yes, I think we can all relate to 'banter' with people we know...............but isn't it generally only a 'joke' if the person it's aimed at is a friend and on the same wavelength??........the 'jokes' when aimed at someone you clearly dislike and are threatened by are not jokes but insults wrapped up in provocation, designed to get a rise and a reaction and often to cause hurt and humiliation - all in an effort to appear clever and superior - I just think it's pretty sad, pathetic and spiteful and completely fail to see anything remotely clever or entertaining about it.

I don't like it when a HM gets attacked purely because they dare to dislike someone's favourite HM, or vice versa, when a HM gets attacked because they dare to like someone's least favourite HM.

Thank you Scarlet.


I take some of your points but have a different view.

No matter how hard he tries, there is nothing about James that says Alpha to me. Not a thing.

What I see is a 'try hard' massively overcompensating wannabe alpha who misses it by a country mile. The endorsement of a couple of door-mice in the likes of Ricci and George do nothing to cement any alpha status in my mind.

I do agree on some alpha males being the silver-back gorilla loathed type but as you say, there are others who are dominant males who are perhaps who don't need to flex their muscles quite so often in order for it to be so.

It's not just what people say but how they say it and how they come across. I'd take James no more seriously on this kind of thing, than a small child trying to act the big man amongst a group of adults.

Ha ha these made me chuckle.






Thank you for saying that, it is very kind of you.

Exactly fifi.

I just can't find any part of his personality attractive. He's rude, obnoxious, sneery, patronising, condescending and his sense of humour relies on belittling others. He really brings out the worst in me, I want to slap his smug face really hard for being such a loathesome poor excuse of a man.

I agree but I think in there they do think they know each other well enough to banter like that, we are told often enough a week in there is long enough to fall in love so perhaps they really do feel they can do this too.

Thank you Bunions, and yeah I totally agree with what you have put here too. If anything I think I've actually gone a bit too easy on the guy.

I do have far more to say on James re his lack of self awareness and how he is nasty as opposed to 'mischievous' or any of the other excuses his 'fans' seem to come up with for this sorry example of a man, but thought for now my war and peace essay on him in the OP would suffuce.

Perhaps I'll do part 2 another time.... be afraid James fans., be very afraid... in space (or in this instance a very rare thread from me).... no one can hear you scream.

I'm sorry I can't accept that as a reason for nomination.

You're reasons have to be full and frank - I think you're sitting on the fence there TBH

James is still a little boy, now in a bigger body.....

You said pretty much what I was going to fifitrixibelle. I totally agree.

I'm a bloke and have all manner of blokey friends from different backgrounds and scenarios
With some we have some properly black humour or can take the pi55 out of each other, joking or calling each other names etc.. is common place. This IS however done with a twinkle in the eye, a large pinch of salt, and with both/ all parties being fully aware from the off what the scenario is and what the boundaries are. That for me is the crucial difference to what James does.

The people who try and claim that James is simply having banter or #BANTZ (as we all know it must now be referred ), or just having a laugh are totally misreading James, the people he does it to and indeed the overall situation.
.
James categorically does NOT fall into the 'twinkle in the eye' equal parties type of banter and instead is just some some insecure unfunny angry man who is plain nasty, spiteful and malicious to others.

He can dish it out but at the first sign of criticism, cries like a girl and runs away.

This isn't a case of the recipients of his nastiness missing the alleged 'joke', it really isn't, as there is really no 'joke' that existed in the first place.

I can quite clearly tell the difference, and for me this one is black and white.

Yes you are right on the money there !

True but i think people are attacking James for the horrid, vile person that he is.Nothing to do with liking the favourite.

He is very insecure with his masculinity. He even said in one task that he used to get stick for being a dancer. The only way he can make himself feel better is by antagonizing other males who would be considered the epitome of masculinity, in this case Audley. Audley also competes in what is seen as a conventionally "manly" sport, as James is so insecure he feels he needs to derail that by alluding to the fact that Audley has been knocked out 70 times or whatever. He's rarely provoked either, always getting in a sly dig here and there, even last night saying to Audley that he's boring yet was annoyed at Gary for calling Ricci boring. He's also starting to realise that he's been kept in there for entertainment otherwise he would have been out so feels like he can play the role of the pantomime villan now because it makes him less boring

Short, sweet and to the point. If my favourite wasn't in there, I'd still see the same qualities in James as I do now. Nothing to do with who he's attacking, i and all to do with what him behaving appallingly.

If you are referring to me (and I am the OP) then by all means you can say it directly to me. Don't be scared homie!

For the record I can assure you that I am independent minded, my views are always my own, and they are not influenced by who I may favour or not favour.

I try to be objective, I do not have blind hatred or blind love for any of these people. Not a single one of them affect me in the real world.

Perhaps go have a look at some of the other threads out there which do actually fit what you have said here. (and there are indeed loads), but this is categorically not one of them.

If anything I went easy on him. Don't make me turn the volume level up to 11 ..

No idea what #BANTZ means so will leave that aside but it isn't black and white to me because very little in life is, I have said he is flawed and this is for me all part of him. I want HMs to be themselves and show us all their sides he has done that and been fascinating I can't ask for any more than that from a good HM.

If I felt Gary was showing us the real him I might see him differently but the preaching and nonsense he talks just loses me every time. He is thinking of every word before speaking and I don't think that is his brain damage it's his thinking how he can wind them up more. Obviously just my opinion I am not in his head but then that is all any of us really have opinions because we have no idea what others are really thinking.

Stand up Atty.

Let me at 'im

Calling your views your own does not equal objective though, I would say subjective would be more apt when you call a HM an 'arse' or 'the worst to ever grace your TV screen'. I get your drift in what you say but it is more a rant then a critique. So please don't turn up the volume.

I do think that he wouldn't get as many negative comments if he hadn't had arguments and disagreements with Gary.


I wasn't referring to any one person in particular. I was talking in general. Apologies if it didn't come across like that.

Exactly, the man is horrid.

Are you in the house how on earth do you know Audley has done nothing for Gary? Just as James loves to tell Gary and us how much he has helped him blah blah i have never seen that either just him berating Gary and having a go at him. Stop jumping to conclusions based on diddly squat!

BIB that is very true if he had arguments with people not liked and almost worshipped he would be the champion IMO

Well you seemed pretty convinced James was having a laugh and it was 'humour'. Your comments on him and this particular aspect of him, and effectively making excuses for him, seem pretty black and white I would say.

You're entitled to your opinion of course. I won't repeat what I've already said but suffice it to say on this one and on James I believe you are wrong.

I also do not think James has 'been himself; or has shown us 'all his sides' or has been fascinating. He has made for 'decent' TV in the same way that Helen did, but as I say that is mainly due to him being a total nasty piece of work and us looking on aghast as a supposedly grown adult man acts like Justin Bieber- the Teenage years.