Victor: +4 (15)
Remaining players:
Wes +1 (4)
Dunbar +1 (3)
KellyAnne +1 (4)
Casey +1 (3)
Eliminated players:
Adam (1)

HT: +6 (17)
Remaining players:
Evan +1 (3)
Johnny +1 (3)
Susie +1 (4)
Sarah +2 (4)
Cohutta +1 (3)

Yasmine: +4 (13)
Remaining players:
Kenny +1 (3)
Darrell +2 (4)
Johanna +1 (3)
Eliminated players:
Brianna (1)
Katie (2)

Jon: +4 (12)
Remaining players:
Derrick +1 (3)
Brad +1 (3)
Kimberly +1 (3)
Ibis +1 (3)
Eliminated players:
Shauvon (0)

Another great Ruins week. What will I do when this series is over? We're definately through the midway point and players are starting to grow scarce. Tough tough week for George. Unfortunately, her team is starting to look like the Challengers. Itty bitty. The cat-fight was awesome, and although I'm not a fan of Veronica, I thought it was interesting that she was attacked, and yet somehow had public opinion turn on her. Strange.

HT solidifies her lead and is the only player remaining with her entire team intact. Should we mail her the DVD already? Was there ever concurrence for final prize?

Jon enjoys another safe week with no Ruins participants for the 2nd week in a row. It's as if Jon has transplanted his personality into his team, in terms of not rocking the boat and playing it safe. Well let's hope for him, this trend continues. Good idea about the Mafia, Ibis describe in an interview that they regularly play FMK.

In the Ruins, I like how Darrell whooped Danny, and justified calling out by naming him el Lardo. Which the MTV producers gladly supporting by panning scene of Danny eating 3 cheeseburgers. Katie takes out her plunger aggression on Sarah, and turns the match in a Trucker contest.

As for my pre-game speculation, I was suprisingly accurate!! Heh. But I'm worried about next week. Looks I might be seeing the core of my team in Ruins next week. Gulp!

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I Heart Wes

Ahh Wes. This clip really emphasizes many of his negative traits. Extreme chauvanism, brutish, and crass behavior when he tries to explain how stupid he think Derrick is. Yet at the same time, I think we hide much of what we truly think or feel inside anyways. Many of us would agree with Wes(although perhaps in different lights), yet malign him simply for expressing the thoughts. This clip makes me feel stronger about Wes, even when I know it will likely have the opposite affect upon others.

I especially enjoyed Kelly Anne's facial expression as she was listening to the Wes-man talk strategy. It's an expression that belies both confusion, and disbelief. As in the "Am I really dating this guy?" type of disbelief. Haha. I still heart you Wes and what you stand for.

Anyways, curious what will happen tonight. Here are my pre-episode predictions:

Champions defeat Challengers

Ruins Nominations:

Champions:
Darrell, Johnny, Derrick
Tonya, Katie, Johanna

Challengers:
Dunbar, Cohutta, Danny
Kelly Anne, Casey, Sarah

Ruins:
Darrell defeats Danny
Sarah defeats Katie

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Hunh?

It's starting to dawn on me that my team wouldn't exactly win any Mensa contests. I mean, Derrick was confused by a few words on a sign and got visibly frustrated, and Brad isn't the greatest grade school speller, as proven on Inferno 3. Kim doesn't seem terribly bright either and we already know Shauvon's biggest assets weren't exactly located in her head. So the only intelligent person on my team might be Ibis -- she just got her Masters degree!

Don't you kind of wish that these challenges would incorporate some more mental components? Maybe do a Beauty and the Geek type thing where people have to study a certain subject and then answer trivia questions. Assemble a bottle rocket. Or an Ikea bed. Something with instructions. Or show everyone playing some Catchphrase. Round up the troops and give them a few Kumon worksheets. Anything that challenges the mind versus the muscles. I mean, don't you want to know how smart these people are?

Nearly everyone seems pretty dumb in the context of the show but I bet some of them are sneaky intelligent. If you had every waking moment taped I'd bet you could be edited to look pretty Neanderthal-like too so I want to give some of them leeway. But I really do need to know which of these people are like actually smart.

Oh and the greatest thing the show could add would be a Mafia challenge. How fantastic would that be? If only they'd let me produce the show (Bunim/Murray/Yang?) or become a house member, I'd have everyone playing games 24/7. Of course, the hookups and drunken debauchery would be much less likely to occur and ratings would plummet but still. I just want one episode per challenge dedicated to non-physical challenges.

As Yasmine pointed out, the dumbest person of all might have been Brianna, who willingly pitted herself against Susie "Ms. Invincible" Meister. That's like Cohutta calling out Evan because he wants to prove himself. Really? You don't think taking out midget Katie or drunk Tonya would be a bit easier Brianna? You deserve to get eliminated. And I was just starting to like her too. She's got a little attitude and fire. Oh well.

One thing I'm a bit irked about is how little airtime some of the cast receive. I'd like to know what Sarah is up to. Is she bonding with the other players? Is she writing letters home? And what about Darrell? He's an undefeated champion but barely gets on-screen. What kind of politics is he playing behind the scenes? I want to see less of Evan, Johnny, Kenny, and Wes. More Danny, more Syrus, more Ibis, and more Kim. Not so much Dunbar though, he seems incredibly boring.

I hope future episodes will highlight some of the lesser characters but I'm starting to suspect that the challengers team will be all eliminated by the halfway point of the season. Has the ever happened before? When one team just wins every elimination matchup and TJ has to declare them automatic winners of the grand prize? It could this season right?

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Week 3 Scores

Rules:
+1 point for each week your person stays on the show
+1 for winning a personal challenge in the Ruins

Scores:
Week (Total)

George: +5 (9)
Remaining players:
Danny +1 (2)
Veronica +1 (2)
Syrus +2 (3)
Tanya +1 (2)
Eliminated players:
Evelyn (0)

Victor: +4 (11)
Remaining players:
Wes +1 (3)
Dunbar +1 (2)
Kelly Anne +1 (3)
Casey +1 (2)
Eliminated players:
Adam (1)

HT: +6 (11)
Remaining players:
Evan +1 (2)
Johnny +1 (2)
Susie +2 (3)
Sarah +1 (2)
Cohutta +1 (2)

Yasmine: +4 (9)
Remaining players:
Kenny +1 (2)
Darrell +1 (2)
Johanna +1 (2)
Katie +1 (2)
Eliminated players:
Brianna (1)

Jon: +4 (8)
Remaining players:
Derrick +1 (2)
Brad +1 (2)
Kimberly +1 (2)
Ibis +1 (2)
Eliminated players:
Shauvon (0)

In this week's action, George leap frogs her brother upon the shoulders of a strong Syrus Ruins performance. On TV closeups, he looks even older than I previously thought, but he still had enough to pull out the win when it counted, defeating my dark horse Adam. Good late pick George. Jon had a relatively safe week, and hopes to build up momentum for an underneath the radar late comeback in this game.

Yasmine suffered through a tough week, losing her sentimental pick and team mascot, Brianna, aka the stripper pole dancer. Her athleticism and her street vibe was impressive, but just wasn't enough to defeat Susie. Susie definately holds her own in verbal conflicts.

And in the big news, HT jumps into the lead upon the back of the Super-Triumverate of Evan-Johnny-Susie. After watching the first few episodes, I'm certain at least 2 out of those 3 will make it to the finals. HT is proving to be, as the popular vote(7 out of 12) implies, the favorite for this challenge. It remains to be seen, however, exactly how many of those 7 voters was actually HT voting again from a different computer. =P

Can't wait for next week.

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you know...

MTV Shows

How has Susie become such a controversial player in our blog anyway? She is a little annoying, rude and definitely somewhat of a bitch, but I find in a game of backstabbers and liars, her complete transparency should be welcomed.

I don't remember how I felt about Susie back in the day, but I like how she tells it like it is and that she doesn't have to sleep around to secure her position (ahem... Hohanna and Veronica). Mark my words... hobags do NOT come out on top.

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2+2=5

Oh Brianna Brianna. So much potential, so little brains. Picking Susie to go into battle? I admit it was a ballsy move to try to take out the strongest girl, but you're a rookie! Lay low and strike later. Oh well, I'm proud of you girl. Sad to lose you so soon. I am wearing six-inch platforms in your honor.

As disappointed as I am, this part of the Challenge made sense. The Champion Susie sends Rookie Brianna home.

Here are the parts that don't make sense:

1. Veronica's game

"I feel like there's a big moment that's going to happen...How long do I have to wait...for this explosion?" -- Veronica to Evan.

Seriously? These are the pickup lines of a seductress? These are so cheesy, I can't stand it, yet they seem to work magic on Evan who's seen spooning with Veronica shortly after who knows what. I think Evan was listening with his eyes (and other things), so I can't say much for him. But out of respect for Veronica's game, I'm going to try out these lines at a bar and see which frat boy falls for the big moment we're about to have. Note to self: remember flirty half-drunk raspy Veronica accent and devilish cackle.

2. Wes has/had a girlfriend

Wes is a barbaric, chest-beating, strutting rooster of a douche bag. And he's as hot as Carrot Top without all the hair. Why do girls go for this? Johanna, you seem like a smart girl. But you spent 3 years in a relationship with this guy? 3 years! Think how many Kenny-beach-make-outs you could have had in that time. Kelly Anne, you're not so smart, but use those fake boobs and get yourself a better man.

3. Tonya's a man

Not true. But after 1 and 2, I'd believe anything.

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Duckling Status

RW/RR Challenge: The Ruins

Brad is great, just the way he talks. This is a funny clip of Brad comparing the In-Crowd Females to Ducklings following around the Mother Duck.

I have this strange feeling though, that this could be Brad's last week, so enjoy him while you can. Pure speculation of course, so no spoilers revealed! >_^ Consider me to be Bill Simmonsesque with my pre-episode prognostications.

I forsee this week

Challengers finally defeat Champions

Ruins Nominations:

Champions:
Darrell, Kenny, Evan
Tonya, Veronica, Ibis

Challengers:
Adam, Brad, Danny
Kelly Anne, Kimberly, Sarah

Ruins:
Darrell defeats Brad
Kelly Anne defeats Tonya

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What a Ruins week.

From the Don, el Jon-o, we will be updating scores at the end of the week, to allow time for ppl to catch on on espisodes. Sorry about revealing any spoilers last week.

As for my thoughts about episode 2, wow. Heavy heavy drama. This could be the series of the year. I have to say that this is good reality TV. Intense fighting and yelling scenes, threats to sell houses, historical drama between ex's and revenge a-plenty.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the espisode.

In the challenger team nomination, Shauvon and Casey nominate themselves. Brad, in a conspiracy theory X-files Mulder moment, stares into the camera with his intense all-seeing eyes and says,

There's two girls that want to volunteer themselves, Casey and Shauvon. Shauvon's reasoning sounds pretty accurate, however, I'm not really sure why Casey is volunteering herself. There's definitely more thought behind this volunteering, then just, I want to volunteer myself.

From the ruins, Adam is giving his thoughts about the matchup between Nick and Wes. As Jon's earlier non-pc comment about Nick, I agree he really is very nonathletic specimen of his ethnic group.

It feels more about coordination and strategy, then pure strength in this game, maybe Nick does have a chance!

And in the aftermath, as Kimberly is explaining why she starting screaming at the hobbled Nick. Does anyone watch her and get the feeling, that suddenly she's become a lot more mean? Can you say, Ice Queen? She's definitely not getting enough love.

Nick just lays on the ground, its like get up and fight and don't just lay there and give up

Wes talking is talking with Evan and reveals a softer moment. He's just misunderstood!

My feelings were really hurt

Of course, when Johanna comes to make the peace with Wes, she lays a shocker on him and all of the Ruins-watching segment of America. She threatens to sell his house. Wow...In the world of shared ownership, this is a viscious statement.

I wasn't going to pull this card until the end, but if you want to f--- me out of 30 thousand dollars, I will f--- you out of 300 thousand dollars.

Bring them on, this is turning out to a be an exciting series!

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Suck It Susie

i finally sat down with some trepidation and watched this week's episode where evelyn gets kicked off but i had no idea why or how. i had heard rumors before the show that there were rumblings that evelyn might be in trouble, rumblings which i didn't quite believe because for the life of me i couldn't figure out who in the world would of even beat her and when i found out that she went up against kelly anne, i still couldn't quite figure it all out in my head but after seeing what happened, it all makes sense to me now and i feel much better about her departure.

i didn't think it was possible but i probably hate susie now while i had quite an affection for her mainly because i knew she dated timmy back in the day but her comment about "pandering to her best friend" and her feeble comments made during deliberation made her look like an idiot. that's right fuck off susie as said so by evelyn bravo bravo. and johanna...wow. threatening with the house and actually being serious about it too i mean really? i feel like this episode has made the ruins so much more personal to me than just about my celebrity team (yes i have no life i know) because now i am rooting for susie/johanna to get the shit kicked out of them (preferably by kelly anne) and for wes to take the money and run all the way home laughing and i didn't even like wes as of last week!

do i think it's shitty what they did? of course i do. do i think that evelyn should of quit? yuppers for sure and i don't think of her as a quitter at all. i'm actually proud of her for having some morals. i understand $30K is a lot of money but to get blindsided like that by your team (who by the way how they didn't have the foresight to think that she would be pissed off by this is a wonder in itself) the greatest fuck you she could of done to them was to lose. do i think it made for interesting television and that it's all part of the game? sure i guess so but even i think this was a new low and why do the producers always put evan/johnny/kenny in all these challenges together anyways? next time i think they should just put one of them in so they can see what it's like to be the outsider instead of the popular kids at school.

i admit, i am a bit demoralized that my number one pick is gone in the second week but i'm hoping something amazing happens next week to get me out of last place but even if nothing does, at least i've got the veronica sleeping with evan angle now. i knew i loved her and picked her for a reason.

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Girl Power

While Evelyn, Shauvon, and Kelly Anne took the spotlight this week, I'm happy to say that my girls flew under the radar and are still safe.

Did you see Brianna swing around on that rope? I knew those pole skills would come in handy. She could've done that challenge hanging upside down with her legs wrapped around that thing. All that was missing was Motley Crue's "Girls, Girls, Girls" playing in the background. Watch out for my wild card. She's the real deal.

Katie got herself in the bottom 3 which doesn't give me much confidence in her staying ability, but perhaps that was all part of the Evelyn-Kelly Anne setup. In that case, well played Katie. Way to play dumb with your "Same, I guess" vote.

And finally, Johanna. She's still trying to get into Kenny's pants and she's using the deed to her house to screw Wes. This girl knows how to use sex and money to get what she wants. That's how the challenge should be played. Take notes ladies!

In fact, based on the previews for the next episode, it looks like Veronica is doing just that -- using her sexual wiles to hook up with Evan and sleep her way to Challenge glory.

I can't say I support this behavior, but I have a league to win. Get in there Johanna!

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Ouch, that hurts!

It's probably not a good sign when your number one pick leaves the same week as the girl who popped her boob. I mean, that's a big fat zero from the first pick of the entire draft. Team George must have been demoralized to see Eve walk down the tunnel of shame. What a shocker hunh? But enough about Eve, let's talk about Shauvon.

I knew her boob pop was inevitable but hoped it would happen later in the season. Even as I watched the rope swing challenge, it didn't occur to me that this would be it. Then she showed up in her life vest, a flash of recognition from the trailer hit me, and I gasped before she even fell. The actual fall didn't look that bad but she probably belly/boob flopped pretty hard. You gotta give it up though, she was a trooper. I mean, she gave it another go didn't she? Her teammates didn't seem very sympathetic either. During or after the diagnosis. "Bye Shauvon, glad you're out of here!"

Sidenote: I think the Challengers are a bunch of disorganized buffoons. They lack a leader. Brad and Adam are too veteran and feel like it's beneath them to mingle with the challengers. Not that anyone would follow them into battle. "Wait, why are we listening to you, aren't you on our team because you've never won anything? Ever?" Dunbar and Danny aren't exactly motivational leader types, and none of the girls are team orientated. Maybe losing Diem was like losing their heart and soul. It's too bad there are no trades in this game. If I were a challenger I'd trade Adam for Syrus. Big Sy is redundant on the Champions team but could be a real leader on the Challengers side.

Back to Shauvon. After her unfortunate accident, Kelly Anne was seen commenting that she was now afraid of her own implants popping. Wait, Kelly Anne has implants?! That makes so much sense. She looks way too skinny to have boobs that big. Of course she has implants. With that in mind, who else is at risk to pop an implant? We all know Casey bought an upgrade after Fresh Meat, so she's at risk. Brianna might have saline enhancements too, and if not, she's liable to pop something anyway. Anyone else have secret implants I'm not aware of? Tanya, Veronica, Kimberly? Cohutta?

As Yasmine stated last week, the biggest boob of all is Nick. I've never seen a more pathetic guy contestant. Totally useless. He's gotta be the most unathletic black man ever shown on TV. Even Urkel was actually a fantastic basketball player in real life. Nick is horrible. On a related thought, I'd like to see an episode where Eve faces off against all the guys so we can find out exactly how strong she is. Kelly Anne could barely budge her during the chain pull. I bet Eve's stronger than all the guys up to and including Adam, but is she stronger than say, Johnny? I'd also love to see an Eve vs Rachel vs Ruthie face off. I'd pay per view either event.

Reporting from last place, till next week, I'm out!

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Not Sleeping on my Competition

I didn't watch Episode 2 last night because I was asleep. So, at work this morning, I've checked out some summaries online and of course our standings. In my search, I've come across this gem of an article. According to these standings, it looks like I have not 1, not 2, but 3 people in the top 5. If that doesn't say winner, then I don't know what does.

As predicted, Victor is going to give me a run for my money, hopefully some of my players will get in the elimination challenge mix soon.

Sorry about your loss, George... I'm sure you were banking on Evelyn.

As soon as it's lunchtime, I'm headed home to watch this episode. Whoo!

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One-Liner

RW/RR Challenge: The Ruins - MTV Shows

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Week 2 Scores

Rules:
+1 point for each week your person stays on the show
+1 for winning a personal challenge in the Ruins

Scores:
Week (Total)

George: +4 (4)
Remaining players:
Danny +1 (1)
Veronica +1 (1)
Syrus +1 (1)
Tanya +1 (1)
Eliminated players:
Evelyn (0)

Victor: +7 (7)
Remaining players:
Wes +2 (2)
Dunbar +1 (1)
Kelly Anne +2 (2)
Adam +1 (1)
Casey +1 (1)

HT: +5 (5)
Remaining players:
Evan +1 (1)
Johnny +1 (1)
Susie +1 (1)
Sarah +1 (1)
Cohutta +1 (1)

Yasmine: +5 (5)
Remaining players:
Kenny +1 (1)
Darrell +1 (1)
Johanna +1 (1)
Brianna +1 (1)
Katie +1 (1)

Jon: +4 (4)
Remaining players:
Derrick +1 (1)
Brad +1 (1)
Kimberly +1 (1)
Ibis +1 (1)
Eliminated players:
Shauvon (0)

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Team Wes

This is awesome. AWESOME. And almost as much as Ben Harper will be this friday.

I was out having dinner with an extremely interesting friend, of whom I completely adore and am mildly infatuated with, and took time out to Text Jon my draft picks. Yes, this is that serious. Are you all ready to get WES'd?

But I am ecstatic, and absolutely pleased that I'm taking part in a Fantasy Real World Challenge. Genius I say! I mean, for me, its like have one of my lesser known closet pleasures, mixed with with Fantasy Sports, and good clean creativity in blogging.

Well since everyone has been touting their draft strategies, I'll follow suit and talk about what will definitely be THE WINNING team.

1) Wes. This guy has been my favorite since he first showed up on the Duel. It's hard to adequately put into words what his appeal is. Looking at the fan boards, the guy has definitely a hate him or love him crowd. I think he's a tough competitor and he could pose a scoring threat down the line. Even if he gets booted early, I can see him pulling off a whole season worth of scores in bunches. Plus, he's definitely an "emotional buy" from my standpoint. In hindsight, I should have explored trading down, as I feel like Wes would have still been available at a #5 or #6, but didn't want to risk it with my next pick at #9. If Evelyn was still available at #2, I would have taken her. George's analysis was excellent. She's just that much better than her nearest competitor, while the guys are all bunched up without a clearcut Alpha yet. I feel like the logical pick for #2 should have been Evan.

2) Dunbar. I was hoping to sneak him into the third round, but reading up on other people's blogs I feel like I got him just at the right time. Dunbar should stick around. He's strong, he's fit, he's good looking and popular with the ladies, not the brightest, but also has a decent heart. Like he could be an asshole easily, but I feel like he's mostly a nice guy to friends. He's loyal too. Actually I like that a lot. He could have had a much better standing on the last show if he switched alliances, but he stuck to his guns. I don't think he has the brains to understand the complex nature of politics, especially with girls. But I think overall he could be an even better guy than Brad(getting old) or Danny(don't get him) on the Challenger team.

3) KellyAnne. Sweet girl, strange intensity in her eyes. Do you see it too? There's definitely a lot of intensity there. With Diem already out, could she step in to assume the female power vacuum on the Challenger team?

4) Adam. I've never liked Adam, because he reminds me of myself too much. Objectively, he's an interesting person, went to a good school(Stanford), seems well educated and smart, but somehow has this complex about being the little guy, or the non-jock. He tries to overcompensate by talking too much, and what in world was he thinking trying to push CT's buttons? He's old now and should leave the show and do something else, but I feel like he could start company, make millions of dollars and yet say his biggest regret was that he never won on the Challenge. Just look at the way his face looks when he talks about being a Challenger and not a Champion. On a weak Challenger team, Adam might be sneaky and cunning enough to survive near the end.

5) Casey. Pickings are definitely getting slim at this point. Casey is an infamous non-performer and complete girly-girl. Her first Ruins will be her last. So I'm banking on the fact she might be well-liked enough to survive at least for the first 1/3 cut. She could hook up with Johnny again, or maybe someone from her own team. I don't feel there are any targets on her back.

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Kennyhanna for the win

So I've never participated in a fantasy league before, but the prospect of playing in a RW/RR challenge one was too good to pass up. Excellent idea Mr. Yang. Plus I can now share in this guilty pleasure with no shame, because this is a competition. And I'm not here to make friends.

Here are my picks explained:

1. Kenny -- I figured I wanted to go with a strong guy for the first round. Since Evan was already taken, I went for his right hand meat head Kenny. I figure they have their Evan-Kenny-Johnny alliance thing going on so he might stay for a while. And I picked Kenny over Johnny because he's physically bigger...and cuter.

2. Darrell -- This was a tough pick, but I read on the MTV cast page that he is undefeated in the challenges, so that's why I went with him. But no, Jon, I didn't see the preview where Darrell looks like he's going to punch someone. Dammit. Please Darrell, I know you're smarter than that.

3. Johanna -- So I was out last night with my friend Kim, who is my RW/RR Challenge-watching partner-in-crime. We went to see the musical South Pacific (which was disappointingly boring since I liked the movie and the music). Anyway, this was pure coincidence that we were hanging out while I was in the middle of the draft, but now I got to have her valuable two cents to help me with my picks. And so we picked Johanna. Kim's point was that because of Johanna's history (or rather, hookup) with Kenny, she could possibly benefit from that alliance. She also has a challenge win under her belt, and she seems to have some head for strategy. For me, it was a tough pick between her, Kimberly, and Ibis, so it doesn't surprise me that the other 2 girls were picked right after. I also now get to say that I have team Kennyhanna.

4. Brianna -- my wild card. Kim convinced me of this one. I wanted another girl, and was looking at Brianna, Sarah, or Tonya. In the end, I went with Brianna because she's sort of a hot head and the other girls might be afraid to go into the duel with her. Also, she used to be a stripper, and I have a lot of respect for stripper athleticism. I'm sure she has plenty of pole experience (a.k.a. upper arm strength) which could work to her advantage in the challenge.

5. Katie -- So it was slim pickings time -- down to Katie, Shauvon (boob popper), and Nick (boob). I hate Katie. She's weak, whines a lot, and talks a big game that she doesn't have. But she is a veteran, so I'm hoping her relationships will keep her around. Shauvon pops a boob. I still can't believe Jon picked her. But I will be amused when it happens, sorry Jon.

I feel somewhat good about my team, but still feel that they are very unpredictable, which I guess will make it all the more fun to watch!

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Redemption Time

after a full day of back and forth drafting by email, my roster for the ruins turned out to include evelyn, danny, veronica, syrus and tanya. not exactly who i thought i would end up with but i'm hopeful that this group of the elite five will propel me to my very first win in a fantasy league. back in 2006, i had participated in a celebrity fantasy league (you earned points for the number of times they appeared in us weekly and extra points for being on the cover) and as a faithful subscriber to the magazine and an avid fan of perez hilton and self-proclaimed celebrity gossip junkie i was so sure i would win or at least end up in the top two but i failed. taylor hicks was the pick that doomed me. i chose him over sean-preston spears as he had just won american idol and i was convinced he was going to lead me to my victory but over the entire time, he only showed up in the magazine once or twice while britney's first born was all over the place.

so now three years later, i'm ready to play again and what better game to join in on then a real world/road rules challenge, a show that i continue to love and have not missed one challenge yet even after i've lost all interest in real world and road rules (before they cancelled it of course). so my team, here's how they stack up:

1) evelyn - i had the number one pick overall and debated between taking evelyn or a strong guy but then realized that she was the only way to go. a girl and guy gets kicked off each episode and evelyn clearly by far and away is the strongest and best girl there. none of the girls want to go against her and so not only would she score me points in staying in the game week after week, if she ever did get called out, she should be able to win pretty easily. an added bonus is that brooke is not on this season so she has no reason to blubber and cry all over the place and as long as she doesn't hook up with someone else and remain focused, i'm golden.

2) danny - i'm not exactly very fond of danny (he's a douche in my opinion) and it pains me to have him on my team but by the time it came around to my turn again, all the good guys (brad, kenny, wes, johnny all of them trust me) were gone and danny was the next best pick. he's one of the guys that looks like he's on steroids which is a plus and without his wife there to provide distraction i'm hoping he lasts and doesn't do anything stupid to get himself kicked off.

3) veronica - ah veronica. what can i say i love her. she's probably the player i was most excited about when i saw the lineup and knew i had to have her on my team. she hasn't been on a challenge in quite a while and i love her feisty attitude and who cares if she's hooked up with someone on every show she's been on (she sure did in this season if you watched the previews). she's a tough competitor and i mean she was on semester at sea with yes whom i had a crush on so i've always had a soft spot for her.

4) syrus - frankly i'm a little shocked nobody picked him up sooner and had to double check my notes/list (i was crossing people off as they were selected) to make sure i hadn't missed him but lo and behold he was available so i snatched him quick. i have no clue if he's a good competitor but he's built like a beast and he's lovable and seen as one of the leaders of the group so i'm hoping he's my dark horse in this.

5) tanya - tanya tanya...what can i say. she's a drunken mess and has a huge ass target on her back but when she wants to she can definitely step up to the plate as shown in the first episode when she booted diem out. i'm just hoping she can remain sober and determined enough to stay in the game and hey she was a better pick than casey or shauvon at that point that's for sure.

so there you have it. my fab five and i can't wait until the next episode to start scoring. who do i think my toughest competitor is? in looking at the rosters, it's hard to say. everyone has two really strong players and then the rest are all sort of unknowns. wes while he is great has already shown himself to be a target of getting called out into the challenge each and everytime for throwing challenges (i haven't quite decided whether i should applaud him for having the balls to adopt this strategy or ream him because that goes against the very core of the game which is to freaking win dammit) which could either be great for victor if he wins each time (double points) but then again his chances of going home are that much higher.

jon and i have a 40% change of winning and how great would it be if we took first and second place on this. me first and jon second of course. game on!

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What's up next?

Since there are no rules to this game, we were allowed to use any resources at our disposal to draft wisely. Sadly, I didn't watch the first episode until after the first two rounds were over. So I didn't see Derrick (my first round pick) on the ground bleeding from his head. Cut to ambulance and sirens. Whoops, maybe I should've gone with someone else. I did see Shauvon pop her implant but selected her anyway. Desperation pick.

The most important part of the first episode was when they showed the "What's coming during the season" clip. I analyzed this portion like the Zapruder film. Pause, play, pause, rewind, play. I kept an eye on the background to see who would still stick around. More importantly, I concentrated on who looked like they were in a duel. Here's who I definitely saw in a duel: Katie, Susie, Brianna, Cahutta. Cahutta falls off during a duel and he cries early on in the clip. I assume he loses relatively quickly and crossed him off my draft list. I also avoided Darrell because it looks like he's about to punch someone on the ground. And we all know MTV's "punch and you're gone" policy. Tonya goes crazy and bitch slaps Veronica. I can't see her being allowed to stay after that. Unless they were both just drunk and having fun. It's hard to tell the way they edit this stuff together. I need a magnifying glass.

What did you see?

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Game on!

I'm pretty sure my team is going to dominate. Evan and Johnny are part of the BFF crew of Evan, Johnny and Kenny. They have loyalty, numbers, strength and athleticism on their sides. Susie may appear to be the unassuming dumb blonde, but she has what I call "quiet fire." She was part of a legit Road Rules team, so she's got some tenacity. Also she doesn't have a target on her back like some of the other females on the Champion team. Really, the only one that is less of a target on that team is Ibis, and honestly, I don't remember what kind of competitor/character she is. I think of Sarah as my wild card. She seemed to really have her head in the game and I think she's got the moxie to play without any hindrances. Other people on her team don't really seem into it nor do I see them as competitive players. Cohutta... um... he was the best option out of what was left. I'm actually surprised that he wasn't snatched up a little sooner. He's a nice guy, but I don't have high expectations for him.

Also, two questions:
1. When does the smack talking begin?
2. How does one talk smack?
-HT-

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Draft Recap

(Draft Results)

Round 1
George starts things off and goes with a surefire winner, Evelyn. The strongest girl and pretty much a lock to finish in the top three. The only thing that can derail E.V.E. is an emotional meltdown. Victor follows up by taking his personal hero, Wes, master instigator, fierce competitor, all around asshole -- and clearly a man who knows his way around the ladies. His best quote from episode one (paraphrased): "[Cahutta's] forty pounds lighter than me and I'm dating his ex-girlfriend, I'm not going to take him into the Ruins." What a nice guy that Wes is.

HT takes powerhouse Evan, who was the logical pick here. Evan is the leader of the douchebag alliance and somehow manages to be endearing and annoying at the same time. Yasmine takes Evan's bromance partner, Kenny, who will go far playing Robin to Evan/Johnny's Batman.

There are only a handful of multiple winners on the Champions side. They are: Kenny, Derrick, and Evelyn with two apiece. Darrell and Veronica have both won three championships. When in doubt, pick a champion. Jon nabs Derrick with the first of his two wraparound picks.

Round 2
After seeing Brad lose on Inferno 2, Jon has a soft spot for the RW: San Diegan and drafts him at the top of the second. Without fiance and emotional (un)support Tori, can Brad finally win it all?

Yasmine smartly tabs Darrell, who has been a winner in every challenge he's participated in. Nothing wrong with going with the undefeated guy. Of course, she probably didn't watch the season preview and notice that Darrell is about to slug someone on the ground. Did he connect? Does he get tossed? Hum...

With the exception of Evelyn, the entire first two rounds are dominated by guys. HT takes Johnny Bananas, Victor taps Dunbar, and George goes with Danny. The remaining men are deemed too weak, too vulnerable, or just not pumped up on steroids enough.

Round 3
By taking Veronica with her third selection, George locks in the two strongest girl competitors. Veronica is a super veteran in all senses of the word and it looks like Team George will be estrogen driven. Victor decides that Wes will need his lady love as a teammate and tabs Kelly Anne (how does Wes get all these attractive girls to like him?). Smart move. Ann Darrow to Wes' King Kong.

While HT may be young, she proves she knows her MTV history by going with Susie, who has been around since forever and is often overlooked. Susie is athletic, she's spunky, and she's a good teammate. Yasmine selects Johanna, ruining Victor's chances of drafting the Wes/Johanna/Kelly Anne love triangle . I have no clue if Johanna is athletic or not, but she seems to have lots of pull behind the scenes.

Jon goes out on a limb and takes Kimberly (who he thought was Kelly from RW: New Orleans until research proved otherwise). She beat Ruthie once in a challenge, that's enough for me.

Round 4
Does anyone know if Ibis, Brianna, or Sarah are actually good? I sure didn't, and picked Ibis basely solely on the fact that she seemed not crazy and was attractive and I'd like to cheer for her. Why did Yasmine pick Brianna? Not sure. Any insight here? I can't imagine it's her occupation that endeared her to Team Yasmine. Sarah seems like a big talker but probably not a very good athelete, although looks can deceive. Love the arm sleeve though, I hope she sticks around.

Victor decides to go with Adam who has never won a challenge but yet thinks he's miscast on the Challengers side. During episode one he says, "Yeah, it's a little weird for Brad and I to be here, since we feel like we should be champions." Dude, when have you ever come close to winning before? But we like Adam because he wore a onesie while running away from CT last season.

Best pick of the fourth round? Maybe George's selection of Syrus. He's not drama, he's good at challenges, and which of the rookies really want to pick on a savvy veteran that outweighs them? Could be a steal.

Round 5
HT suggested before the draft that we should pre-guess who would be the odd person out. With five teams and twenty six players, one player was going to be undrafted. I figured it would come down to Casey or Shauvon. Casey strikes me as tiny and unathletic, like a neutered version of Katie. Shauvon redefines the word "unathletic" and proves it by potentially popping an implant somewhere down the line. Somehow both of them ended up being picked, leaving Nick undrafted, who must be embarassed to have been left out. I mean, Cohutta the "midget" got picked (by HT). Nick is of decent shape, looks somewhat athletic, and is um, a non-midget. That must hurt.

Yasmine and George took challenge veterans Katie and Tanya respectively. Both are drama central, super feisty, and extremely volatile. Still, crazy never hurts in this sort of thing, does it?

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Team Rosters

George: Evelyn, Danny, Veronica, Syrus, Tanya
Victor: Wes, Dunbar, Kelly Anne, Adam, Casey
HT: Evan, Johnny, Susie, Sarah, Cohutta
Yasmine: Kenny, Darrell, Johanna, Brianna, Katie
Jon: Derrick, Brad, Kimberly, Ibis, Shauvon

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Rules and Scoring: Ruins II

Five team owners will each select five players.
A snake style draft will ensue.

Scoring:
+1 point for each week your person stays on the show
+1 for winning a personal challenge in the Ruins
+2 for making the finals
+2 for being the winner

Draft Order: (Results)
Pick 1:George
Pick 2:Victor
Pick 3:HT
Pick 4:Yasmine
Pick 5:Jon

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