What's the Deal with CBS' Love Affair with Big Brother's Donatos?

CBS loooooooooooves Dick and Daniele. It wants to have 10,000 of their babies.

Ok, excuse that descent into juvenile teasing, but is it just me, or does CBS seem to be smitten with the dastardly Donatos? Ever since Dick waltzed down the staircase in the season's first episode, the relationship between the estranged daughter and her volatile father has been the central focus of Big Brother, even more-so than the America's Player twist. Granted, Dick and Daniele have been the most interesting players in the game this season, and have found themselves at the heart of many of the season's more controversial and interesting moments. But the way the events get edited, and featured, on the show, it sometimes appears that CBS is workin' overtime to make the Donatos stars.

Every episode, it seems, is somehow about the way Dick and Daniele are communicating with each other. She's not speaking to him -- they're talking -- she's confiding in him about her feelings for Nick -- she's being a bitch to him -- they're strategizing about who to screw over next -- she's crying -- she tells him that she loves him -- blah blah blah. Often, music plays in the background, as if to subliminally suggest that we are watching a Lifetime TV movie about a father and daughter working through their issues.

And how about the way Dick's abusive behavior is softened in the editing? On last night's episode, for example, a clip was shown of part 1 of the HOH competition, with Dick doing a bit of yelling, and then shots of a maniacal-looking Zach hooting and hollering. I happened to be watching Big Brother After Dark on Showtime during that exact part of the competition, and what was shown on CBS could not have been a more off-base reflection of what actually happened during that competition. Dick berated Zach. For hours. But what was shown? Dick simply saying "I could stay up here all night," and then Zach's response.

True, Julie Chen did ask Zach how he withstood Dick's verbal barrage, but why didn't she ask Dick? Will she be as hard on Dick next week as she was on Zach after his elimination, straight-up asking him if he had ever made a strategic move in the game? (The fact that he hasn't is incidental)

I guess, bottom line, it makes good television for the heart of the story to be about a reconciliation between a father and daughter, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't compelling stuff. I just think it's pretty clear that CBS loooooooooooves Dick and Daniele.

And when the two collect their combined $550K next week, I think the feeling will likely be mutual.

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Big Brother's Daniele Proves Once Again To Be The Master Manipulator

One thing was clear, from beginning to end of tonight's Big Brother episode on CBS -- Daniele is the master manipulator.

First there was the HOH competition. She directed her father to "talk to" Zach, in an effort to distract him. Daniele is no idiot -- she knows what Dick "talking to" someone really sounds like. So the barrage of insults that Zach withstood over the next 6 hours was conceived of by Daniele. As I said, master manipulator.

Once she was eliminated from the competition, she sobbed convulsively, for a solid half hour, then realized her fate in the game depended on how her father did in the competition. So she got her shit together, went outside and gave him what she knew he wanted most -- to hear that she loves him. Talk about good timing. True, he ended up quitting anyways, but she was pulling out every trick in the estranged daughter book to get him to win. Brilliant.

Finally, there was her goodbye message to Zach. How savvy to play up their "friendship," when she knows Zach will be voting in just five days. The girl definitely knows what she is doing.

Alas, Dick and Daniele Donato are the final 2., and evil has prevailed in the house. Do I think Daniele is a bad person? No. Do I think she has encouraged and benefited from the way that Dick has treated people in the house? Absolutely.

She is, after all, the master manipulator.

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