DEENA'S DOCKET: E6 - It's a Mental Game :: Survivor Phoenix :: S21: Survivor Nicaragua<br>lo pasado, pasado

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DEENA'S DOCKET: E6 - It's a Mental Game
Posted by: Deena Bennett on Oct 24, 2003 - 10:03 PM

SURVIVOR PHOENIX
by Deena Bennett
October 24, 2003

A note to all future contestants…watch the show before you go. There was a little deja vu for me watching the Trish boot. You could have replaced my face with hers and Alex’s with Rupert’s. Ouch! That one had to hurt. Did you all happen to catch Shawn’s “this game is now mine” statement, as he voted for Trish? I get the distinct impression that Trish had more power than we the viewers were shown. So who really controls the tribe? I suspect too many on Drake think they are really in control, which of course will only wreak havoc on team dynamics in the days to follow. Mark my words; it is unlikely that our winner will come from Drake.

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I noted with some interest the two differing responses by the key players in this week’s episode. Trish handled her exit with grace and style, much kudos to her. Rupert, still my favorite, felt betrayed and is publicly displaying his anger and hurt. They are two extraverts and both are well grounded in their life. While each one was betrayed and each one fought for position of power, their emotional responses were vastly different.

This game is not just a game for everybody who plays. As a non-player I made fun of certain players, rooted for certain players, and yes even despised certain players. When I stopped being a viewer and became a player, I gained a whole new perspective for this television show and I respect each person who played and is playing. I will do my best not to make fun of or ridicule survivors. It is hard enough dealing with the press, the sucks boards, and your own friends and family that you don’t need the additional bashing by former players. Believe it or not the 96 players that went before Pearl Islands and the members of S7 are now part of one great big dysfunctional family. Some have not gotten over the emotional impact that the “game” of Survivor had on their lives.

While this may be a somewhat of a, “so what are they doing now” paragraph, I think it just may give you a little understanding of what will be happening with the alleged ghost tribe. Let me preface this with, I do not think that S6 is unique in this aspect. So let me begin . . . The members of the jury from the Amazon have very little contact with non-jury members. There are one or two exceptions but that is generally the rule. There is still quite a bit of animosity between jury and non-jury members. While our interaction was minimal at the reunion, sparks still fly over issues. Some voice these irritations whenever given the opportunity. These are issues that arose during a 39-day game, for crying out loud. Certain members of the jury will not speak with other members of the jury, again, over issues that arose during the game and yes statements made at final TC. There are those that feel that the game impacted and changed their life forever, some think it was not for the better.

I am logical and generally reasonable in my assessment of things. After all given my position, (criminal prosecution of murderers and the like) I have seen the worst of the worst, and I must say that at any given time and at any given place we are all bound to act a little strangely. But to me this was nothing more than a game, a chance to have an adventure, as Rupert stated, and earn some extra cash for my family. But for some, this is the opportunity of a lifetime, a trip to light fantastic, and a chance to show the world. This game means everything in the world to them. When Jiffy Pop snuffs out the ‘ole torch, you feel like one great big fat looser. Off you go to the Lodge to contemplate your horrible demise thousands of miles away from your support groups and with really, complete strangers and your very own personal shrink, just in case you want to off yourself.

Not everyone who returns to the Lodge wants to mingle with the other losers. So they isolate themselves and gradually become acclimated to the new surroundings. Each of those people would gladly give their left eyeball to be back in misery, to be back in the game. During that time while you await your fate or your plane ride home, you think and re-think the asinine moves you made that got you kicked in the first place. Okay maybe that was just me. By the way, Dave Johnson and I integrated ourselves quite nicely into a bottle of Vodka, when I was booted.

Pardon the long diatribe but it is a little history in understanding what will be happening in the next episode. “Your past will come back to haunt you” is rumored to be a ghost tribe consisting of all booted members. These members my friends are pissed off and looking to not only stay in this game, but to get back at those responsible for their ousting. If these rumors are true, then I look to this tribe to be the strongest, mentally. And Survivor is more of a mental game than a physical game. I cite for example the Jenna over Matt win and more importantly this week’s immunity challenge where it was mind over matter where tall and skinny Christa outlasted the Greek god Osten.

From a pure gamesmanship point of view this move of adding back the ghost tribe may seem unfair, but I think it is brilliant. But then I think that everything else that Burnett does is brilliant. This tribe will be prepared, will have thought about it, realized their past mistakes and correct them. They are the weaker physically but who cares. I think of it more in terms of revenge of the nerds. These players are given new life and are a force to be reckoned with. Of course, when they get booted again, and are branded repeat losers, they may need professional therapy for life.

I often tell my 5-year-old son that anything worth doing is worth doing well. My advice for those that are in this game and those who contemplate playing this game or something like it is that you do your best no matter what. Do not be a quitter. Whining is okay but don’t ever give up, there are some who played this game who will tell you, it will be the biggest regret of your life. In that respect, there are many life lessons that we can take from this game of survivor, which, I will tell you is not just a game.