Is being in the bottom 3 actually helpful?

[Aloysius]

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On balance, I think there may be a minor rally right after someone reasonably popular appears in the b3 for the first time, but in the long run the tarnish probably hurts them more.

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This sounds about right to me also. Over time, if the unpopularity / badness of a contestant continues to get reinforced (I think Brandon from this season might be a good example of this)... voters will start questioning their choice and move on.

-Al