BB10: Interview with Brian - "Arrogance was always part of my plan."

[hepcat]

First to leave this summer’s Big Brother is Brian Hart, a young man with a resume as varied as military service and cell phone sales. He also had a hardy set of plans that were crushed only halfway into his first week in the house. Calling himself the victim of a “herd mentality,” he certainly felt the sting of the stampede – but he has definite ideas on how long the herd can stay together. Read on for Brian’s take on his not-so-endless summer, and who he thinks is riding high, ready to fall hard.

Hello, hello!

How are you, Brian?

I’m wonderful, how are you doing?

Very good. I’m in the Bay Area so I was rooting for you.

(laughing) Oh, well thank you. I’m sorry, and I’ve talked to a lot of people today, and I didn’t want to disappoint. A lot of people were having fun because I went in there and attacked the game. I really wish I could have stayed longer for everyone. I only had more scenes for the puppet show. I only had more games for everyone else to see. I was working on a Family Feud game that into the weeks would have been interesting.

First out – did you ever think it could happen to you?

When I knew I was going to target Memphis, I knew big risks equal big rewards – or they can kill you. I also knew I was there for the money, and I had an opportunity at someone that I didn’t know if I was going to get another shot at. Physically, in the competition, I know I can’t beat Memphis. So if it came down to him and I, there was a really good chance that he would have taken the money. And I don’t play for second or third place. I knew Memphis was eventually going to be an ally or an enemy, and when I threw him an olive branch early in the week and said, “Memphis, what are you thinking,” he came back with, “We can talk later in the game.” I couldn’t take a chance. That’s why I made the move I did. But you know, nobody wants to go out first. I went out first playing. I just moved too quickly.

A lot of times the first one out is just somebody that annoys everyone, so it was kind of surprising.

Yes, the floater. And that was the thing. I wouldn’t have changed anything I did per se except the timing of it. Arrogance was always part of my plan. It was part of the character I was going to play. The problem was that when you deal with a herd mentality, it’s the timing of the plan. If you give the herd too much time to think about the actions they are going to do, you give them too much time and opportunity to spook. And when one of them spooks, they all spook. So I would have just held back and released the Memphis plan a little later in the game.

When did you realize the house had turned?

When Jerry started talking and he didn’t have his military gear on. As soon as I realized he didn’t have his military gear on I kind of knew what was going on.

Do you think everyone is hip to that? That if he isn’t wearing his hat he’s going to do something, slightly, I don’t know – unethical?

(laughing) Yeah. Um, I don’t think so. I don’t know. The problem is I really don’t know how much the rest of the house is paying attention, other than Memphis – and Angie, because Angie pays attention to everything. The rest of them, when you talk to them, they’re just sitting back on their heels. They wouldn’t have started playing this game unless they had someone to go after, which turned out to be me. I forced them into a position to play this game. Everybody would have been just happy sitting back, voting out Renny and whoever else for the next two or three weeks. That just is not me. It’s almost like they didn’t really want to play the game and they were almost pissed that I made them play it because (sarcastically) we were all getting along so well. That’s just seems to be the way that it happened.

Do you know who spooked first? Who do you pin the house turning on?

Oh, I could tell you right now. I don’t know for sure 100%, but my first point of business once this happened was to find out who was the mastermind behind it all, who pulled the strings. And everyone wanted to tell me that it was everyone at the same time. Apparently this is my first rodeo and I just don’t know a thing. So once I started asking questions, I found out when everyone had learned of this plan – and everyone had learned the day before except a handful of people. Then you take that group of people and take who had intimate knowledge of every single alliance that I had, and you’re left with April and Ollie. And Libra is more of gas on the fire – she’s more of a fuel than the person who actually started it. That’s where you get your answer. I can almost picture the scene of April and Ollie having a conversation with Libra in the room, in the background, saying, “Mm-hmm, well we have to do something about that.” Know what I mean? I can almost see it happen in my head. Those three that start talking, then Libra fuels the fire. Once Libra found out what April knew and what Ollie knew, she had all the ammunition she needed to rally troops and have this united front against this person who had – did you hear all the stuff I had in the house with me? I had spies and moles and all kinds of stuff. They gave me way more credit than they should have. They were like, “Every time we’re talking, Brian and Dan walk into the room.” We were laughing because there’s nothing else to do but walk around! But it was interesting to see all that. If I had to pin it on a few it would be them, and everyone else got to act like they were united together against one evil purpose.

What do you think when you hear Ollie say things like, “You’ll see on the tapes” when he was defending himself?

Um – he was just trying to move it to a different conversation. He really didn’t want to talk about it. “You’ll see on the tapes, you’ll see on the tapes” means nothing to me other than he saw an opportunity to jump on a different bandwagon and he took it. Whether he was the first person to have it come out of his mouth, I don’t know. But those are the only people that knew before everyone else did. So the fire had to start somewhere. They were the match. It spread from there. They thought they were this united front, but if Jerry had just come to me I could have explained to him that there was nothing united about what they were doing. Eventually they would start eating each other.

Originally, I told myself I was going to rally for votes but then I told myself I was going to wait until the next morning. But that’s when I realized that if I just stayed quiet the opportunity would present itself to launch the vote-rallying strike. And it sure did. I knew that enough paranoia and fear which run that house would eventually spark up this giant uproar. Libra would start to piss everyone off, and Jessie and them would start walking around with a swollen chests like they had vanquished the evil in the house and they would all be happy again once I left. But I always knew Memphis was the key. I knew without his vote, it wasn’t going to happen – but I knew the chance of that happening was pulling an elephant out of a top hat. There was an appropriate time to do it and I knew it had to come from an Angie or someone else. They took the shot, but he’s a smart kid. As a smart guy would do, he said there’s no way that’s going to happen because that would have been a bad decision on his part for him to keep me in the house.

It’s pretty clear you saw Memphis as your adversary, but what about any of the other guys in the house, like Jessie?

(dismissively) Absolutely not. Jessie’s too young. He’ll shift where the power shifts in the house. He won’t stay loyal. My biggest vice in the house was arrogance; Jessie’s is his vanity. He’s 22. Everybody says they’re there for the money, but I think he’s just as much there for experience and the recognition as he is for the money. Which will become a problem. He’s too young and he does things you would see around the house, where after they had flipped it on me, he loved to make comments. You know, “Ha ha, look what I did.” Which will allow people who are quieter, like a Memphis or an Angie, to let him be the target of a counter attack as to where they are the ones pulling the strings – whereas, he looks up to Memphis like a brother. But yet, still, is vain enough to take the heat on himself.

Personally, I don’t think Jessie has a shot because he’s going to end up pissing somebody off. I mean, look at the bickering between him and Renny. Was that really necessary? “I only get respect if I give respect.” You’re 22 years old. You’re supposed to give respect for your elders for being there, for going through life and experiencing things. The closest he’s experienced is about four beers and maybe a girlfriend. I’m sure high school was fun, Jessie, and you just got out. He’s too young. He doesn’t have the staying power.

What’s your impression of Renny?

Oh, my gosh. Renny. I don’t think we see anything other than what Renny is, and I think outside of that house Renny would be an absolute joy to be around. Just a person, when you went to visit her in New Orleans, it would just be – I don’t know anyone who would have more fun in that town. She is an absolute joy of a person. In those surroundings, it’s a little tough to be around 24 hours a day. She’s so over the top that it’s very hard to deal with that on a daily basis. I think that’s the thing with her. But she really is a very nice, wonderful lady who is just a little nutty.

On our site, someone said before the show even aired that they would have matched you and Angie up from your bios. Do you think if you’d stayed in the house there would have been a showmance for you?

I had a little thing for Angie, I really did. There were so many things about her that were attractive to me on a friendship level, and she’s also a very attractive woman. But we both kind of had a thing back home. She had a thing back home, and we had conversations about someone I used to have back home that I was still dealing with, so, um. I don’t know. It would be tough for me to say yes because the type of people we are, we were both there for the game. Maybe an Ollie and an April who don’t care – I mean, my sisters were very specific with me before I left. No between-the-sheets shenanigans, no hot tub orgies, and keep your clothes on. So I definitely always had my outside view in the back of my mind. Who knows, when you’re stuck in that house for 60 to 90 days? Something profound definitely would have had to happen.

Do you plan on watching the live feeds?

You know, it’s funny. When the veto ceremony first happened, I was very sad and I thought I just don’t know if I can watch this. But to be honest, in retrospect, I’ll watch as much as I can and really – these people are a joy. My recommendation is to pay attention to Steven as much as you can, because the guy is an absolute riot. I think I will, actually. I think I’ll watch as much of it as I get an opportunity to watch, and be as involved in it as I possibly can. I went into this very skeptical and had nothing but the most positive experience from it. I will be as involved as much as I absolute can.

Well, maybe we’ll turn you into a message board junkie. Big Brother has plenty of them.

(laughing) Yes, they’re definitely those around.

[Google]

 

[buglover]

What a great interview hep!! I really like Brian and am so glad to read he would enjoy Renny outside of the house in small doses!

[Mariner]

Thanks so much for the interview, hep! Brian's answers were interesting.

[FireWoman]

Great interview I still luv me some Brian.

I so agree with him on Renny, she would be a hoot to visit.. but live with, i dunno!

[CCL]

Brian about Jessie:

The closest he’s experienced is about four beers and maybe a girlfriend.

Great interview, hepcat and Brian.

[AshleyPSU]

Thanks for the interview, hep!

[tapper01]

nice job, I wish he hadn't been so agressive so soon

[Rattus]

Oh, I realllllllly like him. Very sad to see him go - he would have absolutely made the season.

[lildago]

He has an interesting take on things. It's a shame he had to go so soon. Thanks, hep.

[marybethp]

Nice job Hep I wish we could have seen the other sock puppet shows!!