First -- a little perspective on my personal choice:
My favorites in the past: Frank BB14, Rachel BB13, Brendon BB12, Michele BB11, Keesha BB10, Natalie BB9, Zach BB8, Erika BB7, Janelle BB6, Diane BB5, Jun BB4, Gerry BB3, Nicole BB2, Curtis BB1.
Whew!! That's a lot of years of BB seasons!
So -- that's where I'm coming from. Sort of eclectic choices. The majority, though were kind of pleasant, friendly, and came across to me as sincere and big-hearted -- definitely not the villains. Now, I didn't have feeds half those years, and have heard about some bashing going on with some of my choices -- but I still think, compared to the other HGs their seasons, they were a bit more benign -- or indeed the very opposite of bashers. I liked them.
That brings us to Elissa: Why I think she should win America's Favorite HG:
1. Her game is better than given credit for:
A. She made some mistakes -- hey don't we all!! But the main thing in her game is that she was FLEXIBLE! Chalk it up to her Yoga Moves! She had a choice given the MVP to announce it or not. Brilliantly, as it turned out, she took McCrae under her confidence and confided in him. She KNEW she was a primary HG target, destined for early eviction. By doing this, the game totally changed. From being a target -- she became a HG, the others could count on. (For them, the better the Devil they KNEW, rather than the Devil they didn't!!) So she was saved, kept on, used as some would say. But I think that was an inspired move on her part - AT THAT TIME!
B. She DID form an alliance of sorts with Helen. They knew they had each other's backs all the way until the end. Maybe Helen was less loyal to Elissa, BUT STILL there was that bond there. And that became a bit of a sense of security in the early weeks.
C. Early on she spotted the incredible power and powerful gameplay of Amanda with her subordinate McCrae. When she finally had the right moment to be influential, she helped put the doubt in people's minds about this Showmance (from Hell!) and helped pave the way for the McCranda duo to be broken up. When that plan failed on her own HOH watch (with her nominating McCrae instead of McCranda,) she got out her season long nemesis -- Aaryn, who was on her way to equalling and maybe even surpassing Janelle's competition wins. So, she may not have gotten out her first choice -- but this was indeed a successful HOH, eliminating another "power player" in Aaryn.
D. She was adept at handling and influencing the spitfire GinaMarie, and sure enough GM finished what Elissa couldn't complete by nominating and finally splitting up McCranda.
E. ALSO -- her sudden Hail Mary pass, seeing that she was low man on the proverbial Totem Pole, by trying to team up with Amanda at the end WAS a calculated move that DID make sense -- and for her, it was ballsy, risky, and ultimately.....disastrous. But, Hell -- you've got to take chances once in a while for better or worse. If Andy would have returned to the McCranda Fold, Elissa right now would have been hailed as a genius for making that move. Twas not to be!! Still good for her for trying!!
2. Her basic human decency. The way she always seemed to comfort people -- most especially Candice. Elissa showed such an ingrained maternal instinct. She seemed to feel the pain of people who were put down. She'd overhear the bashing, hear the racist remarks like Aaryn doing a cheap and unfunny imitation of Angellah Johnson's Nail Salon worker when talking about Helen, and she'd see the real tears and honest distress of Candice after the overturned bed incident when emotions that had been building up for days poured forth in an ugly and ultimately heartbreaking way and she would respond. She responded with hugs of understanding. SHE WAS THERE for Candice and Howard. Who else was? Who else? This alone should garner Elissa America's Favorite HG.
3. She could be charming and funny. She had the best laugh of all of the HGs -- hearty and real, spontaneous, and catchy. I'd give her America's Favorite HG for the spit-take alone when she was with Amanda! This was not done out of cruelty (as McCranda moaned and groaned about.) Elissa KNEW that Amanda was using strong-armed, bullying tactics to get her way, and when Amanda was on the other side, all teary-eyed, the contrast for us FEED-viewers was already very funny -- then when Elissa would spontaneously laugh at the absurdity of it all, it just confirmed our own reactions, and I know I laughed along heartily with Elissa at those moments! You couldn't help it! It was the situation, and again...the sound of Elissa's hearty laugh!
4. Negative things she was accused of were blown completely out of proportion: (Look at No. 3 up above! to begin with!) But also, at one vulnerable moment, when Helen was really sort of confronting Elissa when they were both on the block, and Elissa responded (in this very private, distraught conversation with Helen) by saying, that if she was booted -- she'd DOR. I read that more as Elissa simply wanting to convey to Helen HOW bad she felt at this low point. So what does Helen do? Go to a HOH FILLED with HGs eager to get one of the Mom Squad booted out the door, and throw Elissa under the bus, for ONE statement said under duress in a private, heartfelt conversation. FOR WEEKS afterward, especially from McCrae, those HGs would refer to how Elissa was threatening to DOR -- and how dare this entitled Bitch talk like that! My Ass!!!! Blown out of proportion. The One-Piece-Bathing-SuitGate incident I read as Elissa talking NOT maliciously, but decidedly "under the influence" of booze, in a girls-getting-together dressing up Amanda as a Dominatrix scene. She was just playing along. Now, did it come off sounding bad? I didn't think so at the time at all, but listening to the flashback again, I could see the other perception! But however seen, this was still blown up out of proportion. On the Episode where Julie Chen asked Amanda in front of the HGs if bygones were bygones in her relationship with Elissa, Amanda was saying absolutely, yadda yadda. When Elissa was asked (after literally a solid week of nonsense from Amanda,) Elissa tried to be both gracious yet honest in her answer. She seemed to be hesitant in answering -- but listen to that response again -- it was careful, calculated and deadly honest. WOW did the Exterimantors have a bashing-fest over that one saying how MEEEEAN Elissa was in the way she responded. Bullshit!!! She was sincere, non-dramatic, even subtle....but again, honest.
5. Elissa WAS NOT a behind-the-back basher. Did she have likes and dislikes for the HGs? You Bet! Would she say things to influence people? Absolutely. ESPECIALLY to GinaMarie when she was trying to influence GM to put up Amanda, bringing up the miscarriage which quickly became miscarriage-gate. Now -- in front of people, could she say things that were passive-aggressive? Of course! But I read that as only a reaction to the Hell she was put through those couple weeks by Amanda. In a game of getting people out of the house -- ALL, and I repeat ALL the HGs, who are playing the game and not just floating, say derogatory things about other HGs at one point or another. Elissa has done so too, but on a much, much more benign, subtle way.
TO SUM UP -- Elissa was an elegant, classy, honest, sincere, hard-working HG who never gave up, who associated with the HGs with simpatico feelings to hers, and ignoring the slew of the controversial HGs who tainted this season. Hands down, she deserves America's Favorite HG!
--Just call me a "Crazed-Ellisa-Fan" I'm proud of that label!
And, P.S. The REAL nightmare with the endgame of the BB15 season will be listening to Andy, GinaMarie and Spencer reminisce over their Surf & Turf, and Bottle of Champagne (Veuve Cliquot 1993) about the BB15 Season on this coming Sunday's Episode. Excuse me......BARF!!!!