Stacking the deck

I know I’m way behind in all the Beauty and the Geek recaps, but after seeing last night’s “final episode”, I felt the need to speak up. While I know that the producers love to manipulate storylines and show footage that affects how viewers see each person, Nicole and Sam got majorly screwed.

What they did on Dave’s behalf: They showed his personal growth. A lot. It was obvious that he was becoming more comfortable with who he was and what he was capable of (pretty much everything), plus he didn’t leave his roots behind (taking Jasmine LARPing). He won challenges, he made brownies, he asked Nicole out on a date… he was the focal point of soooooo much of the footage the last few weeks because of it. Being in the mansion has had a very positive effect on his life up to this point and the producers wanted to make sure you knew it.

What they did on Jasmine’s behalf: I’m honestly not sure. She and Dave grew closer as a team, especially considering how far apart they started. She encouraged him, reveled in their success together… all very honorable qualities, but did she change? She was always supportive. She grabbed the sword when Dave showed them LARPing; she grabbed it again when he took her LARPing with his friends. (I gotta say, though, I loved when she didn’t kill the female “ally”—she just took out the girl’s leg to show her who’s boss.)

What they did on Sam’s behalf: They showed him at the gym and at the club drinking. And doing “The Matrix”… wow. That was just… wow. But now he’s a very efficient and effective studier. Is that the change that the viewers are looking for? Given how many of the beauties have cried and said what great people the geeks were, this focus on his learning versus learning about “the beauty of the geeks”… how will that affect people’s views of him?

What they did on Nicole’s behalf: Ouch. She seemed extremely bland and blended in with the background for many, many weeks. Now suddenly, it’s “This is how it feels going to the doctor!” and “GRRRRRRR!!!” This may have been the first time that they’ve shown she has a sense of humor. Has it taken this long to suddenly appear or has she been funny for ages and it’s just never been on TV before?

But here’s what I noticed the most: the couples were presented as polar opposites. Dave took Jasmine LARPing; she brought him to meet her family and went babysitting. Sam took Nicole to the gym and a bar; she brought him to college. Dave and Jasmine showed how they could be adults and still retain their youthful qualities. Sam and Nicole are all growed up, baby!

As they were preparing for the elimination room, Dave and Jasmine wanted the focus to be on which couple had changed the most because Dave was extremely different than when he arrived. He loosened up, his pompous attitude had essentially disappeared… he’s a pretty cool guy now. Sam and Nicole were hoping that the questions would be all about what they’d studied for the challenges. Change (a focal point of the producers) versus smarts (which vilified Sam in the eyes of a lot of people since he dominated so many of the beauties’ challenges). Dave versus Sam. Bartender versus Metro Man. Good versus… okay, maybe that’s a stretch.

Then the couples gave their speeches to the audience, asking for their votes.
Nicole and Sam: “This is what we taught each other.”
Dave and Jasmine: “This is how we’ve changed.”
(Whether that was the extent of their speeches is doubtful; whether the producers manipulated the focal points of said speeches… who knows?)

Consequently, I’m voting for Sam and Nicole. There were a few small things the producers let slip in: Sam saying how great Jasmine did when she tried picking up the little wiggly creatures. His ability to study once his make-out buddy left the mansion. Nicole asking John to the prom, even though her friends told Sam how awkward she was around guys all the time. Their unification as a couple when they seemed to be the furthest apart when they first arrived at the mansion. Going from complete opposites to being comfortable sharing a bed. Needless to say, I’m impressed.

I’m not going to try and sway your vote, America. I just thought that someone should call out the producers and point out what might have been shown or not been shown to help you decide who should win the $250,000. There’s no question that Dave and Jasmine are a deserving couple—I simply don’t think they’re more deserving. SAM AND NICOLE IN 2007!

You can all cast your votes online here.