Big Brother 19 has been a wild ride for everyone in and out of the Big Brother house. In a season that was full of confrontation, being a little likable went a long way. America's Favorite Player is a Big Brother institution, encouraging houseguests to be likable and entertaining so that they may still win a prize if they do not end up in the final two. But this year, Cody won America's Favorite Player on Big Brother 19 by not trying to be likable and hating everyone else (except for Jessica of course).
The award of America's Favorite Player tends to be awarded to the houseguest that provides the most comedic relief during the season and reminds the house that Big Brother is a game and that games are supposed to be fun. Former winners include prankster James Huling from BB17 and BB18, the soft-spoken Donny Thompson from BB16, and the sharp-witted Britney Haynes from BB12 and BB14. Even more than being funny, America's Favorite Player tends to stand out and have a personality unlike anyone else who has ever been on Big Brother before.
Though you couldn't really call him funny, it's no wonder that Cody brought home the prize of America's Favorite Player for BB19, beating out runner-ups Kevin and Jason, because Cody was the only player not fooled by Paul and unafraid of that opinion. Cody was often funny because he wasn't trying to be. He didn't speak a lot, would often stare at the camera without blinking, and never hid his hatred for literally everyone. But, in a season where most of the fans also hated everyone, they came to love Cody for sharing their opinion. Who among us can forget when Mark snapped at the jury members because they all fell for Paul's game and Cody simply said, "I didn't."
In a season where it seemed that houseguests were more interested in following others than being their own person, Cody stood out as a true individual. While his opinions and game moves never quite lined up with other houseguests while he was in the competition, he had a unique approach to the game that made him consistently entertaining. Cody would've been entertaining in any season, but in BB19, in which conversations often turned volatile, his personality was a breath of fresh air in an often dramatic house. He didn't care who liked him and he was there to play — which not every houseguest can say.
Cody's ride or die Jessica played her own role in helping Cody win on Wednesday night. Fearful that #Jody fans would split the vote between this showmance, she encouraged her fans to vote for Cody instead of her.
Her campaigning from outside the house combined with his no nonsense attitude in the jury house helped him come away as the winner, and no one was more shocked than Cody himself. After Julie Chen announced him as the winner, all Cody had to say was, "It doesn't make sense." And, it may not have made sense to him — he was first to jury and hated by the other houseguests. But, that just made the fans root for him even more and ultimately he became America's Favorite Player.
In a season where so many houseguests seemed to have no mind or game play of their own and were happy to do Paul's bidding, Cody stood out for never wavering in his gut feeling that Paul needed to go. Ultimately, him sticking to his guns is why the fans gravitated towards him and Jessica and united the vote to crown him the AFP winner. Now, maybe next season players will take a page out of his book and play for themselves.
