Amarsir

It's gross and depraved no matter what, and I wouldn't be shocked if MTV considered it grounds to boot him off the show. However, I also don't think it will work! They can't catch anything from him that he didn't already have. If Cody has no parasites, he can't pass them on. The most that could happen is it becomes a breeding ground for more bacteria, but that takes time. So he's done one of the sickest things in tv history and can't even get a short-term benefit from it. This show is amazing.

I'm gonna miss this show when it's over. Where else would I find such delightful dysfunction?

Getting back on topic to Stranded and to say this before it's completely outdated: I wish Cody had made Alex twist a little more last week. The latter was sneakily playing Double! Agent! and told Cody he would turn against Gina in return for being taken on the temptation. But between those events they had the group buy. The one where Alex was going "Well me personally I don't need peanut butter but hey Gina wants some so I'd probably join in just to be polite." (Which is the same technique I use when someone asks if I want dessert.) It would have been great for Cody to go "*cough* hey Alex, why don't you tell her she doesn't need it, prospective ally..." I mean putting aside that Cody probably doesn't know the word "prospective", how hilarious would it be to watch Alex have to tell Gina not to buy something while the other two were sitting 5 feet away?

I saw the first two now. The premise is enough to keep me interested, but I don't like how they focus on tidbits of drama and the abstract instead of actually addressing stuff. For example, one guy was saying that he doesn't like how they use tin roofs and expected thatched. But he doesn't go into detail nor is there any answer. We also don't really know what their food system is, only that one thinks it isn't enough, another suspects it isn't local, and the founder is back in the US buying snacks at the supermarket. It's shallow and obvious and doesn't seem interested in getting to fundamentals. But I'll keep watching anyway.

Dude Wipes actually has a UFC sponsorship. I don't know how much it has actually driven their sales. But if you think about guys who say "Bro" unironically, might might use of a post-workout wipe, and would hate to be caught with a feminine or baby-oriented product in their bag, that seems like the sweet spot. Admittedly I'm stereotyping, but I'm told it's not offensive when you call it "market segmentation". Reportedly it actually doesn't. The one review I saw said Dude Wipes smell exactly like any other generic kind. I'll take that credit. :) I mean I don't know if I deserve it or not, but I remember bringing that up here a couple years ago in response to Barbara saying "It sounds like Lori's ramping up to an offer." I'd like to think pointing out Lori's routine is my one big contribution to society.

Hadn't heard of it, but it sounds interesting. I'll certainly watch the first episode or two.

I'm also reminded of this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_Two-tailed_Dog_Party Certainly playing the line between satire and reality.

I don't figure the show has enough future to warrant a Media thread, so hopefully it's OK to drop this link here: Marcus responds to criticism about the show and his selections.

She kind of excluded herself and then sulked about it, which is not the most mature of behaviors. Don't get me wrong, paragon of virtue compared to the others. It just wouldn't surprise me if people who instantly sided with the "spend money; live comfortably" crowd chose that as a reason not to sympathize with her early on and then never revisited. Oh, and I guess she took the cooked cassava that was in the pot, which seems to have gone down as the first instance of "stealing food".

That is what I meant, yes thank you. Bad use of pronouns on my part. Actually it's only implied that the vegan business didn't get an actual offer. (People asked what happened and Marcus said "seriously overvalued". The woodworker was actually a little salty about it on Twitter, feeling like the show used him but didn't follow through.

Two interesting things from Twitter: 1) Marcus ended up hiring Chuck to work for him. Not as a Partner, but in a separate role. 2) He says Juli and Peilin both seriously overvalued the businesses in their presentation and neither one got an actual offer. Not surprising given that there was no prep work with that skill. I'm sure he figures it's something he can teach Juli later.

I am actually curious what the medical intervention rules are. When Elish was evacuated they said she might be able to come back. (Before the appendicitis confirmation.) What's the most they would have given her at the medical camp yet allow her to come back? Water? A nap? I'm not suggesting they take people there lightly, since it wasn't offered to Alonzo. I'm just wondering what the rules are. I know that given the option, a few hours in a dry cot and a glass of clean water would be an advantage for any of them. Consider it the hardcore version of going to the nurse's office to get out of gym class. Whether or not production wants to interfere, they have to at least have been talking about heat stroke. They sit around 23 hours a day anyway and are weakened from the other conditions. You're basically counting on someone to say "Gosh I feel dizzy, maybe I should call a medic to ensure my body temp isn't over 104." It's entirely possible someone could push themselves into it.

For a guy who works in media you'd think Alex would be better at spin control. He sounds way too defensive. "In real life I'd never ask a woman to carry a heavy bag for me but this is a game." That's not helping you dude. It's like saying "Most of the time I'd never take someone else's money but I needed the quarter he dropped for the vending machine." Your defense is more pathetic than the crime. (To be fair I'm sure people are hammering him about that, but it's the sort of thing he should learn to ignore.) Also at RealityBlurred is an essay by Makani. It doesn't really provide any insight on the episode or the show in general, but is basically just her being a hippie in an overall nonoffensive way.

The possibility also exists that he hires someone who likes cameras as much as Marcus does. Their job isn't to run any of the businesses but to go on CNBC and preach about the Church of Marcus Lemonis and the holy trinity of People, Process, and Product.

Iron Chef makes its long-awaited return to Food Network on Easter Sunday. They probably planned the whole Spring Baking Championship to start on Easter and run into May before realizing they had to squeeze it in earlier. (Bear in mind Episode 1 was Easter-themed.)

It's as tough as production wants it to be. A bill weighs about 1 gram. In 100s, $500,000 would be 5000 bills = 5 kg = 10.4 pounds. In singles it's 1000 pounds. Also if it's bound in waterproof plastic then that weight is preserved and light. If it can soak up water, that could easily triple the weight. So there are subtle ways producers can make it easier or harder on the contestants, even making up their mind as they go along to aid the story they want to tell.

Yeah, that bit really backfired. The point was to say "You chose the wrong product. Look what you could have done if you believed in the story like Marcus!" Instead the takeaway was "Look how bad you are compared to this unnamed person I already hire and who has no shot at your job." The show is walking a thin line. Everyone gets the obvious comparison to The Apprentice, which has set the bar for "sham" pretty low. The problem here is that the search method seemed real, but the search motivation seemed made-for-television. Maybe if they'd spent more time making me understand why Marcus needs to search for someone I would have been more invested. That said, of course I'd watch a season 2 because I'm a sucker for this stuff.

This right here was their only big mistake, and Alex doesn't seem to get it even now. They weren't unfair on the food. They were dumb, but weren't trying to starve the other two. And it wasn't unreasonable for them to order a tent when the others said they didn't need one. But the moment Makani said "We want a second tent" their answer should have been "OK, that's fair." Instead the answer was "Well we'll think about it" and they spent the next day strutting around about how much power they had. And then, still not realizing that, Alex went and brought up the second tent as if it helps his case. You got a second one for yourself after you had no other choice. Not smart to remind them of that. I said last week that this would be the episode Alex was most true to his character, and it's true. He had the chance to genuinely try to play peacemaker. Instead he pats himself on the back over some of the weakest strategy ever. Cody has been the villain since day 1, but he knows it. Alex is the one who fancies himself the hero while doing nothing to earn it. And I think that's why some people want to like him because they can see how he should be in that role. But the rest of us can't help but notice that he isn't.

I only caught pieces and the end, so I'll have to catch up tomorrow. But casting sure did their job when they booked Cody. He's making sure the last days of this are not dull, and certainly plays the villain to a tee. And from the previews for next week it looks like Alex knows the power of the underdog as well.

Well not an unexpected result, but I guess they proved she deserved it. I do hope Juli doesn't end up getting emotional every time she has to read a financial statement. I could have used less recap time and more of them prepping the presentations. They both knew to go do market research, and where, and how? Seemed like that was set up. I also think Juli's willingness to keep the spa was something Marcus would put a hard "no" on but I respect him for respecting her different POV. Curious what comes now. Will Juli feature prominently in new The Profit episodes in July? And why are they casting for a second season? How many partners will there be?

I do think Alex was probably the peacemaker of his 4. His biggest problem was being too self-righteous. But compared to Elish and Alonzo who were actively picking fights, he probably smoothed them over. Actually I think Cody & Alex had different philosophies but similar personalities. Cody wants to save money, make it hard, and maximize winnings. Alex wants to spend money, have people get along, and maximize the experience. This obviously put them in conflict. However, both are sort-of like "it's just business". Makani, Alonzo, and Elish are the ones who really liked taunting the other side. I think this next week will be interesting, especially watching Alex. With no power and his two influences gone, he'll be more true to himself than ever. (Gina meanwhile will continue to barely exist.)

It wouldn't surprise me if the show provided multivitamins, but other than that I sincerely doubt food is being snuck to them. It would undermine the drama that the show relies on. What they do when choosing the campsites is ensure there are cassava, coconuts, and whatever else nearby. That's a much more taping-friendly method of starving. (Which they didn't do anyway.)

Her instagram shows a picture of a scar which to me looks a little high on the torso to be for an appendix, but I am not a doctor. In the comments she quotes the doctors as saying it would have happened anyway but Stranded accelerated it. I'm happy to be corrected. What food would you say has a "considerable" amount of potassium and how much does it have per cup? And if you don't mind sharing, how much potassium did you - presumably not stranded on a Fijiian island - eat yesterday? It might reveal something about how non-essential that 4700 figure really is.

I assume they're all having cassava now and again, and whatever they order is just a supplement. More importantly, you do not need your RDI of riboflavin or any other nutrient on a daily basis. We didn't evolve with three FDA-approved square meals every day. Our bodies have a significant ability to store excess at times and draw on it during others. Over the long term there are many nutrients we need. Short term not so much. The most immediate need is always water. It's 60% of our body and the other stuff can't move around without it. The direct gain from food is energy (calories), which generates body heat and movement. But we store a fair amount of fat, not just in obvious places. If you eat less and lounge around a lot your metabolism will slow down too. If the stored glycogen (fat cells) are used up, muscle is next. It's not something you want to lose, but easy enough to reverse once you start eating again. The first nutrient you really should worry about would be potassium, after several weeks or months. And both cassava and peanuts have a considerable amount of that. And so do carrots. So unless these guys were existing on zero-nutrition Twinkies before they started, I don't imagine any is at any risk of significant malnourishment. They'll just have some muscle to rebuild. For more information I suggest Ray Cronise who has done extensive testing with fasting, or the study of the man who fasted for 382 days back in the 60s.

What we saw was fast-running water which is a good sign. But unless it's coming right from a spring, we don't know what's upstream. Maybe they're all taking the same risks and some got unlucky. Maybe some are being smarter about their pulls than others. Or maybe there was no water problem and it's just something that worked for the story. But just because production picked a site with a source doesn't mean they can guarantee it's safety.