S20
SURVIVOR
Heroes vs. Villains
NEXT on SURVIVOR
02/11: 2-Hour Premiere
Season Premiere of Survivor Heroes vs. Villains
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I mean, I am definitely between a rock and a hard stone here.
-- Heidi Strobel |
Jennifer Lyon
1972 - 2010
Survivor Palau
Our thoughts go out to her family and loved ones.
The family has requested that anyone wishing to make a donation
in Jenn's name do so by supporting
the
Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation
.
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SURVIVOR PHOENIX
by Deena Bennett
October 20, 2003
My how the worm has turned! Arrogance, and I speak with much authority on this subject, will get you a first class seat on the first boat to Looser Lodge. So, in a vain attempt to appease the angry TV game gods, Drake sacrificed the little Michelle lamb. Too little I'm afraid. You can almost see the glee in Jeff's face every time he calls Morgan's name out in victory and certainly when he greets Drake at TC. I suspect these trips to TC will not end for Drake until all is even. And I hate to say it, but I told you so.
Editing is a magical thing isn't it? For the downtrodden Morganites, it appeared that all was lost. Yet you as a viewer (at least me as an ex-player) would rather be on the side of Morgan than Drake. I inherently want to root for the underdog, for the team that never wins (cf. Cubs & Boston). But more importantly, I can see that there is much division within the Drake camp and the fighting and yelling are just beginning. This of course is good for entertainment but it also bolsters my thought that I would rather side with Morgan. At least their fighting is civilized and democratic.
Read more...
It really is what you do not see that is more telling. Let me explain by taking a trip down memory lane. By the way, almost one year ago I left to film S6, an experience that is like no other and one that I will always be grateful for. So anyhoo, it was men against the women and for the most part, viewers wanted us, the underdogs, to win. Why? Because, you all expected the men to destroy the women at every challenge. Tambaqui was bigger, stronger, and faster. Add in the part where you are in the jungle where things want to kill you factor and things looked rather hopeless. But, against all the odds and the insurmountable obstacles of things like boiling water to drink, not just for the panties, we beat the men and quite handedly I might add. There was no single trick, no editing gimmicks, no Jeff Probst / Mark Burnett magic. It was a unified spirit. Sure our camp sucked but we never gave up during the challenges, ever. We poured our souls into the challenges and it made all the difference. So my heart is with Morgan because they never gave up. I would ultimately like to see the million-dollar winner come from this tribe.
Irrespective of wins and losses, life after two weeks on the island for Morgan or Drake is not all that swell. Even I am tempted to think that it is not all that hard living in a tropical paradise with the migrating whales. I cannot help but make the comparisons to the Amazon where, by the way, no human is fit to exist. Pearl Islands may have sand fleas, but we had every parasite and evil thing created out of the pit of hell and bent on eating us alive. But, and there is a big but here, it does not matter where they throw you, Africa, Australia, etc., it is the hardest thing these people have ever probably had to endure in their life. Two weeks is a breaking point for some. After a few days you settle into routine camp life, you somewhat grow accustomed to the cameras and the interest they have in your bodily functions (like puking). But there is no escape. You cannot put on a fresh pair of underwear, wash your hair, or go anywhere. You are trapped in a social experiment hell. So the most simple of pleasures are gone. Add to that little food and little water and poof you have either 1) pissed off or 2) a whiner, of course my favorite is the pissed off whiner. Depending on how you handle it internally is what will be displayed externally. Survivor, IMHO, is less about surviving on the island/jungle/desert as it is surviving yourself and others.
Most viewers think we are all a bunch of sorry whiners. Be realistic for one stinkin' moment. You are probably yelling at your TV with nachos in one hand and a drink in the other. They are consuming 300-400 calories, maybe, per day. If you are on the worker-bee tribe then you get up after a lousy night's sleep and work and expend 3000 to 5000 calories. You are completely spent by midday, in the blazing heat and still expected to complete daily tasks. Then there is the monotony. You know most of the conversation, and I mean 80% of it in that first two-week period is about two things, food and sex. I would have killed to get in the water and just gone somewhere, anywhere by myself. But you can't. Yes, you make friends and bond with your enemies, but at some point you just get tired of them and tired of yourself. That is why you see people like Shawn baggin' on Burton even though they were close.
The game, the real thinkin' players part of the game begins now. You are close to a merge or a swap and you are developing your core alliances. Now is the time to pick your game mates, the one's that will carry you through to the swap/merge. The early part of the game is just getting rid of bodies. I don't fault Skinny Ryan and company for getting tossed early; they were just easy prey. By the end of these first two weeks you know who can mentally and physically survive. So what do you look for and what do you avoid? Paranoia runs rampant within each tribe. You can't be too strong because you will be viewed as a threat and in this vein I want Rupert, my all time favorite (non s6) player to be careful. You cannot be too antagonistic because the players want to play the game without the social headaches. Too pissed off and angry, then you are buckin' to be booted (Roger, S6). The best is to fly right by under the radar. Trish and Tijuana are playing this well and I look for them to go far. But by all means do not spend too much time with your closest of friends because the rest will think you are conspiring against them, of course you are, and do not spend too much time by yourself because you will be viewed as an outcast. It makes me tired just to think about it.
The differences in the tribes are substantial. Morgan lacks true leadership and Drake has too much. In terms of strength Drake still has the upper hand (thank you Rupert the pirate) but they lack synergism. So, I think Drake still owes us a body. And then…..the twist….the greatest twist ever…like only Survivor can create……. Forget about the twist, each one of those remaining players can feel it, taste it, whatever, it is all about the money that is just theirs for the taking. Are they willing to sell their souls to get it? Stay tuned and find out.
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| DEENA'S DOCKET: E5 - Surviving Others | Login/Create an account | 1 Comment |
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Re: DEENA'S DOCKET: E5 - Surviving Others
(Score: 1)
by MalevolentTeletubby on Oct 21, 2003 - 06:36 PM
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Dear Deena. Loved you on S6. Love you here. But if anyone from Morgan wins this thing I'll ... I'll ... go off into a corner and cry (or something equally ineffectual ... damn!). And I'll never ever watch Survivor again! I mean it this time! I swear! GO RUPERT!!
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