In Defense of Dusty’s Love Letter to Bananas

This week, we saw Bananas “defect” onto the Blue Team, becoming the first person to swap jerseys. This might have been the best-case scenario for Bananas, but for his friends and allies, it’s an unfortunate outcome.

Prior to the elimination, Dusty wrote a farewell letter in the event that Bananas lost in The Arena. He won, so this meant he could share the note with the world in his confessional.

Yes, it’s a bit odd the write someone a “love note” (as Bananas calls it), and Dusty has been open about his admiration for the Challenge vet. But, the letter isn’t completely unfounded, and there’s no doubt Dusty’s intentions were good. Amanda acknowledged how lucky Bananas was to have Dusty on his side this season, and called him a jerk (in more explicit terms) for mocking the note.

Beneath the obsession, Dusty’s allegiance makes some sense.

• Aligning with the MTV vets was a risk. So far, every single Arena has featured someone who appeared on MTV’s flagship show. So, it’s not really a smart move to publicly acknowledge your friendship with this smaller group because it means the majority of the house will be against you. Dusty took that stand for Bananas, even though it meant other players would put a target on his back for not working with the CBS squad.
• Bananas acknowledged Dusty’s support on the show. The first time he was voted into The Arena (episode 2, when Jonna’s ball was pulled), Bananas said he was shocked that Paulie and Dusty became his best allies. When it’s convenient, Bananas admits the respect is mutual. When it’s uncomfortable, he makes it a joke.
• Dusty has been open about the fact that he wants to become a Challenge legend and he’s watched the show for decades. The Challenge is a show where your reputation from one season carries onto the next, but you need to continue getting cast to build that reputation. Being on Bananas’ squad is a great way to get invited back. While it’s not guaranteed, a lot of people seem to fall off the map when they get on Bananas’ bad side.

I won’t lie, the letter is a bit much, but the cast is trapped in a house without contact with the outside world. The two Amazing Race alumni are the least-connected people in the group, so it makes sense that they’d cling to the few people who show them respect… and if nothing else, Dusty got an odd edit for trying to be kind, not being an asshole.