Brandon's Chat
The ClubHouse: Archives: Brandon's Chat
Car54 | Friday, December 14, 2001 - 01:20 pm   Here is a transcript of Brandon's CBS chat. <from Survivor Sucks site> Survivor Host: There are tons of great questions, so let's get started!! If you're just joining us, we're chatting live with Brandon Quinton. To ask Brandon a question, please type it in the space below and click "Ask the Survivor". We'll get to as many of your questions as we can. Survivor Host: Hi Brandon! Welcome and thanks for being here to chat with us today. Survivor_Brandon: Hi everybody... Survivor_Brandon: Thank you all for coming in today to talk to me and I love you all and the ones that hate me - I love you the most! Big_Tom_Bear_Fan: Was it a surprise or relief being voted off? Survivor_Brandon: It was both. It was a relief to be out of the whole wilderness and it was a surprise because after I got rid of Kelly I thought I'd pretty much written the Samburu's ticket to the final four. SurvivorAddict: was it awkward being in the jury house with kelly since you were the reason she was gone? Survivor_Brandon: Well, let me tell ya'...kelly didn't know I was the one who got her voted off. Kelly had no idea until about two weeks ago when I told her. Even on the jury I made her think it was Frank that passed that vote. Insane_Shark: Brandon, did you surprise yourself in any way while playing the game? Survivor_Brandon: Absolutely, I was shocked by the fact that I could even do it. I mean, I'd never gone camping or done anything like that at all so I was really driven to get on the show to prove a point and then when I got out there I was overwhelmed with anxiety becuase I wasn't sure I could do it. Apparently I could because I lasted out there for a long time. Happy4Brandon: Bradnon - first - I thought you did great. You said you did not want to be the "typical gay stereotype". Did you succeed in that and how? Survivor_Brandon: No, I did not succeed unfortunately. It's a game show and it was silly of me to think that me being on there and me maybe having different values than some other twenty-something gay people would y'know...really make air and it didn't. In a way I just sort of became another gay stereotype for mainstream gay people to cringe at. Even though I can't imagine anybody more mainstream than me. Murtz: Brandon: Why didn't Ethan and Tom trust you after you saved Captain Lex in last week's episode. Survivor_Brandon: Weeell for good reason. When I'd gotten rid of Kelly I had in my grand scheme I had planned on getting rid of either Tom or Lex the next time. My plan was for it to be old Samburu 4 and old Boran 4 which I succeeded and you know I felt like Kelly was a bigger threat down the road. That was part of my downfall always thinking too far ahead instead of just the next day and then the next day little Kim felt like I'd betrayed her and that whole plan was off. But I originally had planned to vote Tom or Lex off because they both had votes thanks to me. NYCHRIS: Brandon, you said Kim would be your friend for life, but she was unsure about that when she voted for you...how are things between you now? Survivor_Brandon: Kim and I are very close. We talk quite often. We've seen each other a couple times since we've come home. jasper: Brandon, don't you think your whole survivor experience would have been more enjoyable if you had participated with the chores and held worthwhile conversations with other team members. It seems all you did was sleep, eat, and whine. Survivor_Brandon: We were edited - the mall alliance was edited to make it look like we didn't do anything. Had the geriatrics won at the first tribal council they would have been portrayed in a bad light. Fortunately we won so we were the ones portrayed in a bad light. As far as whining goes, that sounds more like your individual idea of what I did. I think if you asked the other players they would be hard pressed to say that I whined. I think when you talk about other players it's different than whining. i_love_chat: HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU AND FRANK WERE PAIRED TOGETHER? Survivor_Brandon: Well, I felt like we were going to win. You had Kim and T-bird against the two stronger guys and then you had Tom and little Kim and Tom's not the strongest of the guys, so yeah, I felt like we were going to win. Im_Straight: What did you and Frank talk about "at the movies"? Survivor_Brandon: We were mainly talking about trying to pull the alliance back together and get little Kim back on board and that's mainly what we talked about. ZANE: Hi Brandon, I am from Honduras in centralamerican and I've enjoyed your performance in Survivor Africa. I'd like to know: Did you realize that Silas was maybe controlling Young Samburu before the switch? Survivor_Brandon: *laughs* OH, Goodness, what a good question. Number one: Silas' intellect really would not allow him to control anyone else. Kind of the old I was raised by a woman and she always said it was easier to get a man to think it was his idea and get him to do his dirty work for ya'. brian: It seemed you were thrilled to have Lindsey gone when she left. If so, why were you so distraught at Tribal Council that time? Survivor_Brandon: Well, I felt like I needed to keep her to enhance my chances at going further. After she was gone I was just flooded with relief that I didn't have to hear the whining and crying anymore. spiteful_spear: Do you think Lex overreacted to the one vote against him? Survivor_Brandon: Yeah, absolutely. I don't know what he expected to wander through the whole game without getting any votes, I really didn't understand it but it kind of goes back to Silas and Lindsey getting votes - they were very distraught as well. I kind of wished they had just voted for me because it didn't bother me a bit to have those people vote for me. gaybabe: Brandon, you guys didn't seem as hungry as the last group appeard to be, and you weren't able to hunt of fish - were you getting enough to eat? BOSTON LOVES YOU! Survivor_Brandon: *laughs* I love you Boston! I think we had more rations maybe slightly more. I heard someone say we were on 300 calories a day and I don't know...I think we may have perhaps been more prepared for the starvation than the last group was since we got to see it. I mean, I lost a ton of weight. jimsuemb: how bad did everyone really smell out there? Survivor_Brandon: *laughs* You can't smell each other. When you smell bad you can't smell what the other person next to you smells like thank God. Canada: Hi Brandon! I'm from Dallas and I go to college in Oklahoma...the opposite of you, ha ha! Anyway, I thought you were great, and I was wondering, did it get really boring in Africa, or did you guys always have stuff to do to keep you entertained? Survivor_Brandon: VERY BORING! VERY, VERY BORING! We had one challenge one day, another challenge the next day and then tribal council. Those events took up about two or threee hours of our day and then the rest of the time was just hell. slick: Brandon was your crying sincere or just an act? Survivor_Brandon: It was sincere, it was mainly relief because the three days prior had been really stressful because of Lindsey. I think that was just my outlet because by far before Lindsey got kicked out those were the three most stressful days of my time out there. That was very, very hard. Luke21: Were there any blossoming relationships that they didn't show on camera? Survivor_Brandon: No, there really weren't. woofyboyva: were you physically attracted to any of the other survivors? Survivor_Brandon: Hmmm...Big Tom was very hot but I controlled myself. Snowy: Which was more trying? Being in the game, or being on the jury? Survivor_Brandon: *laughs* The jury was SO MUCH FUN! That was so fun. Kelly and I had so much fun. Murtz: Brandon: 2 words... Why Chapstick? Survivor_Brandon: Jessie's lips - that's it. narob: why did you write SINGLE on your arm? Survivor_Brandon: Good advertising. hashpipe: What can you say about TOM's BUTTCRACK? =) Survivor_Brandon: *laughs* Hmmm...so many words, so little time. Y'know that was - Tom and his crack like peas and carrots. It's near perfection as far as plumber's cracks go. Lucy: Hi Brandon. I'm sad you're gone cause you kept it fun. What was your favorite part of playing the game? Survivor_Brandon: You know there were so many things I loved about it: the backstabbing, the conniving, the lying...it really would be just to hard for me to pinpoint one thing. SurvivorAfrica2002: Brandon, I remember the first show when Frank said something about his mothers womb and I saw your facial expression. What do you really think of Frank? Survivor_Brandon: *laughs* I think that Frank and I are very different people and I don't plan on spending a lot of time with him however he's a genuinely good hearted person. jayson: How did you feel when Jeff pulled the tribal switch?? Survivor_Brandon: I loved it. it took care of Silas and it allowed me to take more control over the situation around me. Big_Tom_Bear: Do you think being gay made it any harder for you on the show? Survivor_Brandon: Well, yeah, I mean it made it harder because I was with Frank and Tom so that in itself presented its own difficulties. I don't think you can account my leaving on that though because I lasted 27 days. naisha: how did you feel about having your friend, Kim, vote against you? Survivor_Brandon: It didn't bother me. It's very easy for me to separate the game so it didn't bother me in the slightest. It bothered me that in the last two days she was really saying some nasty things. Not nasty good, just mean. MikeAllbright: Brandon, what was your favorite/least favorite reward/immunity challenges? Survivor_Brandon: My least favorite immunity challenge was the bow and arrow for obvious resons. My favorite reward challenge was the one I won. I also liked the spider web where we had to run and grab stuff off. I like dthat one a lot. SurvivorFreak: Do you think your nickname SugarBear will stick with you? Survivor_Brandon: *laughs* Sadly, yes. A lot of people call me that since Big Tome has. Oh well, it's kind of cute. I live for Big Tom's messages on my answering maching and they always start with Sugar Bear. iLOVEbrandon: do you have any regrets about the game? Survivor_Brandon: Well, I love you too! My only regret would be that I didn't make time to inform old Samburu of my grand plan before I just did it. buddyd13: I notice a lot of survivors trying to vote off the people that they hate and place them in the jury. Wouldn't that backfire if they are asking them later to help them win $1 million dollars. Survivor_Brandon: Absolutely. It's a fine line there and the problem is when you get voted off, y'know most people are not happy soyou have to think of it that way. I took my jury role very seriously and I tried not to let my individual feelings about a person affect the way I voted. kpkyheart: Brandon, Thanks for answering some of our questions. What do you feel like you contributed to the tribe that made things better daily? Survivor_Brandon: An incisive wit. ClawJean: B-What did you think of Tom admitting that he 'accidentally' went into a gay bar when he was younger? Survivor_Brandon: Well, I accidently went into a heterosexual bar when I was younger and got married. It was all an accidnet though so I can relate. PPBH: Why did he start calling you "Sugar Bear"? Survivor_Brandon: I don't think I can really tell the whole story. It came about because that was on of his gay slogans like "Candy ***" so he called Kim "Little Bear" and he was "Big Bear" and I guess "Candy *** Bear" didn't work so he called me Sugar Bear. Clarence: Who did you trust the most, out of everyone who was on the show? Survivor_Brandon: No one. I didn't trust anyone on the show. That's not what this show's about. iluvkimp: Brandon, in an interview Britney Spears said that you were her favorite survivor, what do you think about that? Survivor_Brandon: *laughs* Did she really? I love her! I think that when I grow up I want to be Britney! That is so cool - I can't believe that. I don't know what to say to it....I love her boyfriend Justin? Insane_Shark: The generation gap split your tribe right down the middle. In your opinion, which faction (the old or the young) was at fault? Survivor_Brandon: Well, it's part of the game. You get alliances. It just so happened it split along the generation line. Lindsey and I formed an alliance the first three hours we were there and the older folks formed a very vocal alliance. surviva_fanatic: what was up with tom's boil? Survivor_Brandon: *laughs* I'm going to tell you a really funny story: Big Tom got me up in the mornings to press on it because i hurt so much and that relieve the pressure. His resoning was that because I was a poof I had the cleanest hands out there. The last day I did it some stuff came out and I started screaming for Mama Kim. So she took care of it and she loved hurting Big Tom. whosgonnawin: Did you ever think in your wildest dreams that elephant dung would help you someday to drink water? Survivor_Brandon: Yeah, the water was still crap and tasted probably just as bad as the dung we used to start the fire. Summer: Brandon...did you get to sight see out there after you were voted out?? how long did you get to end up staying in Africa?? Survivor_Brandon: We all stayed seven weeks. I was on the jury for twelve days so Kelly and I couldn't really leave. They put us in a luxury resort and it was just the two of us and we had a staff just for us. We didn't have time to take trips and site see. So, the chef would make us little dinners and lunches and we would picnic in the sand. Have midnight dinners. Iit was very nice and I've seen most of the animals except for hippos and nile crocs. Survivor_Brandon: Another funny thing is that we actually had the Kenyan army at our resort and they guarded us while we were there. We were like celebrities! Murtz: If you could have gone to the finals, and selected one person to go with you... who would you have picked? Survivor_Brandon: Probably someone like Lindsey. I would have picked Lindsey because I could have beaten her. Brandon_ROCKS: What was the absolute worst moment out there for you? Survivor_Brandon: Oh and we're back to this - the bow and arrow! Somebody actually gave me a set of bows and arrows...my fans, once again! nick: Brandon, are you still bartending, any new career interests in site? Survivor_Brandon: I am still bartending a couple of nights a week. I'm going to take a couple months off after the first of the year. Just travel and spend my winnings and then I'll be back. No new career I don't think. thetick: Brandon, any future entertainment plans? Survivor_Brandon: I have no plans right now. Just to finish out my duties with the show. I had a really good life before and I don't forsee that changing. shirkahr: brandon, if you could, would you do it again...with a new strategy?? And what would that strategy be?? Survivor_Brandon: Well, no I would not do it again unless it was like on an island on Tahiti. I didn't have a strategy until I got there and saw who I was with. I don't think you can form a strategy until you know who you're competing for and with. bvtx: Did yall miss not having some water to swim in? Survivor_Brandon: Yes, that was my number one complain and ***** with Mr. Burnett. And when I heard that they were going to Tahiti don't think he didn't get an email! KIDDSLICK: Hi Brandon, were your family members proud of you being in Survivor? How did they react when you were voted off? Survivor_Brandon: I think they were proud. They were in shock and surprise last night just like everybody else last night. Nobody knew. I was in New York alone and my phone rang off the hook last night. drake: Knowing what you know now, what would you take as a luxury item? Survivor_Brandon: The same. Absolutely the same. That served me well on a lot of levels. It helped me bond with my tribe in the beginning because they wanted to use it and it kept me from having dry, parched lips which is very important in the wilderness. BeMyBud: Why did you shave your beard off? Survivor_Brandon: It's hard to be a hairy chicken Grooves: What do you think of Ethan and his hair? Survivor_Brandon: Jesus has risen and he walks among us and he plays Survivor. jimsuemb: Is it hard to keep everything secret? What incentives do you get so that you don't "spill the beans" Survivor_Brandon: We'll get sued for $5 million dollars and we don't get any winnings until January so we stay very quiet. Smurfette78: What made you decide to side with Lex and vote off Survivor_Brandon: Kelly was a far bigger threat to me. By far she was the only person smarter than me I felt like. Kelly?gaybabe: Was there anyone who's secret behavior surprised you when you watched the televised episodes? Survivor_Brandon: Silas. Silas' interviews really surprised me and Clarence's...the short time I knew him...everything about him surprised me because he seemed so much worse than he was portrayed. From my experience with Clarence and what I've seen on television - it's like two totally different people. He wasn't necessarily like that out there. kimpowers_fan: How do you feel with that many cameras around 24/7? Survivor_Brandon: After three days - you totally forget they're there. survivor_joe: Brandon, when you are on the jury, do you get to watch all of the footage in order to make your decision? Survivor_Brandon: No. All we see is tribal council. Generally Jeff asks about anywhere from a dozen to twenty questions and that gives the jury insight as to what's happened since last tribal council. Survivor Host: Unfortunately, we're alll out of time with Brandon today. Brandon, thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us today. Any final comments for the fans? Survivor_Brandon: I just want to really thank you all for your support and keep watching becaue Kelly and I make the jury A LOT of funa nd we're a very naughty jury. Survivor Host: Thanks for joining us everyone. Tune in to an all-new Survivor Africa Thursday at 8:00pm ET/PT only on CBS. And don't forget to check www.survivor.cbs.com for all the latest Survivor info. See ya next time!!! Brandon_is_adorable: Best wishes from Western, Pa Brandon!!! Love ya buddy! kixtwix: I love you Brandon! Happy4Brandon: Orlando LOVES YOU!!!! SurvivorFreak: Seeya SugarBear! |
Nessietessie | Friday, December 14, 2001 - 02:29 pm   Thank you, car, for the transcript. It was quite enlightening, I do not dislike Brandon like I did before. |
Kitt | Friday, December 14, 2001 - 03:03 pm   Thanks Car. Brandon seems like such a great guy, it's a shame we won't get to see him anymore.. |
Moondance | Friday, December 14, 2001 - 03:08 pm   We forget these people are just that ... people playing a game and that they are quite different in their real life ... that's why I try (try key word here) not to be to hard on them and judgmental during the game |
Wink | Friday, December 14, 2001 - 03:51 pm   Hmmmm Miss Moon. I recall a fine man who could have benefitted from your kindness during Survivor II. Just saying. |
Moondance | Friday, December 14, 2001 - 04:00 pm   I said I tried... ChickenlegCheaterman doesn't count! |
Gina8642 | Friday, December 14, 2001 - 04:17 pm   Thank You!!!!!! |
Car54 | Friday, December 14, 2001 - 04:22 pm   Interesting how one of the people who could probably do something career wise (he has a very cute personality and is a handsome young man) is happy with his life, and expects nothing from it. Very rare. |
Car54 | Friday, December 14, 2001 - 04:45 pm   Here is a summary of Brandon's Early Show appearance from the CBS site. NEW YORK --Brandon Quinton, a member of the short-lived twenty-something Samburu alliance, was the latest contestant to be voted off Survivor: Africa. He discussed the game with Anchor Bryant Gumbel of The Early Show. The first thing Gumbel wanted to know was "what was with that 'Sugar Bear' comment from Tom?" "Tom had nicknames for everyone and mine just happened to be Sugar Bear," Quinton said. "I don't know why." Gumbel noted that Tom was the man leading the charge against Quinton. "You think on his part it was kind of a moral crusade?" "I don't think Tom necessarily has any morals. I think that he just didn't like me. He's from rural Virginia or Kentucky or redneck land. Wherever he's from, he had never been around anybody like me and he just didn't like me at all," Quinton replied. "You think he had a problem with you being openly gay?" Gumbel asked. Quinton was swift in his answer. "Oh yeah. Definitely." Gumbel wanted to know what he thought of Tom: "He tries to come off as this big happy-go-lucky guy who loves everybody. Is that an accurate portrayal in your mind?" "He's happy-go-lucky," agreed Quinton. But he added, "He doesn't love everybody at all, you know. He is kind of a racist and homophobic and all those things. But, I mean, he's a good-hearted guy. He just grew up in a small town and that's how a lot of good old boys in small towns act." In one of the more interesting twists of the game, Brandon was teamed up with former Samburu feud-mate Frank and won the reward challenge of dinner and a movie. "How weird was it last night for you to get paired up with Frank?" asked Gumbel. Quinton was candid in his assessment - there was no love lost between the two. "Oh God. It couldn't have been worse. That kind of killed that whole experience of the movie." He went on: "I don't like him. He's a card-carrying NRA member. He's everything I'm not. But I'm sure everybody's got to have at least one good quality. I can't see his. I haven't found it, and I'm not really looking that hard. I'll pretend that he's got one." Gumbel asked why he wanted to be a contestant. "I saw where you said you went on this thing originally to make a point. What was it?" "I watch TV and see twenty-something gay people and they're really promiscuous and they're really strung out, and that's not who I am," he said. "I just wanted to show people that there's a whole other side to it." Quinton went on, "And unwittingly I think I became a stereotype myself. I think the way the producers edited things that maybe I became like every mainstream gay person's nightmare of being on TV. But, I couldn't help that. I'm just who I am. That's all I can be." Gumbel asked if he had been fairly portrayed. "Absolutely," Quinton said. "They caught it on film. I can't say I didn't do those things and say those things. Because I did. " "Where do you want go from here?" asked Gumbel. "Nowhere. I had a great life before. People look at me and they always think that they need to take care of me and they don't have a lot of respect. I don't think anybody will ever look at me like that again. Twenty-seven days out there - that ain't bad." He added that he didn't have an agent, and didn't want one. Commenting on the jury work, Quinton said, "The jury was the best time I've had in my whole life. Kelly and I had so much fun; we used our great intellect for gossip and troublemaking. We had a good time. I think Mark Burnett actually yelled at us." And finally, Gumbel noted, "You said you had never been camping before." He asked, "Are you a fan of it now?" Quinton was blunt. "No. I will never be camping again." |
Car54 | Saturday, December 15, 2001 - 07:18 am   Brandon's ETonline interview Week 9 | BRANDON QUINTON "You know what? I am a queer." I own that word! Smack it on a t-shirt, and I will wear it. December 14, 2001 "Survivor's" drama king BRANDON sounds off on scorpions, Tom's nasty boil, his weight loss -- and how the "Survivor" experience has changed him! ET: So when you were voted off, you seemed almost happy, relieved ... What was going through your head? BRANDON: All of the above. I was happy; I was so proud of myself for making it that far. I don't really dwell on things. I knew I was going, so I started thinking about the good [parts of that] the minute I knew. ET: So you were sure it would be you? BRANDON: Yes. ET: So how was facing KELLY right afterwards? BRANDON: Not bad at all, because Kelly didn't know that I had voted for her! I lied to her the whole time and told her it was FRANK. ET: So was the game as tough as you thought it would be? BRANDON: Obviously, I had no experience in camping, so just the whole roughing-it aspect was incredibly tough. I think we were more prepared for the starvation than the last group. We didn't really even have that much more food than them, considering we couldn't even fish or hunt. It was really bad. The scorpions -- bad news! I was shocked that I could handle that. ET: How much weight did you lose? BRANDON: I lost a lot of weight. When I got off, I weighed 17 pounds lighter. I thought, "That can not be right," so I tried it again, and it was about 15 pounds. I weighed about 146 pounds going in, and I was like a little kid's weight afterwards! ET: Who changed the most dramatically physically? BRANDON: Big TOM, without a doubt. ET: But then there was the boil! BRANDON: Well, that added to it. He lost weight and then the boil came up, so that was at least three pounds! ET: Your luxury item, the Chapstick. BRANDON: I used it all the time! It was a popular item. All of my tribemates loved it; they kept me around so they could use it. And, hello, did you see JESSE's mouth? I bet she wished she had some Chapstick! ET: One of the best moments was the movie date with Frank. Was it fun or awkward? BRANDON: It wasn't awkward. It was fun because we were starving to death, so we just ate like pigs. We were still trying to figure out a way to bring little KIM back onboard. It wasn't a dream date or anything! ET: How has this experience changed you? BRANDON: It has made me a lot more confident. It's changed the way I view myself. Now I feel that I can do absolutely anything. ET: What is next for you? BRANDON: I have no plans at all! I am just having a really good time right now. When this is all over in January, I will have to decide what I'm going to do when I grow up! ET: How about your representation on the show -- was it accurate? BRANDON: Everybody on there -- [it's] very accurate. That really bothers me when people say that they were not portrayed in a good light. The two people who have said that are the two people who could have been portrayed so much worse! ET: Who are your pals from the show? BRANDON: Believe it or not, Kelly is a really good pal of mine. I talk to her every day. Little Kim is a pal of mine; LEX is. I talk to everybody. I talked to Big Tom a couple of days ago. ET: How about LINDSEY? BRANDON: I haven't spoken to Lindsey since the episode when I said, "Oh my God, I am so glad Lindsey's gone." She wasn't too happy about that! ET: The "queer" comment about you from Big Tom on one of the episodes ... did that bother you at all? BRANDON: No, I'm used to it. I grew up in Oklahoma, so like I said this morning, "You know what? I am a queer." I own that word! Smack it on a t-shirt, and I will wear it. |
Car54 | Saturday, December 15, 2001 - 07:22 am   Brandon's Entertainment Weekly interview Boil-ing Mad Alliances crumble as Brandon gets the boot. The series takes a turn to the old west, says Ken Tucker, as Tom and Frank discuss manly issues DOUBLE CROSS(ED) Brandon's vote against Kelly last week begat his ousting Thursday night, ''Survivor: Africa'' turned briefly into a scene out of ''Cheyenne Autumn'' or ''El Dorado.'' Genial but gruff-tough Tom and prickly, antisocial Frank started chewing on straw and engaging in man-to-man jaw-boning that wouldn't have been out of place in an old Western directed by John Ford or Howard Hawks. There was talk about keepin' yore word and handshake honor; it was alliance-building at its most engaging, and contributed to the best installment of this African competition so far. Indeed, most of the hour was taken up with matters of masculinity. The ''reward challenge'' was won by the team of Frank and Brandon, the two guys who dislike each other most. They won a trip away from the Moto Maji camp for an evening, as Jeff Probst put it, ''at the movies, 'Survivor'-style'': a 35-millimeter-film camera unspooled ''Out Of Africa'' while Frank and Brandon munched on hot dogs, popcorn, and (Jeff again) ''all the Mountain Dew you can drink.'' (Just think: More people probably saw Robert Redford in fleeting glimpses of ''Africa'' last night than have seen him in his last two feature films combined.) Meanwhile, back at the camp, many giggles were had about the romantic evening these two antagonists might be having; implicit in the joshing was a blithe ridicule of Brandon's homosexuality that was startling for the way it was so off-hand and cavalier. Unfortunately, irritating Lex, who's still gassing on about his stomach's good instincts -- his latest boast: ''My gut is still pretty damn accurate'' -- won the immunity challenge, so he lives to grouse and plot for at least another episode. Brandon, who'd made the fatal mistake of alienating crucial votes when he turned against Kelly last week, got the heave-ho. But the intrigue -- all bets are off now; alliances have evaporated in the hot African sun -- is certainly making this show juicier. Frank said, ''People are changin' their minds like they're changin' their underwear.'' The sentiment was right, even if the simile was wrong: People ain't changin' their underwear very often out there, Frank. And speaking of personal hygiene, what was up (literally) with that ''boil'' on poor Tom's neck? As Tom said, it was so big and angry-looking, it appeared as if ''I'm growin' a horn.'' Ouch. Producer Mark Burnett spent almost an entire segment on Tom's boil, and when you can make skin eruptions engrossing, you're not desperate -- you're some kinda genius. |
Car54 | Saturday, December 15, 2001 - 07:36 am   Note: When Lindsay left, she said she has been in touch with Brandon, but here Brandon says not! |
Spygirl | Saturday, December 15, 2001 - 01:15 pm   No, he said they were in touch until the episode after Lindsey left. So when she did the exit interviews, that would not have been a lie. They had been in touch. Brandon said they talked until the episode the following week when he announced he was glad she was gone. |
Car54 | Sunday, December 30, 2001 - 05:03 am   Here is a new interview with Brandon. Pretty funny- gives a little more info about post-game relationships. Appears as this week's Entertainment weekly 'Survivor' Q&A Tank Boy http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,188834~3~0~brandontalksaboutalliance-breaking,00.html Brandon talks about alliance-breaking and betrayal. The latest ''Survivor'' castoff reflects on life in Africa with Kelly, Kim, Frank, and Tom by Jessica Shaw DESTINY'S CHILD Brandon's savannah scheming backfired Brandon clearly didn't take in the cardinal rule of ''Survivor'': One must not attempt to play both sides so early in the game. Just one episode after he betrayed his alliance, he got the boot. Still, when he talked to EW.com, the tank-top-sporting contestant didn't seem to have any regrets. Did you know you were getting kicked off? I kind of knew I was going. I think I got too smart for my own good at the end. The day after I voted Kelly off I thought I was being really smart, but the next day little Kim was so upset. On the way to tribal council, Lex turned around and said he thought it was going to be Frank. I was like, ''Wait. I'm ready to go now. I want food!'' But after you got kicked off, the only person you could hang with was Kelly. Was that tense? No, I lied and told her it was Frank who voted her off. Then two weeks before the show, I called her and said, ''By the way, I voted you off.'' She called me some dirty names and then was like, ''Okay, talk to you later. Bye.'' What did you do after getting kicked off? We sat and drank and lay by the pool. We had our own chef, our own bungalows that looked out, and we could see animal migrations. We had these amazing picnic lunches. We would go places in one jeep and the Kenyan army would be in a jeep behind us. Even though that sounds fabulous, do you regret how you played? No, I think I played really well. Kelly was a lot smarter than Lex, and I saw her as the biggest personal threat down the road. I had no idea that Kim would take it personally, and I needed Kim for my alliance to go all the way. Did you just never speak to her again? No, we're cool now. We both went and stayed with Kelly for a week a few weeks ago. I'm in touch with everybody. A few days ago I had breakfast with Ethan and Kim. Ethan and his friends took me out until 4 a.m. So you even talk to Frank? I didn't like Frank at all until I got home. After we were back for a little while Frank called and put his girls on the phone to say hi to me. I guess he's only really in his element at home. What was the deal with you and Frank? Was he homophobic? Well, most of the problems happened in those first few days, and Carl definitely helped in Frank and me not getting along. I mean, you can take name calling with a smile from Big Tom and get him back later, but with Frank, even when he thought he was being funny, he wasn't. He didn't really have a sense of humor. But you guys kicked butt during that obstacle course challenge? In a perfect world it would have been Kim and me as teammates, but I knew when I got Frank that we'd win. Everyone thought I was unathletic, but they underestimated me. Lex seems kind of lame on the show. Why did you abandon your initial plan for him? Lex got very paranoid out there. I made him believe Kelly cast the vote against him and I played into his paranoia. He was really easy to manipulate because I knew all his insecurities, so I thought he would be easy to get rid of. What are you up to now? I'm going to go back to work in my bar for a couple of weekends and then I'm going to take some time off and travel around and just have a good time. I'd never been to New York so [being here] has been great. We saw ''Cabaret.'' We went to the top of the Empire State Building. A little group of tourists recognized me on the subway. One final question: Did you get to see Silas naked? Yes, I did. We were at the same camp so when we went to the bathroom...you know. But you should ask other people if they got to see me naked. I don't carry around a Bible with me. That makes me much more attractive. |
Sunshinemiss | Sunday, December 30, 2001 - 06:03 pm   Thanks so much for all the info guys! |
Car54 | Saturday, January 05, 2002 - 07:53 am   Brandon's interview with The Advocate" LAST EDITED ON 01-05-02 AT 04:44 AM (EST) Brandon Quinton is proud to note that Entertainment Tonight dubbed him the Susan Lucci of the current Survivor: Africa, CBS’s immensely popular reality game show, the 25-year-old Texas bartender is one of only two openly gay men, along with original Survivor winner Richard Hatch, in the show’s three-season history—and he joined up planning to do as much scheming as possible. In a no-holds-barred interview with Advocate.com, Quinton—who was the ninth person voted out of the show’s competition for the $1 million prize—says he tried out for the show to strike a blow for every young “little ” who’s never seen himself on television and to let them know that being gay doesn’t mean being promiscuous. You were out there how many days? 27 days. Did you have any hesitation about going when you found out you were chosen? No, but when I got out there, I started feeling a little overwhelmed. I had thought a lot about getting on the show, but I hadn’t thought about not been camping before. That was kind of overwhelming. From your CBS interview on The Early Show, it sounds as though your primary draw for competing in this wasn’t the money or the fame. It really wasn’t. Shows like Queer as Folk that are so popular show a really bad image of 20-something gays. Pretty much everything on TV is, either you’re over 30 and you can’t get a man and desperate to find someone, or you’re under 20, super promiscuous, and trying every new fad drug that comes out. I’m 25, absolutely not promiscuous, and don’t do drugs. I thought it would be good to have someone different out there. How do you feel you were perceived? I’m just myself. I’m not like some super-butch guy; I’m not really worried about what people think about how I act. I can’t help that, I’m just who I am. I think it says a lot that someone on the flamboyant side can last 27 days with very little food and water in very hard conditions. You went on there to break the TV stereotypes... I didn’t go to break the stereotypes, because that’s impossible for someone on a game show to do. I just wanted there to be an alternative. When I was in high school, there was no one to see . Then the first gay characters I started seeing were not that positive. If some kid in high school is getting teased and called a or a queen every day like I was, they could see that a little queer guy outlasted a lot of the butch guys, then maybe I helped them. I didn’t really have a lot of chances on the show to talk about my views on promiscuity and drug use. Were you out in high school? I wasn’t. When you’re from a really small town in rural Oklahoma like I was, it didn’t matter that I dated girls, I was just different from everyone else. I got to hear “” and “queer” nonstop. you can either decide, I’m going to get of this—I’m going to make something out of myself and get away from these kinds of people or you can let it really get to you and it’ll drive you crazy. I’m certainly not defending anyone, but some of these kids who pull out a gun and wreak havoc, I can almost relate to them. You can only take so much; you can only be pushed so far before you either snap like those kids did or you just get a really strong resolve and say, I’m not going to take it, I’m not going to let anyone bother me. That’s kind of what I did. I wouldn’t trade back then for anything. Would you say your Survivor experience was a good time? It was a good experience. It was no vacation—it’s very hard. I wouldn’t do it again, because I’ve done it. I found out a lot about myself. It was a good time. I enjoyed it. What do you think of the other gay contestants, like Richard Hatch? I’m way different from Richard Hatch. I mean, obviously, I’m way thinner and less hairy! And then there’s the Guidos on The Amazing Race. Wow, they were something else. They weren’t portrayed in a very likable way, I’ll tell you that. I met them last week. Their finale was the same day I was starting my press tour. They seemed very nice. I don’t know what kind of people they are, but they seem nice enough. How do you feel you were treated by your fellow contestants? Overall, were they OK with you being gay? For most people in urban areas, I don’t think it’s a big issue. Well, not that I’ve encountered. Most people on the show, they knew gay people. It wasn’t like I was the first one they had met like with Frank and Tom. Tom has never ever been around someone who was openly gay. He asked me one day, “What’s the deal? Why are you different?” So I told him. Frank has a military background and he doesn’t think a lot of gay people. That’s fine. You can’t go through life with a chip on your shoulder worrying about if you please everyone. I don’t worry if I please anybody. I’m happy with myself and that’s all that matters. Have you been back to work since the show started? Oh, yeah. I only work two to three days a week, but I’ve definitely been back to work. It’s still fun. Most of the guys in Dallas, because I’m a bartender, they know me, so it’s not so big of a deal for them. I work in a Levi’s-and-leather bar, and a lot of straight tourists come in—these little straight couples wading through the guys in chaps! When they come to get an autograph, you can just see the look on their faces. It’s pretty funny. For some reason, I’m super popular in Australia. I guess there’s a ton of gay people there. I get a zillion fan letters from people in Australia. It’s little kids, adults, straight people, and gay people. The people who come up to me from here are all different sorts too, but in Australia it just seems like an unusual amount of people. Has the bar doing anything special since you’ve been on? On Thursdays. I don’t go to those. I’m not allowed to watch the show in public, because it’s new to me too. If I were sitting next to you and something happened, just my facial expression might give away something that might happen in the future. How have the tips been? Actually, right now, they’re probably the lowest I’ve ever made. I was on the show for 10 episodes. The further I made it, the fewer people would hang around my bar, like they were almost scared of me. Like they’re scared to order a drink from me, they’re scared to talk to me. Dallas has a lot of gay people, but even in our own little gay community, when I go to shop or get a bite to eat—the people behind the counter, even—they’ll just kind of say hi and keep their head down like they’re afraid to look at me. It’s so strange. And it sent my dating life to hell in a handbag, I’ll tell you that. They’re all scared to hit on me now. Plus, I looked like total hell by the time I got voted off the show. At least now people can see me cleaned up. I was kind of a hairy little troll on there towards the end. A month out there turns you into that. What was the absolute worst part of the Survivor experience? I hate to say it: While the water was really bad, the whiny girls were the worst part of it for me. There were a couple a girls my age out there who annoyed the ##### out of me. I’m not used to being around girls, especially that age. I don’t know if they were cycling at the same time, because they just went on—they would just constantly whine and cry. Who did you enjoy hanging out with most out there? One of those whiny girls. Little Kim, Kim Powell, was my favorite. I still hang out with Kelly all the time — I’m staying with Kelly in L.A. I’m looking at the new Globe and it has Gay Survivor Falls for Gal He Booted Off Show. This article is talking about Kelly and me having some kind of wild sexual affair. I’m like, “Hello? Did they ever watch the show? Have they met me?” Was there any friction because of what happened during the show between you and Kelly? Oh, no, because when I got onto the jury, I lied to her and told her it was Frank that voted her off and not me. Then about two weeks before she got voted off , I called her and said, “Oh, by the way, the show is going to look like I voted you off, and I did. Talk to you later, bye!” She called me back the next day, and we got over it really quickly. In watching the show, has your opinion about Frank or Tom changed any? It’s a game. We were in an extreme situation. I don’t hold a grudge against anyone, certainly not for voting me off. I would have voted me off too. I was such a schemer and causing trouble all of the time. I could forgive almost anything Tom has said because he is so non-malicious when he says bad things. He would say some pretty racist/homophobic stuff, but it’s just the way he talks. Frank, he’s just kind of malicious and homophobic. It’s funny—he spent a month out there with me and he did not grow a bit by knowing me. Maybe that says more about me than him, I don’t know, but I certainly didn’t change his opinions at all. I think I changed Big Tom’s opinion. He’s invited me to stay on the farm with him. I’m going to do it just so all of his neighbors make fun of him. I told him, “I’m totally going to come stay with you and tell all of your neighbors I slept with you.” “Aw, Sugarbear”—that’s what he said. Are there any good sides to having been on Survivor? I think it’s really great for me. I think nobody else really cares about what I have to say. It makes me feel good that at least I can say what I feel. The big deal to me is the promiscuity that goes on amongst people my age. At least it makes me feel that one person heard that and realized that you can go out with someone and not have to ##### them. Maybe one person hears that and thinks, “Why am I doing that?” Are you saying you’re celibate? Absolutely not. I just don’t have intercourse with somebody unless I’m with them. I don’t think dating somebody five times in two weeks allows them to be intimate with me. It’s all respect for me. It’s not even about sexually transmitted diseases. You can have pretty safe sex now. It would be much better for me to feel like somebody — even before I was on the show — if somebody’s with me because they want to hang out with me, not because they think they’re going to get a piece of ass. You can do other things to have a good time. If it comes to the point where I’m dating someone I really like and it’s three weeks into it, then it’s three weeks into it. Two months into it is two months into it. What’s the point? You can get off other ways without getting really intimate. You were actually married to a woman before. I was, for nine months, before I was in college. Have you heard from your ex-wife since the show? She sold her story to The National Enquirer and the Star. Gotta read all about that. I was 19 years old; I lived in rural Oklahoma. Not to make silly excuses, but I didn’t know what gay was when I was 19. I had never been with a guy. I just thought I was having weird thoughts. I kinda was just doing what everyone else was doing. Then I thought, “I really don’t like the vagina that much.” So how old were you when you met your first guy? This is going to sound so bad: 19 or 20. I dated for my first time when I separated from my wife. Was it tough the first time you were with a guy? I don’t have a lot of moral hang-ups about stuff like that. It felt right. What was the reaction from your family about being on the show? My mom and and my grandma really didn’t want me to do it. My mom might have been afraid that I wouldn’t fare so well. My grandma I think was embarrassed. You know, she was afraid her friends would see. They’re really proud of me now, but they were real apprehensive when I got on there. They hadn’t really watched the show before. Were they OK with you being out nationally? I didn’t really give them the choice or ask their approval or permission to go on the show, I just did it. I told them, “You can like it, have a good time with it, or not.” They chose to have a really good time with it. Team Guido, the gay couple who competed on CBS’s The Amazing Race, told me they thought you did a good job with your interview on Letterman. Were you nervous? I was very nervous about that. I was really nervous before all of my TV stuff. Letterman doesn’t really like that he has to do Survivor. The producers made me super nervous beforehand. Then I thought, ##### it, I’ll just do what I do. Was he the toughest? He wasn’t the toughest interview, but I was most nervous for him. Actually, Bryant Gumbel interviewed me , which is weird, because he never interviews any of the Survivors. He sat down with me and asked some pretty hard questions that took me off guard. He was probably the toughest, but he was really nice about it. Have you met any of the previous Survivors? No! But my absolute favorite Survivor, Jerri, called me after my interview with Craig Kilborn. It made my day. Isn’t Colby back in Texas now? No, Colby’s not in Texas now! As soon as he got his check, he packed up and moved to L.A. because he wanted to be an actor. How about you? I am not any good at any of that. I was so nervous before the TV interviews — I’m just not an actor, I wouldn’t be good at it. Were you ever surprised how you appeared while you were watching Survivor: Africa? I’m a very middle-of-the-road gay person. I’m not the nelliest gay guy you’re going to meet, but I’m not super butch either. I have my moments each way. I was a little surprised when I get overexcited, I got a little flamboyant, but I have no problems with that. What do you think will happen to the reality show genre? I think the ratings alone show. These were high-rated shows last year, and their ratings have just plummeted. The Mole has been temporarily canceled; Temptation Island 2 is one of the lowest-rated shows this year. A lot of that is just quality. Those are a whole different quality of show. Survivor is the main “name brand” one. Our viewers have definitely dropped off, but our viewers average about 19 to 20 million people a week. It’s still a top-five show. I don’t really see it affecting Survivor for the next couple of years. I don’t know if there’s going to be another one after four; I don’t know if Mark Burnett wants to do another one. We’re such mindless TV. Survivor is like a modern-day Dynasty. People don’t really care anymore about a couple of rich old broads who have a catfight, but everyone loves it when Frank and I have a catfight on TV. I think it’ll last a couple more years. So are you Alexis or Crystal? Neither one. Entertainment Tonight called me the Susan Lucci of our show, which made my day. I love her. Are you going to watch the next Survivor? Kelly and I are so pumped about it. We were actually on a Survivor 4 spoiler Web site looking for info on it. That’s why we get along so well. We were fanatics about the first two. Australia, I would tape the Thursday night show—watch and tape it at the same time—and see it five times before the next episode. I’d pull it all apart and try to figure why they did this or that... Did that help you with your strategy? No. I just knew I wanted to be really mean, scheming and have a good time with it. And I did—imagine that! Were you a good guy or villain? I was a good villain—sort of the good-hearted cad. ------------------------------------- What a great interview! I think Brandon is my favorite this year, hands down. What a character! Somehow it seems right that Brandon met and liked the Guidos. |
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