It’s been just about a week since Celebrity Big Brother kicked off, and it’s been action from the start. We’ve already had two houseguests evicted: Chuck Liddell and Keshia Knight Pulliam. And the evictions will keep on coming as we approach the Big Brother: Celebrity Edition finale on February 25th.
Before we get too far ahead, let’s assess where the player are at now, and who holds the most and least power with the first Celebrity Big Brother Power Rankings.
9. Shannon Elizabeth
Shannon Elizabeth has defintiely fallen from grace. I think it starts and ends with her risking it all to save James Maslow, who truly wasn’t worth it. I’m not sure why Chuck, Keshia and Omarosa were so threatening to Shannon, but it really put her in a bad spot. While she did get her allies to turn, Shannon also planted lots of seeds of doubt within that group while making it happen.
She started off playing very hard and showed what a force she is in the Celebrity Big Brother game. And while Shannon has taken a step back, they all know what she’s capable of. I think James’ attitude could have been enough to save her, if he didn’t already win the Power of Veto. Her chances of survival are near zero next to Mark McGrath.
8. James Maslow
James is lucky to still be around, almost entirely due to Shannon. Still, he really is just a pawn in other people’s Celebrity Big Brother games. Sure, maybe James can win a competition or two but really he’s just going to be doing other people’s bidding.
James is too eager to trust people and be a part of a group when nobody actually really wants to work with him. Regardless of when James leaves (Monday or finale), I don’t think anyone respects him as a gameplayer, because he has really not been able to influence anyone, or even make any decisions that have had an impact.
7. Metta World Peace
Oh, Metta World Peace. He has wanted out of the Big Brother house from the start, and he’s mostly just been kept around because of that lack of drive to win the game. The other houseguests know that he isn’t interested in the game.
Therefore, Metta is easy to take out at any time. Plus, everyone likes him. I think if he did happen to get any power, things could be really fun: since he doesn’t really seem to care about the consequences. But Metta has no control in this game; he also hasn’t built any real solid allies. Maybe as it gets closer to the end, we might see him make some maneuvers, but I’m not counting on him to do much more than snuggling with Orwell, and saying some crazy things every now and then.
6. Mark McGrath
Mark is probably the lowest key player in there, and it’s not hurting him one bit. Mark has some friends and allies in Ross Mathews and James, but they aren’t going to protect him in the long run. I think it’s very possible that Mark might slips through the cracks towards the end. However, he has been coasting, and nobody really respects that game play.
That said, Mark is well liked: Anyone could win this game with the way the jury will work. I wouldn’t be excited if Mark did win, since he’s done pretty much nothing, but it could happen if he’s up against someone objectionable. That said, Mark probably will get caught in the crosshairs somewhere along the way. He could be a victim of circumstance.
5. Omarosa
Omarosa has got good days and bad days, as she would have it. Some days Omarosa is making nice with everyone, and then they find themselves surprised to be enjoying her company. Other days, Omarosa will really stir the pot and paint a target on herself. Sort of like Metta and Mark, she’s disposable to the power players, but a little bit of ingratiating herself with Ariadna Gutierrez and Brandi Glanville can do her wonders.
I do think Omarosa is more strategic then people believe, like with making up with Shannon in case she survives this week’s eviction. I think people are expecting big things from Omarosa, and she has not dissapointed so far, and will continue to deliver in one way or another. It is somewhat difficult to see her winning this game, but she’s already got votes from Chuck and Keshia if she makes it to the end of the game.
4. Ross Mathews
Ross was in a great spot prior to winning Head of Household. But then he royally messed up by not taking an easy path, while considering backdooring Shannon. Worst of all, he didn’t follow through and everyone knew about it. Ross’s wishy-washyness all week, and the fact that a lot of them see what he’s doing with all the alliances, and relationships in the house doesn’t bode well.
For now I think Ross will be okay, but it only takes a few conversations to turn things, as we’ve seen. With this game at the fast pace level, he could be in trouble sooner than later. We’ve already seen Ariadna and Brandi express doubts about Ross, and it’s still sort of early in this shortened season. The good thing is that Ross is sort of protected because of his good social game, but it can always come crashing down.
3. Marissa Jaret Winokur
Despite the fact that Marissa constantly talking, she’s done a good job of keeping her mouth shut when it comes to game. Marissa really has not said or done anything too incriminating, and she’s in the thick of all of the strategic conversations. I think she could get into trouble down the line, especially if she has to win a more physical competition for her safety.
However, it will be awhile before Marissa is really at risk. She’s probably making a mistake sticking with Ross, who would likely beat her in the end, but it’s still early and there’s still time to split off from him. I think Marissa is pretty aware of what’s going on, and savvier than she wants her housemates to believe. Marissa is the one to watch at the moment.
2. Ariadna Gutierrez
Ariadna and Brandi are clearly the ones running the show. At first it was subtle and hard to really pin down, but they were the ones pushing to backdoor Shannon last week. They pushed their agenda by convincing people that it was the best move for everyone. And Ross almost made a pretty costly mistake because of the persuasion or Ari and Brandi.
I think Ari is positioned to go deeper but she has less power than Brandi. People don’t listen to her as much, but maybe they should as she’s got wisdom beyond her years. Despite being Head of Household, I think people would assume Ari is doing other people’s bidding instead of her own, but they’re underestimating her. She’s sharp and really could finally get her crown if Ari plays her cards right. Really it would come down to how much everyone sees her game, and Ari faces in the final two.
1. Brandi Glanville
It’s been fun watching Brandi and Ari run the ship. They have different styles but are a good fit for one another. They both come up with the plans and Brandi sort of makes them happen. She’s been very persuasive and cautiously aggressive with pushing what she wants, but also letting others push their agenda and backing off when necessary, or waiting for the right moment to strike.
I think people have a perception of her where they might not expect her to be strategically savvy, but Brandi has proven everyone wrong. It is sort of controlling the game without looking like it. And best of all, Brandi has got people like Ross, Shannon, and Omarosa as big shiny targets in front of her. If she can maintain a relatively low profile, Brandi can easily make it to the end. Then if she manages to show everyone what she’s been able to pull off, Brandi absolutely could and should win Celebrity Big Brother.
That’s all I’ve got for this week’s Celebrity Big Brother Power Rankings. What do you think? Do you agree or have a different perception of who is running the show and who is in deep trouble?
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