"You're such a tool, Wendy!"
~ Ex-Housemate Zeke

You must have been living under a rock if you don't know who Wendy is. I am a self-confessed Pinoy Big Brother fan since the very start. It's one of the few shows that I watch in the tube. I especially became hooked on this season's offering since I am currently in-between jobs and have nothing else to do. I even became a member of one of the PBB forums to somehow feed this "addiction".


Wendy, who?
Wendy is Wendy Valdez, one of Pinoy Big Brother Season Two housemates. She rocked the nation with her beautiful face and her charming aura when she was introduced last February as one of Kuya's 14 new Housemates. Tagged as the "Hot Commercial Babe", she often graced beauty pageants and advertisements before she became a resident of the Big Yellow House. Even from the start, it was very obvious that Wendy is a force to reckon with. She talks a lot and she's very influential among the other housemates. Her first major issue in the house that raised eyebrows was her back-to-back nominations combined with occasional backstabbing of Gee-Ann Abrahan, one of the most likable Housemates in the bunch. Her reasons of "she's well-off and doesn't need the prize money" was at first tolerable but became unbearable when it became her repeated mantra in the following weeks.

The Brendys = Bruce + Wendy
The other episode where Wendy became popular is her love-hate-love-hate relationship with Bruce Quebral. Bruce used to be a popular varsity player at the UAAP of the UP Maroons. He first impressed the public with his devotion to his family and his care for his sick mother. He was obviously being groomed as the leader of the group and was even chosen as the PBB representative on its Housemate Swap with the Slovenian Big Brother in Europe. The days before Bruce's departure from Slovenia showed how Wendy wept for Bruce while she declared her growing love and feelings for him. After Bruce came back from Slovenia, we saw how they sickeningly struggled with their relationship. The whole nation were glued to their TV sets sets from the time of Bruce's revelation of a secret girlfriend up to Wendy's surprising and very dramatic eviction.

The Return of the Balik-Bahays
Then there was the ceasefire. With the Queen out of the house and busy with guestings at ABS-CBN shows, the house became a picture of calmness and good camaraderie. Bruce became a mush with longings for Wendy and was obviously just waiting for his own very own eviction. The show became boring and the ratings eventually dropped. Can a show be really dependent to one unknown person? Is Wendy really the lifeblood of the show? Then Big Brother introduced the controversial Balik-Bahay Housemate.

Balik-Bahay paved the way for Wendy to come back inside the house despite being evicted. Together with Kian Kazemi (another evicted housemate) and the information she gathered outside, she became more controversial and sensational than ever. Die hard PBB fans and Wendy-haters flooded the cyberspace with complaints and Letters to the Editors to publications complaining ABS-CBN. But as they say, bad publicity is still publicity, so PBB management remained mum about it. I am sure that they were even happy on the clamor and the public interest that it created.

A New Wendy?
The first few weeks after she came back to the house showed a different Wendy. She's more caring and loving especially to the girl Housemates. There was even a time when a clueless Gee-Ann was surprised when Wendy suddenly apologized to her. Wendy said that Gee-Ann has everything in life and she's very happy for her. People said that these gestures were all for show since Wendy already knew that Gee-Ann is very popular with the masses who kept her in the house from evictions through massive voting.

Wendy's new target of distrust was none other than love interest Bruce. Their love-hate-love-hate relationship continued after Wendy's comeback. There were jealousy, mistrust, miscommunication and even threats. Bruce became Wendy's Boytoy who must respond to her every whim, beck and call. The former basketball hunk and expected leader of the group devoted all his time and effort for his Wendybug. These gestures resulted to the biggest weakling of a guy that the reality show has ever seen. All the praises that were given to Bruce on his Slovenia stint were all wasted when he became the henpecked "boyfriend" of the Queen. Poor Bruce, too blinded by "his love". He's truly the biggest loser in all of these. I will not be surprised if he will be the first to be evicted among the seven remaining Housemates vying for the Big Four.

Then There Is Gee-Ann
They said that Pinoy Big Brother Season 2, even from the start, is centered on two Housemates. The first one, of course, is Wendy and the other one is Gee-Ann. Gee-Ann Abrahan is a Junior Mass Communication student at the Assumption College. She's the epitome of a nice girl with good breeding and a stable family. Despite her comfortable life, she's very down-to-earth and likes to watch soaps, game shows and is always on starstruck mode. She joined PBB with her Pamela Doll (a comfort zone of sorts) for the experience of it and not for the prize and fame at stake. Gee-Ann is the exact opposite of Wendy. She's weak, calm, a girl of so many violations and excuses, and someone who prefers to be in the sidelines rather than the center of attention. Gee-Ann's relation with Wendy is obviously strained even from the start. Watchers knew about it since Wendy's very vocal about it in her nominations and backstabbing sessions with the others. Unknown to all of us, Gee-Ann was also sensing this innate dislike of Wendy towards her. Despite the compliments she continuously showers Wendy, she knew that she can never be pleasing to Wendy's eyes. There is just too much envy and hatred on Wendy's part that kept them away from being true friends.

The Drama That Ends All Dramas
The biggest drama of the season began last Sunday after the Housemates were asked by Big Brother to name three Housemates who they think should not be included in the Big Four. Unknown to many, a video of the result of their survey ("Sino ang pinaka-plastic/hindi mapagkakatiwalaan/tamad na Housemate para sa'yo) was shown to the HMs prior to the nomination. This move of Big Brother added more to the tension of the face-to-face selection of the undeserving HMs to the Big Four.

Gee-Ann was the first who answered and her list includes Wendy, Wendy's Boytoy Bruce, and Nel. Bea followed and answered Wendy, Bruce and Bodie. When it was Wendy's turn she chose Bea, Bodie and Mickey. Aside from her answers, she pointedly told Gee-Ann that she did not vote for her because she wants her to know that she's not a threat to her.

*Kaboom* This is where the Wendy Valdez Show began.

After the "nominations", Wendy raised her voice, went to the swing and started dishing all kinds of crap towards Gee-Ann and Bea (from "sana masaya sila sa ginawa nila" to "sa kanya na ang Bahay na ito"). Bea attempted to talk to her but she walked out and gave Bea the cold treatment and harsh statements of "hindi ako plastic, yada, yada". Gee-Ann on the other hand cried profusely and drowned on self-pity. An earlier conversation with Big Brother where he showed clips of Bruce and Wendy's dislike towards her further added to her fury. A divided house soon followed this incident. Bruce and Nel joined Wendy in the swing and had red wine while saying foul things about the others. While Mickey and Bodie followed Gee-Ann in probably one of TV's most memorable love triangle walk-outs ever. Bea, obviously in shock over Wendy's attitude towards her, remained on the couch in deep thought.

The Girl We Love To Hate
The following days at PBB Primetime showed Wendy as the Evil Mean Girl. She was so condescending, unrelenting and vicious to her fellow girl Housemates. She resorted to saying mean and hurtful things towards and Bea and Gee while the rest of the boys (and the world) listens. She was even shown very drunk while defending herself and her actions. She claimed in one conversation with Bodie that she's trying to reveal the true colors and inner being of the two girls by provoking them. She admitted that they should have defended themselves and stood up to her because that what life should be. (Come on, Wendy! Not all people are confrontational types like you and Maricris. Give them a break! There are still people who prefers to suffer in silence than be Davids to Goliaths like you.)

The much-awaited showdown of Gee-Ann/Bea and Wendy did not transpire - much to the Philippines' population's dismay. In the end, Gee-Ann gathered all her courage and faced the biggest bully of her life *yawn*. They cried, they said their sorrys, and they hugged. What a sad and anti-climactic way to end a drama that is totally made for TV. For sure there are still deep and dark feelings of anger within them but they all set it aside and hoped for better things in their remaining days inside the house. Whatever. *yawn*

Wendy is the center of all of these. Gee-Ann is somehow the supporting actress but the rest are just accessories. Wendy became the most popular and talked-about person this week on TV. Who cares about the yet-to-be proclaimed Senators (Trillanes, et al)? Who cares about Pacquio and his studies? This week is Wendy Week. All the forums and bullboards I go to have a say on Wendy. Blogs of "Understanding Wendy" abounds the Internet. Die-hard fanatics of Gee-Ann and Bea are even preparing rotten tomatoes to throw at her when she goes out of the house. Her tirades and shenanigans became water cooler gossips at gazillion offices edging the Yilmaz-Ruffa debacle. Never in my life have I witnessed such fame and hate from people from all walks of life for a person in a reality show. (Well, ironically, the American people also hated Wendy Pepper on her Project Runway 1 stint years back). Even Senator-Elect Chiz Escudero has a say on the matter. Whew!

The Winners
Gee-Ann or Mickey or Beatriz might be next week's Big Winner in the hit reality show but Wendy Valdez is THE TRUE WINNER. She is Pinoy Big Brother Season Two. She is THE entertainment. She is the Queen and the Big Brother's house is her playground. PBB would have died a lonely death without her. Her very short "eviction" last May was a testament that she's the ring-leader of the show. She's the rating-puller. She is the one who is continuously providing us with entertainment - whether we like it or not. No matter how much we hate seeing her pretty face and full-of-scabs knees, we must admit that we still watch and monitor her every move and her every groove. She's the person to thank for our evening TV fix. If ever she will not make it to the Big Four, I'm sure that she will be the very last to be evicted. ABS-CBN needs her, her storylines, and her go-getter attitude to keep the show floating until the very end (providing that ABS will have their way).

The real winner in all of these is, of course, ABS-CBN and Director Laurenti Dyogi. Can you imagine the ratings caused by all of these spectacles and dramas? Can you imagine how happy the advertisers and sponsors must be? Yeah, poor little Housemates because they are ABS's newest sacrificial lambs...but it was their choice to join and be exposed, right? And who I am to complain? I am entertained every night and they generously provide my gossip and TV fix...and I guess that is more than enough for me.

So....thank you, Wendy! Thank you, ABS-CBN! Until the next season!

Now back to regular programming.

[Note: Let me be clear. This is not a post (obviously) to "understand" or "psycho-analyze" Wendy. There are other posts for that. Try Google. I assume that everyone understands that the lengthy post above is just my take and opinion on the show.]