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In this age of obnoxious reality television, people are comfortable eating bull balls and making asses out of themselves. Yet there is still one show that is what reality TV should be, and that show is "Survivor".
This season gives us Mookie, a Chicagoan who keeps pissing where he eats and screws up the game. We also have our favorite survivor ever, Yaoman, a wiry, older Asian fellow who is going to quietly steal all the immunity challenges. There is power hungry Alex, whose face at last weeks tribal council will go down in history. This has also been a season of firsts; like Yaoman planting a fake immunity idol we’re all waiting breathlessly to be found, or the new hilarious need to name alliances (The Syndicate? The Four Horsemen?). Alliances are not stable this time around because Mookie and his cohort Dreamz flit from group to group, telling every secret under the sun.
What started out as an overindulgent season for Mark Burnett (seriously, a bed on "Survivor"? NEVER!) has turned out to be one of the best. But we hold true that pretty much every season of "Survivor" is the best, and here’s why:
Like "The Amazing Race", "Survivor" is the kind of show we want to be on. We wouldn't go to "Paradise Hotel", but we'd definitely go to Survivor Island. "Survivor" isn’t about boobs and humiliation in front of a camera. It's a game, a fail-safe game with strategies, humor, revenge and plenty of drama. Put 16-20 people on an island and they will vote each other out to win a million dollars; no “America votes" and no judges to impress. It is democracy at its finest.
The game is never played the same way twice. We assumed that once people learned how to play, every season would turn out alike, but in 13 seasons each win has been remarkably different from the one before. Arrays of personalities win, from the quiet, under-the-radar Tina, to the subtly manipulative used car salesman Brian, to the hotly contested battle between Ozzy and Yul. The contestants themselves are less intrusive than other reality show stars. Granted, some Survivors have received moderate fame, but generally it seems the survivors are not out for their fifteen, but out to win the game.
The reward and immunity challenges get more and more creative. Somehow the producers manage to find ways to keep the challenges fresh by putting the contestants on the spot, holding themselves up by their elbows, or making them wind through a massive maze with expanding poles.
No game show on television has the quality host that is Jeff Probst. Probst knows the game inside and out and won't let the contestants get away with anything. How about this season when he forced Alex to show his hand in tribal? Or the way he railed on Osten when he asked to be voted out of the game? Probst is such a sure, guiding hand, we love watching him ask the tough questions, even at the reunion shows.
We love that "Survivor" has remained (mostly) true to its roots. The players get on the island, battle it out in front of Probst, and whatever happens in the game is up to them.
The word on the street is that the next season of "Survivor" is going to be in China. Cool for sure, but we’re still holding out for "Survivor: Antarctica".
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Survivor isn't "about boobs?" No offense Margaret, but you and I are apparently watching two different shows.
Just when I was thinking "Hey, the Red Eye already does WAY too much Chicago-angle reality show crap", I was also hoping this site could do some more as well."
Bravo. I feel myself getting dumber all the time.
Okay okay, sometimes it's about boobs, but only when they're using them as a game advantage!
Thundercougar, thanks for posting!
"Ollie"?
Aha! Yes. Ozzy...he'd probably monkeyman kill me if he heard me call him Ollie.
Why do you guys feed this shit by blogging about it? Be smarter about things.
I really enjoy Survivor. I think its a really great idea, paired with great production values and awesome execution.
It is smart, interesting and worthy television. It is consistently in the top 20, meaning much of America is also enjoying it.
I think Survivor is worthy of the shit feeding.
Survivor is an excellent show. The editing is top notch and the challeneges are consistently fresh and -er, challenging. It is heads and shoulders above any other shows that it unfortunately shares within the reality-show genre.
And it's funny.
And it's exciting.
And it's suspenseful.
And it's surprising.
And it's beautifully shot.
And the people are literally starving and sleeping on the ground. It brings out the base nature of all its contestants. It's fascinating from a sociological perspective.
Actually watch a season (rather than superficially judge) and you'll discover that it is a very well done program.
Personally, I think that what this blog needs is a few more snotty comments from people who think they're really, really smart. How else will people find out that certain things they enjoy are actually incredibly stupid?
I got great idea to make a great show, survivor, even better! Keep the same cool cast but forget to tell them about the 100 anti American terrorist with AK 47’s, acid, blow torches, rope and really sharp knives that got droped off on the other side of the Island! Then sit back pop open a budlite and watch the fun!
For those of us who are reality tv enthusiasts (Yes...we exist and there are a whole bunch of us!) Survivor has to be one of the best shows out there. This season started out rough but after the merge things are really starting to sizzle. The whole Mookie/Edgardo/Alex debacle by the somewhat dimwitted (or genious, depending on who you ask) Dreamz was classic. Last night's episode where you felt compassion for Yao because Alex and Mooks RIFLED through his private belongings and discovered the immunity idol instead of shock/outrage that Yao has the idol was great. And glorifying boobs? Um...unless Cassandra has an exposed pair that the producers keep editing out, I don't really think it's about that. It's all about the game and the human interaction. Margaret is right on with her "Get up on Survivor" piece. I agree with her 100%! And so do 16 million plus that watch every week.
+1 to spook
@DGold:
Mix in a book every now and then.
Ah, thundercougar, the ultimate retort.
What makes you assume that we don't? I used to the books contributor here at Chicagoist for petes sakes.
I didn't say anything to you specifically, did I?
Someone's all touchy.
I see, it was just to DGold who agreed with my post. I get it.
I should read more books so that I can get all your inferences straight.
I was in the student senate back in college, and because we were dominated by kids in the greek system AND controlled $700,000 in Nevada taxpayer funds for "student activities", the school newspaper LOVED to nitpick each and everything we did or said at every turn. I think if you search the archives at http://www.unlvrebelyell.com/ You'd probably find some absolutely insane things I've entered into the public record.
ANYWAY, all this scrutiny unnerved certain sorority girls so much that they actually tried to cut the funding for the paper because they couldn't take any criticism. This was some huge crisis that got way out of hand and the regents stepped in and stopped it before the end of the semester.
What's the point of this crudely constructed anecdote? Everytime you respond to me, the same shrill, hen-like voices I heard from the girls at Alpha Delta Pi come out from what I imagine you to sound like.
For god sakes, if you can't deal with my dickholishness, maybe you should hang up the ol' keyboard at chicagoist and write in a flowery journal about your personal feelings about Sanjaya's hair. You have every right to post what you want, just as I have every right to mock it. And glorifying the innane, dull, tediousness of reality programming is gonna draw my fire. Sorry. It just will.
And don't think I understand the irony that my loves of video games and sports are probably just as stupid in other people's eyes, too. It's just somewhere between me not caring what other people think of me and me knowing not everyone has the same opinion, I'm not going to get bent out of shape about it.
So, again, sorry you're feelings were hurt. I'm sorry that I just don't think you bring as much to the table as some other posters in an otherwise fantastic blog. And especially sorry you can't seem to deal with a world with me in it.
Hey Thundercougar -
What's going on? Tough day, huh?
Why all the hostility? Why the personal dig about book reading? I'm actually quite articulate and like to r-e-a-d. But thanks for your educational concern.
I appreciate someone who doesn't like what I like. Hell, I date someone who hardly ever watches tv (despises reality tv) and we get along great. What I don't appreciate is your attempt at personal attacks to someone who likes something that you obviously don't. I hate cilantro, but I would never verbally attack someone because they eat it. I believe the phrase "different strokes for different folks" is very appropriate in this case.
You seem to spend an awful lot of time posting on the Survivor post for someone who dislikes the show so much. Me thinks you doth protest too much, TC.....that's what me thinks...
Have a lovely, reality tv-free weekend!
DGold
I'm an angry, angry person, DGold
Yeesh. Thundercougar. My lord.
It's okay that you don't like my posts. That's fine. You could just stop reading them instead of commenting on each one, but you're right, you have every right to do that here and that's cool.
No worries, you keep mocking me and I'll keep fighting you back. You're driving up my comments, which is awesome.
And one more thing brother, my feelings aren't hurt, I would just hope you would let people enjoy what they enjoy instead of commenting meanly on each and every post.
I'm working on a hearty America's Next Top Model post for next week. You might want to start getting some retorts ready!
did anyone else think it was completely fair for mookie to go through yaoman's stuff? when did that become off limits? if i won the idol and it meant so much to the game, i'd never let it out of my sight for one minute!
It's a good point, all is fair in love and Survivor.
The beauty play of it was Yaoman making himself the sympathetic character. He did a really good job in admitting something big, and putting all the attention on someone else.