S35: Ryan Ulrich

[Star Aristille]

Hi.  I'm a bellhop who fancies himself to be like Todd from China.

Well, I think he'll be just annoying as Todd was, so he's already on the right track there.

[Hanahope]

If he's underestimated, like Todd, he could go far.

Edited August 31, 2017 by Hanahope

[Silver Raven]

His was the first video I laughed at, the way he was side-eyeing somebody from the get-go.

[LadyChatts]

I wonder if "I plan on wearing turtlenecks in Fiji" was part of his audition pitch.  

Didnt annoy me in his video, but I think he's going to.

[SVNBob]

21 hours ago, Star Aristille said:

who fancies himself to be like Todd from China.

A recovering alcoholic?

[Rachel RSL]

I pre-hate him already. One of his pet peeves is "political correctness"? So, basically, he dislikes it when people are decent and respectful. Yeah, firmly in my pre-hate camp.

[azshadowwalker]

Political correctness in the age of Tumblrinas has gotten ridiculous. It's no longer about being respectful. It's about being batshit crazy and going on the attack to gain social capital. If that is where he's coming from, I agree with him. 

The term is silly in the US context, anyway. It's a Maoist term meaning having the correct Marxist politics. It's not about Tumblr politics of middle class white kids trying to prove how woke they are. 

Edited September 24, 2017 by azshadowwalker

[simplyme]

On 9/15/2017 at 3:34 PM, Rachel RSL said:

I pre-hate him already. One of his pet peeves is "political correctness"? So, basically, he dislikes it when people are decent and respectful. Yeah, firmly in my pre-hate camp.

Eh. I think it depends how he means it. Terms change over time, and the older you get the harder it seems to be to keep up with the best term. Also, sometimes people can't agree.

My general rule of thumb is that if someone is trying to be decent and respectful, that's what counts. If they use a term you dislike, tell them what term you prefer and why, but don't act like they were a jackass because they didn't know. I mean, I used to know all the preferred terms for various LGBT groups back in the 90s and early 2000s. Now? God help me.

So if his problem is more with people who blow up over not knowing what cisgender means, I kind of understand. I'll also add that my dad is rather elderly and keeps forgetting his PC terms. When and where he grew up, the terms "colored" and "Oriental" were used. My mother and I gently mutter the correct term (black/African American and Asian/Asian American) and he immediately corrects himself. It's not intentional, and he doesn't mean to disrespect people. His brain just isn't retaining that. (Or a lot of names...)

So I think people need to try to remember that people are people, and we all err. Forgiveness, decency and respect in both directions should be the goal.

Now if he's talking about the jerkwads who say things like, "I was just joking when I used the N word," then we can get out the pitchforks and torches. I'll help lead the mob in that case. ;)

[azshadowwalker]

Good first episode for Ryan. Hope he keeps it up. 

[LadyChatts]

I was so happy he got the advantage.  I'm not sure exactly where he stands on his tribe, since we didn't get a lot of dynamics, but hopefully spending more than 3 days together might not make him such an easy vote off.  He had some of the best quotes tonight.  I'm also glad he gave the idol to Chrissy, even though she ended up not needing it. 

[ByaNose]

I thought Ryan was going to be a Cochran clone but he stood out on his own. I was glad he pulled in a ally with Devon. Devon looked like he was thrilled to have a friend.. Also, he seemed to fit in with is tribe. Of course, it helped that they didn't come in last in the immunity challenge. He might even be able to draw in Chrissy if he tells her about giving her the "advantage" which she didn't use. I think he could do well post merge. There's still a long way to go before that though.

[SVNBob]

17 hours ago, ByaNose said:

I thought Ryan was going to be a Cochran clone but he stood out on his own. I was glad he pulled in a ally with Devon. Devon looked like he was thrilled to have a friend.

Instead of a Cochran clone, he's currently aping Fishbach, with Devon as his JT.

[Lamb18]

7 hours ago, SVNBob said:

Instead of a Cochran clone, he's currently aping Fishbach, with Devon as his JT.

Funny, I am watching that season right now. Fishbach looks so young, I hardly recognized him.

Regarding Ryan, he seemed like a David 2, but he didn't cry. I like him - the impression I got is that he knows his limitations and how others may perceive him, but he's self-confident. I hope he goes far.

[legaleagle53]

For some reason, he's pinging my gaydar even though he's implying that he's straight. Is anyone else getting that impression of him, or is it just me?

[azshadowwalker]

I don't really care what his sexuality is, but, no. He seems like a skinny dude who likes women. He wouldn't be the first one. 

[KimberStormer]

Saw this in the Wigler pre-season first impressions interviews about Ryan:

Quote

Patrick Bolton (Small Business Owner, Hustlers Tribe): I think he might be famous. I'm not sure. I've seen several of the producers talking to him, more than the rest. Is that a bad or good thing? I don't know. Maybe he needs somebody to talk to. Or maybe they just are so interested in what he has to say. But I'm like, "All right guys. You all are always talking to him." Somebody's always at lunch, dinner or breakfast, talking to this man. What is it about him? I wanna know. I wanna know what this guy is all about.

As if I needed more confirmation that TPTB are in love with their new, impossibly tedious go-to archetype of Skinny Nerd Superfan.  Jeeeesus Christ.  It's too much to ask that he'll be gone soon, I know, but still, Survivor Gods, if you hear me, I'll sacrifice the first fruits of my crop, whatever you want...

[Guest]

On 10/1/2017 at 9:55 AM, legaleagle53 said:

For some reason, he's pinging my gaydar even though he's implying that he's straight. Is anyone else getting that impression of him, or is it just me?

Not so much on the gay front but he's reminding me a lot of Todd from China.  Though part of that is I think he mentioned him in his pre-show interviews and he's as painfully thin in week one as Courtney was in China.  

I find myself staring at his oddly small jaw.  But I like him so far.  I usually like the nerdy superfans.  

[simplyme]

2 hours ago, Winston9-DT3 said:

Not so much on the gay front but he's reminding me a lot of Todd from China.  Though part of that is I think he mentioned him in his pre-show interviews and he's as painfully thin in week one as Courtney was in China.  

I find myself staring at his oddly small jaw.  But I like him so far.  I usually like the nerdy superfans.  

Yes to all of this. :)

For me, so far he's been a less-hyper Todd. I don't really see Cochran as much because Ryan seems waaaay more socially adept than Cochran.

[Guest]

He reminds a lot of people of other players.  The other cast mention Adam and David a lot, too.  I guess that's what happens when you cast archetypes.  

I got a Cochran vibe more from Patrick but mainly due to the red hair and day one sunburn.  

I find it funny that he wore a Sochi Olympics t-shirt around Ponderosa pre-show and now several castmates are wondering if he was an Olympian, and in what.  I hope he did it to mess with them.  

[Silver Raven]

On 8/31/2017 at 0:57 PM, Silver Raven said:

His was the first video I laughed at, the way he was side-eyeing somebody from the get-go.

And he's still my favorite.

[Guest]

He is very likable and articulate.  So far I'm good with him being a preferred narrator.  

http://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/video/24E7542D-8D0D-8C26-5A84-305C67461791/meet-survivor-season-35-castaway-ryan-ulrich/

[simplyme]

I thought it was interesting that in her Wigler interview (see: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/survivor-simone-nguyen-exit-interview-1045997 ), Simone mentioned that so far everone on the tribe loves Ryan:

Quote

So to you, did it feel like [Patrick] was the only person on the tribe you could reasonably target?

Yeah. Obviously everybody is super charmed by Ryan. Patrick acts the doofus, but Ryan is also acting the doofus, and everyone's taken in by him. I could tell, even in the beginning. Not only is he really smart and he can't hide it, but he's also funny and charming and goofy. I was thinking to myself, "Oh my god, that's so terrifying. I don't want to sit with anybody who is able to charm me." He's the king of jokes and the king of puns, and I was living for them. I wasn't trying to be charmed by anybody! I was just trying to exist out there, and rough it, and treat these people like they were all the same. But they were taking me in. Even Ryan was taking me in. It was hard. It was hard, Josh!

So according to Simone, Ryan is super charming.

[piequinn35]

Is Ryan a Law student?

[fishcakes]

He's a hotel bellman. In his CBS profile, he did say he wants to go to law school someday.

[piequinn35]

Roark mention him in her interview that Ryan is in Law School, and he lied about it.

Or maybe after filming of this show he went to law school, who knows.

[Special K]

16 hours ago, piequinn35 said:

Roark mention him in her interview that Ryan is in Law School, and he lied about it.

Or maybe after filming of this show he went to law school, who knows.

This makes me like him even more.   Most of the time, I think people who lie about their professions need to get over themselves, but I find this hilarious for some reason.  Like it's a big cosmic joke since I'm sure most people would be completely dismissive of and feel superior to a bellhop.  (I'm certain he actually has been a bellhop.)   (It also reminds me of the lobby boy in The Grand Budapest Hotel, which is a very sweet association.)

I also think Lauren is smart to hide her profession in her case.

Edited October 27, 2017 by Special K

[LadyChatts]

In a podcast I listened to, Max and Corinne said he was in law school and probably did the bellhop thing as a summer job.  However, TPTB have been known to list an occupation of a contestant that's different than what they're really doing.  Michele Fitzgerald was listed as a bartender, but she was doing something else at the time (travel agent I think), and hadn't bar tended in years.  Probably to go along with the theme and whatever tribe they designate them on. 

[Nashville]

3 hours ago, LadyChatts said:

However, TPTB have been known to list an occupation of a contestant that's different than what they're really doing.  Michele Fitzgerald was listed as a bartender, but she was doing something else at the time (travel agent I think), and hadn't bar tended in years.  

...and god only knows WHAT the hell Debbie Wanner actually did....

[Star Aristille]

8 hours ago, Special K said:

This makes me like him even more.

And me less.

[Oholibamah]

That petulant bratty face he gave Ali as he snapped, "I'm the one getting angry?" has solidified him in my bad books forever. What a little douche. It reminded me of Frodo when the Ring turned him into a power-hungry monster.

For someone who goes on ad nauseum about his "social game", you'd think he would have handled that conversation better. All he had to say was, "you're right. I should have told you. I'm sorry."

I think voting out Roark was a bad move because it burned Ali. Voting out Chrissy would have only burned Chrissy, who would now be gone. I suppose getting rid of Ali as a response to his prior bad move makes sense, but I don't know why Ryan thinks JP will work with him later.

[Nashville]

17 minutes ago, Oholibamah said:

That petulant bratty face he gave Ali as he snapped, "I'm the one getting angry?" has solidified him in my bad books forever. What a little douche. It reminded me of Frodo when the Ring turned him into a power-hungry monster.

 

<KAPOW> Bullseye.  Forget weasel; when Ryan snapped off at Ali, he went full ferret-face.

[SVNBob]

9 hours ago, Oholibamah said:

I don't know why Ryan thinks JP will work with him later.

Doesn't matter.  JP's just a meat-shield come the merge.

[LadyChatts]

Didn't like him pre-show but actually enjoyed him the first few episodes.  Next time I'm sticking with my original feeling.  

[Brookside]

On ‎10‎/‎6‎/‎2017 at 7:58 AM, Winston9-DT3 said:

I find myself staring at his oddly small jaw.  

Just reading this thread, but thank you for giving me something to look at rather than my wallpaper when the producers are fixating on his schlong

[NutMeg]

I think Ryan made his first strategic mistake, which could end up killing his game, by keeping someone who is not allied with him but is allied with his buddy Chrissy, which is exactly what he avoided successfully last week by voting out Roark. 

And the reason he made that mistake could be that he couldn't live with his deception of Ali, hence why he made such a blunder instead of patching things up even when she was presenting him with the olive branch. Which I'd say is why he will be out quicker than he expected, or turn out to be a goat. 

[peachmangosteen]

Yea, he has made what are imo pretty big social and strategic mistakes the past two eps. I think it's a combo of him not being nearly as good at either aspect of the game as he thinks/the editors want us to think and Chrissy having influence over him.

[Special K]

Please Ryan, put a shirt on and keep it on.  That is all.

[PhilMarlowe2]

On 11/4/2017 at 11:25 PM, Brookside said:

Just reading this thread, but thank you for giving me something to look at rather than my wallpaper when the producers are fixating on his schlong

I don't usually notice these things, but it looks like he has a huge penis flopping around in there!