BB8 Big Brother: The Desolation Of Jen

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Commentary by Cindy Rutolo Dietrich
August 23, 2007

Things have been a little rocky in the Big Brother House. That's of course when it's not dreadfully boring. It's sometimes hard to figure out which is worse.

Monday night on Showtime's Big Brother After Dark show, Jen finally decided, she'd had enough. It took allot. But enough is enough.

It had been coming for days. It's been brewing for weeks. But nothing prepared me for what I would see. Before the big blow out, I'd become concerned with a trend. I started writing about this dehumanizing thing they've been doing with Jen. But I didn't put I into an article. I was waiting. I wasn't sure what for. I guess for the big blow up. But when it happened, it was so much more awful, than I expected.

Here's one of the kindest things I've ever heard ED say to describe Jen. But, it also explains a lot of things. "She's not real. She's a fable."

That's what ED said about Jen. He's literally dehumanized her to that extent. That's not something that I could invent. It's also not something that just happened. He's been building this fire for weeks. He's dehumanized her so fully, he could throw her into a fire and eat her. Of course he wouldn't do that literally. But he has come close quite figuratively, especially over the past few days.

While thinking about the recent treatment of Jen, no one's speaking to her, I started to think about how Jessica's been blessed. Jessica's has had the easiest time in the house. After Daniele, Jessica's been treated the best. She's even been treated kindly by ED. Is it because she resembles his daughter, Daniele?

Then there's Jen. Jen's been the whipping boy for all of them. No, it's far worse than that for Jen. They treat Jen like a dog. Despite it all Jen held it altogether. She remained in control. Until recently, that is.

So why did Jen lose it?

Well, first, she felt betrayed by Dick, then by Daniele, who had promised that she had her back for the rest of the game. Then she started realizing how badly she'd been played. She realized the plan was to backdoor her in a way so that she could not be saved.

But that wasn't enough for Evel Dick. He had been planning and relishing her betrayal for days. He continually described how much he was going to enjoy watching the look of hurt on Jen's face. But even that wasn't enough. No, ED wasn't done. He lit into her verbally and was horrible to see. I felt her get burned by those words. I felt it inside of me.

Jen got so upset, she apparently packed. Then, still upset with ED, she destroyed his cigarettes. This is something, I later realized, she may have done to provoke a response. Or, maybe not. Maybe she was just hurt.

When ED found out, he went insane with rage. He took her clothes, and locked them away in the HoH. room. This is something his daughter was not thrilled about. When she returned from her trip, this was just the tip of an argument that broke out between Daniele and Dick.

Locking away Jen's clothes, was nothing compared to his mouth. Not even close.

The most vile, disgusting things come out of that man's mouth...

After a while, it starts to feel like verbal rape. I was literally shaking, I was so enraged. Sometimes I can't believe they allow such verbal abuse to occur, and continue. It just goes on and on.

The Big Brother production team appeased ED. They replaced the cigarettes that Jen had destroyed. That, apparently, though was the tipping point for her. Jen felt betrayed by Big Brother.

She said she'd asked for permission, before destroying his cigarettes. So, apparently this was planned? It's not something I would have asked permission for.

Because Jen felt BB broke the rules, or their word, she decided to break the rules as well. She started to eat. She had been put on that disgusting foodstuff called slop for the rest of her days. But I guess she finally had enough of slop, and of her lot in the BB house.

So while ED swore at her, she ate. Maybe she figured, what the hell? What did she have to lose any more? She broke her slop fast, with quiet, rebellious tears spilling down.

I think that breaking this fast was a singular act of rebellion. It took guts and it was brave. It was an act of dignified rage. She'd put up with everything, until then.

Now, no one's speaking to her. She's all alone, even more so than ever before. Maybe that's why she figures she shouldn't cooperate anymore?

When this girl was being verbally abused by ED, no one cared. Not about her. Not about the abuse. No, they're pissed off not at Evel Dick but at Jen, because she broke the slop fast, and the rules.

She'd put up with ED's abuse for so long before that. Jameka and the others had only a little taste of that. But nothing like this. Plus, they had each other to run to for comfort.

Even Jen comforted them. But no one comforts Jen. They have no sympathy for her. None.

Jen is on her own and completely alone.

And ED has somehow made this treatment seem alright. He's been that successful at dehumanizing her to the rest of them. It's like watching a frightening example of a social experiment gone horribly wrong. It proves anew how people throughout history felt validated in violating victims by first dehumanizing them.

How Jen got burned, more figuratively than literally.

"She got burned. "Jess said. "But it was just the ash, and she was the one grabbing at it. So, I guess she deserved it then?

This happened when Dick forcibly blew a gale of smoke into Jen's face to prove that they'd given his cigarettes back to him. And, that he could whatever he wanted to do, especially, to Jen. So, she smacked away the smoke that he blew in her face. That's when she got burned by his ash. And, when I thought I heard him threaten to burn her again.

That's when they froze the Showtime live feed.

But, we were still able to hear, and see. Only now we could see ED's enraged face race across a multitude of TV's in a production room. When I thought I saw him lunge. I thought, is this it? Will they actually let ED hit?

That's of course, when they cut to commercial.

When it came back on, he was still raping her verbally. But Jen was still eating, and holding her own. The fact that she wouldn't disappear made ED lose it again. Then he wouldn't leave her alone because despite his abuse, she just wouldn't go away.

I don't agree with everything Jen does. But I think it took tremendous nerve to persevere. And she did so, despite her fear. After all, she has every right to stay, or at least she did. Who knows now.

I also don't understand what she did in the first place to deserve such abuse. Such plotting. Such threats. Such, heartlessness. Why? "Cause she allegedly followed ED around the first day? That's what he told her the other day. It's something she denies. Says 'if' she did so, she was unaware. And, oh gasp, she was also allegedly rude to Daniele! And that makes everything that comes out of his mouth okay, somehow? For that she deserves his hell?

Everyone else has done things as well. But they've all been forgiven, or forgotten.

Is this really all about Daniele instead? Is this really just, displaced anger? Despite ED's endless, tender, patience with his spoiled, beautiful daughter Daniele, she treats her father like hell. And, because he can't deal well with anybody, let alone with her, he's unleashed his fury instead upon Jen.

The others have no pity for Jen. They're just glad he's not yelling at them.

Jess said, "She's gonna have to go to the psyche ward after this. He's made her life here, hell, the entire time." It was the closest thing to kindness that anybody's said of Jen.

Mostly they are just pissed off at Jen for breaking the rules. They didn't care about the abuse she endures. In fact, they've all become part of it. They're just hoping she gets sufficiently punished enough.

Zack said to Jameka, 'What a crazy, crazy woman."

He said nothing about the mad man laughing, alone and aloud to himself with delight.

"It's not fair. It's not fair to be having so much fun." ED cackled alone to himself.

At the end of the day, I was proud in a way that Jen refused to be blown away by ED's hurtful comments.. There are times that I think she has more guts, and way bigger balls than anyone else in the house.

That also just blows ED's mind. He can say anything.. He could threaten her. He could verbally abuse her. But he can't make her just blow away.

Of course, she may be leaving. She keeps breaking the rules. It also makes me wonder what ED would have to do. Would ED have to actually hit Jen on live TV for them to kick him out of the BB house? I don't think this would happen. But it sure has felt close at times.

At the end of the night ED' s always revising history.and gloating ore his earlier victories. In his mind, ED never does anything wrong. And Jen, is nothing. So, Jen is only wrong. Because ED is always right.

Wrong! Nobody is always right.

Many people in this house also claim to have faith. Yet I've heard them kill this girl, again and again. They've made assignations against her character; against her physically, and against her soul. Nothing she can say makes her a feeling, human being anymore. I don't care what the prize is, that just feels wrong. Nothing is worth the desolation of a soul. Not for money, or for ratings, on a reality TV show.

When I first started writing this article I felt sad. Then I stopped feeling bad. I started feeling mad. I started wondering, who are these people? Are they merely a mirror reflecting us all? Good Lord, I hope not. If so, God help us all.

For now., I choose to believe that we all can be better than what we have seen.

I want to mention that I've also written several pro ED articles, so I even believe this of ED. But, maybe just for today, I should be on Jen's side. Somebody has to be.

I also think Jen is way more than a victim. She always has something up her sleeve. She may even have provoked things with ED. Still, I think she's probably better off now, out of that house.

If she stays, I hope she wins something. She deserves a reward for what she's endured.

And, for standing up to evil, and ED.


You can contact Cindy at: rovingreporter@webtv.net.