S45.E02: Brought a Bazooka to a Tea Party

[HurricaneVal]

I know that editing candid footage into characters and story lines is always a part of reality TV.  Anyone who has watched the broadcast episodes of Big Brother and also watched the feeds or read summaries of the feeds knows that editing can completely change the plot and what you see in the show doesn't reflect what is really happening. 

Watching Emily's turnaround from one episode to the next really brought that to mind.  Is she really a brusque, racist, bitch as portrayed in the first episode, or was she just so thrilled about being on Survivor that she busted out of the gate with too much enthusiasm for strategic game play and doesn't know how to reel it back in?  

Production can only edit together the pieces they've given, but unless you're Pollyanna, every person is a little bit of everything every day, so there's always going to be a lot of variation for the editors to stitch together whatever story production wants to tell.  I'm going to withhold judgement on Emily and Bruce and everyone else for a while.

Except Brandon.  Imma gonna judge Brandon.

Seriously, did he win a Survivor experience at an auction somewhere?  Is he a Make a Wish kid?

[Tango64]

10 minutes ago, Nashville said:

Swear to gods, I thought it was practically Survivor canon that you BETTER know how to make fire before your feet hit that beach - but I don’t think we’ve seen any of the Lulus so much as even try. 🤯

You'd think so, but I think that went out the door when they made life too easy for the contestants and just brought on superfans who were all about the alliances and strategizing. And shortened the length of the game. They all have an attitude of just sitting around doing nothing except finding idols and strategizing, and hey, maybe some sucker will spend a little time making fire or building shelter -- but it ain't gonna be me. 

[Haleth]

27 minutes ago, Nashville said:

Swear to gods, I thought it was practically Survivor canon that you BETTER know how to make fire before your feet hit that beach - but I don’t think we’ve seen any of the Lulus so much as even try. 🤯

Oh, but Brandon did hold his glasses over some coconut husk, hoping that method would work. He failed at that too.  

[Nashville]

2 minutes ago, Haleth said:

Oh, but Brandon did hold his glasses over some coconut husk, hoping that method would work. He failed at that too.  

Yeah, that doesn’t work if you’re nearsighted; concave lenses (like nearsighted people wear) spread light out, not focus it to a single point.  That trick can work with convex (farsighted) lenses, though.

[princelina]

12 hours ago, Sunnykm said:

Brandon was not alone on the Immunity challenge puzzle--Sabiyah was right there with him not solving it as well. 

But in fairness to her - I bet she was there because the others were doing the water part.  Whereas Brandon was there because he said he was good at puzzles.  As she said - if he told them that, they assumed it was true! 😄

8 hours ago, Haleth said:

 I was going to quit watching if the other yellows didn't vote him out. 

I wasn't going to quit watching but I told Mr P I would not root for any of them for the rest of the game if they didn't get rid of him! 😂

Also - did I miss it or did they not show Bruce's story to his tribe when he came back from that challenge with the two from the other team?

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, princelina said:

Also - did I miss it or did they not show Bruce's story to his tribe when he came back from that challenge with the two from the other team?

They did not show Bruce telling his tribe what happened. I guess they figured after showing "There was a puzzle for an advantage and I solved it and got it!" and "There was a puzzle for an advantage but I bombed and didn't get it!", there was no point in showing "There was a puzzle for an advantage and I said no thanks."

[SoMuchTV]

57 minutes ago, Haleth said:

Oh, but Brandon did hold his glasses over some coconut husk, hoping that method would work. He failed at that too.  

I really thought they threw that bit in as foreshadowing, and we were going to see Brandon’s fire making skills come back to save the day. Ah, well. Maybe in another universe.  

[Nashville]

The advantage puzzle was actually pretty simplistic; once you figure out the three numbers you have to use, there are only six possible combinations. The sticker was the time factor; three minutes could be problematic, especially if the number wheels on the puzzle were balky or sticky to turn - which they appeared to be.

[SuburbanHangSuite]

The segment of the tribe laughing about Giant Toe (I don't know her name) was hilarious.  That was a big toe.

Loving Katurah and her annoyance about Bruce.  He seems like....A LOT.  

I thought Brandon would have one small victory with that puzzle but, Nope.    But Emily was correct.  He does have fabulous hair.

Finally, I can listen to Sabiyah talk all day.  There is something soothing and charming in her southern drawl.   

[violet and green]

3 hours ago, Nashville said:

I don’t; Ep1 Emily was a TOTAL noodge.  

You don't know how badly I disliked her!

3 hours ago, HurricaneVal said:

I'm going to withhold judgement on Emily and Bruce and everyone else for a while.

This is where I'm at. Obviously, I'll have my reactions as the season and edit goes along, but I'd like to be a little bit more balanced with them until a few more things are clarified.

I don't doubt Emily is abrasive or that Bruce is rather annoying, though.

[bankerchick]

5 hours ago, Tango64 said:

"You can be the waterboy!" is the most pathetic inspirational speech ever. 

Maybe it's in a book on 'how to inspire others' or something.  I once had a manager who used this exact story except they asked her to be the equipment manager.

I think Brandon is an example of someone who has been led to believe that sun shines out of his ass and people will be happy just to be in his presence.  After he flamed out so badly in the first challenge, even after he stayed behind to be assessed by medical, he still complained on two different occasions about having to just sit for a while or having to rest.  Then when we learn that he is in fact not good at puzzles, he says he should be allowed to stay because at some point, a puzzle will come up that he can solve and when called on it, he tells us he has a great social game and so that's why they should keep him.

 

[seacliffsal]

40 minutes ago, bankerchick said:

Maybe it's in a book on 'how to inspire others' or something.  I once had a manager who used this exact story except they asked her to be the equipment manager.

I think Brandon is an example of someone who has been led to believe that sun shines out of his ass and people will be happy just to be in his presence.  After he flamed out so badly in the first challenge, even after he stayed behind to be assessed by medical, he still complained on two different occasions about having to just sit for a while or having to rest.  Then when we learn that he is in fact not good at puzzles, he says he should be allowed to stay because at some point, a puzzle will come up that he can solve and when called on it, he tells us he has a great social game and so that's why they should keep him.

 

And, as the two episodes progressed, so did the number of conditions that he has.  He added scoliosis this week.  His ailments were as numerous as the survivor skills he claimed to have.

[jabRI]

10 hours ago, Gummo said:

so I WANT to believe the Emily redemption arc, but a person doesn't just change their entire personality in one day....

Nope it was all calculated not to be voted out.  Just telling people what they want to hear.  I don't mind her, but she's not changing.

[albinerhawk]

After hearing Brandon complain about scoliosis, my first question was how did he ever pass the medical bar for this show? 

Personally I'm wondering if Caleb is making Emily his number 2 now to bring as a goat in the end game....

[PhoneCop]

Players like Brandon and Hannah are the reason I still feel bad for Wanda and Jonathan.

In contrast, I had to look up Kane. "Oh yeah, the dude who looks like Harvey from Stardew Valley."

Edited October 6, 2023 by PhoneCop

[SVNBob]

17 hours ago, Skooma said:

The thing is this Survivor was already filmed and in the can way WAY before the writers strike and the panic rush of the networks to fill in all the extra minutes in their fall schedule. 

That is why both Survivor and The Amazing Race expanded to 90 minutes this fall.  Survivor didn't plan for 90 minute episodes going into filming this season thus they couldn't make immunity challenges separate on purpose for the extra time they didn't know they would have.

I disagree.  The main reason they're doing fewer challenges overall isn't the episode length; it's the game length.

In seasons past, they had time for both RCs and ICs in 60-minute episodes.  But that was mainly in the original eras of 39 days and 16 players. 

In this, the "New Era" of Survivor, there's 18 players but only 26 days.  13 fewer than they originally started with.  And they need to eliminate 15 people by Day 25.  If there were still separate RCs and ICs, they'd be at a challenge every day.  With practically no food and water.  That's a medical liability they can't afford.

Edited October 6, 2023 by SVNBob
Triple posted

[Miss Bones]

On 10/5/2023 at 8:19 AM, Chicago Redshirt said:

"Peachy Begins."

😁 As a longtime lurker on this board, seldom-poster, can someone explain to me why Jeff is nicknamed Peachy?

On 10/5/2023 at 9:44 AM, Gummo said:

Bruce can leave yesterday, as far as I'm concerned. His antics are soooo tiresome. I can't imagine living with him 24/7. 

One of my peeves is when I have to fake-laugh with someone in a social situation, just to be kind, when they are NOT funny.  I have to do it at work a lot, but it just irks me!  I was cringing so hard at Bruce mugging (and robot-ing) for the camera!  So much second-hand embarrassment!

On 10/5/2023 at 6:33 AM, violet and green said:

Now I feel quite bad for disliking Emily so much after episode one. I was holding my breath by the end of tribal hoping to god they would vote Brandon out, and keep Emily.

20 hours ago, HurricaneVal said:

Watching Emily's turnaround from one episode to the next really brought that to mind.  Is she really a brusque, racist, bitch as portrayed in the first episode, or was she just so thrilled about being on Survivor that she busted out of the gate with too much enthusiasm for strategic game play and doesn't know how to reel it back in?  I know that editing candid footage into characters and story lines is always a part of reality TV.  Anyone who has watched the broadcast episodes of Big Brother and also watched the feeds or read summaries of the feeds knows that editing can completely change the plot and what you see in the show doesn't reflect what is really happening. 

Production can only edit together the pieces they've given, but unless you're Pollyanna, every person is a little bit of everything every day, so there's always going to be a lot of variation for the editors to stitch together whatever story production wants to tell.  I'm going to withhold judgement on Emily and Bruce and everyone else for a while.

15 hours ago, jabRI said:

Nope it was all calculated not to be voted out.  Just telling people what they want to hear.  I don't mind her, but she's not changing.

The Maya Angelou quote "When people show you who they are, believe them the first time" comes to mind for me, in regard to Emily.  JMO

13 hours ago, PhoneCop said:

Players like Brandon and Hannah are the reason I still feel bad for Wanda and Jonathan.

In contrast, I had to look up Kane. "Oh yeah, the dude who looks like Harvey from Stardew Valley."

😁 I always thought Kane looked like a mix of Rainn Wilson and Jim Gaffigan 

[Nashville]

40 minutes ago, Miss Bones said:

 

On 10/5/2023 at 7:19 AM, Chicago Redshirt said:

"Peachy Begins."

😁 As a longtime lurker on this board, seldom-poster, can someone explain to me why Jeff is nicknamed Peachy?

It’s a hangover from the pre-Primetimer forums (most notably TWOP) and is part of a play on Jeff’s initials: Jeff Probst = JP = Just Peachy.

You’ll also see Jiffy Pop -er- pop up in the same context occasionally….  

ETA: Knew this discussion sounded familiar…. 😄

 

Edited October 6, 2023 by Nashville

[Miss Bones]

57 minutes ago, Nashville said:

It’s a hangover from the pre-Primetimer forums (most notably TWOP) and is part of a play on Jeff’s initials: Jeff Probst = JP = Just Peachy.

You’ll also see Jiffy Pop -er- pop up in the same context occasionally….  

ETA: Knew this discussion sounded familiar…. 😄

 

I see!  Thanks for the reply.  I used to frequent the TWOP boards back in the day, also.  I just didn't watch Survivor then, because it was the same timeslot as Dawson's Creek, and this was before DVR, as you know. 😃

[Skooma]

11 hours ago, SVNBob said:

I disagree.  The main reason they're doing fewer challenges overall isn't the episode length; it's the game length.

In seasons past, they had time for both RCs and ICs in 60-minute episodes.  But that was mainly in the original eras of 39 days and 16 players.

Yes I do know all that.  The person I was replying too seemed to think that Survivor knew in advance they had to fill 90 minutes so why didn't they expand it and I was saying no they didn't at time of filming. 

90 minutes is a lot of time to fill.  It's perfectly great for The Amazing Race but not so much Survivor and having extra events would have been a good way to fill them if they knew in  advance. 

[Gummo]

Also, Amazing Race had a long enough lead time that they shot a whole new season for the 90 minute format. It was deemed too difficult to recut the previous season already shot, so for now it sits in the can.

[Nashville]

3 hours ago, Miss Bones said:

I see!  Thanks for the reply.  I used to frequent the TWOP boards back in the day, also.  I just didn't watch Survivor then, because it was the same timeslot as Dawson's Creek, and this was before DVR, as you know. 😃

No problem.  A forum discussion from seven years ago, that I remember.  What I had for breakfast Monday? Fuggedaboudit.

[Miss Bones]

1 hour ago, Nashville said:

No problem.  A forum discussion from seven years ago, that I remember.  What I had for breakfast Monday? Fuggedaboudit.

Relatable!

[eel2178]

20 hours ago, PhoneCop said:

Players like Brandon and Hannah are the reason I still feel bad for Wanda and Jonathan.

I still think it was even more unfair that Stephanie and Bobby Jon were brought back for a second season just because they were the two strong players on the losing team, but Wanda and Jonathan didn't get any concessions for never even getting the chance to play the game.

[jaigurudeva]

I liked Brandon's enthusiasm, and he seemed like a kind-hearted and genuine person, but it's kind of hard to feel bad for coming so short on his "lifelong dream" when it seems he'd done absolutely nothing to prepare. I feel like production took on Brandon expecting another Carson who will do a ton of puzzle study and hit the gym, and come onto Survivor as another superfan success story. And pressure and adrenaline is one thing, I can see how easy it would be mixing up the close match pairs in the first puzzle on such a time crunch, but bruh. Brandon was also trying to fit coral pieces on upside down like he'd never touched a jigsaw puzzle in his life, and has all the bodily function of a minute old foal. If Survivor is your number one bucket list item, wouldn't you do everything you could to improve your chances in the game?

The Lulus better keep one eye on Emily if she lasts to the merge. She's definitely trying to be more pleasant (strange that she seemed aware she was coming in aggressive and is now showing she can control it...why didn't she do that in the first place before immediately alienating her tribe? did she think it was big girlboss behavior that would win her kudos?) but she seems like the sort to hold a grudge and jump ship to the majority tribe come merge. I kind of hope Lulu turns it around and they all make it to merge just to see the other tribes' reactions to her unfiltered persecution complex.

I love both Sabiyah and Katurah both calling out the dipsticks on their respective tribes. Does the rest of the tribe really think Bruce is that hilarious, or are they all just trying to humor him and keep the peace? Feels like his "crazy uncle" antics would be cringe for anyone over the age of 8.

Drew describes himself as "slimy Napoleon Dynamite" and...yeah. At least he's self-aware of his vibe, even if he's deluded to think he's "the smartest person to ever play Survivor." He fluffs up his Ivy League status but he's an undergrad at UPenn, majoring in English and Philosophy, so he's not exactly "A Beautiful Mind" cracking mathematics and quantum physics here. I feel like if they both make it to the merge, Drew and Emily will either gravitate to one another or become mortal nemeses over-playing against one another in their imaginary 4D-chess.

[Nashville]

1 hour ago, jaigurudeva said:

Drew describes himself as "slimy Napoleon Dynamite" and...yeah. At least he's self-aware of his vibe, even if he's deluded to think he's "the smartest person to ever play Survivor." He fluffs up his Ivy League status but he's an undergrad at UPenn, majoring in English and Philosophy, so he's not exactly "A Beautiful Mind" cracking mathematics and quantum physics here. I feel like if they both make it to the merge, Drew and Emily will either gravitate to one another or become mortal nemeses over-playing against one another in their imaginary 4D-chess.

Hell, I’d give Cochran even odds on being able to kick Drew’s ass. 😆

[SVNBob]

10 hours ago, Skooma said:

Yes I do know all that.  The person I was replying too seemed to think that Survivor knew in advance they had to fill 90 minutes so why didn't they expand it and I was saying no they didn't at time of filming. 

90 minutes is a lot of time to fill.  It's perfectly great for The Amazing Race but not so much Survivor and having extra events would have been a good way to fill them if they knew in  advance. 

You misunderstand.

I'm saying that even if they knew in advance they would have 90-minute episodes in a given season, they still wouldn't have separate RCs and ICs because of the overall length of the game. 

Survivor also doesn't need additional challenges to fill time.  There's always camp life available for that.  Even moreso with 3 tribes.

[Lantern7]

Here is Erik's take on this episode, “All Girls’ Alliance featuring Brando”:

[Nashville]

20 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

Here is Erik's take on this episode, “All Girls’ Alliance featuring Brando”:

Funny; I never would’ve pegged Erik as a fan of Sun Tzu….  😆

[SVNBob]

19 minutes ago, Nashville said:

Funny; I never would’ve pegged Erik as a fan of Sun Tzu….  😆

He probably did some reading after his first season.

[Chicago Redshirt]

On 10/5/2023 at 6:51 PM, seacliffsal said:

And, as the two episodes progressed, so did the number of conditions that he has.  He added scoliosis this week.  His ailments were as numerous as the survivor skills he claimed to have.

Now I sort of wish he could feasibly be kept on so that he kept on revealing new liabilities that he actually had while claiming Survivor skills he did not.

"Guys, I'm really good at shelter building...but only when my tennis elbow is not acting up."

[Guest]

7 hours ago, SVNBob said:

Survivor also doesn't need additional challenges to fill time.  There's always camp life available for that.  Even moreso with 3 tribes.

Plus, there are all those dramatic, varied, and in-depth scenes of idol hunting that Jeff promised us! I can't wait for those!

[princelina]

On 10/6/2023 at 7:36 PM, jaigurudeva said:

 

The Lulus better keep one eye on Emily if she lasts to the merge. She's definitely trying to be more pleasant (strange that she seemed aware she was coming in aggressive and is now showing she can control it...why didn't she do that in the first place before immediately alienating her tribe? did she think it was big girlboss behavior that would win her kudos?) but she seems like the sort to hold a grudge and jump ship to the majority tribe come merge. I kind of hope Lulu turns it around and they all make it to merge just to see the other tribes' reactions to her unfiltered persecution complex.

In one of her opening THs she said something like wanting to "go big or go home" so I think her aggressive gameplay was deliberate - calling out things that I guess she hoped others would see and make them wary of others, maybe?  But she doesn't seem socially savvy enough to realize that she was just annoying the heck out of everyone until she was told.  She won't change her entire personality, but if she can just keep her mouth shut a little more she'll do herself a great favor.

[ljenkins782]

On 10/5/2023 at 7:08 PM, bankerchick said:

I think Brandon is an example of someone who has been led to believe that sun shines out of his ass and people will be happy just to be in his presence.  After he flamed out so badly in the first challenge, even after he stayed behind to be assessed by medical, he still complained on two different occasions about having to just sit for a while or having to rest.  Then when we learn that he is in fact not good at puzzles, he says he should be allowed to stay because at some point, a puzzle will come up that he can solve and when called on it, he tells us he has a great social game and so that's why they should keep him.

It did seem like he thought wanting to be on the show so badly was enough. He nearly got lucky with Emily's abrasiveness pissing people off so much, but they really did need to chuck him if they have any prayer of staying out of TC.

I'm just relieved that I finally figured out who he reminded me of before he left, it's the young Misty from Yellowjackets. That was bugging the hell out of me and I finally put my finger on it just before his torch got snuffed.

[millennium]

This is a show that famously agonized over whether it was politically correct for Jeff to collectively and informally refer to the players as "guys," as in "Come on in, guys."

But apparently it is just peachy to perpetuate a condescending, insulting and sexist stereotype like "the waterboy."

Traditionally, the "waterboy" is a metaphor for young men whose physical strength and prowess doesn't measure up to that of their more genetically gifted peers.   Unable to make the team cut, they are offered the position of "waterboy," a servile function requiring no physical skill, just a willingness to accept their inadequacies and resign themselves to furnishing refreshments for the real jocks.

The term "waterboy" is a cultural joke that should no longer have a place in today's world.   It is a term that is used to humiliate kids, boys in particular. 

Most school teams have support personnel who are often students themselves -- equipment managers, scorekeepers, time keepers, kids who run the concession stands, etc. -- boys AND girls.   Probst's use of the "waterboy" cliche really shows his age.   His self-loathing "waterboy" story reduces the contributions of all these kids.  It's based on the premise that they take these positions because they just aren't good enough to make the team, when in fact they may have different and legitimate reasons of their own, even if it's just wanting to be part of something, be with their friends, or to contribute to their school in some way.

But I guess since Jeff has already earned his woke cred by publicly forbidding the innocuous use of "guys," he can say anything he wants, however thoughtless and cruel.  

Brandon is painfully aware of his shortcomings.   He's been aware his entire life.   To be told by the host of Survivor, on global television, that he should think about being "the waterboy" must have knocked him clear back to the schoolyard. 

He should have punched Jeff in the mouth on his way out.

Edited October 9, 2023 by millennium

[violet and green]

3 minutes ago, millennium said:

Brandon is painfully aware of his shortcomings. 

Well... he thought he was good at puzzles.

[astrohip]

11 hours ago, millennium said:

This is a show that famously agonized over whether it was politically correct for Jeff to collectively and informally refer to the players as "guys," as in "Come on in, guys."

But apparently it is just peachy to perpetuate a condescending, insulting and sexist stereotype like "the waterboy."

Traditionally, the "waterboy" is a metaphor for young men whose physical strength and prowess doesn't measure up to that of their more genetically gifted peers.   Unable to make the team cut, they are offered the position of "waterboy," a servile function requiring no physical skill, just a willingness to accept their inadequacies and resign themselves to furnishing refreshments for the real jocks.

The term "waterboy" is a cultural joke that should no longer have a place in today's world.   It is a term that is used to humiliate kids, boys in particular. 

Most school teams have support personnel who are often students themselves -- equipment managers, scorekeepers, time keepers, kids who run the concession stands, etc. -- boys AND girls.   Probst's use of the "waterboy" cliche really shows his age.   His self-loathing "waterboy" story reduces the contributions of all these kids.  It's based on the premise that they take these positions because they just aren't good enough to make the team, when in fact they may have different and legitimate reasons of their own, even if it's just wanting to be part of something, be with their friends, or to contribute to their school in some way.

But I guess since Jeff has already earned his woke cred by publicly forbidding the innocuous use of "guys," he can say anything he wants, however thoughtless and cruel.  

Brandon is painfully aware of his shortcomings.   He's been aware his entire life.   To be told by the host of Survivor, on global television, that he should think about being "the waterboy" must have knocked him clear back to the schoolyard. 

He should have punched Jeff in the mouth on his way out.

You're not wrong. I was stunned when he used that term at Tribal. And I'm an old white guy, so I'm not a sensitive snowflake.

[princelina]

11 hours ago, millennium said:

Brandon is painfully aware of his shortcomings.  

I don't think he is.  As someone previously mentioned, he thought he was good at puzzles.  He also seemed to think he could do tough physical competitions without any preparation.  To me he is the poster boy for the "self-esteem" movement 😄

[Nashville]

7 hours ago, astrohip said:

You're not wrong. I was stunned when he used that term at Tribal. And I'm an old white guy, so I'm not a sensitive snowflake.

Same, on all counts. 😄  when Jiffy started on his personal account I thought he was leading up to something like team manager – but then when he trotted out “waterboy”, I was like, “Oh no you didn’t….”  😐

[millennium]

6 hours ago, princelina said:

I don't think he is.  As someone previously mentioned, he thought he was good at puzzles.  He also seemed to think he could do tough physical competitions without any preparation.  To me he is the poster boy for the "self-esteem" movement 😄

On Survivor, players are often put in the position of having to justify their place in the tribe: to the other players in real time, and to the home audience (and themselves) in the confessionals.  I don't think I have ever heard one person, even in a confessional, admit they're just cannon fodder and basically useless to their tribe.   Obviously Brandon can't promote himself as an asset in physical challenges.  And he has no social skills.   What else is left?   "I can help find crabs ... I can, um, gather sticks?"   So he floats the idea that he's good at puzzles, which is what people on this show say when they they have nothing else to offer.   And sooner or later the truth always comes out.

The casting of Brandon and Hannah seems akin to the way American Idol seems perfectly happy to let delusional and tone-deaf contestants make fools of themselves on television.

[princelina]

1 hour ago, millennium said:

The casting of Brandon and Hannah seems akin to the way American Idol seems perfectly happy to let delusional and tone-deaf contestants make fools of themselves on television.

I guess I don't agree - there have been plenty of regular girls and superfan-nerd dudes who have come on Survivor and survived.  I'd think everyone was a surprised as they seemed when Hannah punked out so early.  And while Brandon flubbed the original challenge, that can be attributed to nerves but then I'm sure they were hoping for a Comeback Kid story.  I don't know what they showed when they auditioned, but neither of them came off as super hopeless losers at first glance.

[bankerchick]

Unless there is some reason to believe that the players were coerced into participating, I see no reason to worry about the feelings of someone who willingly put themselves on a show that requires physicality that they clearly don't have, brags about solving puzzles that they can't solve and seems to think they deserve to stay based on socialization skills we certainly didn't see.  I suspect the constant 'everyone gets a ribbon' mentality is what led Brandon to believe he deserved to be on the show in the first place.

[Guest]

Just now, bankerchick said:

I suspect the constant 'everyone gets a ribbon' mentality is what led Brandon to believe he deserved to be on the show in the first place.

No doubt Brandon should have been better prepared and I'm actually a bit relieved that he is gone.

But I'm not comfortable with the concept of who "deserves" to be on the show. The show is open to everyone for applying (barring criminal activity of course), no matter what shape they're in or what sort of misguided view of their own assets they have. We've had plenty of people who were out of shape be on the show - some thrived and some didn't. We've also had people who I wish had never been cast for other reasons, mostly blatant assholery. But none of that means they didn't deserve to be there. That's a slippery slope to discrimination and gatekeeping and I can't get behind it.

And at any rate, the producers and casting department are the ones who had the final say on whether or not he was on the show, not Brandon. He shot his shot, they took a chance on him as they have with plenty of others, and it didn't work out this time. I say "oh well!"

[bankerchick]

OK, perhaps 'deserved' is not the right word.  More like 'believed he could be successful.'  That is equally delusional, as we saw.  I have no issues with Brandon applying or Survivor accepting him.  Perhaps if the first challenge had been easier he might have had a chance to establish himself and maybe he would have found a reservoir of strength (physical or mental) he didn't know he had.  Instead, he couldn't climb the ladder, had to be dragged onto the boat, had medical intervention and still complained several times about having to sit down or rest.  Then he bragged about being good at puzzles, but blew the first two he encountered.

If Survivor wants to cast Brandon or someone like him in every season until the show is cancelled, fine.  But I feel no guilt about my reaction to him, my relief that he's gone or my disappointment that two people who would have tried were passed over for two people who didn't.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, bankerchick said:

OK, perhaps 'deserved' is not the right word.  More like 'believed he could be successful.'  That is equally delusional, as we saw.  I have no issues with Brandon applying or Survivor accepting him.  Perhaps if the first challenge had been easier he might have had a chance to establish himself and maybe he would have found a reservoir of strength (physical or mental) he didn't know he had.  Instead, he couldn't climb the ladder, had to be dragged onto the boat, had medical intervention and still complained several times about having to sit down or rest.  Then he bragged about being good at puzzles, but blew the first two he encountered.

If Survivor wants to cast Brandon or someone like him in every season until the show is cancelled, fine.  But I feel no guilt about my reaction to him, my relief that he's gone or my disappointment that two people who would have tried were passed over for two people who didn't.

No reason you should feel guilt about your reaction or relief. As I said, I was also relieved that he was gone, and have had negative reactions to other players which I also feel no guilt about. It was the idea of someone deserving to be there that bothered me, and I appreciate your stepping back from that.

But I'm afraid I have to nitpick again with the part I bolded. I agree that Hannah didn't really try, but Brandon absolutely did. He did not want to leave, even if he said he would be satisfied if his game ended there. He enjoyed being out there and made his case to stay repeatedly, as opposed to Hannah, who said she would leave if they didn't "vote" her out. Failing doesn't mean you didn't try.

[bankerchick]

Last comment about this, honest.

I would argue that for someone who had spent their life watching Survivor and dreaming of being on it, 'trying' might have involved trying to get ready.  He's seen the show, he knows what's involved.  Physical challenges.  Mental challenges.  Emotional challenges.  He could have lost some weight, or done some strength training.  He could have calmed down, looked at the puzzles and put some concentration and effort into solving them instead of treating them like time-limited challenges. I realize the one challenge had a time component, but he was so determined to pull the stick out of the combination box (no idea how else to describe that) that he made very little effort to see if the patterns even matched before throwing the tiles aside, nor did he seem to quickly realize this was the problem.

Anyway, I feel I have flogged that dead horse for long enough.  Brandon is gone and I'm glad of it.  On to next week................

[Guest]

1 hour ago, bankerchick said:

Last comment about this, honest.

I would argue that for someone who had spent their life watching Survivor and dreaming of being on it, 'trying' might have involved trying to get ready.  He's seen the show, he knows what's involved.  Physical challenges.  Mental challenges.  Emotional challenges.  He could have lost some weight, or done some strength training.  He could have calmed down, looked at the puzzles and put some concentration and effort into solving them instead of treating them like time-limited challenges. I realize the one challenge had a time component, but he was so determined to pull the stick out of the combination box (no idea how else to describe that) that he made very little effort to see if the patterns even matched before throwing the tiles aside, nor did he seem to quickly realize this was the problem.

Anyway, I feel I have flogged that dead horse for long enough.  Brandon is gone and I'm glad of it.  On to next week................

I'm not really inclined to keep defending Brandon so I'm happy to drop it too!

[Hanahope]

I would certainly posit that to me, Survivor has gotten harder than it used to be.  Between little to no food, smaller tribes, and now the very potentiality of not having fire for many days, its a lot different from its first decade.  It has become much more "survivorish" (i.e. really being able to survive) than the social experiment it was once touted.  

[Nashville]

2 hours ago, bankerchick said:

two people who would have tried were passed over for two people who didn't.

I would put the onus of that less on the player(s) trying out, and more on the screening process which should have filtered them out prior to final casting.

[peachmangosteen]

4 hours ago, Hanahope said:

I would certainly posit that to me, Survivor has gotten harder than it used to be.  Between little to no food, smaller tribes, and now the very potentiality of not having fire for many days, its a lot different from its first decade.  It has become much more "survivorish" (i.e. really being able to survive) than the social experiment it was once touted.  

This is such an opposite take of what seems to be thought these days but I completely agree with you tbh.