Big Brother 23 First Impressions (From one photo and a short questionnaire. UPDATE: We got some video!)

 Hello again beautiful people. It is that time of year again. Summer is here and it's time for my FIRST IMPRESSIONS of the Big Brother 23 House Guests!

Hard to believe I've been watching this show faithfully since 2007. Wowza.

So, a couple of notes. First, CBS has been going through a major shift. The head of CBS left a few years ago due to scandal. We've had a few programming executives move up or leave.  The casting director, Robyn Kass , 'stepped away' and this year's casting was done by someone else. And finally, CBS pledged to have more people of color in their reality show casts.

I am writing these impressions right after the initial reveal, with a photo and a short questionnaire answered by each HG. No word on if we are getting video interviews. I imagine we must, but this has been a wonky preseason, so, who knows.

UPDATE: Now with a few videos where the HGs answered questioned and posed for the camera, I've added some new impressions for HGs that stood out. These will be bold.

Christian

At first glance, just on the photo alone, Christan, to me, seems genuine, kind. The type of man who might attend a meditation circle or even lead his own. But, as we know, first impressions are often wrong.... and this one proved wrong very quickly.

Christan's answers could be tongue-in-cheek, it's important to note. But, his answers read narcasistic. He lists himself as charming, he says he looks good in a certain hat, and he wishes he could bring in his cologne so he could be 'irresistible'

Again, this is just words on a page. Maybe he's joking, trying to be funny. But I just have a feeling. We'll see. I really hope he's fun-loving. A Tyler type, minus the showmance.

Xavier

An attorney. I'm not a BB Historian, but I feel like this is new? Or, we haven't had a ton?

EDIT: Research seems to indicate we have only had one, Curtis, a BB1 HG. Venessa from BB17 had attended law school but didn't finish.

Attorney's need to be good with people, persuasive. So, right off the bat, he seems promising. He's easy on the eyes too. He has a cat, and mentions wanting a dog but wants to make sure he has a proper yard before he gets one. Aww. That's extremely compassionate. I like it!

Xavier mentions Brittany's goodbye messages (DR) but he may be a recruit. But either way, he recognizes a good HG when he sees one.

I feel really good about Xavier. Of course, what matters is how he is in the house. But at the moment, I am calling him an early fav.

He is extremely poised. Charismatic to boot if you ask me.  The thing about his answer of stredgy, he plans to cut his ally at top 3. But he doesn't appear malicious. You know... this game can be played without malice. 

Derek F

I'm happy to see a bigger guy on BB. It has happened, but rarely. And typically they are older, so it's nice to see a younger gentleman who isn't a toned statue! Derek mentions he is strong through. He'll probably do well in the physical comps. He also mentions BB8, which was my first season, so that warms my heart. Based on his answers, Derek seems to get straight to the point. He tells you what you need to know, but nothing more. I hope he isn't the strong, silent type.

He's more talkative than I thought. There's some tiktoks floating around and he's extremely likeable. I understand why he got cast. I think he's going to open a lot of eyes. 

Hannah

She says she is calculated and gosh, she must be, she graduated from University at 19. That's a tad fast-tracked. Good for her. She can also hold her breath for over a minute. You don't have the skill to do that without being active and a go-getter. So she probably will excel physically. She likes The Real Housewives. It's always fun when an HG likes something I enjoy too.

I worry though about the stress of 'setting the example.' As I mentioned, CBS pledged for more people of color. So, Hannah is not in it alone, but she mentions Day and Bay and what they stood for. How to articulate this? I think it's possible she might be super-focused on being on her best behavior and being a representative. I hope she's able to relax and not do that.

I love her energy. She has a good head on her shoulders. I like her. I hope she goes far.

Whitney

Her picture says “popular girl” but her bio information deviates from that trope a bit. She has a son, which, I wouldn't have imagined. She mentions 'upholding her values' which could be religion based or simply just wanting to be a good person. She says she developed the WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY ice cream flavor for Tillamook. That's kinda fun. She mentions missing music and 'does this even require explanation?” That gave me a chuckle. She could be humorous.

Travis

You know I love me some beefcake. Some fans really hate these types of guys. I understand that, but I don't mind a little eye candy. Another positive: Travis mentions loving cinema and cinematography. There are a few videos that do look pretty decent. However, Travis' bio leaves a lot to be desired.

 He mentions loving Brett and Winston. Those players would have been fine as individuals, but together they tanked their games and plus they were very bro-ish. Travis also mentions that he loves doing pranks. *Shudder* I'm having flashbacks to BB17 James doing whatever he could to be on TV. No pranks, please! There also is a tiktok of his that is getting negative attention. I will talk about that at the end.

Travis has me worried with what I've seen. He seems interested but perhaps a bit over his head. Honestly hopefully he can last at least three weeks lol.

Tiffany

She is the 'mother' of the house at the young age of 40. She also has a son, like Whitney. More than one HG within a season having children has not been typical. An HG I haven't mentioned yet lost a son. So there could be another element at play where these three bond over being parents. She is also a cat lover and mentions wishing she could journal. I like her look, too. She seems to bring positive energy. I have a soft spot for the oldest HG. I'm hoping she's learns fast, has fun, and makes it far.

Sarah 

Sarah's photo reminds me of a fairy. I say that with love. She's flowy and earthy looking. She mentions the BB House having ants, so she is a fan of the show in some capacity, which we love. She mentions wanting to 'interact with the cameras' and that can be a good thing if its relaying game information/ personal feelings to us. She wants to float in the game. 

Floating has several definitions but if she means laying low, I totally am okay with that strategy. She says she had trouble speaking until she was seven. I too struggled with speech for a bit. She probably understands what it's like to be an outsider and having to rise above her struggles. Again, this is just first impressions, but hopefully we have a likable, rootable HG in her.

Kyland 

His picture says 'friendly.' We could grab a bite and just talk. We have another movie lover and he specifically mentions watching them in a theatre. Possible bond with Travis. He talks a lot about his family. He lost his grandfather this year, he has four sisters... I think when you are invested like that, you have to be good with people. Xavier has 10 siblings, so that's another possible bond. Kyland has also done a lot of wild things, like skydiving, fire coal walks. axe throwing. He's clearly a risk taker, which is always a good thing. Hopefully this means he won't “vote with the house.”

Brandon ('Frenchie')

Frenchie is the HG whose son passed away. He mentions “yes days with the kids” and in looking up his twitter, he has two daughters. I anticipate a bond with the other parents. He's a farmer. You're a hard worker if you do that, and it ties in with this game. You have to manage several things and not get flustered.  He wishes he could bring in a voice recorder. May not have the best memory but at least he's aware he needs to pay attention.  He looks nice enough, but there's some iffy stuff I'll discuss later.

Derek Xiao

His picture says likeable. He admits he fell into the Asian stereotypes as a child. He  learned to cook because he only had Chinese food growing up. Loved cooking so much, he started a meal kit business and that he wishes he could bring his laptop to keep working! His strategy is to use 'unassailable logical reasoning' to influence the other HG's decisions. I wonder if he can pull it off? He feels like a possible recruit, but sometimes recruits have turned out to be really great players.

Christie

I know this is a minor thing, but, I am happy to see a bald woman. It's a small step, but it is a departure from the same old, same old. Christie is still beautiful, but you know what I mean. She's a dancer, loves cooking, and she's another HG that 'graduated early.' She also has a dog. Hope she gets along with the cat people. She wants to 'kick the guys asses' in the physical games. That has me interested.

Sadly, Christie tested positive for the virus, so she was replaced!

Claire

She's an alternate going in to replace Christie. She's a big Survivor superfan and watches BB as well. Apparently she is a live feed watcher, and if that's the case, you know this is a big thing for her. She cracked me up with one of her answers--- she's not looking forward to 'talking about protein with the bros.' On video, Claire seems just right. She's also as AI engineer, so another smartie!

Britini

She's a kindergarten teacher. This is no small feat. She appears very bubbly, which, might be a problem. I wish I had some video. She uses a lot of caps in her bio. I mean, this hyper energy is even coming through from just writing. If she's too over the top, I won't enjoy her. We have yet another accomplished education, with Britini receiving a 4.0 across two degrees and was valedictorian. That's amazing to me and we'll see if she can balance her intellect with her energy.

Oh boy. Chatty Kathy has competition. 

Brent

I trust him, don't you? Seriously. That's what I see in his photo but I know that can be an incorrect assessment. Brent mentions his father's influence and how this has led him to be big on fishing and the outdoors in general. A man who loves nature can get a lot of points. He mentions quitting his job in 2016 and road tripping in his very first car. Very bold. But will it be enough with this group? 

What jumps out at me is Brent mentions his charm and how he's been told by many that it's POWERFUL. Let me tell you, I've experienced men with charm and it's no joke. We'll see if there's any truth to his claim. I think this is a charismatic group but it's one thing to actually put it in your bio. In doing some googling, Brent's been interviewed at least once away from BB and he does come across as cultured.

Maybe he was tired... on video, I didn't see much charm. Maybe it was nerves.

Azah 

This is obviously a woman who gets outside and takes care of herself. But what I really love is all the callbacks to older BB seasons. Even before I really watched. Nothing makes me happier than when we have someone in there who knows about the show. And Azah seems to really know her stuff. Sure, playing the game is different than watching it, but still. She also hates showmances. This is a big win in my book. This is not a dating show! She mentions BB10 which many regard as a top season, so that makes me feel good. Anything can happen, but I think she'll play well.

Alyssa

Another fan. Loved Jessica and Cody, so she understands huge alliances are no fun to watch. Being on Big Brother was on her bucketlist, she has applied 4 times. (I think the 4^th is this time) Good for her. Another dog lover. And you know, it's interesting. These bios are the same questions, but she's another one where you just get the necessary information. There's not a lot of boasting. It's just the facts. I like that.

A Note:

In a few of my impressions, I mentioned there were a few issues I'd discuss later. First, Travis has a tiktok in which he was interviewed about calling women 'hoe's'. I can't find the original clip, but what is available is a brief snip, where Travis is reacting to it. Travis says he uses it simply meaning 'where are the female beings at' The clip seems satirical, the host in the clip calls Travis a thot and as Travis is watching this back, he nods his head like “Yep!” If its satire, it's no big deal.

Secondly, I saw a tweet from a woman about Frenchie. It was alleged he had DMed her trying to flirt, despite being married. Now, alright, that's not great. But, people cheating on their partner's isn't the end of the world. However, and this is also alleged, that he's done this more than once, and within the big brother community. I saw something he was 'well known' in the twitter community. That's possible, but I hadn't heard of him.

Let me start out by saying, we've reached that point in the world where almost everyone has social media. The chances of an HG having a post, photo, tweet, blog, video... whatever, something that is problematic, iffy, is high.

Now, there is a line, obviously. But. This show is about people from all walks of life living under one roof. You don't want 16 strangers on their best behavior, little angels. People are people. I am not saying to excuse bad behavior. What I am saying is we should be cautionary in how we react to the things we find in an HG's past.

I do not think we should raise our pitchfork's unless an HG proves to be an absolutely disgusting individual. If they made one bad decision or if they're just kinda yucky in general, so what? This is a social experiment!

Frenchie's situation isn't great. And I don't know the content of the DMs. That matters. But I have no screenshots, nothing to go off of other than these allegations. And, in my opinion, if he's just a heavy flirt who bugs women online in their messages, I don't think that qualifies for pitchforks.

And actually, I've only seen tweets hoping he's a first boot. So there you go.

Let's see how he and Travis are in the house.

It's not easy to give impressions with only  a photo and a few interview questions. I will add a few notes to HG's that really impress me if there's any kind of video interviews.