Let me start this by saying that there is only one TV show I keep up with. ONE. I have a couple interests I tune into now and again, but all of them I could take it or leave it. I have done several media fasts now, and the ONLY limitation I build into my challenge is that I watch this ONE show each week. Its just the way it is. I have accepted this addiction.
Survivor is my vice.
So, if you do not like the show, might as well toddle off now, because I am going to rant.
I just got finished watching the finale for Episode 20, Heroes vs Villains (spoiler alert). The season actually turned out better then I had expected, but I think I can say that about every season. The one thing that gets me is the final voting. I would say 90% of the time I am utterly disappointed with the juries ability to vote ‘fairly’.
In this case, we had three people to chose from. In my opinion, here is how they compare:
Russel – Strategically in the game he makes probably the most number of bold moves in any season then anyone who has played. Period. He has guts, he goes out on limbs, and he somehow gets by the skin of his teeth many times. His downfall, he plays ZERO social game. He makes no friends, and he doesn’t care. His apologies are weak and it is obvious. He also has emotional balance issues, especially control issues, and he makes them completely obvious. This is where he will never win because he has zero fans on a jury. Folks use him to do the dirty work, and he gladly takes it and dishes out 10 more servings of nasty to whomever he is directing it to. You can play nasty in Survivor, but if people think that is who you are in REAL life, they will never give you money, plain and simple.
Sandra – She is a procrastinating scrambler. She waits until the last minute, and then bolts around trying to climb out of the vote. But half the time these efforts are fleeting at best, when she finds an easier option, she jumps on that. She does nothing for effort in camp or in challenges. Nada. Everyone tends to liker her because her loud mouth attitude makes it clear where she stands at all times. She loves some, hates others, and she makes it 100% clear to everyone where they sit in her book. In a game of constant second guessing, there is comfort in knowing when someone is being utterly honest. I do NOT think Sandra deserved to win either year. I think she became the most likable person in both juries, she was the person caring for a family at home and it was easy to see her doing well with a million dollars. So it is less about her game, and more about the fact she looks like a cozy decision where no one has to feel bad they gave her the money. She is safe from guilt vote for a jury.
Parvati – This woman is still a bit of a conundrum to me. I cannot tell if her moves are more about strategic planning, or just really good luck and charm. Her charm is definitely a strong suit, and she uses it well. I believe she could have given better answers to the jury about her strong points to win the money, but unfortunately she seemed to stay distant. She never got close to most of the people who were jury members, and that hurt her. Challenge wise, she really really held her own. She does not look it, but she is very good at endurance and concentration, and compared to Sandra, well….there is just no comparison. I do not believe she was planning a ton in the game, sometimes it was luck and happenstance that went her way, but I do believe compared to Sandra she blows her away.
If I had to choose from the three in final contestants, I would have give the money to Parvati. If you were not going to give it to Russel for his boldness and strategy playing in the game, then you HAD to give it to the next most ‘active’ player in the game.
This is why so much of the voting has ticked me off in the game. A good deal of the time the person that won was the least ‘active’ person in the game. Now, editing could play a large role, but most of them openly admit they did nothing. They rode coattails, they did nothing around camp, they were no help in challenges. How is THAT the ultimate Survivor?
Okay, now I am super riled up. The funny thing is, I still would like to get IN the game. I want to see if I can push myself in the wilderness for 39 days. I want to see if I can hold up both on a physical and emotional level. I am someone who really likes my space, so being surrounded by strangers for that long would be an insane test for me. I love challenges, and this to me would be one of the ultimate ones. You have so many aspects to balance and I think that is what intrigues me. Physically balancing everyday survival with who knows what challenges. The social game of making friends and alliances quickly, but also not upsetting others or alienating yourself from a particular group. The game shifts constantly, and if you EVER put all your cards in one direction, you are very likely going to get the boot. To top it all off, you get to experience some excellent scenery and all that nature has to offer (good and bad). I would love to be the female Macgyver of Survivor (lol, nice rhyme). That whole aspect is right up my alley.
So there is my random rant for the day. I think having one vice when it comes to TV is not all that bad!
