Bananas Angels (aka Rachel’s Angels) has been pretty successful so far — and the group isn’t laying low. Their secret handshake seems to involve touching toes and massaging feet, and the group often does that in the presence of other cast members.
This overt display of friendship is bound to ruffle a few feathers, and it was Michele who finally confronted the drama on the bus. She jokingly asked if she could join in when Bananas and Aviv were touching toes, but Michele had no intent of joining the fun. Rather, she wanted to point out the bad optics of Bananas and Aviv having an exclusive toe entanglement.
Immediately, Bananas got mad because Michele was trying to turn this situation into something it wasn’t. Perhaps she was intending to cause a riff in the alliance, just like Bananas instigated a fight by addressing Josh’s Arena cheering. But, Michele’s comments weren’t going to hurt Bananas; they were going to hurt Aviv.
While Aviv has become fast friends with Bananas, it’s not romantic. Aviv is married, and she didn’t return to The Challenge after 18 years looking for love. So, insinuating that Aviv and Bananas’ game of footsie was more than playful could hurt Aviv’s real-life relationship.
Aviv joked about this later, but when she confronted Michele, she stated that Michele’s implications could be problematic for her marriage.
Michele was apologetic, and she appreciated that Aviv rationally addressed the bus fight. On the other hand, Bananas was more angry on the bus and he wasn’t shy about confronting Michele for making potentially damaging comments. Specifically, he called her a “catty, nasty human being.”
Bananas was standing up for Aviv, so he gets some leeway in looking a bit hypocritical, but he is the person who stated that “all’s fair in love, war, and The Challenge.” And it’s not like Michele’s comments were completely incorrect; without context, Bananas and Aviv’s toe tickling looks oddly intimate.
We also can’t forget that Bananas has been prone to confront potentially inappropriate massages on the bus. Rewind to Battle of the Bloodlines when he turned his GoPro on Cara Maria and Thomas in a compromising position. Cara Maria has never admitted to this being a sexual act, even years after the season ended and she was single.
So it’s no surprise that Cara Maria stood up for Michele. She didn’t say Bananas was wrong for getting upset, but she told him that “it wasn’t cute” to yell at a woman.
Perhaps Michele was shortsighted for not considering how her comments could impact Aviv, but she wasn’t really wrong for confronting the Bananas Angels alliance. It was a very Survivor-esque move. She made it clear who she wasn’t working with in the game, and if other players are friends with her enemies, she knows they’re not to be trusted.
For the most part, the alliance division has been quite clear this season. Somehow, a few people still haven’t picked a side, and this argument forced people to show their cards. From Michele’s perspective, if you didn’t defend her, you can consider yourself a target.
Stop Being Polite 