Hey Now, You're An All-Star
Perhaps it is out of character for me to remain mum on the up-coming Survivor All Star (8) series that kicks off just after the Superbowl. I've been such a zealot about past seasons, it just doesn't seem right not to throw my thoughts about the new season out there. I am not sure that I can commit to watching it regularly (it is very hard to get home for 7pm on Thursday nights - curses upon ye, Central Time Zone!), but I will tune in for episode 1 and intermittently, when I can... I'd watch it all the time if I knew how to program a VCR, but sadly, I am not built to do that.
Thoughts on the new season:
1. I generally approve of the picks. Basically, there were two seasons that I never watched / couldn't get into - Marquesas & Thailand. So, I don't particularly care about who represents those sub-par seasons. If I had been in charge, I would have erased those seasons from cultural memory. I was a little sad to see Jenna L from season 1 (instead of runner-up Kelly - who I liked because she played well, but definitely felt bad about screwing people) but I can understand the choice. Surely Elizabeth Filarski is busy with her new job on "The View" and routing on her Quaterback husband (and brother-in-law), but she'll be missed. Overall, I am pleased with the selection though - I never liked Jenna (who beat out Rob in a recent survivor) so I think she's just along for her supermodel body and her still perplexing win. I hate "Boston Rob," but they needed to pick people from Marquesas and it's cool that Kathy, a Burlington, VT resident gets another shake. It's cool that Lex is back, he was a good character. From last season though, we obviously get Rupert - but it might have been cool to have Lil / Burton back... I know that "Johnny Fairplay" was memorable, but since he annoyed me, I don't mind that he wasn't invited to the party. I really liked Deena from the Amazon, I am surprised that she's not here.
2. It's pretty interesting to read what people have been doing with themselves with the show. Overall, the lesson seems to be that
reality TV is still about TV, something I often don't consciously register. It shouldn't be surprising how many of the former castaways now have (in cases marginal) acting careers. Colby hawks aftershave, Jenna had a stint as a VH1 VJ, and Ethan made the headlines with a public relationship with Jennifer Love Hewitt and several MTV appearances. Why I ever doubted the genius of Mark Burnett I don't know, but it is clear that he's run the market demographics on his people and many of them have weathered the test of time. It seems like most of the All Stars have enjoyed a dose of celebrity - almost all write columns in local papers or do something in broadcasting (Richard's radio show, Sue on the TV Guide Channel). The best thing I read - Sue is using the same profile describing how she likes to take a relaxing soak in the hot tub with her disgustingly obese husband.
3.
What do you do with a million bucks? I read through the bios of the former winners to figure out how people invested their spoils. Ethan, god love em, has done great things with his money. It is clear (at least to me) that Africa effected him - and he's spent his time & money working with charities that involve soccer and AIDS education in Africa. Good for him, that goes so far above and beyond any conditions that come with the money. Tina has worked as a motivational speaker, which is her choice, but she hasn't done anything altrustic (nothing listed here) that comes close to teaching African orphans about AIDS. Jenna, meanwhile, posed for Playboy (with Heidi - and which probably paid more than the Survivor loot) continues to model swimwear "freelance" (but her good deed was a PETA ad). It doesn't really say what Richard spent his money on, but I know part of it must have gone to legal fees...
4.
Three Tribes. Good twist. I think it'll lead to more group dynamic situations and make the contests a little more interesting. I wager that it will be harder for one group to dominate every challenge and always have the momentum in their favor. That seems to be happening a lot more in lately - so I think that this will lead to better consistency and balance. I expect that the tribes will nearly divide the wins (reward and immunity) equally. This is of course pure speculation and may change because of variables (food, shelter, weather...) that shift advantages back and forth.
5.
Gender & Race & Age -- a recipe for success in Survivor. You will do better if you are white, or so the pool suggests. Alicia is the only African-American (and maybe with the exception of winner "V"ecepia) probably one of the best African-Americans to play the game... Shii Ann is the only other racial minority, and she was from a terrible season (otherwise, she never would have been invited back, I wager. As I recall, the winner that season (Thailand) was a porn star car dealer...). Interestingly, this batch of competitors is "middle-aged" the typical age seems to be 26-40 (that's a big window, mind you, but the older competitors outweigh the kids). But, one way to be invited back or to do well is to be a young girl who looks good in a bikini, ugh, duh or a hunk with rippling muscles and All-American boy dimples... or smart, I guess. I'll have to take a closer look at the participants to tell you if you have a better chance being from Middle America or a certain Coast, or if it matters if you went to college, are married, have kids... I think Richard might be the only openly homosexual competitor, but that hasn't proved to be much of an issue ever since he was on Season 1 and dealt with Rudy.
Okay, it's going on 1pm and I hoped to accomplish something before my afternoon French Cinema screening. I am looking forward to tonight, Eric and I are going to an art opening (one of our professors curated a drawings show at a gallery in Eric's neighborhood) and afterward I am either going to a hip-hop party with Le Deyer or to see Mackuley Culkin's triumphant return to acting in the alluring
Party Monster - how the work will get done... it's too early in the semester to fret over such trivialities.
posted by lmjasinski at 11:57 AM
