S32: Alecia Holden

[kikaha]

NutMeg, some people who suck at challenges have done well.  One (Sandra) even won.  But usually they are on winning tribes in the early going.  Alecia's tribe lost from the start.  As the weak link (by far), she was lucky not to get booted before this. 

 

I feel she wasn't good at challenges or strategy, and on top of that trusted the wrong person.  All the rah-rah in the world can't make up for lousy game-playing, lousy physical, and lousy social. 

 

I have to confess, I'm pretty blah about this season, and that is probably coloring my reactions.  

[marys1000]

From an exit interview on CBS 7 things Alecia wants you to know

 

Alecia:  In the first couple of episodes, most of the stuff they said was in the interviews, but none of it was said to my face. In Episode 4 when they started being mean to my face, thats when I addressed the situation.

 

 

[NurseGiGi]

NutMeg, some people who suck at challenges have done well.  One (Sandra) even won.  But usually they are on winning tribes in the early going.  Alecia's tribe lost from the start.  As the weak link (by far), she was lucky not to get booted before this. 

 

I feel she wasn't good at challenges or strategy, and on top of that trusted the wrong person.  All the rah-rah in the world can't make up for lousy game-playing, lousy physical, and lousy social. 

 

I have to confess, I'm pretty blah about this season, and that is probably coloring my reactions.  

I, too, think Alecia was a pretty bad player and hope to never see her again on the show.  However, I think she was placed with Brawn because they hoped for some drama (good tv!) and they obviously got it.  I'm placing the blame of her being there past the first episode on the Gruesome Twosome because they were complicit in keeping her there even though they knew she couldn't help win challenges.  They cut Darren (not sure if that's his name and too lazy to look) for making a simple mistake and this poor decision seemed to irk even Jeff so yeah, they made their bed.

[marys1000]

I'm more convinced than ever that she got a spot because of her Dad.  Tony Holden was a TV producer of outdoor extreme challenge type competions.  Gee, just like Mark Burnett.  Then he became a boxing promoter and meanwhile Mark Burnette produces a reality tv show (5? seasons) called Contender.  I can't imagine they don't at least know of each other.  Her dad said in an interview "I just knew she'd be picked".  I personally hate insider job hiring, nepotism and all that. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

Do you think the other people are cast through some sort of meritocracy? 

 

I think almost the entire cast of Season 13, for example, were recruited actors.  http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2006/08/survivor-cook-islands-cast_recruited/

In Season 14, only "Gary" applied.  http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2007/02/survivor-fiji-debut/

Edited March 19, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[LadyChatts]

I don't know if that's really any different than someone being cast because they know former Survivors (or reality show contestants in general). 

 

MsBlueJay, I remember the big uproar over Fiji because the entire cast (except Gary) was cast, and that is why many consider it to be such a horrible season.  In hindsight, it doesn't seem too bad now.  What amuses me is that TPTB purposely made a point of picking those 2 seasons to show they weren't against casting more diverse contestants, yet they had to do massive recruits to achieve that (and of all the applications they get, do they really not have enough of a diverse pool to chose from?)

[Ms Blue Jay]

I didn't watch 13 and 14 in real time -- I watched them years later.  I think they're two of the all time best.  So I couldn't really feel any "uproar" of separating the races in Cook Islands as Season 13 ended up being one of the most all time amazing (and look how many "All stars/fan favourites" come from that year.)   Who cares if the show recruits if that is the end result?  I only care about being entertained, and I'd rather the show be diverse than not.  Yes, Jeff Probst defended the recruitment move by saying it gives them more diversity and apparently not many non-white applicants apply.  Good for the show I say.   32 seasons, they're going to try different and creative things for casting.  

 

Casting recruits instead of "letting the people apply through the normal processes" does not make for an awful season IMO.  I love Season 14, I love Dreamz, Yau-Man, The Edgardo blindside, and on and on.  I read about the Edgardo blindside at TWOP for years before I actually saw it.  I think 14 goes in the history books.

 

We don't know where any of the cast comes from until we start doing investigation or hearing things in the news.  Apparently Liz was cast after she went on an OKCupid date with Fishbach?  That kind of annoyed me, but maybe the producers are getting desperate and the applicants (if any actually exist) just aren't great or diverse?

Edited March 20, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[Ms Blue Jay]

I agree, I think Liz could have been a good cast member.  I didn't see a lot of her but I preferred her over several others.

[marys1000]

This is the place this stupid "I'm so proud of myself for petting uncaged tigers in Taiwan" was. I hate her kind of self centered selfish stupidity. She has nothing to be proud of. http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/01/asia/thailand-tiger-temple-cub-bodies-found/index.html

[Special K]

1 hour ago, marys1000 said:

This is the place this stupid "I'm so proud of myself for petting uncaged tigers in Taiwan" was. I hate her kind of self centered selfish stupidity. She has nothing to be proud of. http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/01/asia/thailand-tiger-temple-cub-bodies-found/index.html

There's way too much of people being proud of themselves on Survivor (and elsewhere).  When I was growing up (yes, I'm going there), being proud was something others were of you.  Like your parents or your teachers would be proud of you.  It was unseemly to be proud of yourself (even sinful for those so inclined).

[Nashville]

On 6/1/2016 at 11:44 AM, marys1000 said:

This is the place this stupid "I'm so proud of myself for petting uncaged tigers in Taiwan" was. I hate her kind of self centered selfish stupidity. She has nothing to be proud of. http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/01/asia/thailand-tiger-temple-cub-bodies-found/index.html

The word "foul" is way too mild.  :[