I don’t watch many reality shows… at least, anymore. There was a point in college where my roommates and I would gather every Sunday night to watch the latest installment of “Flavor of Love,” “I Love New York,” or “Rock of Love.” Or we’d ignore the call of undone homework and watch marathons of “America’s Next Top Model.” Despite how ridiculous and absurd the shows were, it was hard to look away.
I thought I had cleansed so-called ‘dumb-TV’ from my life when I graduated, but then “Jersey Shore” came along and sucked me right back in. Hey, it happens.
Throughout the years though, there has always been one consistent reality show in my life. The show that started it all: “Survivor.” Some of you may be saying, “That show’s still on?” Yup. It’s been 10 years since the show first premiered in 2000, 21 seasons have passed (2 each year) and it still is one of the most-viewed reality shows on TV today.
I can’t really justify why I continue to watch “Survivor.” But for some reason, I always come back to it. I’ve seen every episode of every season (except the first), and I enjoy every minute of it.
Maybe it’s the challenges the show dreams up for its participants. The work that goes into building these contraptions and obstacles — all in the middle of some foreign land — is more than just impressive. The challenges are where people surprise you, too. For instance, this season, Jane, the oldest women out there, has beaten out physically strong, young men to win at least two very physical, enduring challenges. It’s all about the state of mind and the challenges show who’s really in it to win it.
Or maybe it’s the locations that draw me in – the scenery and culture of such locations as Africa, Nicaragua, Thailand or Fiji are breathtaking and insightful.
It could also be that you never know the outcome. That’s true of most reality shows, but they usually have some sort of formula to them. With “Survivor” there is no right or wrong way to play. You could be as sweet as candy and win; or you could be the biggest backstabbing, loud-mouth person out there and take home the million bucks. It’s all in the eye of the beholders — the jury — and you just never know.
Or maybe it’s just the concept of “Survivor.” Let’s throw 20 people on an island and make them fend for themselves — that’s what really makes it a reality show as compared to something like “The Bachelor” or “Real Housewives.” These people are really suffering out in the wild — dehydrated, starving, sleep-deprived — all to stick it out for 39 days and win a million dollars. Kudos to them.
Or maybe it’s just the host, Jeff Probst, who never seems to age and is the most likable host out there. Even when he gets mad, as in when players NaOnka and Kelly both decided to quit this season with 11 days left — he tried to be mean and upset, but you couldn’t really take him seriously — which isn’t a bad thing.
This season takes place in Nicaragua and has, to be honest, been a little slow. But it’s following a season that paired off previous “Survivor” players into Heroes vs. Villains — one of the best, if not the best, seasons of the show. This season also included a celebrity in the mix, legendary Super Bowl- winning coach Jimmy Johnson. He only last eight days, but it was fun while it lasted. And dear Jane showed us her true colors last night before getting voted out, which added some amusement to the mix.
But, the end to another season of “Survivor” has arrived yet again. The finale airs Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBS in its usual 3-hour run (2 hours of show, 1 hour of reunion show). Here’s my take on the final five and who I think will take home the million bucks.
* Sash: The real estate agent with the sly demeanor. He’s smart, but he lost out on his King/Queen alliance when Brenda was blindsided. Still, he’s managed to sneak his way into another alliance without stepping on too many toes. He knows what he’s doing and he has a lot of friends on the jury, so that could easily cement his win.
*
Holly: I like Holly. On day five she wanted to quit, but good ol’ Jimmy Johnson talked her out of it. She pushed through the initial pain and just look how far she’s come. She’s a great strategic player, very motherly and not bad in the challenges. She’s sweet and has made it much further than I ever expected… and not by riding on someone’s coattails either. She may have been called out by Jane last night, but she’s smart and she’s made enough of the right moves to make her my pick for the win.
* Dan: How Dan has gotten this far, I don’t know. Well I do know — he’s awful at physical
challenges, but he has always been there for the numbers. He’s wanted to quit on numerous occasions due to his bad knees, but he may just make it to the final three simply for the fact that he is easily the least-likely person a jury would vote for in the end. But I’m hoping he’s the next one out.
* Fabio: There’s not much going on in Fabio’s head, but he’s managed to stick it out. He’s a
physical threat in challenges, and although sometimes annoying with his Cali-eske surfer-dude demeanor, for the most part he’s just a goofy, likable guy who people don’t mind having around to lift their spirits. He could be the underdog to sweep the win.
* Chas
e: Until last night, I thought Chase was your typical mama’s boy. He’s from the Carolinas, so he’s got that southern charm thing going for him, but he was a snitch. He’d run off to the women he had aligned himself with and tell them everything. But as last night proved, he went against his fellow Carolina buddy Jane, and voted her out. His best move yet, because she would have easily won had it come down to her versus anyone. Chase has won many a challenges due to his physical build, but in the end I don’t think he’ll win the vote.
Who would I like to see win? Fabio, if not Holly. Who will probably win? Sash. He’s just that sneaky, creepy guy and people fall easily into his traps. I’m sure the jury will do the same and he’ll be the sole survivor to take home the money.
I thought I had cleansed so-called ‘dumb-TV’ from my life when I graduated, but then “Jersey Shore” came along and sucked me right back in. Hey, it happens.
Throughout the years though, there has always been one consistent reality show in my life. The show that started it all: “Survivor.” Some of you may be saying, “That show’s still on?” Yup. It’s been 10 years since the show first premiered in 2000, 21 seasons have passed (2 each year) and it still is one of the most-viewed reality shows on TV today.
I can’t really justify why I continue to watch “Survivor.” But for some reason, I always come back to it. I’ve seen every episode of every season (except the first), and I enjoy every minute of it.
Maybe it’s the challenges the show dreams up for its participants. The work that goes into building these contraptions and obstacles — all in the middle of some foreign land — is more than just impressive. The challenges are where people surprise you, too. For instance, this season, Jane, the oldest women out there, has beaten out physically strong, young men to win at least two very physical, enduring challenges. It’s all about the state of mind and the challenges show who’s really in it to win it.
Or maybe it’s the locations that draw me in – the scenery and culture of such locations as Africa, Nicaragua, Thailand or Fiji are breathtaking and insightful.
It could also be that you never know the outcome. That’s true of most reality shows, but they usually have some sort of formula to them. With “Survivor” there is no right or wrong way to play. You could be as sweet as candy and win; or you could be the biggest backstabbing, loud-mouth person out there and take home the million bucks. It’s all in the eye of the beholders — the jury — and you just never know.
Or maybe it’s just the concept of “Survivor.” Let’s throw 20 people on an island and make them fend for themselves — that’s what really makes it a reality show as compared to something like “The Bachelor” or “Real Housewives.” These people are really suffering out in the wild — dehydrated, starving, sleep-deprived — all to stick it out for 39 days and win a million dollars. Kudos to them.
Or maybe it’s just the host, Jeff Probst, who never seems to age and is the most likable host out there. Even when he gets mad, as in when players NaOnka and Kelly both decided to quit this season with 11 days left — he tried to be mean and upset, but you couldn’t really take him seriously — which isn’t a bad thing.
This season takes place in Nicaragua and has, to be honest, been a little slow. But it’s following a season that paired off previous “Survivor” players into Heroes vs. Villains — one of the best, if not the best, seasons of the show. This season also included a celebrity in the mix, legendary Super Bowl- winning coach Jimmy Johnson. He only last eight days, but it was fun while it lasted. And dear Jane showed us her true colors last night before getting voted out, which added some amusement to the mix.
But, the end to another season of “Survivor” has arrived yet again. The finale airs Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBS in its usual 3-hour run (2 hours of show, 1 hour of reunion show). Here’s my take on the final five and who I think will take home the million bucks.
* Sash: The real estate agent with the sly demeanor. He’s smart, but he lost out on his King/Queen alliance when Brenda was blindsided. Still, he’s managed to sneak his way into another alliance without stepping on too many toes. He knows what he’s doing and he has a lot of friends on the jury, so that could easily cement his win.
*
Holly: I like Holly. On day five she wanted to quit, but good ol’ Jimmy Johnson talked her out of it. She pushed through the initial pain and just look how far she’s come. She’s a great strategic player, very motherly and not bad in the challenges. She’s sweet and has made it much further than I ever expected… and not by riding on someone’s coattails either. She may have been called out by Jane last night, but she’s smart and she’s made enough of the right moves to make her my pick for the win. * Dan: How Dan has gotten this far, I don’t know. Well I do know — he’s awful at physical
challenges, but he has always been there for the numbers. He’s wanted to quit on numerous occasions due to his bad knees, but he may just make it to the final three simply for the fact that he is easily the least-likely person a jury would vote for in the end. But I’m hoping he’s the next one out.* Fabio: There’s not much going on in Fabio’s head, but he’s managed to stick it out. He’s a
physical threat in challenges, and although sometimes annoying with his Cali-eske surfer-dude demeanor, for the most part he’s just a goofy, likable guy who people don’t mind having around to lift their spirits. He could be the underdog to sweep the win.* Chas
e: Until last night, I thought Chase was your typical mama’s boy. He’s from the Carolinas, so he’s got that southern charm thing going for him, but he was a snitch. He’d run off to the women he had aligned himself with and tell them everything. But as last night proved, he went against his fellow Carolina buddy Jane, and voted her out. His best move yet, because she would have easily won had it come down to her versus anyone. Chase has won many a challenges due to his physical build, but in the end I don’t think he’ll win the vote.Who would I like to see win? Fabio, if not Holly. Who will probably win? Sash. He’s just that sneaky, creepy guy and people fall easily into his traps. I’m sure the jury will do the same and he’ll be the sole survivor to take home the money.
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