Entertainment

Why Is 'BB17's Vanessa Obsessed With People Lying?

by Emily Lackey

You’d think a girl who literally lies for a living wouldn’t be so bothered by people lying to her on Big Brother. I mean, seriously — why is Vanessa so obsessed with people lying in the Big Brother house? It is a game, after all, just as much as the game that Vanessa Rousso plays for a living. But even though Vanessa may not have a problem with people lying to her about what cards they have in their hand during a game of poker, she has been getting awfully upset whenever anyone in the Big Brother house lies to her.

So, I have to ask: Considering Big Brother is as much about keeping your game face on and lying through your teeth as poker is, why does she take it so personally when a housemate lies to her? Doesn’t she have plenty of experience with lying to win a game?

Personally, I'm thinking it might have something to do with the fact that earning someone’s trust in the Big Brother house is both the most important thing you can do to survive and the most difficult thing to do once you’re in there. It’s a sticky little paradox, isn’t it? Even though lying might be the name of the Big Brother game, finding someone you can trust is totally necessary to winning it. Maybe because you don’t have to trust anyone in poker, Vanessa is better able to not care when someone lies to her while playing?

Additionally, maybe the issue isn’t that someone lied to her — maybe the issue is that that Austin, the player she has trusted the most and for the longest time, was the housemate to lie to her. That's gotta hurt, especially if she truly trusted him.

Or, it could have something to do with her personal life. Vanessa hasn’t revealed much to the other housemates about her personal life, but what she has hinted at suggests she’s a pretty loyal and emotionally sensitive person. On one of the first nights in the house she broke down at the thought of having to spend the next three months without her girlfriend.

Plus, knowing the difference between right and wrong in is something Vanessa prioritizes in her personal relationship. In her official series bio, she even said of her personal motto, “Do right. Be fair. Have heart.” Now if that’s not a girl with a strong moral compass, I don’t know what is. No wonder she has no tolerance for Austin lying to her.

For someone with such a strong moral code, it makes sense that she would get so upset over Austin lying directly to her face — especially since he was the one person she truly trusted in the house. While it might not be surprising that someone in the Big Brother house is lying, it’s clearly surprising to Vanessa that it’s Austin who is lying to her.

Hopefully, Vanessa can focus on her game and learn to ignore the liars — they're not worth her time, especially not this late in the season.

Of course, things change so quickly in the Big Brother house, it can be hard to keep up. To keep track of everything going on in the Big Brother house, check out Bustle’s very own Big Brother podcast, The Diary Room. Listen to the latest episode below, and be sure to check out future episodes on Bustle’s SoundCloud page and iTunes.

Image: CBS (3)