Where are the Badass Female Competitors?

At the start of Big Brother 16 we saw what might have become an all-female alliance. Outgoing feminist Joey came into the house with some big plans. She wanted to form this elusive group as it’s a rarity in the house. Suffice to say she bit off more than she could chew. Moreso than usual, this season of Big Brother has been divided by sex. The bomb squad and the detonators were mostly male alliances. There was a week when every single woman in the game had been nominated.Many of the female players this season are weak players. Victoria barely gets any view time. Paola and Jocasta were all but useless. Christine is easily intimidated.With all of the shuffle it got me wondering about the success of women in the game as a whole and the show’s portrayal of women.

There are a lot of stereotypes involving the lack of all-female alliances. “Too gossipy or too bitchy” Well that's obviously not it. There have been so many strong women in this game. How come so few have managed to work together? Can you think of any that have been truly successful? Not to say that there haven’t been attempts. We saw this in season 5, for example. In Big Brother 16, what Joey attempted was doomed to fail. It was too early to act and she wasn't exactly discreet. But I remain hopeful for the years to come. Maybe Joey’s all girl alliance didn't work out and the duo of Christine and Nicole crumbled, but that does not mean that women are incapable of this achievement. They can do it.

While I have seen mostly dedicated and accepting Big Brother fans, the accomplishments of women are too often discounted or swept under the rug. It is an issue when their achievements are brushed off due to a showmance, for example. It’s clear that systematic biases are shaping the way that we view these contestants as opposed to their male counterparts.I think that it’s telling that only 5 of out 15 of the winners so far have been women.  

Why do you think that is?

This season may have a few duds, but Big Brother history is brimming with remarkable female contestants. The guys get a lot of attention with Will and Dan being regarded as the best players of all time. And they certainly deserve it. But from now until the finale I plan on posting about some of the amazing women that have been on the show.

Here is the first of many in an ode to the ladies

Danielle Reyes- Season 3 & All Stars

Not particularly scandalous. In my mind there is no better person to start with. Danielle was a competitor. She came to win and is widely regarded as one of the best players to never win the game. She probably deserved to win her season too, but a bitter jury voted for Lisa instead. The show literally CREATED A SEQUESTERD JURY BECAUSE OF THIS GIRL. While her All Stars game was good, it was her original season that showed what she was made of. Danielle was intelligent and unwavering in what she set out to do. She knew which buttons to push and when to push them. She was also able to maintain a loyal secret alliance with Jason Guy throughout the game. Plus she has some of the best DR sessions we've seen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ_xcncbArU

Unfortunately, eliminated contestants could also see these DR sessions. While revealing her scheming and impressions to the audience was great for viewers, it was not as fun for evicted contestants. That was likely the reason she lost.