Yuku free message boards

I don’t usually do serious blogs. I usually only write to make fun of people because, well, it's fun to do that. Plus, there’s plenty of people that are writing serious blogs about the strategy side of Survivor and they’re much better at it than I am.  And having been out there and having seen first-hand how different real life can differ from what we see, I think talking about strategy is kind of like predicting who will be banging whom on the next episodes of a soap opera than really judging strategy decisions and projecting the ramifications.  But I have been thinking about the whole Redemption Island dynamic and have been unable to decide if I like it or not. Lately,  I have wondered what it would have been like if they had Redemption Island on my season. You mean you’re going to stick me, the Almighty One, on an island BY MYSELF and I don't have to play the social game AT ALL, and all I have to do is smash foos in some dorky ass challenges every 3 days to get re-inserted into the game on Day 17 or so? There's no telling how many deuces I would have dropped that season...but it would have been alot...

LIKE/DISLIKE

I like the fact that if you get booted for reasons beyond your control, or even if you blew it socially or in a challenge, you can "redeem" yourself if you have the goods to do so. This would have been tailor-made for me actually. 5-6 years later, I STILL can't let go of how my time ended out there on the Island, and having a chance to let my actual ABILITY determine how long I stay as opposed to the "you're not one of the cool kids" dynamic  (or even the more tolerable “you’re too much of a threat” dynamic) would have been good for my soul (if I had one). Obviously, there's lots of people that came w/ a good Survivor package and got what could be considered a raw deal, like Brook Geraghty and Shannon Elkins...We would have all had a shot to overcome the randomness and pettiness and happenstance of the game, and there would be a different take on how guys like us are considered in terms of Survivor “skillz”.  We all have plenty, but you’d never know it.   I know Survivor isn’t a meritocracy – in fact, in many ways, it’s a REVERSE meritocracy at some levels, where people can go deep specifically because they're  NOT good at anything, meaning they’re no threat to get handed the million.  That's why I always pull for players, male and female, that are “strong”.  So I also like Redemption Island b/c I think the "weak" will not end up going deep as often, since on average, they'd be getting sent to Redemption Island more often than strong players, and would have to EARN their spot deep in the game rather than just get carried there.

On the other hand, there's something about Redemption Island that just isn't "Survivor" to me. Through no fault of his own, Matt, who seems to have a good Survivor “package” but got booted very early, being blind-sided by Rob (ironically, because Rob recognized Matt has a good Survivor package). As an aside, I didn’t like the move by Rob at first, but now I think was a brilliant call on his part. Matt seems like a good dude, smart, competitive and athletic and he's clearly a likeable guy. If he was still there w/ the sunbathers, helping them pick out their armpit hair, he would be big trouble for Rob, and I think he'd go deep in the game.  But he’s been on his own, away from everything for like 10-12 days (I didn't count it up). While the jock in me likes the fact that he's staying in the game based on his own ability to save his ass, he's not playing Survivor.   Survivor is played AT CAMP. Period.

Again, it's not his fault and I'm glad he's handling his shit and I HOPE he keeps doing so and gets back in the game at some point. But then what? Is it really fair to him to come back into a game, possibly after the merge,  to try to work his way into an alliance after everyone else has been together all this time? It would be almost impossible for him to LEAD an alliance at that point, so one major option other players have in approaching the game is lost.  At best, he'd likely be someone's swing vote it seems. But the person that is just a swing vote isn’t really in the game to win it, they’re usually just happy to be there, with no other choice but to play along. 

On the other hand, is it fair to everyone else that some guy that hasn't had to do anything SOCIALLY for almost 2 weeks gets to just drop back in the game after everyone else was navigating the social minefield, risking getting ganged-up on, doing or saying something stupid, or otherwise getting a bad-reputation that they could never overcome at a final 2 etc?  Imagine Phillip got booted first and went to Redemption Island and ripped off 5 or 6 victories. No one would even remember his balls and ass-crack hanging out or that he is an ex federal agent fighting along side the noble Lion and Mighty Gorilla for the honor of the United States and the future of all its lost children. The guy is a pariah right now, being kept around precisely BECAUSE he’s so terrible at the social side of the game.   But all that would have been hidden on Redemption Island and when he returned on Day 15-17 or so, those same traits that make it an absolute certainty that he can’t possibly win would never have seen the light of day.  Now, I'm sure he'd make up for it quickly.  When he got back, he'd probably just start whacking off at camp or or something and be right on the chopping block.  But still, he'd have survived much longer than his actual Survivor "ability" would suggest he could or should.

Conversely, a guy like Matt who seems to be genuinely likable, charismatic, etc, could be a very good Survivor player, but we'll never know (at least not yet).  He has not been able to use the "abilities"that got him cast on the show in the first place to make his case for winning the game. No one will ever give him a million after missing 12-15 days right in the middle of the social shitstorm everyone else has to deal with. THAT'S the part of Survivor that matters most, and it's the part that creates the bond b/w those of us that have been out there, whatever season we were in. Don’t get me wrong, what he’s doing is impressive. The competitor in me likes to see a guy saving his own ass when it’s on the line based on his own abilities.  But that’s not Survivor.  I got a shitty edit (literally) and based on that, it appeared I had no social game (or even an idea that there IS a social game lol). But I was killin’ foos in challenges. While challenge dominance is a part of Survivor, and for some of us, a big part, it’s not where the game is played.  JUST winning challenges is not playing Survivor. Ultimately, winning challenges only matters because it gives you more time to stay in the game and actually play Survivor – which is a SOCIAL, and to a lesser extent, STRATEGIC game.  I could beat Sandra Diaz-Twine in a fish-chopping contest any day of the week, but she’s light-years beyond me as a player.

And it must be said that while it’s cool that Matt is proving his merit by saving his own ass time and time again, I know 8th graders that could do these challenges (actually I don’t know any 8th graders, but if I did, they’d probably be awesome since they knew me, and they’d be able to do these challenges easily).  While some are saying “Wow! What a win streak!”, three of those victories were against Francesca, Kristina, and Krista.  Not trying to diss the ladies, I actually like them all as players and was very surprised to see Francesca and Kristina gone this early, I thought they were both destined for the jury when the cast was announced.  But other than Russell, who I have always thought was a pretty good physical challenge performer, Matt had a huge advantage athletically, and even though the challenges basically just require that you don’t chew your foot off or fall asleep, being physically stronger and more athletic always matters.  His 4 challenge victories are cool and all, but it’s not like he’s Terry Deitz or Ozzy.  It’s not like he’s doing that in real time and beating 6-8 people trying to bury him at the same time.  That’s challenge dominance, not beating 1 person in some random challenge that barely requires coordination, let alone athletic ability, endurance, toughness etc. Russell is a good athlete and tough competitor and almost beat Matt in a challenge that was almost completely random, not a real test of any meaningful Survivor “skill”.  It’s like they were playing w/ Andre the Giant’s dominoes...

Almost by DEFINITION, whoever shows up at Redemption Island early on would be among the physically weaker players. It’s not like ex-NFL player Grant or Marine Mike is likely to be sent to Redemption Island anytime in the early episodes since their strength is needed.  Russell was the exception, being voted out not b/c he’s weak but b/c they didn’t want him around, and beating Russell at a challenge is something Matt can, and should pat himself on the back for.  Love Russell or hate him, dude is a Survivor legend, and Matt stepped up and got it done.  But for beating Russell, Francesca, Kristina, and Krista – the latter 3 whom he SHOULD have beaten – in some goofy ass challenges that are designed so that ANYONE on the island could win them but which would never pass muster in the main-game w/ 6-8 people battling at the same time, he is within sniffing distance of the merge?  That’s HUGE.

That’s what I meant when I said I wish they had Redemption Island in my season.  I was almost single-handedly winning challenges at one point and saving  my own skin in the process.  But as soon as we lost, I was gone.  Given how crazy my tribe was at Casaya, and how quickly I was on the outside looking in for whatever reason, I would have LOVED (I don’t say that word often, so print this blog out and frame it) to be able to hide out for 12-15 days on Redemption Island, knowing that I can’t be sent home as long as I can count to 25 and tie my shoes faster than whoever shows up to battle me.   To me, Redemption Island is like “JAIL” in Monopoly. It kind of sucks to be there, but not really.  Sure, you’re not out there collecting properties and rent while other people are stacking up their bankroll for a few rounds.  But on the other hand, you’re not landing on people’s hotels, like Phillip keeps doing.  As long as your personal item isn't the Gimp-Suit from Pulp Fiction, and you can chew gum w/o swallowing your tongue, it seems to me that Redemption Island ain’t all that bad...If they had it my season, I would have volunteered to go... cuz I’m fuckin’ awesome at Monopoly.