Dingo's Hamster Watch - Big Brother 5

"Position the habitat of your hamster somewhere light and airy,
away from drafts, heaters, direct sunlight and other pets.
Never put it on or near a television, radio or hi-fi or a fridge."

This site isn't about who should win, who will win, who I'd be friends with, or who is cute. It's about watching hamsters: which ones are doing what and why. Which are fun and which are dull. If they aren't entertaining, get rid of 'em! More to come, bookmark & come back! .. that dingo

Linkage

Daily feed recaps & opinion ratings navigation tool for this often-biased site
HamsterWatch Big Brother 8 here we go again
HamsterWatch Big Brother 7 Hamster all-stars in the house
HamsterWatch Big Brother 6 time to do it all over again
CBS Big Brother 5 the official site
Housecalls live web show with Marcellas, also archived shows
TV Updates feed updates, screencaps, and fun boards - easy to use and functional!
bb5fan's 30 second refresh screencaps if you don't have feeds (great at work!)
Hollyisms and Cowboyisms and Lisa-isms from me, that dingo person
Sir LinksALot Big Brother 5 all the links
Reality TV Links emphasis on individual hamsters' sites
Aldav has all of the edgier stuff & the best mini-recaps in town (alternate url)
I miss Grins' BB5 Park updates, but ever grateful for what she did - from Jokers
Bonus must-click special: BB5 auction on Ebay have lunch with Marcellas and a BB producer

9/19/04 - Day 80 >> to the future >> dwell in the past >> latest

Stick a fork in us, we're done

This was a good day for everyone to catch up on missed sleep, them and us both

Fallout from the jury questioning rant continued to obsess and upset internet fans more than the players, as usual.. screw DNA (DoNotAssume) - this season has been all about hearsay - both in and out of the house

I spent some my new-found spare time by filling in gaps in a couple HamsterWatch episodes (yes, there's still more content missing, but it will come), and by starting a long-overdue daily index for the site.. it too still has gaps but it's a start.. I figure it may come in handy for Wednesday morning quarterbacking, and when we all return here in the months to come to relive this twisted summer fling of ours, we won't have to slog through all the crap to get to the days we like.. but, every day has something

As for this day..
In a rare vertical moment, Drew gets reflective, and clues us in a bit more about his apprehension about life, life after college, and after Big Brother

Drew: You know you're gonna miss this place some when it's over
Cowboy: Nope
Drew: You gotta miss some of the sheltered parts of it a little.. not being out in the world.. everything's taken care of for us here
Cowboy: I think going to work probably beats staying in here for 3 months
Drew: You've worked like 3 jobs right? And this is better than that?
Cowboy: No, I'm not gonna miss it.. some things that happened here, sure.. but I'm not gonna miss being here
Drew: Yea, you will!

The bachelor pad kitchen goes into service tonight - which would possibly surprise the evicted house cooks - but they pull off a nice meal: pre-fab kebobs, baked potatoes, sweet corn, strawberries.. I know, it's not much, but it is beautiful food photography.. and it's all I got - they didn't do much else - and there's read-between-the-lines convo

Drew: I had a dream with Lori in it
Cowboy: Did you?
Drew: Yea, I forget what happened in it though
Cowboy: I was having nightmares thinking I was still awake
dingo: later Drew 'remembers' a bit more of the Lori dream

Drew goes to work chopping up kiwis, and carefully removes some water once the corn goes in, having forgotten what he learned in science class about displacement

Drew: I'm taking out some of this water, I didn't want to scald my hand by trying to take it to the sink

Cowboy cleans the grill and cooks up the kebobs.. gullible internet fans once again snicker cuz of the horrendously skewed version of Cowboy's steaks that aired on the show.. tonite's kebobs came out as perfect as those steaks did (and as beautifully photographed).. tonight's spider distraction was only momentary

dingo: read the truth about Barbecue Death Match III SmackDown - Cowboy was the clear winner

They dish up and sit down to eat.. Drew says grace tonight (and the food's still hot when he's done).. they eat mostly silently except for polite comments about the food

Drew (saying grace): We're only here because of you.. we just want to say thank you for having us here, and hope we'll be safe for the next couple days, and enjoy each other's company around here
Cowboy: Thank you for your part in making all this, Drew
Drew: Oh yea, uh.. thanks for doing the grill

A bit of convo strikes up as they finish: Cowboy telling stories about his paper route.. they wash up together.. they barely leave each other's sides all day.. they're like a waiting room variation of the Odd Couple

They joke about getting a movie, or maybe they think they will get one.. but they don't.. Drew looks to the future, then he looks around the room, discovering things in it.. he's not a boy, but not yet a man

Drew: Tell you my plan.. I'm gonna have a big party with ten ladies over.. and we're gonna play strip jenga.. and after I'm gonna fuck her
Drew (about crystal ball): Wow, this is cool!
Drew (about plasma screen): It's like war, and the galactic ships are colliding with each other

They play golf..

.. and go through their basket of peanut butter snacks & candy

Cowboy: I can honestly say, this.. 3 months is the hardest I've ever worked for 50 grand..
(he spots something in the basket)
Drew: Yep
(Cowboy pulls out something and looks at it while talking)
Cowboy: And I'm sayin' 50 grand.. whatever.. whatever it should be
(Cowboy continues to look at the sweet in his hand.. then steps back)
Cowboy: This must have just came out
(he takes the item over to Drew, who examines it)
Drew: I know, I saw that.. what is it, peanut butter and chocolate?
Cowboy (still holding it and looking at it): Yea
Drew: M&M's are just going out crazy

(thanks to Yummy Cupcakes at KeithX's BB Chatter for catching this exchange - and wording it so great)

Drew expresses some doubt over cards about Diane, some "conscious".. Cowboy steers him away - mostly, and he's over it quickly

Drew: That was the worst thing.. to see Diane go to the door, crying like that..
Cowboy: Well I don't think you broke her heart on a relationship level.. I think you broke her heart cuz she didn't win the game, and she would have
Drew: Scott & Jase would've killed us
Cowboy: Yes they would have
....
Cowboy: I just thought of something. Karen defending Nakomis.. Marvin defending Diane..
Drew: Yep.. I think Marvin with me, he just didn't have anything better to ask me
Cowboy: Right
Drew: That is weird how that happened..
....
Cowboy (snickers): I bet Diane is like, 'why'd he keep Cowboy in the game?'
Drew: Yep
....
Drew: Five girls and three guys, and two guys are left in the finals.. I don't know what that says but it says something!
Cowboy: And here I am with you
Drew: The thing is, if it was me and her and Nakomis, it would have been her and Nakomis
Cowboy: Oh yea!!
Drew: I would've been gone, just like Nakomis is
....
Cowboy: She'll beat herself up the rest of her life over carrying on that way (crying)
....
Drew: I had a dream about Lori.. she was like talking about Todd the whole time.. it was like pffttt
Drew: After three months being here, do we have the same brain wavelength? What is my card??

Later at the hot tub.. well, things just get a little iffy.. then they get ready for bed, together, like always.. Cowboy lubes up like Drew.. wears his towel like Drew.. Drew is using the eviction corner now.. he continues avoiding anyone get a shot of his goodies

Drew (reading Bible): Do you know what the word 'kosher' means?
Cowboy: It means everything's ok.. do you mean like kosher bread?
Drew: It says 'don't contradict God, if God says it's kosher' (he goes on a bit, about forbidden foods, etc)
Cowboy: It just means everything's ok
Drew: I like that word
Cowboy: That's one word I actually kinda know!
(fishies)
dingo: looks like BB is hoping Cowboy doesn't add religion to fuel the internet race riot he started yesterday

Beddy-bye time and Drew packs up to move to the eviction bed.. sky-cam shot makes it feel like they're building a fort.. they read Bibles and quote to each other, once again causing irony & symbolism fans to clap with glee at the passages they choose.. no idea what's going on in the 4th shot but feedmasters deemed it worthy of adding a date/timestamp - that's a first

Drew: 'A wise man thinks ahead.. a fool does too and brags about it'
Cowboy: 'An unreliable messenger can cause a lot of trouble'
....
Drew: I had a dream last summer.. Jesus was in my dream, and he was talking to me.. I couldn't really tell what he was saying, but he looked kinda scraggly

Wish I had more for you, fellow HamsterWatchers..

I warned them it could come to this way back during
Holly days, when they started kicking out the fun ones

Big ups to HamsterWatchers who stuck it out this far - just a couple more days and we're free! Sincere thanks to those who posted & emailed about my Diane tribute (even those who disagree) and the site in general - it means more than you know. Thanks for visiting!

Most of what I said here yesterday holds true, but it was such a dull day for them and for us, I'm going easy on him today. Cowboy contributed a few more Cowboyisms today, but also kept steering Drew in a 'girlfriends are bad' direction while continuing to glorify the lovely April (as well he should - it's just the hypocrisy that bugs me at this late date, when it doesn't matter anymore: they are final two, Diane's gone, and the jury's done their thing.) Luckily for all, he let go of the 'Marvin called me racist' obsession of last night, giving feedsters a chance to pause and consider the source, and the fact that nobody knows what Marvin said. Feedmasters wisely cut to fishies before Cowboy could develop the internet race riot into something even uglier, when he defined for Drew what the word 'kosher' means, Biblically-speaking. Say what you like: he lasted to the end, and may take it all.

Most of what I said here yesterday holds true, but it was such a dull day for them and for us, I'm going easy on him today. Drew finally relaxed some today (mentally & emotionally) and let some of his fears about impending Life Outside come to the surface. He continued to let himself be steered by Cowboy's 'girlfriends are bad' spiels though - and that let him stop listening to his conscience again for awhile (it's beginning to act up.) He too let go of his 'Marvin call me a user' obsession of last night, since it doesn't matter anymore: they are final two and the jury's done its thing. Say what you like, and that goes doubly for me, he lasted to the end, and may take it all.. although he moved to the eviction bed to sleep tonight, and that could signify that he's officially coming in second.. we'll see.

Ups are Diane's all the way, for giving us a moment so real it was heartbreaking to watch. Producers knew it was coming: clues were sprinkled all through the buildup edits, and they hadn't given her a hint either.. but everyone knows network tv has slimy ethics. They tried to get some more bang from the many bucks wasted on the quake machine, to no avail: the segment lasted almost as long as the actual comp, and the judging fuckup that took 15+ minutes to call at the time miraculously turned into a split second for air. Even highly dramatic music couldn't help this one - the most exciting thing watching it was the news-crawl that Barry Bonds hit #700 (go Barry!) Another overpriced DNA apparatus and another long, dull, drawn-out comp we knew the results of already.. and then it's the final comp (The One That Matters) and they've got Drew & Cowboy parked in kiddie cars in the living room - hysterical! Great to see Scott again, and Jase & Holly together, yay! A sweet bonus to find out the two bums in the house doing it all for the horsemen are the only ones still in the club. Julie looked like she wanted to smack Diane like she'd smacked Marcellas for still talking up Drew, and maybe she should have - it would have been kinder than showing Diane that cold farewell that ripped her apart.

Her motivation was to win the boy but he dumped her on tv for the money. As tough as she is fragile, feisty & bitchy but pure of heart and never dull. Way smarter than she thinks she is - she earned every penny Drew takes home. Star of the show.

'The Smart One' turned out to have perspective & ethics, and garnered respect for being herself. Overcame ratings-based emotional blackmail and proved that reality tv needs real people.

First out for playing well, but chameleon strategy is better defense than offense. Elevated the game with empathy, Oscar-caliber acting, and right-on-target rants. Most photogenic by far.