Sugar

I actually got the impression that Jeff wasn't thrilled with the whispering and scrambling. When it first started, he looked off to the side and kind of rolled his eyes and looked irritated. Almost like a "fuck, they're doing it again" kind of look. Not sure if he was looking at the jury or Production, or anyone at all. Add me as another who can respect Sarah's game play but isn't rooting for her. I don't find her likeable at all, but for no reason I can discern. I'm white - just to say that upfront, so I don't really understand the experience of a visible minority, but I would think that a good player would overcome any racial/religious/class/gendered, etc. differences. I guess a visible minority would have more to overcome, but it's no different than a gay man having to hide parts of himself to win over and charm straight contestants. Or a female having to adjust parts of her everyday speech and mannerisms to appeal to male contestants. Old to young, highly educated to laypeople....it's part of the game, and everyone has to do it in some capacity. I like Michaela a lot, as a player and character, and for sure it would be disheartening and frustrating to feel like you were singled out because of race. BUT, a good player knows that you have to leave that baggage once you set foot on the island. You have to treat every interaction as an opportunity to gain allies or convince people to give you the $, so a smart player would bite their tongue, squash those personal feelings, and say whatever the hell needed to be said. Apologize even if you've done nothing wrong. Laugh at things that aren't funny. Try to change preconceptions people may have about you.... In all these ways, Michaela is a horrible player because her pride and big mouth will not allow her to play a strategic social game. In life, this makes her someone I'd want to root for and be friends with. But in Survivor, it just makes her a bad player.

I want mustard vs. ketchup as a theme. Can only imagine Jeff's struggle to make segues and come up with symbolism for that one. "Donny's lagging behind now, looks like he'll have to catch up to the others - catch up - ketchup - maybe his chosen condiment is foreshadowing his appearance at Tribal tonight" "Marie, I noticed you wringing your hands while Jake was talking. Could that be because you're used to squeezing the mustard bottle really hard to get out the last bits? Isn't that symbolic of having to squeeze information from your tribemates? He sure does love taking a theme and running it into the ground. Here's a revelation: how about NO THEME?! Gasp! I know, so groundbreaking and new. Themes are fun when we get them every few years, like how we had 8 or 9 seasons between All stars and the first FvsF, and then another long break before the second FvsF.

Adam's performance with Big Boi was embarrassing. If I were Jesse, I'd never let him tell me how to do anything ever again after seeing AND hearing that dreck. "I'm sorry, why are you qualified to be giving me singing advice?" Jesus, watching the whitest white guy that ever lived try to 'get down' with Big Boi was painful. And I say this as a fellow awkward white person. I thought that was truly shittastic, but that was nothing compared with DNCE. During their whole performance I thought they were a novelty act or prank, and that the real band would come out any minute. Nope, turns out they're just really fucking terrible! Between the lead singer's lack of singing, the bassist's homemade Tarzan costume, and the worst guitar solo I've ever heard, I cannot believe that someone gave these people a record contract. I've heard better music from my neighbour's shitty ass guitar band, and those are just 12 year olds who bang on things and scream. Jesus. When the two "big name" acts can't hold a candle to even the worst contestant, it really tells you something about the state of the music industry. I truly cannot say enough bad things about those performances. As far as who got through: I liked Hunter but got bored of him by this week, so I was ok with him leaving. Love Jesse and was thrilled he made it. Chris Blue is good, and sings music I love, but I don't know where he'd go from here. Aaliyah is cute and has a killer voice, but I think Blake's song choices for her suck balls. Would have preferred Vanessa. Lauren has a beautiful voice but I don't like country, so "meh". Did I blink and miss the Toyota commercial, or did they not do one last night?! :o

I totally agree with you, Noreaster. The jump from Top 8 to Top 4 is just too jarring, and I preferred a Top 3 for the same reason. Why spend so much time on battles, then knockouts, then playoffs or whatever they're called, and on contestants that we don't have to care about, and then only let the ones we're invested in perform a few times? And why eliminate one by one at the beginning, and then do such a drastic cut at the end, when you only have the best ones left? It makes zero sense, and from a viewing perspective completely throws me off. In this current season, I feel like some of these folks are just hitting their stride. Aaliyah and Lauren come to mind, and to a lesser extent, Vanessa and Jesse. If they had two more performances, I feel like we'd see even more development and growth. It doesn't seem "right" to vote now for a Top 4, when some acts feel 'unfinished' - like they'd be sent home too early. And also, I HATE the real time voting. I'm not even sure I understand how it works. Does each member of the team have the same amount of time to be voted for, i.e. "Bob" goes first and has a 10 minute voting window, "Alice" goes second and also gets 10 minutes, etc.? Otherwise, I don't see how it's fair that voting starts before the first person even performs, but then that contestant has the entire duration of the rest of the team's performances to get votes, meanwhile the last one up only gets the 3-4 minutes at the end. NO MORE TWITTER SAVE. I would honestly rather that the coach have the save if anything, but would prefer for this to not exist at all. None of the bottom 3 performances this season have been good or worthy of a save, so there's zero point (other than making the show a full hour).

Yea, you may be right. I thought about it some more, and really, that version shows very little of the actual "coaching". Maybe I was hoping to see more mentoring on her part, considering she's been through this herself, but that's not necessarily her fault - the show just didn't air it. I think she'll have the most chemistry with Blake too - he's good at bringing out people's playful sides and JHud doesn't take herself too seriously. Not sure about Adam though :P So we have JHud on the panel with Miley, right? And Kelly on the panel with....unknown? Or am I confusing the upcoming seasons?

I'm thrilled about Kelly. Absolutely love her personality and voice. On the fence about JHud. I've been watching the Voice UK, and while I find it inferior in a lot of ways, I'm not sure I enjoyed her as a judge there. I really thought she'd be laid back, humble, and down to earth, and while she's certainly sweet and kind, she also comes off as a bit of a diva. Like someone who loves attention and knows they are great. But, it could just be that she didn't mesh well with the rest of the panel - Will.I.Am is an obnoxious tool, and she sat next to him. And Gavin Rossdale had the personality of a turnip, and Tom Jones is...well, Tom Jones. He's old and talks about Elvis a lot (love him though).

Interesting that "mother" and "wife" are the last two remaining titles Debbie HASN'T claimed membership to! I too don't remember what her status is - married, single, divorced, etc., and whether she has kids. This episode was a bit of a snoozefest. I'm a glutton myself, so I don't usually mind excessive food rewards (yay food porn!), but this season it's too much. I realized I didn't care about the episode when even the castaways struggled to look enthusiastic about more burgers and dessert. I left home at 17 despite having a great upbringing (just very independent), and I currently live abroad, so I can't ever comprehend how people get so emotional over not seeing family for 39 days. And this season in particular, where conditions are quite cushy....just do not understand. That being said, I still enjoy watching and getting to know the loved ones, I could just do without the tears and melodrama. Andrea, Cirie and Michaela would be my ideal final 3, but I also wouldn't mind Andrea, Cirie and Tai - just for the dynamic of that grouping. I like Brad, but don't necessarily need him to make F3. Ditto Aubry. Sarah is playing well, but I don't like her as a person/character, so not overly invested in her performance. Troy - whatever. I don't normally say this about Survivor, but gawd this season is boring :/

I'm thrilled about Tsoul being safe too :) I fist pumped when his name was called. I thought Mark was atrocious on his save song, and I'm someone who has previously defended his ability. Just awful. My absolute dream would be to see TSoul, Jesse, Hunter, and Vanessa in the top 4, just based on who I want to hear more from. I think Chris Blue is dynamite to watch and listen to, but I don't know that I'd care about buying his record. Alicia hasn't done a good job in showing us what kind of artist he'd be after the show, other than someone who should be cast in Motown: The Musical. He's great at what he does, but he's basically just a retread of James Brown, Bruno Mars, Michael Jackson, Otis Redding, etc. Don't get me wrong, this is music that I love. But if you're going to take on this genre, then you have to have something fresh to offer. Maybe he should try gospel? A more modern soul song? Would love to hear him on something slow, mellowed out, and without so many vocal tricks. I'm surprised to see people saying that Jesse doesn't deserve to be here, when I think he's probably the most talented person left. I love soul music, but not really 'blue-eyed soul', so I wasn't immediately taken with him. But dang, the guy has serious vocal chops, can seriously shred, and I find his showmanship improving each week. Now he's one of my favorites, and I always stop what I'm doing when he's on. I just wish he'd do something similar to what Sundance did with No One last season - be more modern and relevant by reinventing a popular song.

Loved TSoul, Jesse, and Vanessa. Theirs is music I would listen to and buy. Thought Hunter was ok (still good, but I'd like to see something really different from him by this point), and ditto Aliyah ( I think she has a fantastic voice, but Blake doesn't know what to do with her) Was "meh" on Chris Blue. It was his weakest performance, but still a lot better than others. Bored by: Lauren and Brennley. Love Lauren's tone, but she doesn't sing music I want to listen to. Don't care about Brennley either way. Have to say, I hate her 'Little House on the Prairie' inspired wardrobe. Hated: Mark and Lili. Mark was so off-key on that crap song, and Lili just doesn't have a strong enough voice to tackle throwback songs. Unforgettable is not an exciting song. To make it worth listening to, you need a lovely tone, charisma, and perfect phrasing. Of this criteria, Lily had none. Going into last episode, I thought this season had a really strong roster. I'm starting to rethink that now.

You know you can go back into your deleted items folder and retrieve deleted emails, right? You posted earlier that you commented about his lack of enunciation on Instagram, so did you post there AND email him?

There's something so weird about Sarah. She very rarely smiles, laughs or shows even an ounce of charisma when she speaks. Other players, when they give confessionals - they're dynamic. Their voices go up and down, they use their hands when they speak, their faces are expressive.....but Sarah looks and sounds like she's a classroom instructor for night school classes on Auto repair at the community college. Just wooden and monotone and it makes me uncomfortable to watch her. Especially this episode, when she was talking about her options and being a swing vote, she may as well have been reading from an instruction manual, that's how interesting it was to watch. I want to like her, because she's not offensive, and she's making a real effort to play. But I just don't know what it is about her - she's so very "blah" in her personality...Is it just me? On another note - so much love for Andrea. I was rooting for her in her second season, and was disappointed that she was invisible for the first few episodes of this one. But now she's playing hard and being shown as the strategic and challenge threat that she is, and I'm loving it.

I just started watching the blinds, and oh boy - will.I.am is getting old fast. Have previously only seen Seasons 1&2 of the UK version, but I may have forgotten how silly his shtick is. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Gavin is probably the most bland and boring personality that I've seen on any version of the Voice. I don't need divas and spotlight hogs, but some charisma and charm would be nice. I find him to be very "blah", and feel like he doesn't even want to be there. I enjoy coaches who are excited about new talent, and show energy and signs of life. Gavin is barely present. But also - it's a bit annoying and distracting that they all just turn at the very last second. And so many great singers only get one-chair turns! Actually, there are very few 4 or even 3 chair turns, especially compared with the US version. And I kind of hated that they made the poor rejects stand awkwardly on stage after they finish, without any direction of where to go or what to do. You could tell some were genuinely bewildered and didn't know if they should wait for a cue, or just walk off. I inexplicably love Tom Jones though. I just want to buy him presents and pat his fluffy white hair.

I don't think Mark is terrible - he's good at what he does. But I don't think the world needs another teen heartthrob signing r&b lite. It's laughable to me that Adam is praising Mark for his "artistry" by giving him credit for picking his own songs, when there are other contestants who literally arrange, produce, and play instruments. He's not a bad singer by any means, but he's bland, and I hate that he is basically doing the same song every week. We call Hunter Thom Yorke in our household too. I feel like he could potentially be the most successful post-voice contestant, because he's pretty much radio-ready NOW. I had high hopes for Lili because I love throwback music and styling, but she sucks. She is no Winehouse, and her voice is too thin to be able to pull off a lot of these songs. Also, that was a completely stupid interpretation of Town Without Pity, a tune that has little to do with smiling seductively and strutting across the stage (but I mostly blame Adam for that). I thought for sure that she'd be in the bottom. Oh, and I guess I'm in the minority, but I love TSoul. I thought the first bit of his song when he was just at the piano was gorgeous. But I find that unlike Chris Blue's performance style, TSoul's theatrics impede his vocals and detract from the performance. I wish he'd just stand in front of a mike and limit his runs. His tone is lovely, and he seems like an adorable little nerd. Finally, I'm so done with the back and froth where Carson asks the bottom artists to praise their coach, and then vice versa. It's the same every week, and I'm sick of the hyperbole.

I love the endurance challenges because I enjoy watching people who "want it" battle it out. It's a level playing field, and basically whoever wants it more, will win. Plus, love when food bribery enters the picture - think it's always interesting to watch that dynamic. I'd rather watch those than challenges that cater to physical prowess or even niche skills like throwing, holding your breath, balance, etc. I think one of my favorites were the relay style team challenges where one member had to run into the jungle, climb obstacles, dig/find pieces, and then make it back to tag the next person. They were grueling, but there were a few different components to let individuals shine. Or the individual challenges like racing up the pyramid steps, back down to get puzzles pieces, back up to assemble the puzzle, etc. Those hard challenges also prove to me who wants it more, as the playing field becomes even once everyone succumbs to exhaustion :P But also raising my hand for more local trivia/Q&A type challenges.

Just catching up with the performances on YT. I LOVED when the Voice UK guy sang the song by Kodaline, but I thought Hunter's version was fantastic as well. For the first time I was able to hear his voice, and all of the little nuances - and I'm a much bigger fan because of it.

Do we even know what the voting demographics for this show are? I see posts refer to teen/tween voters saving Mark, but I really don't know how many in that age group a) watch the voice and b) care enough to vote, even if it is just by tweeting. I could be completely off base, but I get the impression that The Voice isn't like AI was back in its glory days - it's not "must-see" TV that a 14 year old is going to rush home for and gossip about at school the next day. I would be surprised to learn that tween voters come out in droves to support contestants like Mark, just because I haven't seen much activity around it on teen fandom sites and forums (plus, I work with kids, and none of them know what I'm referring to when I talk about this show!). I get the impression it's slightly older folks - early 20's+ that are doing the voting/watching, and sophisticated older users (who have a twitter account). Also, Mark (forgive the assumptions), appears to be of Latin background, and Latino voters (like Hawaiians and Philippinos) have, in past seasons of AI, rallied around a contestant to push them forward in votes. Anyway, would be curious to see how voting skews. Mark very well may be propped up by the teen demographic, but basing my opinion on absolutely nothing concrete - I don't believe it :P Also, I don't see how Alicia changed Gwen's mind about going with Troy. I watched that part back just now, and she didn't say anything different from the usual "Coach, what do you think ____ should do?" responses that the panel gives. She suggested Troy, but she didn't campaign hard for him, and Gwen was already very fond of him. I think she would have picked him no matter what. JChosen has TSoul and Chris Blue to compete with for the r&b singer slot, whereas Troy is fairly unique. I could see people comparing him to Jesse, but his style is definitely more pop/soul whereas Jesse is rock soul/blues. So I could see why Gwen decided on him (terrible choice, I agree).

Fair enough, but I've encountered plenty on various threads. Not entire posts, mind you, but digs here and there about how he's sexist, and how everything he does is a product of his inherent sexism (case in point, calling Hali "blue eyes" - I watched that scene and saw it as an affectionate nickname one might give a friend or colleague, not as a way to condescend or show superiority). Anyway, I felt like he was being unfairly vilified, so just wanted to speak up for those of us who aren't offended by his presence :)

I know he's not exactly "hip", but would love to see Jon Bon Jovi as a guest mentor too. He's got such a pleasant and mellow vibe, and I think he'd care enough to really get into the role. As far as coaches, maybe Justin Timberlake. His music career isn't as piping hot anymore, and he has a playful/goofy personality. Personally, and mileage would obviously vary, but I'd rather learn from a Celine, Shania, Sammy Hagar, etc. than someone like Dj Khaled who is trendy, but offers little in the vocal department. I don't think the audience demographic is made up of tweens either; I think there's a solid representation of 30's+ who wouldn't mind seeing their favorite musicians as coaches. PLUS, a Dj Khaled or Charlie Puth may have a few hits now, but it seems like the contestants were super jazzed when they were working with legends (despite their age and perhaps lack of relevance). Celine, Patti, Sammy, Cyndi, Bette - So when it comes to guest mentors (or even coaches), I would rather see someone that fits that "legend" status, as opposed to someone who is currently charting. AND, someone who can actually sing would be a nice bonus ;) Looking back at past mentors, I think that Michael Buble, Alanis, Kelly Clarkson, Pink would all be good as coaches. I think Mary J. Blige would be an interesting choice, but I question whether she's big enough outside of her genre, and whether she'd do/say something weird on camera :P

My unpopular opinion about this season is that I like Brad Culpepper. I keep seeing all these posts bashing him, and talking about what an ass he is, but all I'm seeing is a dorky dad-type who hasn't really done anything offensive, other than try like hell to fit in and redeem his edit. People refer to him as a racist and misogynist, but I really don't see any evidence of that (or even in his first season). I think because of his edit and reactions in BvW, he's maybe trying a bit too hard to be sensitive and considerate, but as a viewer I see that as awkward and amusing - not malicious in any way. And he's obviously Probst's wet dream, but that's not really his fault, just like Malcolm, Joe, Colby, Savage, et. al didn't ask for Jeff to salivate over them either. I think it's tough when you come into this game as a natural leader (he was an NFL player), but you get labeled a control freak for trying to reign people in. If you're in that position AND you happen to be male, then you're often slapped with labels despite your intentions (sexist, misogynist, alpha male, condescending, etc.), just like women in that position will be called bitchy, bossy, controlling, etc. So where Brad is playing hard and making moves to benefit HIS game, people are unforgiving and relentless in calling him out, but appreciate when players like Hali, Sarah, Circie, etc. are doing the same. I get it - he's not exactly an underdog, and people love rooting for the underdog. He's not the "smart" player or the "dorky fan" or the "unathletic person" that we all love rooting for - he's a rich guy with a pretty great life. So I do think that may weigh into people's perceptions of him. I mean, fair enough if you don't like him, root for him, or care about him in any way. But I think it's a bit unfair to call the guy names, if you can't point out interviews, clips, or scenes where he's actually doing the things you're accusing him of. Especially this season, he's been shown to be patient, encouraging, and supportive (if not a little weepy and indulgent, but that's hardly a crime!) ALSO, probably the most U/O on this entire forum: I feel sorry for Sierra's eyebrows, and I don't hate them. As someone who lost 90% of her eyebrows due to health issues, I can appreciate the struggle to groom/draw them on every day, and the temptation to get tattooing/permanent makeup done.

IMO, you're missing the point. Allies of the trans community wouldn't see a transition as being something to lie about. The "lie" is the gender your were born with, the one you left behind. There's no "lie" in transitioning, because you're actually becoming the person you were supposed to be. There are many political, social, economical, etc. reasons that trans people don't "out" themselves, but another reason is they don't feel like they have anything to disclose. It's as if a woman always introduces herself to others by saying, "hello, I'm Sugar, and I'm a woman". Straight, cis gendered people don't do it, so why should a trans person be expected to? Not telling someone you're a pro quarterback is withholding the truth. Or lying if you're asked and you deny it. Not telling someone you're transgendered, is not witholding anything, because there's literally nothing to whithold. If Varner was a true ally, he would see that. (I don't speak on behalf of the whole trans community, just my personal experiences and interactions)

Yes, EXACTLY!! Totally agree with your entire statement. Personally, I consider myself extremely open-minded. But sometimes I find myself asking randomly out of the blue, "is that a woman or a man" when I see an androgynous person on the street, and it always stops me cold. It's not a conscious thing, and it's something I hate admitting to. Sometimes we want to believe we're open-minded, supportive, accepting, etc. but we can still have traces of our upbringing, conditioning, etc. lingering in the back of our head. And if you don't allow yourself to explore those feelings, and reflect on them, then you're never going to evolve. Varner can be gay AND have trans-phobic thoughts and feelings; ones he may not even be aware of. Even if his rationale was that trans people should be out and proud, that's still highly problematic, and also indicates a bias towards Zeke, a privately out trans man. So, anyway you look at it - there IS something there. And until he admits NOT that he made a mistake, but that he acted out of prejudice, I think most people will hold him accountable.

I just started re-watching the series on Netflix, and even though I've seen all the seasons at least once, sometimes I'm still gobsmacked by how stupid this show is. I don't even care about the problematic Blair/Chuck/Dan relationship triangle, Dan as Gossip Girl, or Rufus randomly ending up with Lisa Loeb (lol). Here's my biggest annoyance: Eleanor Waldorf dresses celebrities, has her own NY Fashion Week show, name drops major fashion insiders and influencers, and is considered well respected in both New York society, AND the fashion world. Yet she takes design advice from little Jenny Humphrey, and trusts her to practically run the atelier, design her line, and run her big fashion show. Jenny Humphrey, who is 15, and from Brooklyn. WTF. Also? The clothes on this show are gorgeous. They consistently show Serena, Blair, and even Lily wearing high fashion luxury brands, and even occasionally some stunning couture pieces. Yet they make Eleanor Waldorf's fashion line look like shit you'd find on sale at Forever 21. They couldn't hire some fashion student to whip up a few pieces? Hell, they could have gone down to Parsons and snagged some Project Runway reject. The clothes that the so called 'designers' on this show made (Jenny and Blair included) were seriously, seriously disappointing. That "fresh" and "innovative" lace dress Jenny "designed" for the white party in Season 1? Literally can buy at H&M for $12. The "finale" dress in Season 2 that Jenny made but Eleanor stole? Betsy Johnson circa 1995. And Jenny and Agnes' entire fashion line looked like something a Bratz doll would wear. But yes, we're supposed to believe that they are serious fashion designers with so much edge and talent. ARGGGGHHH.

Sorry, but when I follow his line of thinking and dig beneath the surface, it does look (to me) that there is in fact some prejudice there. If you're making the jump from 'trans' to 'liar', and accusing a trans person of deception, that's not an innocent thought process. Betrayal, lying, deception - these are ugly words, and Jeff chose to associate them with Zeke's status as a trans man. If it's seemingly no big deal to him that Zeke is trans, why did HE make it into a big deal? Or, does Varner think so lowly of his tribe mates that he assumed this would be their thought process (Zeke is trans > therefore he lied>he cannot be trusted)? Even that logic is problematic, and guess what? It stemmed from his brain. I'd have more respect for him if he stopped hiding behind his "I have trans friends, I'm an activist" stance, and admitted to having personal biases against Zeke, or against trans people in general. Saying something shitty doesn't make you a bad person. Everyone says stupid shit they wish they could take back. What makes Varner a bad person in my eyes, is that if he was truly contrite and apologetic, he'd stop defending himself. There's no need to remind people that you're an LGBT ally, that you were in a game, that you feel awful, blah blah. Own up to your bullshit and admit that there may be some confused feelings there. Being prejudiced or biased doesn't make someone an asshole - you can't help those feelings. But choosing to do nothing about it, and denying your prejudices - that's what makes you an asshole.

Initially, I was disappointed that Tai and Andrea tried to justify Varner's actions. When they were saying "oh, I don't think he's a bad person.." I was rolling my eyes hard, because uh, when someone shows you what they're capable of, why not believe them? But then I thought about what I would do if a friend or family member had just done something as equally hateful and stupid. You don't WANT to believe that they're an asshole, so you try to explain, justify, defend, etc., because you don't want them to be the bad guy that they clearly are. None of us want to see people we care about in that light. So I give them a pass, and I can even understand why Zeke was initially so forgiving in the moment. Because if you thought Varner was your friend, you'd want to give him the benefit of the doubt - that he's not a malicious asshole, he's just a guy who fucked up. But then you think about it for a little while, and let your feelings on the matter sink in, and you may realize that he IS a bad person. I've always found him a little smug and smarmy, and not nearly as entertaining as he thinks he is, but tonight I had ZERO sympathy for him. None. His apology reeked of damage control, and regret for the position he put himself in. To me, there are two separate issues. 1) Outing someone. 2) Making the correlation between "liar" and "trans person". The first is absolute crap, and shows that he's selfish and mean. The second shows that he's hateful - that he DOES have malice against trans people, because he thinks they are lying about their identity. You cannot be an advocate for trans rights and accuse Zeke of betraying and deceiving others just because he kept his transition private. So, if Ozzy cheated on his girlfriend 10 years ago, that makes him a bad Survivor ally because he's capable of lying?! The second issue is the one that I think will never be excused, and Varner will just never get it, no matter how many apologies he makes on Twitter. He can't even see his own personal bias, and that he IS in fact a bad person. The only way I personally would ever give Varner a pass, is if he actually admitted to having issues with trans people. If he admitted that his remarks were discriminatory in nature, and that it wasn't just a slip-up. And that having reflected on the situation, and maybe spoken to people in the community, he now understands that he was wrong. Literally the only way that I think he can redeem himself. Also, I'm a huge Survivor fan and occasionally read Sucks, RHAP, and a few other Survivor fan sites, and never saw a single reference to Zeke's transition. So, in terms of everyone knowing - maybe only if you sought it out.

Thanks for the updates! Was hoping Johnny Gates would be brought back for Gwen - super thrilled about that. Felicia is an interesting choice...was hoping for Enid. I think Adam's team sucks either way, and he didn't have a great pool to choose from. I'm not a big fan of Jack, but I agree he was the right person to bring back for Alicia. She's got a really interesting lineup. I thought I was Team Gwen this season, but after seeing Alicia's roster, I think I like her artists better (mostly Vanessa and Stephanie). On Team Gwen, it's only Johnny and Hunter that I'm interested in.