[Pyramid*]

Originally Posted by lauraC

well unsurprisingly I couldn't disagree more.
Mario liked Ben, he saw him as a polite soft spoken person who didn't argue, he didn't see the bitchy nasty side of ben until after he had left the house, he could only see the full extent of his bitchyness after he had left the show so that's why before he left he still thought kindly of ben, only after did he realise what a mistake he had make in assuming ben was a kind person.
Everyone of you would be hurt if you discovered someone you thought of as a friend was slagging you off behind your back, mario's reaction to ben after finding out about him was to distance himself from ben refuse to comment about him and no longer wish to be his friend, all understandable reactions.

Have you considered the point I have highlighted to be pertinant...that THAT is exactly why Mario liked Ben......ie: that therefore Mario would be the stronger person if he befriended someone who did not argue, and that Mario would feel 'in control' over the other person.

Mario did not like it when Ben found his voice. And a voice that said Mario was not what he appeared initially to be. Funnily enough: he did exactly the same with young Andrew - Mario almost jumped on top of him when Andrew entered the house.

As for 'friends slagging off each other'.

They were not friends, not in the traditional sense, and never would be.

They were housemates, thrown together in a false environment, thus housemates forged alliances, they didn't forge lifetime friendships.

That was and is Mario's mistake. He appeared and still appears to think that a forged alliance in a very false and temporary environment equates to long lasting eternal friendship after everyone returned to reality again.

To be perfectly honest, I think there is part of my that pities Mario, if he should need to rely on buiding friends in a very false environment. Isn't he able to build friends, and enough friends in real life - that he has to be so wrapped up in an 'acquanitance made through necessity on a tv reality show'. ??