Survivor 14

[Strangler Lewis]

I didn't follow the season much, but, yes, that was an obnoxious jury. Stop talking? Immature Christian? Eeny, meeny, miny mo? One must wonder if three white people would have been treated with such derision.

I liked Yau from what I saw of him, but I don't see what everyone's so upset about. Usually, we don't like to see people acting secure at tribal council because of some deal they made. Yau must have had an incredible reservoir of good will built up for his deal not to be seen for what it was: an attempt to buy success in the game. Buy with a capital $$$. Frankly, I'm surprised Survivor allowed the deal given that agreements to split winnings are prohibited. Yes, people have horsetraded votes during the final immunity challenges, given up family visits, etc., but giving somebody a $30-40,000 prize is a whole different animal.

I don't know about keeping his integrity, but if he had honored the deal, Dreamz could have told the jury, "I'm not afraid of this man, this man who bought his way in." Or something like that.

[Stan4dSteph]

Dreamz was in incoherent mess. Bleah. Rather lame ending.

Survivor: China should be interesting. Not necessarily a tropical paradise. Hopefully it will be better than their other experiment away from the island genre: Africa. I can't think they could possibly get a less interesting group of people than were on Fiji.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Strangler Lewis

I didn't follow the season much, but, yes, that was an obnoxious jury. Stop talking? Immature Christian? Eeny, meeny, miny mo? One must wonder if three white people would have been treated with such derision.

Eh, I really believe race had little to do with it. Pathetic delusions of grandeur, huge bunches of sour grapes, and bipolar disorder (hi Lisi!) were the order of the day. Completely painful to watch.

I liked Yau from what I saw of him, but I don't see what everyone's so upset about. Usually, we don't like to see people acting secure at tribal council because of some deal they made. Yau must have had an incredible reservoir of good will built up for his deal not to be seen for what it was: an attempt to buy success in the game. Buy with a capital $$$.

Oh, no one saw it as anything but that. But that was what everyone respected about Yau, he played the game out in the open. He made no bones about the fact that he was playing the game to win. He did it respectfully and politely, but he was playing and playing hard. Despite the childish tantrum displays, I'd say that this season more than any other the players were willing to look at it as just a game and not get ridiculously pissed off that someone played it well and had to deceive and out maneuver them. The idiots who were pissed were probably only pissed because they thought they were smarter than Dreamz. Which, I can say quite honestly, they weren't. You've gotta be pretty dumb if Dreamz and Rocky make you look like immature idiots.

As for Dreamz, I said pretty much exactly what Yau said about two minutes before he said it. Dreamz isn't a complete idiot, he clearly is able to assess a situation and know what's going on around him. He just lacks the critical thinking ability to process that information and use it to his advantage. He can't think that 2nd or 3rd step ahead.

So when he said that he really never expected to have to make the decision to give it to Yau or not, I believe him. I'm pretty sure his thought process was, "I get a car? Oh hell yes, deal!" Shortly thereafter it was, "Oh wait, that was kinda bad...I need to get rid of Yau now, and here's how I do it." And it wasn't until that didn't work that he even thought about the moral dilemna of whether to break the deal or not. So while I don't believe that he was truly playing Yau the whole time, I am perfectly willing to believe that he neither planned on keeping nor breaking his word when he initially made the deal as that kind of forethought just doesn't enter into it for him.

[Strangler Lewis]

Well, of course, he was playing the game, but I think he crossed a not terribly fine line. He targeted the least well off person with a huge monetary bribe. That everybody on the jury seemed to think that the poor black guy should have been content to sell his birthright for a new truck and effectively withdraw from the game to me speaks volumes.

I didn't tune in until after the Warriors game ended. Did Dreamz have the chance to throw the challenge to Earl or Cassandra so that Yau could have been voted off without controversy?

[Nephythys]

Originally Posted by Strangler Lewis

I didn't follow the season much, but, yes, that was an obnoxious jury. Stop talking? Immature Christian? Eeny, meeny, miny mo? One must wonder if three white people would have been treated with such derision.

Well, of course, he was playing the game, but I think he crossed a not terribly fine line. He targeted the least well off person with a huge monetary bribe. That everybody on the jury seemed to think that the poor black guy should have been content to sell his birthright for a new truck and effectively withdraw from the game to me speaks volumes.

I didn't tune in until after the Warriors game ended. Did Dreamz have the chance to throw the challenge to Earl or Cassandra so that Yau could have been voted off without controversy?

Honestly- why does race have to be the issue here?

DREAMZ made the deal. What in the world is wrong with expecting him to live up to his word?

He had killed himself with the jury a long time ago-that was just a final nail.

But dangling race as if it was an issue and if he had not been a black guy they would not have treated him the same??? Please-there were 3 african american's in the final three-what the heck does race matter? Buncha pissed off white people mad that they got one upped by a minority?

How insulting.

[Gemini Cricket]

I don't think race had anything to do with it. That jury was nuttier than a squirrel's breakfast.

The real issue is that GD and CP got me hooked on this dumb show. The last time I watched 'Survivor' was never.

Boo looked better shaved. Earl looked better at the reunion show. Cassandra actually looked better on the island... And Dreamz's newer hairstyle looked like a shower cap...

China, eh?

[thecorndogwalker]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

Boo looked better shaved.

I liked Boo with a little scruff. But he is a Hottie regardless....

[Nephythys]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

I don't think race had anything to do with it. That jury was nuttier than a squirrel's breakfast.

The real issue is that GD and CP got me hooked on this dumb show. The last time I watched 'Survivor' was never.

Boo looked better shaved. Earl looked better at the reunion show. Cassandra actually looked better on the island... And Dreamz's newer hairstyle looked like a shower cap...

China, eh?

I don't think race was a part of it either- but SL seems to- but he has not explained it.

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by Nephythys

I don't think race was a part of it either- but SL seems to- but he has not explained it.

Well, as far as Lisi goes, I think it's reasonably well known that one older version of the "eeny meeny" song uses the word "Ni**er" instead of "tiger." I think her demeanor was completely consistent with someone who was thinking, "Well, well, look what we have here: three undeserving black people."

The concept of "immature Christian" is common to, though not exclusive to, conversion. Paul discusses it a lot. To me, Boo's hectoring of Dreamz had a "ministering to the natives" tone that veered close to "boy" or "manchild" territory.

The others may well just have been nuts, and it could be they all fell entitled to abuse people they felt were weak because of how they played the game rather than because of the color of the skin. On the other hand, I think there is probably a conventional wisdom among contestants that black people do not do well at Survivor. I think this may have contributed to why there was so little, "Congratulations, you guys. You're sitting there. We're not."

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Strangler Lewis

Frankly, I'm surprised Survivor allowed the deal given that agreements to split winnings are prohibited. Yes, people have horsetraded votes during the final immunity challenges, given up family visits, etc., but giving somebody a $30-40,000 prize is a whole different animal.

Meant to address this. Starting last season, they explicitly gave the winner of the car the option to give it away to someone else. That, in my mind, makes it a de-facto bargaining chip.