S30: Shirin Oskooi

[ProfCrash]

I am AdHD myself. I like were I work because people are cool with me how I am. I also realize that if I go on a reality show to win a million dollars I might need to adjust my behavior so I could have a chance at winning.

Shirin has found people who love her and a job that pays well and she enjoys. That is great but I am sure there are situations were she adjusts her behavior because it is needed.

So yes, Shirin needed to adjust her behavior in the game if she wanted to win.

Does her eccentric behavior mean she should be treated the way she was? Nope. But she is eccentric and she does not appear to be the easiest person to be around for long periods of time.

[BigRedCheese]

Wow, just listened to Shirin's interview on RHAP, she said that Will had been running around saying she had no soul for a long time, and having mini-blowups at her. I don't know what his deal is, but his hatred of Shirin seems to go far beyond her being annoying. She said she tried asking him why he had such a problem with her, and he would just say it was all in her head. She also said Dan was calling Sierra an abused housewife and a good dog that does what she's told. If these are the people that found Shirin so annoying, seems like she's doing something right to not fit in with those yahoos.

[ProfCrash]

Yeah it was pretty shocking. I am withholding judgement until what she said is confirmed by Sierra or someone else.

[Way Wes Jr]

Wow, just listened to Shirin's interview on RHAP, she said that Will had been running around saying she had no soul for a long time, and having mini-blowups at her. I don't know what his deal is, but his hatred of Shirin seems to go far beyond her being annoying. She said she tried asking him why he had such a problem with her, and he would just say it was all in her head. She also said Dan was calling Sierra an abused housewife and a good dog that does what she's told. If these are the people that found Shirin so annoying, seems like she's doing something right to not fit in with those yahoos.

 

While this is one of those things that will devolve into a "he said, she said," situation, [and Lord, I tried to come up with a synonym for that phrase,] Shirin's account of her interactions with Will were much harsher than that.  I advise folk to give the RHAP interview a listen, but Shirin says that Will was accusing her of having "no soul," around the time of the merge.  When pressed by Rob as to why he would say that, her response was, "Well, I'm not a Christian, and I'm Middle Eastern, so..."

[pfk505]

Having watched this show forever, this Shirin situation strikes me more as the editors trying to create a narrative out of a dull season / group of people.  A solid number of these people call Shirin crazy even months later, and she comes off as crazy.  I really don't believe much of what she says at all.  I think she wildly exaggerates.  Yet the editing tells us a story, always a story.  Will made me feel sorry for Shirin and his comments went way too far, but I was right back to being irritated this week.  This is really one of those "I wish everyone could lose" seasons.

[pennben]

I really enjoyed this interview which focused on the positive side of her Survivor experience.

[BigRedCheese]

 

A solid number of these people call Shirin crazy even months later

 

I don't know if I've heard anyone say she's crazy, but I'm not on Twitter, but the ones that are saying she's annoying are the ones that seem batshit crazy to me. There's plenty of  people that liked her just fine, including some that initially found her annoying. When people like Will, Rodney, and Dan are the main ones you didn't get along with, I just think you're doing something right, if not in Survivor, then certainly in life.

[ProfCrash]

Shirin in Gordon Holmes's word association. I think that Gordon didn't ask Hali about Shirin because they had discussed the Dan stuff in the interview. Jenn replied expletive deleted for all of the folks. Max assigned everyone a number, Gordon thinks it might be a winner from a different season that Max thinks that person is like.

 

Jenn: expletive deleted
Joe: Super fan
Hali: Not asked about Shirin in word association
Kelly: She’s another wingnut
Joaquin: Cancerous, cynical, annoying, psychotic, delusional

Max: 28 (Tony won season 28 so I don't buy Gordon's logic)
So: Delusional schizophrenic

 

So the No collars were all fine with Shirin. I suspect that they are more laid back people who were more open to different types of people. The White Collars disliked Shirin from day one. Kelly's response was more polite and probably indicates that Shirin was annoying but not psychologically unbalanced.

 

At the very least, she was divisive. I think she grated on people who were really high strung and annoyed folks who were more flexible.

Edited May 1, 2015 by ProfCrash

[wonald]

Max saying Shirin is like S28 means that she was like Kass from that season: a goat that was NOT taken to the end but who insists that she would have won if she did.

[BigRedCheese]

Shirin certainly would have had a solid shot at it, considering the jury and the people she would have been up against. But we'll never really know.

[ProfCrash]

Thanks wonald. That makes far more sense

[pennben]

 

Hali: Not asked about Shirin in word association

 

I'm not sure if I saw this on twitter or somewhere else, but Holmes stated that he asked Hali about Shirin, but he couldn't hear/transcribe her answer because the phone connection failed.

[peachmangosteen]

When people like Will, Rodney, and Dan are the main ones you didn't get along with, I just think you're doing something right, if not in Survivor, then certainly in life.

'

This! I think if the people this season hated me I would probably consider it a badge of honor.

 

And like when these people seem to actually like Dan, Will, Rodney, Joaquin, etc then I honestly just can't take their opinion that Shirin is 'crazy' seriously.

[pfk505]

'

This! I think if the people this season hated me I would probably consider it a badge of honor.

 

And like when these people seem to actually like Dan, Will, Rodney, Joaquin, etc then I honestly just can't take their opinion that Shirin is 'crazy' seriously.

 

I don't know, I guess I'm just used to not believing the edit, at least insofar as they are prone to telling "big stories" manufactured out of specific incidents.  In addition to the "villains" of this season referring to Shirin as somewhat unhinged, we also have countless in-game comments from people like Carolyn, Jenn, and Hali which are unambiguously negative towards her.  But the "story" is that she is a poor victim beset upon by these big bad villains.  I find Dan to be repulsive - he's a bad liar, he's completely insincere, and he looks like he smells like a garbage truck.  But the editors aren't trying to feed us a line about how he's something he's not. 

 

Like them or not, I think I'll go ahead and trust the majority opinion.  This is a woman who paraded around bottomless during the first week of the game and called it strategic.  She's nuts.

Edited May 1, 2015 by pfk505

[fishcakes]

This is a woman who paraded around bottomless during the first week of the game and called it strategic.  She's nuts.

 

I hate it when anyone gets naked in this game mainly because I think it's bad manners and makes other people uncomfortable.  I criticized Shirin for it when she did it and I stand by that. But to be fair, I don't remember her ever claiming it was strategic; as I recall she said it was a matter of not wanting to walk around in wet clothes, which I don't necessarily believe either. My suspicion is that it was just part of her Survivor bucket list to be pixelated on national TV. What I don't think, though, is that it's evidence of mental illness. There have been a lot of people who've gone around naked or either topless/bottomless on this show; off the top of my head: Hatch, Fairplay, Stephanie from Thailand, Jenna Morasca, Heidi, Julie Berry, Sarge, Parvati, Tyson, and just in this season alone, Max, Hali, and Jenn. It's rude, and depending on who it is, it hurts my eyes, but I don't think it indicates any of them are crazy.

[Trixie Belden]

I don't know, I guess I'm just used to not believing the edit, at least insofar as they are prone to telling "big stories" manufactured out of specific incidents... But the "story" is that she is a poor victim beset upon by these big bad villains. 

 

I don't know how they could have edited Will's behavior towards Shirin any other way than what we saw.  No matter what, he SAID those truly terrible things to her, he owned it at TC and hasn't recanted publicly since the episode was shown.  In the beginning of the season, Shirin's "story" was that she was a quirky, socially unaware superfan - she didn't get a sympathetic edit at all.  There's just simply no way to spin what Will did, or what Dan said (about slapping her in the face) or the fact that nobody even offered her a sympathetic smile, except Mike who stood up for her.  

[ProfCrash]

Shirin's Gordon Holmes interview has not been posted yet, weird. Normally Josh Wiggler's interviews take forever to post (he still hasn't posted one with Jenn) but his Shirin interview is already up.

 

On Shirin's edit: Shirin has been shown calling people stupid and made at least one comment about Will's weight. There have been a ton of talking heads with pretty much every one who played with her calling her annoying and complaining about her talking. I don't think she got the most sympathetic treatment by the Producers.

 

It is possible that Shirin did some really awful things that we have not been shown but I don't think Jen, Hali, and Joe would have rallied to her side if that was the case. Jenn was pretty open in stating how much Shirin drove her crazy while they were playing and Jenn's description of Shirin at Ponderosa is kind of humorously tolerant of Shirin's quirks.

 

Honestly, I think Shirin was annoying but I don't think she was verbally abusive to anyone and I will be surprised if I hear that she was.

 

She was bullied and I thought she handled it well. I don't think she was made out to be someone who blamed everything that happened to her out there on her history of abuse. I think she mentioned being abused in response to a specific personal attack. Will said she had no family who loved her and Shirin's response was she didn't have a family that loved her because her father was verbally and physically abusive and she left the situation when she could. That is not "Playing the victim" that is an explanation. I doubt she would have said anything before Will made those personal attacks. 

[ratgirlagogo]

 

. My suspicion is that it was just part of her Survivor bucket list to be pixelated on national TV.

Oh, that is funny!  Honestly that hadn't even occurred to me but now that you've said it I'm sure you're right.  A true superfan indeed.  Look how excited she was about Jeff snuffing out her torch.:)

[ProfCrash]

Reed was pretty excited for the torch snuff last year also. It is kind of dorky but cool to see

[scowl]

I believe she said her nudity was enjoyable because people left her alone.

[pfk505]

There have been a lot of people who've gone around naked or either topless/bottomless on this show; off the top of my head: Hatch, Fairplay, Stephanie from Thailand, Jenna Morasca, Heidi, Julie Berry, Sarge, Parvati, Tyson, and just in this season alone, Max, Hali, and Jenn. It's rude, and depending on who it is, it hurts my eyes, but I don't think it indicates any of them are crazy.

 

For me, this really depends on the context and the point in the game at which it happens.  Hali and Jenn, if I recall, did it privately and away from others.  Jenna and Heidi did it for some kind of reward.  Hatch did it both during a challenge and in much the same way as Shirin and Max.  What really weirded me out about it was that it was during the first few days of the game, out and amongst strangers (recall that scene where Tyler is just perplexed as she's standing right beside him).  That to me is crazy.  Are we allowed to say "crazy" or is that a slur of some kind?

 

 

I don't know how they could have edited Will's behavior towards Shirin any other way than what we saw.  No matter what, he SAID those truly terrible things to her, he owned it at TC and hasn't recanted publicly since the episode was shown.  In the beginning of the season, Shirin's "story" was that she was a quirky, socially unaware superfan - she didn't get a sympathetic edit at all.  There's just simply no way to spin what Will did, or what Dan said (about slapping her in the face) or the fact that nobody even offered her a sympathetic smile, except Mike who stood up for her.  

 

I wouldn't try to spin anything Will or Dan has said, nor would I defend them.  Both said things which were wholly uncalled for.  Shirin's personal edit has been both positive and negative, fair play to the editors, but the "story" of these past few episodes has been to take a verbal altercation between two players (along with Shirin calling out the bystanders) and to turn it into a PSA about "domestic violence".  I know I'll be disagreed with here but for me violence still requires some kind of physical act or threat.

 

She was bullied and I thought she handled it well. I don't think she was made out to be someone who blamed everything that happened to her out there on her history of abuse. I think she mentioned being abused in response to a specific personal attack. Will said she had no family who loved her and Shirin's response was she didn't have a family that loved her because her father was verbally and physically abusive and she left the situation when she could. That is not "Playing the victim" that is an explanation. I doubt she would have said anything before Will made those personal attacks. 

 

I don't recall her saying in-game that anyone had been physically abusive towards her, but I could be wrong about that.  I know she has said as much since Wednesday.  I'm guessing that Will used that to attack her because she has mentioned it before.  A lot.  She strikes me as somebody who has internalized the negative things which have happened to her to such a degree that they have become a huge part of her identity, and who not only feeds off but actively requires the sympathy of others to an unhealthy degree.

Edited May 1, 2015 by pfk505

[wonald]

Am I the only one who thinks this motormouth has no filter and was probably  telling her sad sack story from Day 2? I say Day 2 since she was too busy squeeing about being on Survivor for the first day. Just me? Okay.

[peachmangosteen]

I read the naked scene with Tyler/Joaquin differently. To me it looked like she was alone, washing the dishes, and Tyler and Joaquin came to the beach and proceeded to stand there and watch her wash dishes while claiming it bothered them so much to see her naked. Then leave. It's not that hard. 

 

I think people just wanted someone to hate and Shirin was an easy target because she is different and talkative. Not to mention a proud feminist in a season full of sexist/misogynistic people.

 

I prefer Joe/Hali/Jenn/Mike as people to the others so I take their opinion more seriously and they love Shirin.

[peachmangosteen]

Also Shirin likened every single cast member to a Harry Potter character for the word association game in this interview and like I just can't hate someone who would do that.

 

I do take issue with her thinking Joaquin is Draco though. Joaquin wishes!

[ProfCrash]

The child of evl parents seems fair enough

[Jal]

:(

[pfk505]

Am I the only one who thinks this motormouth has no filter and was probably  telling her sad sack story from Day 2? I say Day 2 since she was too busy squeeing about being on Survivor for the first day. Just me? Okay.

 

Nope, not just you ;)

[SlackerInc]

Wow, just listened to Shirin's interview on RHAP, she said that Will had been running around saying she had no soul for a long time, and having mini-blowups at her. I don't know what his deal is, but his hatred of Shirin seems to go far beyond her being annoying. She said she tried asking him why he had such a problem with her, and he would just say it was all in her head. She also said Dan was calling Sierra an abused housewife and a good dog that does what she's told. If these are the people that found Shirin so annoying, seems like she's doing something right to not fit in with those yahoos.

 

I so agree--nice post.  Was the "yahoos" wordplay intentional?  I didn't catch it the first time I read your comment.

 

I don't know if I've heard anyone say she's crazy, but I'm not on Twitter, but the ones that are saying she's annoying are the ones that seem batshit crazy to me. There's plenty of  people that liked her just fine, including some that initially found her annoying. When people like Will, Rodney, and Dan are the main ones you didn't get along with, I just think you're doing something right, if not in Survivor, then certainly in life.

 

This.  A thousand times this!

[SlackerInc]

Peachmangosteen, thanks so much for posting that Gordon Holmes interview--ironclad proof of Shirin's awesomeness.  :)

[AZChristian]

I participate on another reality board, and some of the non-Potterheads there asked for "translations" as to who these Potter characters are.  After a couple of pages of interaction from fans vs non-fans of the series, I now feel like Shirin.  Geek to the nth power. 

 

LOL.

[LadyChatts]

Am I the only one who thinks this motormouth has no filter and was probably  telling her sad sack story from Day 2? I say Day 2 since she was too busy squeeing about being on Survivor for the first day. Just me? Okay.

 

Hopefully I'm wrong, but I think Shirin may overplay this card a little too much to the point where even supporters get tired of it.  And she may drag her dirty30 cast mates down with her if she takes every negative comment too literally.  I'm on her side now, but I can see the other side of where people are.  I enjoyed Shirin, even if she did seem annoying about the Survivor experience.  It seemed like that was all she talked about out there, more than anything else.  So I can see where being in confined quarters would get to people if she went on and on about something that no one cared about.  But I wish she could have been in a better, funnier group of people.  This group left is so miserable, I've never seen people so excited to get voted off before.

 

Here's another exit interview she did with People.  I thought some of these were interesting, especially her take on the game Rodney and Carolyn are playing.  I have a feeling Rodney either dialed it way back or Dan and Will were that unbearable that anything Rodney said looked like a compliment. 

 

http://www.people.com/article/survivor-worlds-apart-shirin-oskooi-exit-interview

 

Let's talk about some of the other contestants. Did Tyler have any role in your confrontation?

Yes. Tyler is the one who brought me into the camp. Will and Rodney had come to camp carrying the box of food that Will had gotten. Tyler looked up and said, "Oh, hey. Something's going on. Let's go up there." He walked me into being insulted.

To be fair, he didn't know that Will was capable of that – nobody did – but he watched it happen and said nothing.

Tyler was not good to the women out there. When I voted for him, I said, "Just sit there and look pretty." That was his catchphrase that he said to the women all the time.

 

What about Sierra? She was there, too.

Sierra gave me my space, and then we both broke down sobbing. It cut deeply that she was a friend of mine and then she let it happen. But we're good now. She is the kindest, most goodhearted person on the planet.

 

What about Rodney?

Rodney is very funny, even when he's complaining. He was actually nice to me a lot of the time, which is more than I can say about other people. He was never vicious.

 

And Carolyn?

Carolyn means well. she's playing hard – a lot harder than any of us knew while we were out there. We didn't know she had an idol; we didn't see the moves she's making. She's got her eye on the prize; she's just aligned with some horrible people. She was kind to me, and we had a working relationship.

 

Edited May 4, 2015 by LadyChatts

[kikaha]

LadyChatts, I'm real surprised to hear Shirin say Carolyn was kind to her.  What I remember are the big insults Carolyn threw at Shirin pre-merge.  Those later became water under the dam? 

 

In Shirin's Harry Potter game, she sees herself in the role of Hermione.  Second most important character in the entire series.  That's so far off base wrt to this Survivor season, it makes me wonder how accurate her other characterizations are. 

 

She should not expect others to stand up for her, such as when Will went on the attack.  Sandra, in her RHAP stint, described how she would react, and that is almost exactly how it played out in the Will/Shirin confrontation: those who liked Will or were in an alliance with him stayed quiet, while those who were in an alliance with Shirin stood up for her. 

[Zuleikha]

She probably identifies with Hermione because of the book worm, always raises her hand in class aspect to Hermione. I doubt it's intended as a commentary on where Shirin sees her importance in the game.

[Porkchop]

No one should be spoken to in the way that Will spoke to Shirin. To say that someone does not have a soul, to say that there is no one in the world who loves her, and on and on ... these are personal attacks beyond all game play. And the fact that Will thought the audience would be cheering for him when that episode aired ... it's alarming that a guy could be so far off base.

 

And Dan ... here's a guy who complains in a talking head about people being two-faced ... while proving beyond a doubt that he is two-faced.

[ProfCrash]

I read in an interview that Carolyn and Shirin worked out their differences post game. She has not done so with Dan or Will.

[LadyChatts]

http://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/news/1004152/superfan-shirin-joins-the-jury-one-of-season-30-s-most-talked-about-players-opens-up-about-her-biggest-wake-up-call-and-keeping-optimistic/

 

Here's another interview with Shirin.  It's pretty long, but she says some interesting things about why Tyler was considered a threat to win and Rodney's game play (she's another who underestimated him).  Oh, and she said on day 1 Joaquin called her fat to her face, so never mind me wanting to see him back again.  Apparently he called Carolyn old, and Shirin fat, but wanted to get rid of Carolyn first and told Shirin she'd be next if they lost.  Yeah, we saw how that turned out.  Suddenly I'm thinking Rodney was the better half of that bromance.  

 

No one should be spoken to in the way that Will spoke to Shirin. To say that someone does not have a soul, to say that there is no one in the world who loves her, and on and on ... these are personal attacks beyond all game play. And the fact that Will thought the audience would be cheering for him when that episode aired ... it's alarming that a guy could be so far off base.

 

 

Oh I completely agree Will crossed the line.  I would argue he might have been justified to a point if he was upset over being called a hold out with the food, but he went way beyond where he should have gone.  And since it sounded as though he had been a real stinker to Shirin since the tribe swap/merge, I can't even say the circumstances of the auction and sharing his food just got to him and he blew up (which is what I thought did it).  It was something simmering, he knew he had more people on his side and that Shirin was on the outs; classic tale of a bully.  Just like Dan has done, pick on the smallest and more ostracized people in front of everyone to make yourself feel big and mighty.  Will had pretty much had zero screen time since the merge, so I'm guessing it was that moment plus not realizing just how horrible it was going to come across (and the backlash that would follow) that caused him to gloat.  Even after, it seemed as though he didn't think he did anything wrong.

Edited May 4, 2015 by LadyChatts

[303420]

I am totally Shirin, except older (40), and it's only been in the last ten years or so that I've learned how to better control my more annoying tendencies in mixed company. I'm still not great at it; I'm very uncomfortable at work gatherings, for example, or at large receptions/events when the audience isn't confined to my eccentric friends. When I sent an audition tape to Survivor many years ago, my sister rather bluntly said I'd do terribly on Survivor because no one would like me. I was hurt at the time, but seeing the reception to Shirin suggests to me that she was probably right, especially back then.

 

I also just finished law school, which I attended with people much younger than me. One of my best friends found me almost intolerably annoying the first year she knew me, then we got thrown together in a project and came out of it like sisters. There were two mean-girl type women who were awful to me since orientation because I was the hand-up-in-class type. They chaired a board that I was on this past year; one of them grew to like me a lot and the other one still can't stand me (I'm not fond of her either), but she has developed a grudging respect for my competence (and I hers). My community at law school was small though, and I had 800 people to mine through rather than the handful that Shirin had on the show.

 

So yeah, I see a lot of myself in Shirin and I find the response to her somewhat scary, but I also know she will learn how to manage her more difficult tendencies well enough to surround herself only with people who appreciate the depth beyond the weirdness. I would love to hang with her, myself.

Edited May 5, 2015 by 303420

[AZChristian]

303420 . . . You just come over here and sit on the nice, soft sofa with Shirin and me.  I think we're sisters who have just met.

[peachmangosteen]

I also just finished law school, which I attended with people much younger than me.

 

Congratulations!

 

Oh, and she said on day 1 Joaquin called her fat to her face, so never mind me wanting to see him back again.

 

This makes me like the scene where she was riling him up even more than I already did. I love her!

Edited May 5, 2015 by peachmangosteen

[ProfCrash]

See, it makes me cringe that she did that. If Joaquin said that, no one else has had much to say about his game play, we did not see it, and he has not responded to that accusation, the Shirin's response to poke at him was a really bad idea. She lost any sympathy she earned by poking at Joaquin. While I don't think she should have said nothing when Joaquin made the comment, poking at him later and goading him the way she did only made her seem annoying to Carolyn and Tyler. It helped to cost her two allies.

 

She had a good relationship with Carolyn at the start, she lost that because she and Max were so annoying. I am sure that part of that was the goading Joaquin.

[peachmangosteen]

I don't care, that's the kind of person I'd wanna be friends with! A bad Survivor player, sure, but a person I'd like to know. Joaquin, on the other had, is a bad Survivor player and an asshole. Shirin wins!

 

I think ultimately the reason why Joaquin hates Shirin is because he's just so pissed she made it so much further than he did. So as well.

[wonald]

I am on Team BOTH Joaquin and Shirin Sucked And Should Never Have Been Cast On Survivor.

[BigRedCheese]

I'm definitely Team Shirin, hope she gets invited back. Joaquin? Pre-jury boot, I barely even remember what he looks like now.

[fishcakes]

I'm definitely Team Shirin, hope she gets invited back. Joaquin? Pre-jury boot, I barely even remember what he looks like now.

 

Oh, I remember what he looks like. Call me, Joaquin! But then stop talking immediately!

[wonald]

Survivor needs to stop casting these people that they rejected for 10-15 yrs running. There was a reason for it. That includes Dan Foley, Troyzan, S23 Rick, and Dawn too.

[BigRedCheese]

I don't know fishcakes, if he calls you, I hope you're a size 0 waist, or he'll probably think you're way too fat.

[SlackerInc]

So yeah, I see a lot of myself in Shirin and I find the response to her somewhat scary, but I also know she will learn how to manage her more difficult tendencies well enough to surround herself only with people who appreciate the depth beyond the weirdness. I would love to hang with her, myself.

 

You sound cool!  I would love to hang out with you, I'm sure.  Wear the enmity of the lame-o haters as a badge of pride.  (I tweeted more or less the same thing at Shirin, and she favorited it.)

 

I don't care, that's the kind of person I'd wanna be friends with! A bad Survivor player, sure, but a person I'd like to know. 

 

Yes.  And I think some people in analyzing this game lose a little perspective and treat it as though it was the Hunger Games or something--you have to do what it takes to win, or you are dead.  The vast majority of those who play don't win; and whether or not you win $700K after tax (increasingly less life-changing with each passing year), everyone who plays and makes an impact becomes famous or notorious, depending.  I think it does not make someone a "bad player" to also have part of their "game" being true to themselves in front of millions of observers.  That has to be worth more than a few hundred grand.

[wonald]

I. Don't. Care. That Shirin fulfilled her lifelong dream of being on Survivor and was true to herself or whatever. Just like I don't care that Dan Foley finally fulfilled his lifelong Survivor dream. All I care as a viewer is to be entertained (and ideally delighted) and neither did so.

[BigRedCheese]

Just voted for Shirin to come back, hope she makes it back on.

[SlackerInc]

Where does one vote?