It's a curiously interesting concept, which at least potentially, significantly changes the way the game might work. They've all been through the experience before (though some seem to have learned remarkably little from it) and what may be more relevant, they've all had the chance to watch the other series, and to learn about each other's strengths and weaknesses. Again, so far in this series, we haven't seen them make good use of this potential advantage.
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Why are they doing this to themselves?
One of the questions uppermost in our minds, must surely be why they're doing this? One can understand why the producers would do it again, as it's a very profitable series, but why would any contestant want to starve and display themselves yet again? Especially those who have already won a million dollars in a previous series, and surely can't expect that it's likely that their colleagues will let them win a second million.
For past winners, maybe it's a desire to show that they didn't win by a fluke, that by their individual and reliable skills and charisma, they'll inevitably be able to win again. Of course we know they're wrong about this, but, hey, most people live under comfortable delusions, so why not accidental millionaires, too? For the others, maybe there's an urge to show that they coulda and shoulda won last time. They may feel they've learned valuable lessons from their previous experience, that'll enable them to know how to win this time.
A certain exhibitionism is called for
The sort of factors that inhibit most of us from taking part - nobody invited us, for instance; we don't like the idea of deliberately starving and jumping through hoops while Jeff Probst sneers at us, and we may have sufficient good taste not to want to display ourselves to the world at large - don't apply to these folks. What most of them did after their previous shows ended, clearly demonstrated their desire to be watched, listened to, displayed, for as long as they could possibly arrange it.
Tactics and strategies appear unchanged
I wonder what might happen if they tried an "All-Star" version of Big Brother? Would the contestants be as eager to take part yet again? Probably yes. But would they show any modification in their behaviour patterns, demonstrating that they learned anything significant from their experiences last time? Probably not. Though they all talked solemnly of their strategies and tactics, most of them remained firmly stuck in their habitual behaviour patterns, and showed remarkably little ability to adapt as circumstances changed.
No more Mr Nice Guy
One change noticeable this time, was that they were much less cautious at the start, already knowing each other. They didn't spend as long pretending to be nice guys (having seen them exposed on previous series, everyone would too easily see through that). And several move rapidly towards proposing and accepting formal alliances, something which generally took longer in previous series. So there's a more of a rapid down-to-business approach.
And oh so rapidly, it was farewell to Tina. Though the host Jeff has previously described her as possibly the most competitive person ever on Survivor, this time she seemed to be phoning in her performance, showing little interest in the task, and rather relieved to be returning to the usual amenities of life.
Motivation, shmotivation
I gather she's aged 42, though in some light (actually, in most of them) she looks more like 92. Like an astounding number of former Survivor contestants, I'm told that she earned yet more money (on top of her million) as a "motivational speaker". Sorry, chaps, but in my expert opinion, if you find that meeting any of these people actually improves your motivation to do anything other than avoid them in future, you're a sad case. I suspect that in modern business, more money is wasted on totally useless "motivational" speakers and seminars than on any other wholly purposeless expenditure.
Apparently, she has been travelling round America, "encouraging people to do whatever it takes in order to live a fulfilling life" and broadcasting her feeble and ambiguous motto, "It is a mistake to not live all you can!" She doesn't seem to have maintained any specific motivation in her own life, having worked as a "private duty nurse", which sounds vaguely salacious to our ears but is probably entirely virtuous; as a "community education director", which is about as vague and useless as being a "motivational speaker"; as a flight attendant (air hostess), a "substitute teacher" (in other words not remaining stably in one post as a regular teacher), and as a swimming instructor.
She took one of those curious American degrees, a Bachelor of Science degree in "Therapeutic Recreation", whatever that is, and has been a keen athlete, especially in marathon running, triathlon, racquetball, paddleball, backgammon and motorcycling. She has said that her favourite TV show is "Survivor", which shows a singular lack of imagination and ambition.
Only two non-WASP contestants/
Earlier this year, there was some justifiable and relevant challenging of the production team, asking why there were no black male contestants on All-Stars, even though there had been several attractive and interesting such contestants in previous series, and why indeed, there were only two non-WASP contestants - the somewhat fierce Alicia, and Shii Ann Huang. One of the more appealing earlier black contestants, Sean Rector (Marquesas series) complained that there was "a lot of politics involved", and another, Gervase asked, very pertinently: "Are you trying to tell me that not one black dude was good enough to be on Survivor All-Stars?" The Big Honcho, Mark Burnett, said he simply didn't think about colour at all, simply casting whoever he thought were the best." Apparently it hasn't occurred to him that not thinking of black contestants is indeed as deep-seated a prejudice as deliberately excluding them. I wonder what local audiences think, as to whether this bunch were truly "the best".
And notice, too, that in these "reality" shows, there is now frank reference to "casting", reminding us that the contestants are selected similarly to the casting of any TV soap-opera, and not on the basis of overwhelming charm or talent.
All alone – with hordes of cameramen
What I find peculiarly strange in these castaway shows is that we are ostensibly watching a small group of people cast away alone on a desert island. Yet we know that this cannot possibly be so, or we couldn't be watching at all. There must be hordes of cameramen and sound recordists, following each of the castaways, struggling to make sure that they don't reveal any of their colleagues in the background of any shot. Someone probably makes sure to remove all their footprints, so those beaches still look pristine. It takes a lot of people, working hard, to portray a handful of solitary survivors, and to hide the presence of all the rest of the film crew.
And they must all be accommodated comfortably and well-fed and watered. I cannot believe that Jeff Probst is roughing it just round the corner of the next bay, rather than lolling in luxury accommodation between appearances. And there'll be his make-up guy, and hairdresser....
I mean, just think about the oddity of it all. A small group of people sit under a tree, starving and dehydrated, being closely watched and filmed by well-fed, and freshly showered film crew. Do the film crew work in shifts, retiring to their hotel for meals? Or do they bring sandwiches and flasks of coffee with them? Do they take care not to eat in front of the starving contestants? Presumably they'd need medical and rescue crew available in case of a real emergency, as we saw when the preachy guy in Australia fell into the fire. They've been very lucky so far, or do we perhaps not see them intervening so as to protect their cast?
Rich material for gossip
It's curious to seek out some of the gossip and news about these former Survivor contestants on the web. Richard DowntheHatch has some of the oddest material. There was a report, for instance, that he had been listing himself, searching online for love, at a site called "Big Muscle Bears." Muscle? And saying in his message " I'm looking to intimately share life with a bold, intelligent, integrous man." Integrous?
According to one U.S. newspaper report, Rich is being sought by a town in Michigan for being "in violation of the township's blight law," but apparently this isn't an aesthetic judgment, but because he owns property there which bears a burned-out house they find intolerable locally.
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