FiNAL FOUR CHAT AND INTERVIEWS
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Car54 | Tuesday, January 15, 2002 - 04:20 pm   From Survivor Fever Highlights of Ethan's CBS Web Chat 1/14/02 Did you really think you would win after falling off the stump in the last challenge? - No, but Kim J. and I had a really strong bond and she thought the world of me and I thought the world of her and I wasn't super surprised that she picked me. Until I saw my name on that last piece of paper I had no idea I was going to win. It was reported that the reason you lost that last challenge was because the cameraman "lost his lunch". Is this true? - That is true, he did lose his lunch several times but I cannot put any blame on him. It was my own mistake my body just couldn't take it anymore and I fainted. It didn't help that vomit is one of my greatest fears and when you see someone yawn, you yawn, it's that type of thing. Did you every intentionally lose a challenge so that you wouldn't be viewed as a large threat? - I didn't intentionally lose, however I didn't try 100%. The puzzle challenge - I really wanted Silas off, he was a threat to me. Are there any questions from the jury members that you wished you had answered differently? - No, not even. I was proud and happy that I told Brandon right to his face that he did not deserve to be up there next to me. I wasn't going to sugar coat anything just to get someone's vote. Having seen the show, what do you think of the insights by Lex given in his private camera talks? - I was not too surprised, he's a passionate guy, he plays aggressively. I knew he has strong feelings and he's a strong personality. Who would have been in the final 2 had you and Lex won the last two immunities? - I would have chosen Lex and Lex would have chosen me without a doubt. Is there anything that was edited out of the shows that was interesting? - We had alot of fun. We played alot of games, the loser had to take a dare - run around naked, stuff like that. What did you think of the Kelly mini-tirade... were you surprised by it? - I was surprised. For someone so smart and knowledgeable in the game I thought she would do something more original. Susan Hawk did a tirade. Greg did the number thing. We all expected more from her. How did you come up with the number 888? - 8 is my lucky number so I decided to triple it. Did you think Brandon was lazy or why didn't he deserve to be up there? - I thought he was lazy. He never really showed his allegiance to one particular person. He allied himself with old Samburu then turned on his best friend, Kim Powers. So there was no reason he would not turn on us. I thought it was time for him to get voted out. Why did you form an alliance with Lex and Tom? - I saw Lex and Tom as the two strongest people and if you align yourself with the strong people, you will go further in the game. <question about his hair.> - Thanks, it's really a wig. I'm really excited about Regis and Kelly. I used to stay home from school to watch them. Letterman, I might not be able to be on stage. If I'm in the deli that will disappoint me because Richard and Tina got to go on stage. If you could so a magazine cover, which would it be a kick to see yourself on? - Esquire or GC, or the cover of Sports Illustrated. Have you received any Playgirl offers and would you do it if you did receive an offer? - I haven't received any and I would not do it. It's strange to be in the public eye and sometimes it's embarrassing when the girls freak out over me. If you could go out with anyone on the show, who would it be? - Jessie, she's down to Earth, funny and beautiful. Were you upset when Lex asked Brandon to join the alliance? - I wasn't upset but I questioned why, all of a sudden, he would jeopardize our alliance by bringing in an outsider. What has being on Survivor taught you about yourself and human nature? - When I'm ready to quit and go home, I can battle through all those feelings and make it through the next day, I have that power within myself. You came across as reserved while part of the group but funny and animated in camera interviews. Was that part of your strategy? - A little bit. I'm not the type of guy that's going to stand up and bark orders. I sit back and observe. Do you think Lex over-reacted when he got just one vote? - I think he did. He took it personally. He should have separated the game from people's relationships. How is the E-bay auction going? - I think it's going quite well, my torch is up to $8,000. The money will be used well for the Elisabeth Glaser foundation. I thought it was darling of you to give the kids your luxury item hacky sack. - Thank you. That was one of my best memories of my entire time in Africa. I wanted to bring a soccer ball but they didn't choose it from my list. What happened between Tom and Kim that caused such animosity at the final TC? - That confused me a little bit. I think they had one episode where she told Tom to shush he was talking too loud and he took it personally. I'm a soccer fan, is there anyway we might be able to watch you play? - Right now I'm between teams. - I'm not 100% sure that I'm going back to playing. Maybe coaching or helping children, or going to the World Cup this summer. How bad was Tom's hangover after his trip with Lex? - He was hurting hardcore. He went to take a leak and he thought the toilet was Lex's head. Lex said NO NO NO, and took Tom to the bathroom where he proceeded to throw up. Which 3 Survivors would you like to party with? - I partied with all 3 a couple of nights ago, and I just can't pick 3. What's your favorite to do for quality "Ethan" time? - Being outside, jogging in central park. Playing basketball and smoking crack - in that order - *laughs* just kidding. Not Tom's crack though, *laughs*. How bad was Tom's feet really? - Imagine the worst smell you've ever smelled in your life and then triple it. Like he dipped his feet in a bottle of vinegar, a bag of Doritos and feta cheese. Do you wish you had gotten to know any of the other Survivors better? - Some of the people that got voted off early I didn't get time to spend with them - Jessie and Diane and Carl and Linda from the other tribe. Some people consider you the "Colby" of this Survivor. Do you think that this is true? - In terms of winning all the challenges, not really, but in terms of the hunky one, I guess. Colby and I played the game similarly but he won more challenges. Were you jealous when Tom got to wash the women? - A little bit but I got to wash Tom *laughs* What's the best part of the show, besides winning all the moolah? - The money wasn't that important. The title of Ultimate Survivor- Africa was important to me. The best part was going to the village of Wamba and playing hacky sack with the children. Were you nervous when the jury was asking their questions? - Extremely nervous. I was expecting a fun light-hearted TC but they all came in so serious, asking their questions. Until Tom asking his about the hyena's butt. Who washed you? - Unfortunately Tom. He was the official washer. How does it feel, being an ambassador and role model for young people? - It feels great. Now that I'm the winner I have a platform where people will listen. I can give something back. Were you trying to be funny when you said that the girls will vote for Kim, the guys for you and Brandon would be the swing vote? - No not when I said it out there. Since Thursday's announcement. Who's the coolest person you've met? - Kevin and Drew from The Amazing Race. They are New Yorkers and I met them at the after party. We talked awhile and had a good ole time. |
Car54 | Tuesday, January 15, 2002 - 04:25 pm   From Survivor Fever: Highlights of Kim Johnson's CBS Web Chat 1/15/02 What made you apply for Survivor? - I love to play games. I love to compete. I love to camp. The chance at a shot to do all 3 at once and maybe make some beaucoup bucks appealed to me. I actually applied to Survivor 2 - Australia. The guys had to grow back their beards. They didn't want us to do anything drastic to our hair. They could never have us as thin as we were. They used make-up to create tans on some people. I had zero makeup on and I just had a tan. How hard was it to wait to find out if you were the winner? - It wasn't hard at all. There was never any doubt in my mind that Ethan would win. It was hard to not tell my family that I finished in 2nd place but not knowing if I won or not was never an issue for me. Big Tom, his jokes just got old. What did you think of Kelly's speech? - I think for an actress wannabe it was her choice to do that. She'll never be a Susan Hawk or Susan Lucci but she gave it her best shot. Were professional sharpshooters or hunters there to protect you from the wildlife? - No, we thought we were protected in the beginning and finally realized that we were not. In the beginning definitely. If Diane had not failed in that first challenge, I'm sure I would have been the first off. If Jessie hadn't gotten sick, I would have been off. I felt safe after I made it to the merge. Do you think you would have had more of a shot of winning had you kept Lex instead of Ethan? - I would have had no shot against Lex either. Lex was very well liked and the Boran's boy's club would have stuck together. What did you do to make Tom so mad at the end of the game? - I think he was upset that I won the challenge that voted him off...that my finally winning was his downfall. Then when he saw that I won the final challenge he probably thought it was some kind of girlie cerebral challenge. He probably thought that I didn't deserve to be in the final 2. Did you answer the jury questions truthfully or to get more votes? - I totally answered them truthfully because I knew I wasn't going to win. There was nothing that I could have said that was going to sway any votes. You are in amazing shape. We heard from Ethan yesterday that there was some nude dancing at night. Were you one of them? - There was no nudity at all, maybe in his dreams. Favorite challenges? - The last one that I won and the auction. Also the goat challenge. Why were you opposed to entering into a female alliance? - I'll trust a man over a woman any day. Plus that was my original alliance Tom's jury question was obviously a silly joke. Why did you answer it so seriously? - I guess not wanting to stoop to Tom's level. Ethan answered it rather seriously, too. Tom was crapping on the whole process...making a mockery of the whole thing, grandstanding, kind of like Kelly What did you like best about Africa? - The animals, the sunsets, the sunrises When Kelly asked you to pick a number, why did you pick 3? - It's my favorite number. I probably should have picked 500 or something. I think Kelly knew who she was going to vote for all along. What did you think of Brandon? - I liked Brandon alot. He's gotten some bad press. He was lazy and open about it. He was himself and didn't try to be anything he wasn't. The ebay auction is a wonderful idea and I wonder if you plan on bidding for anything? - I definitely want my torch. Will you take away a lasting friendship with any of the other Survivors? - Ethan and Lex and I are very close. We talk at least once a week. I've seen Ethan 6 times since August. We all email regularly. You were so strong in the final IC, what was going through your mind? - Winning, nothing was going to make me let go. Did you get to keep the cards? - I signed them and they are on Ebay. Were any of your tribemates portrayed much differently on the show than their true personalities? - I think everyone was portrayed accurately. Did you and Ethan slip some elephant dung into Lex's water to make him sick the day before the final challenge? - Tempting but no. If you had lost the final challenge what would have been your jury question? - If you had to pick the perfect tribe to be on, which 8 would you pick and why? Who would you have voted for: Lex or Ethan? - Ethan Any crushes on any of the Survivors? - I was very fond of Ethan and Lex but I wouldn't call it a crush... trust and respect. What did you do to prepare yourself to be away from loved ones for that long? - My children are all grown. I got through it by knowing there was an end. It was just a matter of counting those days. Like a mission. If you had to answer that question of the perfect tribe who would you pick? - *laughs*... Ethan, Lex, Jessie, Tom, Kim Powers, Frank and myself. You said you applied for S2 and weren't picked. What did you do to get picked for Africa? - Nothing different. I think the casting department saw that I was serious about wanting to be there and they thought "let the old lady put her money where her mouth is". What is the first thing you did when you got back from Africa? - Leap into my husband's arms and act like I never wanted to go then I went directly to the candy counter. As the last one's to leave the camp... did you take anything with you? - I took some of the tree mail items. The necklaces given to me in the final ritual were lost in a suitcase on the trip home. How did you get through the physical challenges? Weren't you afraid of hurting yourself? - The ones I liked best were the ones where I could hide - like the boulder contest. I still have major scars. Off camera, were you offered treatment for your swollen legs? - The treatment was more what to do, which was to keep my feet up. I wanted diuretics but I didn't get any I'm a 55 yr old grandma, I admire your grit and determination. Do you think that the older people were better equipped mentally to deal with the elements? - They had the wisdom to keep their mouths shut when they needed to. If they did a celebrity edition of Survivor, who would you like to see appear? - I'd like to see some people who say they want to do it but can't. I say David Hasselhoff on Fear Factor. He talked a mean game but was terrible. You can't judge a book by it's cover. Lex does not appear to be very athletic, Ethan is an athlete but did not stand out What was your best day in Africa... your first or last? - Definitely not my first. It definitely hit me that I was there and I realized I was the oldest by 11 years. Would you have rather played the game somewhere else. If so, where? - Africa was perfect for me, I love the hot weather. I don't need alot of water and I can sleep anywhere, even on the toilet as the whole world knows. What were your feelings as you were going through the African ritual before the last challenge? - I was exhausted. I had done two shifts of watch during the night while Lex was sick with his diarrhea. They had rubbed dung on our bodies and as beautiful as the ceremony was, I was in agony. Name one person you could have beat in the final 2? - Kelly, Teresa, Frank... maybe Tom. How did you celebrate finding out you had been chosen to be on the show? - I screamed, then sobbed then started shaking in my boots. When the teams exchanged members, were you glad? - I was glad for the change but frankly I didn't know if I would have been better of going or staying. I was better off having stayed. You didn't seem to ever feel weak or sick. - The only sickness I had was with the kidney infection at the end of the first week. It was difficult to even walk. Who were the 3 people that you told Kelly played the game unfairly? - To my knowledge I never told Kelly that anyone played unfairly. I didn't think anyone played unfairly. Anything goes out there. What is the one thing that you will always remember about your Africa experience? - The time spent with the people there. We were very much dependent on each other for every aspect of our well being. How do you think Survivor Marquesas will turn out? - Wetter than ours. Even though they won't be provided with food, there appears to be alot of marine life. I think there will be many more water related challenges. |
Moondance | Tuesday, January 15, 2002 - 04:29 pm   Thanks Car! I love Ethan! |
Car54 | Tuesday, January 15, 2002 - 04:37 pm   Ethan's Entertainment Weekly interview: Curl Power Millionaire Ethan dishes about his castmates. He disses Brandon, explains why Lex was a tough foe, and ponders battling Richard Hatch in a future ''Survivor'' installment by Jessica Shaw Who would have thought a curly-haired, introverted soccer player would take home the cash? Okay, we did. But we also thought that after winning, he would be Mr. Diplomat and say only nice things about his former Africa-mates (not true!). EW.com caught up with new millionaire Ethan Zohn just days after America watched his triumph to see how he really feels. So, Ethan, I knew you'd win from day one -- and I even got $100 out of it. Oh, yeah? That's probably what I'll get, too, after taxes, so we're in the same boat. Did you kind of know you had it when you saw everyone you'd be playing against? The competitive side of me was like, Yeah! I knew it wasn't going to be a cakewalk, but I saw Tom, who was this big, fat guy, and Lex, who was this skinny little tattoed guy. The women I wasn't concerned about. I wasn't cocky or anything, because that's not in my nature, but I was confident. You have to have confidence to go into a game like this. Was there a challenge you liked most? I liked the one that I won -- when I had to flip those little things into the basket. I liked weird stuff like that. I was pretty pissed off when Lex won the one with the car. It wasn't necessarily about the car, but it was the whole Colby thing. Lex had five good meals and four days out of camp away from everyone else. Once it was down to you and Big Kim, did you know you had it? No way. I replayed it in my head all the time. Every day I thought I could have won a million dollars or I could be a big, fat loser. It wasn't until I saw my name on that last card that I knew. I think Big Kim pulled a Colby. She would have won against Lex. I disagree with you totally. If you go over it in your head, Lex would have won because I would have voted for him, and so would Tom, Frank, and Brandon. What about if it had come down to you and Lex? It would have been a tough call. I'd like to think I would have won, but he played the game well. It would have been close. After you came home from Africa, did you try to get everyone to reveal who they voted for? No, we weren't allowed to talk about it. And to tell you the truth, I didn't want to. I just tried to put it out of my head. When I talked to people, it was more about what they did over the weekend or how their family was. So what have you bought, Mr. Millionaire? I bought Tivo, and I could sit around and talk about that for hours. I love that thing. Will you be endorsing it? I would. I haven't really been approached about endorsing anything. I didn't do this for Hollywood. I don't have a head shot. I'm just pretty psyched that I won this whole ''Survivor'' thing. It's one of the toughest game shows out there, especially in the third season when everyone is such a student of the game. During the Q&A tribal council, how could you have dissed Brandon to his face? I felt like I'm not going to sugar-coat anything for that guy. He didn't deserve to be next to me. I preached honesty and truth and I wasn't going to lie just to make him feel happy and get his vote. If that was the deciding vote, fine, but I would still have gone home with my integrity and self-respect. Obviously he was going to vote against me no matter what. Funny to hear you speak harshly, because when I interviewed Brandon he had nothing but great things to say about you. I take it all back. I think he's a great guy. Seriously, though, I have no hard feelings against anyone. We all partied together this past Thursday and we really all got along. I know they say this every year, but I think more so with this ''Survivor'' cast, everyone is friends. Even you and Kelly? Uh...she's an actress and she's acting. It was a little silly for her to do that whole number thing for someone who is so smart and knowledgeable about the game. I found it surprising. I expected more from her. Susan Hawk did the whole barrage. Greg did the whole number thing. If you're that great and smart, do something original. Why did you reveal on national television that you tried to curl your hair with a curling iron? I got asked my most embarrassing moment and that was it. The way it went was my hair was so curly I was trying to uncurl it. I didn't have that much experience, so I tried this curling iron with prickles and stretched the hair in front. It was a disaster. The worst part was that my mom picked a different embarrassing thing, so now people know two embarrassing things about me. Did you find anything particularly scary in your hair after the 39 days? No. I was psyched, though, to shave off my beard, and then Mark Burnett called and said, 'Ethan, grow it back.' There's a rumor that ''Survivor 5'' will be a greatest players kind of game. Would you do it? I think so. It would be fun to see how you do against the best. Could you take Richard Hatch? Yeah, I think I could. He's very smart, though. The game would be turbo. Everything would happen in one day. I can't imagine what that would be like. Any future for you on the pages of Playgirl? No, I would not do Playgirl. I'm still the same guy I was before, and I don't want the game to change me. So no Playgirl for me. |
Car54 | Tuesday, January 15, 2002 - 04:40 pm   Ethan's ETOnline article, with a pic of the "long term girlfriend". ETOnlinle article |
Car54 | Tuesday, January 15, 2002 - 04:48 pm   This is not a final four interview, but this article about Lindsay has lots of new info about the her experience: From "The Oregonian" 'Survivor': Silent flight to Nairobi 01/13/02 PETER AMES CARLIN R1 'I wanted to be the hot one!' OK, so no one goes on "Survivor" without at least imagining their way to the end of the rainbow. Richter, a 27-year-old advertising executive, applied to join the cast of the "Survivor" Africa series last spring, days after she got laid off from her job as an advertising executive. She bumped her way through a regional call-back, then a week of interviews in Los Angeles before learning, in mid-June, that she had made the cut. The hitch was that she couldn't tell anyone where she was going, or else risk incurring $5 million in fines expressly described in the contract she (along with her family and friends) had to sign with CBS. The cast convened in Los Angeles on July 4, then flew together to Nairobi, traveling under an enforced cone of silence: no talking, no laughing, nor even outsized gestures. "They didn't want anyone forming alliances on the way over," Richter says. Still, she couldn't help looking around, pondering where she fit into the mix. "Diane was tough and terrifying. I thought Kelly was a snob. And when I saw Jessie I thought, 'Dammit! I wanted to be the hot one!' " Eventually the 16-member cast found themselves at a lodge on the edge of the Shaba Wildlife Preserve, where the show would be taped. The bus arrived, the cameras switched on and the cast rode into the wilderness. Are you with us or not? What we didn't see, Richter says, is the fun stuff. Sure, the Samburu tribe, split into factions of fresh-faced post-collegiates and wizened midlifers, spent plenty of time arguing, sulking and scheming. But they also did yoga together, played charades and talked for hours about their lives and families. "Even Frank (the terse military guy) had a very sentimental side," Richter recalls. "On his daughter's birthday he was screaming at the sky, 'Happy birthday, baby! I love you!' " Richter bonded with fellow youngsters Brandon, the out-and-proud bartender, and Kim, the indistinct marketer. At first their friendship was just that, rather than a strategic alliance. "I was just coexisting, thinking I'd have fun and stick around that way," she says. But then Richter was pulled aside by Silas, the baby-faced bartender. "He said, I have to talk to you about the game!" she says. "I felt my adrenaline surge, and it was like -- here we go!" But while Silas was eager to form an alliance, he couldn't decide if it should include the older folks or the younger ones. Eager to hedge his bets, Silas pledged his troth to both factions, convincing neither of his fidelity. Richter ended up bonding with the young bartender, but when she, or anyone, tried to press him on his true allegiances, he would get hysterical. "He'd get all pumped up, shouting and spitting at you: Look into my eyes! Don't you trust me? You have to trust me!! We called him 'Psycho Eyes.' " Alliances formed, shifted, then shifted again. But the young vs. old split solidified, and when Richter outlasted Carl, the condescending dentist, in a Tribal Council standoff, the youngsters controlled the tribe. Until, that is, the producers took it back, plucking three members from each tribe and forcing them to switch teams. Now Silas was gone, and the dominating alliance went with him. When she figured out what had happened, Richter burst into tears. "In one morning I went from thinking I'd go all the way to thinking I'd be the next to go," Richter says. "I was a wreck." She tried to align with the new tribe members, but the next time Samburu went to vote off another member at Tribal Council, she knew what was coming. "A voice inside me said, 'Just leave with your dignity,' " she says. Silas mixed the drinks So host Jeff Probst snuffs your torch, parrots that bit about the tribe having spoken, and then you walk down this fire-lit path -- "The Walk of Shame," is what the African Survivors called it, swiping the term from NBC's game show "Weakest Link" -- and that's the end of you on "Survivor." But once you're out of camera range, a whole other life begins. Suddenly you're surrounded by a dozen of those crew members you weren't supposed to get to know before, and now they're all reaching out for hugs and rubbing your shoulders. "They were yelling, 'Welcome to the other side!' " Richter says. They foist candy bars and bottles, give you a moment to calm down then point you toward a camera-equipped hut, where you can take as long as you like taping a farewell statement. Once that's done, there's a 45-minute drive to the crew's tent city, where you feast on pasta and chicken, water, beer and whatever else your deprived stomach might crave. Your clothes arrive, and you can take a shower. Then you're left alone to sleep in relative luxury: A private tent, complete with a bed, pillows, blankets, a real toilet, the works. "I cried all night," Richter says. "I wanted to be on the ground, I wanted to be in the game. I was relieved to be away from the manipulation, the constant anxiety." More than anything, she had wanted to last long enough to get on the jury that decides the show's eventual winner. "I was (irked)," she says. The next morning Richter woke to pancakes, then intense stomach cramps as the previous night's meal -- the first real one she'd had in weeks -- found its way into her digestive tract. Then a small plane arrived to take her back to the lodge where the adventure had begun a few weeks earlier. There she was ushered quickly to a luxurious room. Richter asked to see her old ally Silas, and after an emotional reunion ("We both started sobbing") she got up the courage to see the others. "Almost everyone was nice, although Linda and Carl were smirking." Silas, the bartender, started mixing drinks, and as the afternoon fell into evening the mood lightened. And then some. "We all danced and drank and went skinny-dipping in the pool," Richter recalls. "I got so wasted that night. But the great thing is, African liquors don't have any preservatives, so you don't get a hangover!" A few days later the nonjuror ex-Survivors started a three-week tour of Africa, and it was all pretty darn dreamy -- save for the day Richter spent herking up green bile and the night she was hooked up to an IV drip in the hospital -- right up until they were reunited with everyone else for the long flight home. I can get nasty The hype started when Richter was still in Africa, thanks in large part to yours truly, who began publishing hints about a Portland-based "Survivor" contestant in early August, when she was still off in Africa. The Oregonian published a photo of her the week she got back to town in late August, and as the series debut approached in October the big drums started to pound. The entire cast turned up on the cover of TV Guide. Us magazine called their cover story 'The Sexiest Survivor,' spotlighting Silas, Kelly and Richter ('The Flirt'!) on its cover. Most of the other major entertainment magazines churned out stories, while the tabloid TV shows -- your "Entertainment Tonights," your "Inside Editions," the usual gang of vidiots -- weighed in with their own brand of gleeful prurience. Sex! Sexy! Sexiest! Once Richter was a nice career gal with a side interest in competitive mountain biking. Now the nation knew her as the flirt who had biked nude in her "Survivor" audition tape; who had been engaged to (and then dumped, or been dumped by) a pro baseball player; who had muscles and 'tude and, God willing, personal values that leaned toward the skanky. Muzzled by CBS and those onerous contracts, Richter could only watch herself go through the media wringer. And guess what: She didn't like it! Or, maybe, she didn't like being out of control. Richter, you understand, is a woman who structures her day between hard and easy workouts. She wears nice clothes and accents her facial tones with just the right amount of makeup. And when her picture shows up in the paper, and her nose looks a little, well, larger than normal, she feels unhappy. I know this in part because Richter used to come to The Oregonian on Thursdays to watch the week's "Survivor" off the satellite dish, which can pull in CBS's prime-time shows three hours before they beam from West Coast stations. She'd come in with her real estate developer boyfriend, David Hale, who flew in from Boise each week, and the hour would be, um, tense. "I'd be freaked out all day long," Richter recalls. For good reason, too, as she learned early in the first segment of the first show, when she heard herself announcing -- seemingly to the world -- that she was starting to get her period. As Richter recalls, she made the comment in a one-on-one conversation she didn't realize had been captured for posterity until she saw it on national TV in October. So no wonder she faced Thursdays-at-8-p.m. with a certain anxiety. "I kept smacking you on the leg, or bursting into tears. And then you can't help but go online to see how people are responding." This could be brutal. The weekly "Survivor" roundups on Salon.com and Zap2it.com make great sport of all the show's contestants, and Richter was no exception. Famous people, it seems, are simultaneously larger than life and less than human. On Salon, they called her "listless," "sweepingly selfish" and "morally unattractive." And that was positively sweet compared to the notices on homespun Internet sites like Survivorfever, Survivornews and Elipsiiis, where anonymous posters ridiculed Richter's looks or questioned her sanity. Try as she might to keep an even keel -- CBS employs a therapist to keep in touch with all the contestants to make sure they're not overwhelmed by the notoriety -- Richter felt devastated by the mockery. "It was harsh to see how brutal it could be." It was much more fun to have star-struck people approach her on the street, asking shyly if she was, in fact, that girl on "Survivor." Just saying hello could make their eyes light up, and when Richter smiled and took a moment to chat -- just being herself, really -- it was like she had made someone's day. What fun! The attention only got more intense the week after her on-air ejection, when she made the circuit of CBS's "Early Show," "The Late Show With David Letterman," Howard Stern's radio show, Regis and Kelly and so on. Now Richter was moving among the stars (she shared a dressing room with 'N Sync!). Suddenly she could understand why so many other ex-Survivors went on to pursue careers in the spotlight. The upside to being ridiculed for being herself, it seems, is that now Richter can get paid just for being herself. She'll only earn between $12,000 and $15,000 for her work on "Survivor" -- pocket lint in showbiz terms -- but she's already raked in decent money for appearing at a promo event in New York City for the "Survivor Insider" broadcasts that Real Networks does on the Internet. "I earned more in a week than I'd ever made in a month," she says. So why stop there? Richter has an agent (Sports Unlimited, with offices in Portland and Los Angeles) to help negotiate other deals, such as the one she made with Columbia Sportswear, exchanging her promise to wear their clothes on the "Survivor" contestants-go-home episode Jan. 17 for a van full of free clothes and gear. A closer look at me "Survivor" may not be the most fun you can have, for so many reasons, but it can be a transformative experience. Being dehumanized, ironically enough, made her take a closer look at the sort of human she really is. "It forced me to look inside myself," Richter says. "It forced me to realize I am a good person. That I'm loyal and warm. But there's another side, too, and if you (tee) me off, I can get nasty. If you enter a race with me, I'll rip your head off." There is nothing about Lindsey Richter that makes me think she's kidding about any of this. Maybe she won't ever be truly famous. Maybe all these "Survivor" people are working through a new, larger reiteration of Andy Warhol's worn-out 15-minutes-of-fame theory. If Lindsey Richter is really going to make it, L.R. needs to do the making herself, and make the world forget she was ever on "Survivor." She knows this. "If I can find something I can get passionate about," she says, "there's no stopping me." |
Car54 | Tuesday, January 15, 2002 - 04:53 pm   Brandon high-tails it ahead 01/13/2002 By ED BARK / The Dallas Morning News TELEVISION CITY, Calif. – Brandon Quinton's upside? For starters it's his backside, which put on a happy face at a jampacked party following Thursday's finale of CBS' Survivor: Africa. The 25-year-old openly gay bartender from Dallas flamboyantly sported a black thong accented by low-slung trousers and a cheeky disposition. It caught the eyes and then wagged the tongues of anyone within the proper viewing distance. "Turn around," ordered crusty Survivor I star Rudy Boesch after Mr. Quinton got close enough to hear him. "Look at that," said the decidedly heterosexual ex-Navy SEAL. "A lot of these guys here are interested." Mr. Quinton clearly was the belle of this ball. He didn't win Survivor: Africa, or even come close. But his Day-Glo personality may give him a leg up on soccer goalie Ethan Zohn, the quietly amiable victor with a seeming aversion to spotlights. During a follow-up reunion show on CBS on Thursday night, Mr. Quinton and drawling goat farmer Tom Buchanan eagerly made spectacles of themselves while Mr. Zohn mostly just looked nice. "I've had quite a few offers, surprisingly," Mr. Quinton said. "As wacky as I am, I didn't think I'd get anything. And I've got all these weird offers. Like, a lot of modeling stuff mostly. ... This is so insane. You can't even imagine. This is so far from the rural boy from [Ada] Oklahoma," where Mr. Quinton was born. He bridles at being mentioned in the same breath, or even area code, as Texan Colby Donaldson. The star player of Survivor: The Australian Outback has moved from Dallas to Hollywood, where he's been taking acting lessons and auditioning for movie roles without any reported breakthroughs yet. "I'm not Colby," Mr. Quinton said. "I don't even want to start on that." His immediate priority is a Jan. 24 AIDS charity event at the Throckmorton Mining Company in Oak Lawn, where Mr. Quinton still tends bar. All 15 of his fellow Survivor: Africa contestants have agreed to attend, he said. "The 'prettified parasite' has worked his butt off for this," Mr. Quinton said, referring to an earlier characterization of his Survivor gamesmanship in The Dallas Morning News. "I don't mind it," he said, noting that he's also been linked romantically with Survivor comrades in tabloid reports. "This week I'm with 'Big Tom [Buchanan],' " he said. "Last week it was Kelly [Goldsmith] that I was supposed to be having an affair with." Mr. Quinton attended the Survivor party with his Dallas boyfriend after chance- meeting Mr. Boesch on a flight from Dallas to Los Angeles. "When I got on the plane [from a connecting flight], he jumped up and said, 'Rudy!' " Mr. Boesch said. "At first I didn't know who he was. My wife had to tell me." Mr. Boesch said he later met up with Survivor I champ Richard Hatch during the CBS festivities. "I told him I'd met Brandon, and he's looking for ya. And Richard said, 'I don't wanna see him.' Richard's got his own thing goin'." Mr. Hatch took on an imperious air at the CBS party, telling reporters he wasn't doing interviews. "He's got his own thing going," said Mr. Boesch. "I get along with Richard, but I've told him, 'Don't call me, I won't call you.' I can't afford to have a guy like that callin' me up. When the sun goes down, he goes his way and I go mine." <That darn Rudy! > |
Car54 | Tuesday, January 15, 2002 - 05:05 pm   From Tom's hometown paper: Fellow survivors speak out on "Big Tom" By JOE TENNIS Bristol Herald Courier "Big Tom" Buchanan arrives at a ``Survivor: Africa'' party at CBS Studios in Los Angeles Friday night. Joe Tennis LOS ANGELES – All 16 contestants on “Survivor: Africa” made appearances at a post-show party at CBS Studios late Thursday. Perhaps the most popular in the crowd was boisterous Rich Valley, Va., cattle farmer “Big Tom” Buchanan, the 46-year-old country boy whose Southern drawl and goofy dancing enlivened the entire run of “Survivor: Africa.” Fans flocked Buchanan nonstop – wanting handshakes, autographs, a photo at his side or a dance partner – for about three hours. Premiering on national TV in October, Buchanan began his “Survivor: Africa” days on the show’s Boran Tribe. He later was switched into the Samburu Tribe. “He’s just so colorful and also authentic. He has a point of view, and he’s not afraid to how it,” said show host Jeff Probst. “I was sorry to see him go, but he made the final four. And that’s a lot in this game.” On the Africa edition’s last episode, aired Thursday, Buchanan became the 13th person kicked out. He bowed out with a toast to “love, peace and hair grease.” But he stuck around later as a member of the seven-member tribal jury that ultimately decided who won the game. During Thursday’s post-show party, the Herald Courier tracked down each “Survivor: Africa” contestant to gauge his or her personal reflections of Buchanan: CARL BILANCIONE Personal: 46, dentist from Winter Springs, Fla. “Survivor” Status: On Samburu Tribe. Third to be kicked out of Africa. Thoughts on Big Tom: “Tom is a good ol’ boy who’s laughing, having a good time. And he represents fun. When he says something, he doesn’t mean it in a derogatory way.” CLARENCE BLACK Personal: 24, high school basketball coach from Detroit “Survivor” Status: On Boran Tribe Thoughts on Big Tom: “He’s the funniest guy I’ve ever met.” JESSIE CAMACHO Personal: 27, deputy sheriff from Orlando, Fla. “Survivor” Status: On Boran Tribe. Second to be kicked out of Africa. Thoughts on Big Tom: “He was honest from day one. And what he told you, whether you liked it or not, was the truth. And you just got to know that’s just how he is. And if you’re really going to start thinking either that he’s anti-this and anti-that, then you really don’t know Tom. He might say something that might come across wrong, but that’s just how Tom is. You can’t take him seriously.” TERESA COOPER Personal: 42, flight attendant from Jackson, Ga. “Survivor” Status: On Samburu Tribe. Later switched into Boran. She finished fifth, just behind Buchanan. Thoughts on Big Tom: “I love Tom. He’s great.” SILAS GAITHER Personal: 23, bartender in Los Angeles and former resident of Germantown, Tenn. “Survivor” Status: On Samburu Tribe. Later switched into Boran. Thoughts on Big Tom: “From day one, it was like Tom’s a good guy.” FRANK GARRISON Personal: 43, telephone technician from Odessa, N.Y. “Survivor” Status: On Samburu Tribe. Later switched into Boran. Served on tribal jury. Thoughts on Big Tom: “He’s a brother. Tommy and I get to the basics, you know. Up early in the morning. Hard work doesn’t scare us off.” KELLY GOLDSMITH Personal: 22, behavioral analyst in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. “Survivor” Status: Boran Tribe. Later switched into Samburu (with Buchanan). Served on tribal jury. Thoughts on Big Tom: “I wanted Tom to win. He is so funny, as everyone in America knows. ... The second I met him, I knew I liked him.” KIM JOHNSON Personal: 57, mother of three and former schoolteacher from Oyster Bay, N.Y. “Survivor” Status: On Boran Tribe. Finished second place. Thoughts on Big Tom: “Tom’s smart like a fox. Tom has a likability to him that you gotta love him, whether you think he’s smart or he’s not smart or whatever. He’s got those qualities that make you just like him.” DIANE OGDEN Personal: 42, letter carrier from Lincoln, Neb. “Survivor” Status: On Boran Tribe. First kicked out of Africa. Thoughts on Big Tom: “Tom will be successful at whatever he goes into. ... He’s a hoot.” KIM POWERS Personal: 29, freelance marketer from Conshohocken, Pa. “Survivor” Status: On Samburu Tribe. Served on tribal jury. Thoughts on Big Tom: “Tom and I flirted a lot just in good fun. And I really liked Tom, and I think that he liked me back in just a way – a good-natured way – of having fun with each other.” BRANDON QUINTON Personal: 25, bartender from Dallas “Survivor” Status: On Samburu Tribe. Served on tribal jury. Thoughts on Big Tom: “Tom’s always Tom. He’s always going to be fine.” LINDSEY RICHTER Personal: 27, advertising executive from Portland, Ore. “Survivor” Status: On Samburu Tribe. Thoughts on Big Tom: “Tom was great. Man, he’s hilarious. At first, I didn’t really know what to think. I didn’t know him very well. At first, I thought he was a dirty old man, and then once I got to know him, and I just (found) he’s a big teddy bear. We called him ‘Big Bear’ and ‘Big Tom’ and ‘Big Boy.’ He just had me cracking up the whole time. The guy, he just never stopped being funny. But I couldn’t understand him a lot of the time, too, because you have to kind of get used to him. ... He needs to be a stand-up comedian or something.” LINDA SPENCER Personal: 44, career counselor from Cambridge, Mass. “Survivor” Status: On Samburu Tribe Thoughts on Big Tom: “I wish I had been in the same tribe with him. He’s fun, he’s entertaining, but he also seems to be very genuine.” LEX VAN DEN BERGHE Personal: 38, musician and marketing manager from Santa Cruz, Calif. “Survivor” Status: On Boran Tribe. Later switched into Samburu (with Buchanan). Finished third, just ahead of Buchanan. Thoughts on Big Tom: “I think Tom could do whatever he wants to do. I think Tom would be happiest if he had his farm. He could get some little endorsements to do some things to kind of keep the bills paid and then just have a good time being Big Tom from Saltville, Virginia.” ETHAN ZOHN Personal: 27, professional soccer player from Lexington, Mass. “Survivor” Status: On Boran Tribe; $1 million first-place winner Thoughts on Big Tom: “Tom should have his own television show. He’ll be the host. And I’ll, like, be a guest every week on the show.” |
Car54 | Wednesday, January 16, 2002 - 03:28 pm   From Survivor Fever: Highlights of Lex's CBS Web Chat 1/15/02 Congrats Lex, I hear you get alot of hometown attention. What's the funniest thing that has happened to you after coming home? - I was with my wife and we were try8ing to get some Christmas shopping done at the local mall, I was getting recognized alot. One guy that met me tracked me down 20 mins later and asked me to talk to his wife and 8 kids on his cell phone Do you still trust your gut feeling and did you ever apologize to Kelly for thinking she put that first vote on you? - Let me set the record straight on this right now! If you go back and watch the comments I made in the voting booth, you'll note that I apologized to her as I cast my vote. As far as my gut feeling, I feel that I was right on from the get go. Kelly may not have cast that vote but she was still a snake. Kim, Ethan Tom and I all discussed that if she hadn't cast that vote she still deserved what she got and it was time for her to go. Santa Cruz rocks! I still keep in touch with the Final Four frequently (Tom, Ethan, Kim J.) I still speak regularly to Brandon, Frank, T-Bird, Kim Powers, Diane, Lindsey, Carl, Linda Brandon has organized a benefit for his local aids charity in Dallas and all 16 of us will be flying to Dallas next week for the benefit. I'm in the process right now of organizing a benefit for the Santa Cruz Aids Project (SCAP) The date isn't firm yet but it will probably be within the next two weeks. My band Lucky Dog will be playing a live set. I'll be raffling off some kewl Survivor memorabilia. Do you think that you would have won if you weren't cursed by your stomach problems? - I have a feeling that if I hadn't been stricken with that nasty case of the runs and fever, that I would have kicked butt in that last immunity challenge. I would have much rather lost the game by screwing up or pissing someone off. I was totally dehydrated, exhausted and sick as a dog. Can you provide your band's website address? - www.luckydogrocks.com - Click Here You and Tom went on quite a bender on your safari reward. Can you tell us some of Tom's antics? - Ohhhh, I can tell you quite a bit of what happened that night was not suitable for primetime television. I told him to wake me up if he was going to get sick. I could tell by what was going on next to me in bed that Tom was about to hurl. I took him to the bathroom and told him to be careful because I was also having stomach problems that night but from the other end and might need to sit down on the toilet. He proceeded to vomit launch all the walls, floor and toilet seat. I asked the cameraman if someone could come and clean it up. He just smiled and said no. I was surprised to turn around and see Big Tom with his pants down holding his penis getting ready to take a piss on my head. Don't get me wrong. Big Tom wasn't trying to expose himself to me. He was so liquored that he probably mistook me for the john Which castaway did you find the most attractive? - This season's hot little minx was Kim Powers. But I'd have to add that I think all the girls this season were pretty hot. Why was it important for you to find out the mystery vote - I unfortunately experienced a bit of psychotic meltdown at that point in the game and went on a 3 day paranoia binge. Not surprising after 3 weeks in the bush with very little food, water or sleep. After 3 days I was able to regain control of the game and put my paranoia aside. After that TC, I approached T-Bird because it seemed apparent to me that she was the person who voted for me. She replied her sweet southern accent that it wasn't her. Like everyone else who's experienced Teresa, it was easy to believe her. At that point, all of us in Old Boran were beginning to suspect that Kelly wasn't worthy of our trust. Cool tattoos, which has the most meaning for you? - The two that have the most meaning are the ones that my 2 sons Corbin and River drew when they were 4 years old. Lex, I want to get a tattoo but hate pain. What is the best place to get one for it to not hurt so much but still show? - Everything is going to hurt but if you pick a meatier spot like your upper arm it won't hurt quite so badly. Did Brandon save you out there? - At that point in the game I think Brandon's vote helped me and saved me. The votes were tight and in order to get rid of Kelly we needed Brandon's vote. What did you think when you found out Brandon was playing both sides? - I liked Brandon out there as a person. He was always flamboyant and fun to have around. After he had helped me at the last TC, I couldn't imagine casting a vote against him. Later when I found out he was playing both sides, I was disappointed but I wasn't surprised. Brandon was out there to have a good time and get a little backstabbing in. Unfortunately for him, that can only take you so far in the game. Would you pose for Playgirl, Lex? - Don't hold your breath. I probably won't be doing the men's magazine thang. How did a 38 yr old man covered in tattoos become such good friends with a 56 year old grandmother? - Kim Johnson and I became close friends immediately. I became friends and got alot with about everyone out there. Who would have thought that I would become close friends with Big Tom the goat farmer... what an odd couple. I'm a people person. Variety and diversity are the spice of life! Explain how your fellow Survivors liked you more than the public did? - My fellow Survivors got to know me as a person. Everyone in TV-land got to see the days condensed into one episode per week. CBS was bright enough to provide controversial and compelling footage. The only opinions of me that I care about are my friends and family... I could give a rat's ass less what anybody else thinks. If you got to know me you'd think I wasn't the villain they showed in Africa. But don't piss me off or I'll cut your throat *laughs* I'm 8 months pregnant. Should I name my child Mitchell or Draven? - Oh, if you are comfortable with me naming your child, I'd pick Draven. I think that's a super cool name and I favor unusual names. Was there anybody out there who aggravated you particularly. - Well I guess when it's all said and done, Kelly Goldsmith aggravated me the most. She chose to play the game by playing as many sides as she could at one time. She tried to align with everyone but had allegiance to no one. She talked trash about everyone behind their backs so that she could get gratuitous air time on the show. She got some extra air time all right but it came at a pretty high price. We got along fine now and contact each o the all the time but as far as the game is concerned, she hung herself with her own rope. What popped into your mind when you saw Frank in the sarong? - I thought it was the greatest, coolest I've ever seen. I took it as Frank basically flipping off the world. I thought it showed guts and showed a true sense of humor. He's a macho military type and probably going to catch hell at home but had the balls and humor to say "f-you" to the world. Do you feel that you could have beaten Ethan if it had been you two in the finals? - IT would have been a much tighter vote than most people think, probably 4-3 and I'm not 100% sure which way it would have gone. I think the jury would have voted for who played the game strongest, hardest and most strategic and not who got along best with the players Who would make up your dream tribe? - I was pretty happy with the tribes as they were. It's good to have a small group that you get along with but you also need people you can vote off at TC. Will you add a Survivor tattoo? - Yeah, I'd like to get a tattoo to commemorate my time in Africa. It was a life changing experience and as soon as I figure out an appropriate tattoo, I will visit my tattoo shop, True Art, in Santa Cruz Thanks for all your support. I'm glad you guys realize that I went to Africa to play the game of Survivor, to be myself and to play as hardcore a game as I could. |
Smileeys | Wednesday, January 16, 2002 - 08:43 pm   Thanks for these, Car. Usually as in this case, when I read or watch interviews post survivor, I usually like the survivor's more but I got to say that I like Kim J even less after hers. And come on, does she really think she could have beat Teresa?????? The behind the scense stuff in Lindsey's was interesting. I had wondered what happens immediately after they leave. |
Car54 | Thursday, January 17, 2002 - 01:53 am   I don't know Smileeys. I think Kimj is probably so proud of how she did her sense of things in sort of different from ours. And in reality- Kim didn't win the jury vote, but she kind of did beat Teresa- two older women- Kim got herself into a solid group and lasted til the end, so that probably changes her sense of it. I loved what Lex had to say. I think I would like him a lot in real life. And I agree, I learned a lot about Lindsay and the actual experience of being a contestant from her. We have to see her "paid" clothes in the reunion show this week! |
Babyruth | Thursday, January 17, 2002 - 01:23 pm   From the Cleveland Jewish News: January 15, 2002 By Adam Wills LOS ANGELES, Jan. 14 (JTA) What started out as a joke between friends fast became a million-dollar goal for a retired Jewish soccer player. Ethan Zohn emerged as the sole survivor of the CBS show ``Survivor" during the two-hour Jan. 10 finale, defeating Kim Johnson, a 57-year-old retired teacher from Oyster Bay, N.Y. ``I was happy to do our tribe proud," Zohn told JTA. ``Survivor: Africa," plagued this season by dwindling audience share in the United States, was recorded last summer in Kenya's arid Shaba National Reserve. Sixteen contestants faced off in a variety of contests over 39 days, braving 100-degree heat, wild animals and conspiracies. ``It's one of the most difficult games out there," Zohn said. ``It touches upon every part of one's being, every part of one's self -- emotional, psychological, physical, social." Throughout his life, the curly-haired 27-year-old has held tightly to his Jewish faith, traditions and culture, seeking out synagogues to pray with during Jewish holidays when the soccer teams he played with were on the road. ``It's a huge, huge part of my life," he said. A committed soccer enthusiast, Zohn's journey into the harsh African terrain had a lighthearted beginning. Zohn played goalie for soccer teams in Zimbabwe, Hawaii and Massachusetts and with the U.S. soccer team in the 1997 Maccabiah Games. Realizing that he wasn't going to be the next soccer superstar, Zohn hung up his cleats in 2000 and took a job with a product-naming firm. But a sudden hiring freeze ended his foray into full-time employment a day before he was scheduled to start. When he asked friends for job advice, they joked that he should try out for ``Survivor." ``We made the video, sent it in and the next thing you know, I got on the show," said Zohn, who earned a reputation for being a nice guy and an introvert as the series unfolded. Like the winner of ``Survivor: Australia," Tina Wesson, Zohn emerged victorious without a single elimination vote. ``I'm not the guy who is going to stand up and bark orders and tell people what to do," Zohn said. ``I'm more the guy who is going to sit back, observe things -- and then based on my observations I'm going to make my moves." Zohn has nearly gained back the 26 pounds he lost during the show's filming and is getting back into shape. On Dec. 3, the show's producers asked Zohn to regrow the beard he'd shaved off following his New York City homecoming for a surprise series finale. When ``survivor" host Jeff Probst revealed the winner live from a reconstructed ``tribal council" set in Hollywood, the family-oriented Zohn called out to his mother, Rochelle, and two brothers, Lenard and Lee, in the audience, ``I'm the favorite son now." Zohn's win wasn't a total surprise. Past ``Survivor" winners Wesson and Richard Hatch had picked him to win during a Jan. 9 ``Early Show" appearance, and Las Vegas sports book manager Andy DeLuca had Zohn's win at 6-1 odds early in the game. His rugged looks, reticence and honesty made him a fan favorite throughout the season. ``I wanted to play the game like I play life -- be honest, be fair, play hard, play to win. It was important for me to come home from 'Survivor' with my dignity and my self-respect," Zohn said. But the lack of soap opera-style drama and conflict that characterized the first two seasons has reduced enthusiasm for the show. Television critics point out that the show's audience is shrinking. The first season's finale drew 51.7 million viewers, while the second season's pulled in 36.4 million. Despite the lower turnout of 27.3 million viewers, ``Survivor" still helped CBS win the night, trumping NBC's 21.6 million viewers. ``I think hundreds of shows would dream to have their ratings as 'bad' as this year's 'Survivor,' " Zohn said. For Jews, Zohn's pride in his faith and culture was a refreshing change from the evangelical Christians cast in the show's previous seasons. One of this season's most controversial moments involved what appeared to be a blatantly anti-Semitic comment directed at Zohn. Fellow contestant Tom Buchanan, a goat and cattle farmer from Rich Valley, Va., called Zohn a ``Jew boy" after their team won a challenge. Instead of taking offense, Ethan looked on it as an opportunity to educate. ``He didn't mean any harm by it and didn't mean it in a derogatory term and he wasn't being a racist," Zohn said. ``Tom had never met a Jew before," said Zohn, who also was the first Jew that contestants Clarence Black and Frank Garrison had met. ``It was almost like a blessing. I got the opportunity to educate someone about Judaism. ``I'd tell him what it's like to be Jewish. He'd tell me what it's like to live on a farm, how to herd goat and sell cattle. It was a learning experience," he said. Zohn, who attended the Conservative congregation Temple Emunah while growing up in Lexington, Mass., fondly remembers his Jewish upbringing. And despite the harrowing challenges thrown at Zohn by ``Survivor," none could rival the ultimate challenge this newly minted millionaire faced growing up. It's something Zohn, who freely discussed his Jewishness on camera, hasn't talked about publicly -- the loss of a parent to cancer. After his Bar Mitzvah, Zohn's involvement with the congregation slowed after his father, Aaron, was diagnosed with colon cancer. The entire family switched to a macrobiotic diet in the hope of prolonging Aaron Zohn's life, a regimen Zohn continues to follow. Aaron Zohn died the following year, when Ethan was 14. ``I went and I did minyan for the year after," he said. ``It was important for me." In 1997, Zohn qualified to play for the men's U.S. soccer team in the Maccabiah Games. Playing soccer in Israel was a dream come true, Zohn said. ``In my mind it was probably was one of the biggest accomplishments I've made in terms of my soccer," he said. ``We played Brazil, France, England and Denmark. It's probably some of the best soccer I played in my life." He was slated to play in 2001 until the soccer portion was canceled when the Maccabiah was scaled back because of the Palestinian intifada. Since 1998, the Vasser-educated Zohn has been the assistant coach for the Fairleigh Dickinson men's and women's soccer teams in Teaneck, N.J. He is considering a variety of other soccer options, including a youth-development program proposed during the ``Survivor" finale and joining soccer's upcoming World Cup in some capacity. ``Staying involved in soccer is important to me," he said. ``Being an ambassador to the game would be great." Zohn has kept in contact and visited with the other ``Survivor: Africa" contestants since the series wrapped last summer, especially Johnson, Buchanan, Black, Teresa Cooper and Lex van den Berghe. Zohn's visit to Buchanan in Virginia made an indelible impression. "It was crazy," he said. "I tripled the population of Jews when I walked into that place." |
Car54 | Thursday, January 17, 2002 - 01:49 pm   From Survivor Fever: Highlights of Tom's CBS Web Chat 1/17/02 Hey everybody! This is goatman Tom! Lex told us that you threw up all over everything during the reward safari...any comments? - Yeah, ugh, I did barf, a fifth of five Boar Heads is too much for anyone Tom, your feather in your ass was awesome, whose idea was that? - Just mine! Yankee Doodle had one in his hat, mine was in my butt. Your jury question was so funny. What made you come up with that question and why do you think Kim and Ethan answered it so seriously? - I knew who I was going to vote for and Ethan had never seen me that serious before. He had so much pressure on him and he thought I'd give him a break. I knew in 2.9 seconds who I was going to vote for and I also thought I'd gouge Kim a little bit and see if she would try to analyze it and she did! What are your plans now, what has been your best offer and would you pose for Playgirl? - My plans are to make money the best way I can. My door is open now, I've had some offers on alot of things but I'm just a farmer and not a rocket scientist. Playgirl? Show me the money. It would be like having a granny woman on Playboy. What was it like having a hangover in a hot air balloon? - I had eaten 5 cookies and drank a glass of water, I was kind of pumped again. I was like a donkey in springtime Tell us where exactly is Kim P.'s tattoo? - Not really the butt but gave new meaning to African bush. What happened to the boil on your neck? - It busted and drained and what the flies didn't eat off, I washed off. What was your take on the whole Lex and Kelly fiasco? - I was pissed at the time that Lex jumped to conclusions and that I wasn't that willing to "cut Kelly's throat". I liked Kelly and she's the one who helped me with the game. I hated to see her go but I knew that she was probably a smart player and it was good to let her go. I liked Kelly, she helped me and on her behalf I told him that. How old is your son, he's looking pretty hott? - He's 20 years old and he aint only looking hot he is hot You were the most fun person in Africa. Was Kim J right when she said that you were "anti-woman" and does your wife like your weight-loss? - Kim J. made the most foolish statement I've ever heard come out of her mouth. Where I come from if a woman is carrying groceries and you have nothing in your hand you take them from her. She took my helping her as being anti-social and macho. It pissed me off that she didn't realize that I was just trying to be nice. Yes, my wife likes my weight loss. Who were the most annoying people in camp and why? - Our camp was lively and good. Hardly anybody. I enjoyed everybody because it opened my horizons. I've been in the country for so long, it was great for me to meet different types of people. Why did you wear your overalls to TC after you were voted off? Why didn't you wear a skirt like Frank and Brandon? - Because I'm Big Tom the farmer, not Brandon the Sugarbear. How did being a goat farmer help you on Survivor? - Well, when them women got to stinkin I was used to it. Did you enjoy giving the ladies their showers and did you see more than you should have? - Yes! I enjoyed it and washing Jessie made me slobber like a mad dog - shake like a dog pooping peach seeds. I'm just a man and I did keep one eye closed. On the other hand I was glad the women trust me enough to do that. Are your feet smelling better? - Me and Kelly had the stinkiest feet, no doubt. It's like having gas, if it's your gas it aint that bad. What did your wife think when she saw the episode where you had to pick the tick from Lindsey's butt? - My wife thought it took longer to take that tick off...knowing my professionalism around the butt. They didn't want to show the whole episode...and Lindsey...nice butt. If you were in the finals who would you have taken with you? - Ethan and Lex, my alliance would have still held true. I've never had any money but my word's been true. I would have probably took Lex, I felt more comfortable about beating him. If you could do one thing over what would it be? - Nothing, I played the game as best I could in that situation. I would have watched the earlier shows to know what I was getting into. If you were not married, any survivors have your interest? - All 8 of the women. Exactly how many goats do you own? - At last count 250..but since I've been back a couple of little new ones that look kinda like Brandon There's an AIDS fundraiser next week at Brandon's bar. Can you provide us with some information, will you be there? - I don't have the info on that but I am going. It's something I want to help promote...AIDS awareness. Big Tom will be there! I did donate my hat that I had on on The Early Show, if anyone's interested, it's on Ebay. It's got all the contestant's autographs on it and Mark Burnett's and Jeff Probst's. Did anyone beat you at checkers? - No. Nobody came even close. And it's not that I'm that good, they are just that bad. When you and Lex had that huge argument, did that affect how you voted or how strong your alliance was? - It was kinda like fightin with my wife. It proved our alliance was strong. Lex is a good guy. What did you think of Frank, honestly? - I liked Frank because I knew where I stood with him. It was either black or white and Frank is really just a New York country bumpkin at heart. We had more to talk about than most of them... hunting, fishing. What has been the biggest change since coming home? - Just people. I can walk through Wal-Mart and little kids are coming up to me hugging me. I didn't realize the impact would be this big. Since I can't spell well, I thought I'd help out by starting a reading program. One little kid just read 100 books and to think that I made a difference, feels good. If I can help just one person. Is it true that Ethan is buying you a Harley because of a pact you two made? - *laughs* That was the pact, no comment. What was your strategy out there and do you think you made it so far because of your alliance or how you played? - Definitely my alliance. Ethan and Lex helped me get to the final four. My strategy was Cowboys and Indians...the guy riding the white horse gets shot and I didn't want to be the leader. I wanted to be low-key but then I said "to hell with it" and decided to just be me. Common sense also helped. Does water soaked in elephant poop taste like water with elephant poop in it? - I don't know I tried to stay upstream of it, you'll have to ask Kim J. that question. What's the funniest thing that happened while you were out in Africa? - One night I hid in the IC box in which the Idol was parachuted in. Ethan was on watch and he's scared of the lions. I jumped out at him and scared him. I don't know why it never made it to TV. Other than that, Brandon and Frank going to the movies. I'll never forget the look on Frank's face. Do you think Lex carried you along? - HELL NO! I carried myself but he helped with the alliance along with Ethan. Was Survivor harder than you thought it would be? - Yes, EXTREMELY harsh conditions. Why did you guys vote out Kim P instead of Teresa? - She was physically a bigger threat and her body is like a rock. She was in super good shape and that's just kind of the way it fell. It was her. We were afraid of her running abilities. Lil Bit rocks What's with your luxury item. Did it really help you and did you really make everyone rub it before a challenge? - An old man gave it to me when I was 11 years old for good luck. I took it to Tupelo, Mississippi, gambling and brought back over $5,800. I took it to my audition and it gave me good luck. Then I told my wife I was taking the cooter to Africa. I didn't make them all rub it but almost all of them would rub it before each challenge. On the final vote Ethan wanted to rub it one last time for good luck. I'm sending all of them one for Christmas! It's commonly known as a cooner? - It's a raccoon's penis. Are you still selling T-shirts? - Yes I'm putting them on the internet soon at www.bigtomsurvivor3.com Why was the hyena licking it's butt? - From Kim J's mush Will you watch Survivor Marquesas? - YES I'm hooked! I'm going back to watch all the others, 1 and 2, I haven't seen them. Did Jeff Probst hit on the women? - No, he was professional, he wasn't a skank like me. Did any of the women have gas? - Lindsey farted like a mule every morning - bar none. She needs beano! Every time I'd get gas I'd want to save it for her to pay her back. I love her! Where did you learn to stomp like that? - We had a grease fire one time and I came in half lit and that's how. Could you tell me the Survivor you trusted the most and the one you trust the least? - I could trust either Lex or Ethan the most, Brandon the least, he's a sneaky little devil. If he went against Kim P, his best friend, he could go against anyone... no loyalty Was Brandon the first gay person you have ever met? - I've met some gay people but none as proud as Brandon. I've never had to share a tent with a gay person, that's why I slept on my back. Would you do it all over again? - HELL YES. In a New York minute. <Well I think Tom wins for the funniest chat bar none!> |
Moondance | Thursday, January 17, 2002 - 04:12 pm   Reality of show's finale gives new meaning to "Survivor" By Gail Pennington PASADENA, Calif. - "Welcome to the 'Survivor' finale," the CBS publicist said. "The line for the strip search forms over there." She was exaggerating, but not by much. Visiting TV critics (admittedly, a dubious-looking bunch) invited to watch the three-hour wrap-up of "Survivor: Africa" last Thursday first had to navigate so many security checks that we might have been visiting the White House, not CBS Television City. With three sets of prearranged credentials around our necks, we showed picture IDs and had our bags searched before even boarding the bus to the studio. There, we passed through metal detectors and were sniffed by a German shepherd named Axa, an expert at nosing out explosives. (In off-duty moments, Axa, who has found four bombs in her career, enjoyed having her ears scratched.) Going to the restroom meant taking along a guard, but he didn't insist on coming into the stall. Worth it? You bet. What fan of reality TV wouldn't agree to a bit of searching and sniffing if it meant getting to mingle with Big Tom the goat farmer, Lex the tattooed supervillain and sweet, curly haired Ethan, America's newest millionaire? CBS also served up cast members from "Survivors" 1 and 2, and, as a surprise bonus, the winners and finalists from the exciting, addictive "Amazing Race." But the long day and evening (eight hours door to door) began as just another TV-watching experience. The finale, shot in Africa right up to the revelation of the winner, aired on a theater-size screen beginning at 5 p.m., as viewers in the Eastern and Central time zones saw it but two hours before Californians got a chance. The enormous, icy-cold sound stage where we watched once housed the "Roseanne" talk show but had been decorated in African animal prints, not for us but for the real guests, who'd be coming later. Early on, the only "famous face" belonged to Richard Hatch, the first "Survivor" millionaire. Now working for CBS, the surly Hatch spent two hours huffing, "I'm not giving interviews!" to anyone who dared to walk near him, even if just crossing the room. Hoping to be in the audience for the live "reunion special" after the finale, we were disappointed to find we'd be watching that on TV, too. The studio where Bryant Gumbel interviewed the players was just next door to our sound stage, but all the seats there were filled with VIPs, including "Australian Outback" winner Tina Wesson. CBS kept us calm, however, by taking the plastic wrap off a buffet that included Cuban roast pork, Chinese dumplings and roasted rat (or possibly very small lamb chops). Finally, 20 minutes after the special ended, we got our chance at winner Ethan Zohn, the soccer pro who set female hearts fluttering throughout the competition, and his runners-up: retired teacher Kim Johnson, tattooed techie Lex van den Berghe and once-portly farmer Tom Buchanan, who claims to have lost a record 80 pounds during his 39 days in Africa. The press conference took place on the set so cleverly created to mimic the African "tribal council" locale that during the telecast, the final vote (in Africa) blended seamlessly into revelation of the winner (live in Los Angeles). Asked later exactly where the cut took place, executive producer Mark Burnett confided: "It was all LA. We never went to Africa." Actually, production designer Kelly van Patter spent weeks re-creating the set, including shipping the hut roofs and windows by container ships from Africa. "When we saw it here for the first time today, I got goosebumps," said Lex (in reality TV, it's all about first names). Ethan, pale and quiet, let motor-mouthed Lex do most of the talking, answering questions not even directed at him. ("I lost my marbles for a few days," Lex said to explain his wildly paranoid behavior.) Big Tom campaigned for a job in television ("My finances ain't too good, and I'd like to ride this wherever it may take me for the next ever how long."). Kim J. talked about being proud of lasting so long (she finished second to Ethan), and the winner himself admitted making himself sick eating Rice Krispies Treats when he got home. Then it was off to the red carpet for them, and back to the original soundstage for us. By now, however, a huge and lively party was in full swing, with guests including representatives from CBS affiliates around the country. Kevin O'Connor and Drew Feinberg, better known as the "bald frat guys" from "The Amazing Race," were exuberantly holding court near the buffet, posing for pictures and handing out buttons bearing their pictures. The cuddly college pals and best friends, who finished fourth in the race, were presenters at Sunday night's People's Choice Awards and will cover the Super Bowl for "The Rosie O'Donnell Show." But they have a bigger deal in their sights: They'd like to do commercials for Anheuser-Busch. "We're Bud Light Guys," Kevin said as both hoisted bottles for a photo. In matching outfits, Bill Bartek and Joe Baldassare, better known as "Team Guido" from "The Amazing Race," explained that the real Guido, their Chihuahua, would have been at the party, "but CBS wouldn't let us bring him." They regretted that Guido would miss the opportunity to bark at Axa the bomb dog. As for getting stranded in Alaska and finishing third, the life partners shrugged. "At least we didn't have to jump into that cold water," Bill (or was it Joe?) said, referring to one of the race's final challenges. Frank and Margarita Mesa finished the race a close second but consider themselves the winners, having started as separated parents and finishing as a couple again. "That's better than any prize money," Frank said, holding his wife's hand. And speaking of holding hands, co-winner Brennan Swain was hand-in-hand with Emily Hoyt, who participated in the race with her mother, Nancy. The two have been dating ever since, although they don't see each all that often; Emily is in her last year of college in Texas, while Brennan and his race partner Rob Frisbee practice law in Los Angeles. "This could be something, but I don't want to rush it," Emily said. Among the "Survivor" guests, much of the attention went to Brandon Quinton, the gay Dallas bartender who was voted out about halfway through the game. Actually, the attention was directed not so much at Brandon as at his flowing pants, which sat so low on his hips that they threatened to drop to the floor altogether. Brandon also caused something of a stir when he went into the ladies room to deliver his thong underwear to a fan who had bought it on eBay. In a stall, the two were busted by one of the ubiquitous security guards - for smoking. "Survivor" and other reality fare may have faded somewhat in the ratings this season. But nationally, 27 million viewers still tuned in to the finale, which averaged a 14.7 rating and 22 percent audience share. St. Louisans were even more enthusiastic: The two-hour edition averaged a 20.8 rating (229,000 households) and 22 share on KMOV (Channel 4), beating every competing show except "Friends." CBS has finished taping "Survivor: Marquesas," set on an island neighbor of Tahiti and due for a Feb. 28 premiere. Meanwhile, the network will milk the phenomenon even more with a special tonight following the players to their hometowns. |
Car54 | Sunday, January 20, 2002 - 01:09 pm   Oh Ethan fans- he is on the cover of this week's US magazine-bare chested and spear carryin'! Cover Pic of Ethan You can see the pic at Survivor Fever |
Squaredsc | Monday, January 21, 2002 - 10:06 am   after reading kimj's interview/chat (i can't remember which one) i really can't stand her. i am getting the impression that she thinks she is better than everybody. i could be wrong but that's what i got from the interview. |
Whowhere | Monday, January 21, 2002 - 11:07 am   I agree Squaredsc- I didn't like her much during the show, but didn't really know why. Now, I know I don't like her and, from that interview, I know why. She definitely gives the impression that she thinks she's better than most. Anyone who could dislike someone as funny and huggable as Big Tom must have some sort of complex. |
Moondance | Monday, January 21, 2002 - 12:24 pm   I don't see what was so bad about KimJ or her interview... I like Tom but boy would he get on my nerves 24/7... they all would as I would get on their nerves too. There is a time for fun and a time for seriousness I really like the cast on S3 and looking forward to S4! |
Car54 | Monday, January 21, 2002 - 01:35 pm   I thought Kim's interview, the one where she and her husband talked about what a difficult childhood she had, and how it made her determined to make a solid family life told a lot about her and how she deals with people. Sounds like the feeling is mutual between Tom and Kim, and you know, if you put ANY 16 people together for 39 days, let alone under those circumstances, I bet at least a couple of them wouldn't like each other! I thought Tom was pretty funny and I loved Rudy in S1, but I bet if I didn't eat for a couple of weeks, I would want to smack both of them! |
Car54 | Monday, January 21, 2002 - 02:56 pm   January 20, 2002 Out of Africa: How Lex van den Berghe survived ‘Survivor: Africa’ Lex van den Berghe folds his lanky, tattooed body into a big easy chair and describes how he almost got yanked out of "Survivor: Africa" only halfway through the CBS reality-TV show. It was just after producer Mark Burnett pulled the big switch. After he mixed up the two tribes so no one knew exactly where they stood. "I had been peeing blood for two days. Not blood mixed with urine, but pure blood," van den Berghe says in the machine-gun way he has of talking. "So I whispered to one of the producers that I needed to see a doctor." A little while later, van den Berghe snuck away from camp into the Kenyan bush to rendezvous with a CBS physician. The doctor told van den Berghe his kidneys were failing; that he need to be hooked up to an IV for two hours or he could have permanent damage. But van den Berghe knew any sign of weakness was a signal to the rest of the tribe to march to Tribal Council, mark your name down on a piece of paper and vote you out. That’s the way the game was played: One person voted out every three days until only one was left standing with a million dollars. Van den Berghe leans forward in the chair. Hooks his arm around a knee. "I flat-out refused," he says intently. "I told him I cannot be out of the game for two hours." The doctor shrugged and told him to drink more water, not work so hard. But if things didn’t improve, he said, he was going to personally pull van den Berghe out. Back at camp, van den Berghe told no one. He went on to last 38 days, ending up in the final three in the series, which ended Jan. 10. It was a part of the game that 20 million viewers — and the other contestants — never knew about. There were other things too, he says. Other secrets the camera didn’t tell. Sitting in the Spartan living room of his two-story stucco house in Santa Cruz, van den Berghe talks about the hidden calendar he kept, the parasites that snuck into his body and made him so sick he required chemotherapy-style drugs, the strange psychological changes that lasted a few months afterward and how dangerous the whole adventure turned out to be. He even talked about why he thinks Kelly Goldsmith, the blond sorority sister who was once his alliance-mate, disliked him so much. And even though he was sometimes painted as the paranoid plotter of the Moto Maji tribe, the spiky-haired and earringed van den Berghe has no regrets. "I would play "Survivor" all over again," he says. "And I wouldn’t play it any different. The only thing I wanted to do was to be myself." Lions, monkeys andpuff adders, Oh my Van den Berghe lives in a neat, older house that belies his faintly punk image and the "Sid and Nancy" movie poster on the living room wall. At first, he says, the neighbors wondered about the tattooed man and wife who moved in and had big barbecues in their back yard just about every weekend. But soon, the retirees were bringing them vegetables from their garden and homemade cookies. When he was on "Survivor: Africa" all of them watched. Before "Survivor," van den Berghe had been a top gun at Adobe Systems, the CEO’s right-hand marketing man who gave presentations to Wall Street and introduced new products at big computer shows. But like lots of other folks, he hadn’t been able resist the startup allure. And when the dot-com bomb exploded, van den Berghe was one of its victims. "He never did "Survivor" for the money," says his wife, Kelly van den Berghe, a dark-haired woman with yellow star tattoos up and down her forearm. An aquarium burbles in the background. There’s a snapshot of "Survivor" winner Ethan Zohn and kids’ drawings on a small table nearby. "Lex did it to open doors," she says. Van den Berghe only had two weeks to prepare when he got word he was chosen out of 60,000 people for a show that has changed the way networks look at TV. He knew he would be set in the wild with 15 other people for 39 days. That they would be hungry and thirsty and have challenges to test their strength and endurance. He began lifting weights in his garage to try to pack a few extra pounds on his wiry, 6-foot, 160-pound body. He learned a few words in Swahili. But, says van den Berghe, he wasn’t prepared for just how dangerous Kenya could be. Like a lot of skeptics, van den Berghe figured there would be people with guns to keep dangerous animals at bay. But when he looked around after stumbling into the sights of a deadly and unpredictable Cape buffalo early in his stay, he knew there was a reason they called it "reality TV." "The camera man," he says, "was (expletive) bricks." Lions prowled the edges of their 6-foot-high acacia fence at night, a nest of deadly puff adders was discovered inside the walls of their camp and leopards roamed near their water source. Scorpions crept into their shoes as they slept. Zohn was stung by one. Only when contestants made the 1½ -hour walk at dusk to Tribal Council did two gunman accompany them, flushing out the grass for lions that might be lying in wait. "That stuff was real," van den Berghe says. "That stuff was scary." But it was microscopic predators that were eventually van den Berghe’s downfall. "I came home with four different parasites and two different bacterial strains," van den Berghe says. "In that last episode, I was so damn sick." Some of the parasites came from the food van den Berghe ate and from the water he drank. But they also slipped in through the skin of his feet, making their way into his bloodstream and multiplying in his intestinal tract like little time bombs. "I was sick in bed for three weeks when I got home," van den Berghe says. "They put me on this drug treatment that was like chemotherapy." Three months later, the parasites and bacteria resurfaced in his blood, one strain migrating into his joints so he felt like he had the flu all the time. Just two months ago, van den Berghe was still being treated, but recent blood tests showed the parasites were gone. "Hopefully," he says, "we’ve taken care of it." His body’s failure was the hardest for him, van den Berghe says, when he lost his balance on two logs in a challenge designed to test a contestant’s endurance. If he had lasted, he would have made it into the final two, and, as it was later revealed by other players, had a good chance of becoming a millionaire. In fact, he won more immunity challenges than any other single player and found himself on the winning end of several reward challenges, winning an African safari and a $45,000 Chevy truck. But, dehydrated from the diarrhea brought on the parasites, van den Berghe fell from his perch and blacked out after three hours in the heat. "I was just devastated," he says. "But in the same breath, I have to say I have no regrets. It was so much fun, such a great game." He pauses, looks out the window at his neatly mowed front yard. "I wondered how my body could let me down in the 11th hour," he says. "I don’t want anyone to think I’m sour grapes, but it just didn’t seem fair." What was up with Kelly? Van den Berghe is a likable guy. He’s got a hair-trigger smile and a quick hug. It’s what got him so far in the game, he believes. Relationships were everything there. Early on, by the second day in the wilderness, he had already formed his alliance: Ethan the soccer player; Kim Johnson the 57-year-old retired teacher; Big Tom Buchanan, the randy goat farmer and Lex. They were good people, he says, and the idea was they would stick together, each agreeing not to vote an alliance member off until the very end. But it was van den Berghe’s relationship with Kelly Goldsmith, a blond, athletic 22-year-old, that caught the eye of the camera. Once friends, they ended up TV sparring partners: Lex pushing to have her voted out and her calling him a control freak and weirdo. It takes van den Berghe a while to answer the question about Goldsmith. "Ooof," he says first, shaking his head. He thinks for a minute. "We’re very different in a lot of ways," he says, "and I think maybe there was a kind of love-hate thing going on. "I think she was both repulsed by me and maybe she had some confusing crush thing going on. I think she got blindsided by the person I am." He shakes his head. "I’m not going to trash talk her, though" he says. It was partly his clash with Goldsmith that gave him the reputation as "Tyrannosaurus Lex," the paranoid villain of the game who once threatened to cut the throat of the person who had cast a vote against him. "It was one three-day period" he says of that threat. "I was a paranoid lunatic for three days. I really lost my nut." By the next episode, he had regrouped. "I guess if there was anything I could have changed, I wouldn’t have taken that one vote so seriously." In fact, he says, Zohn was actually the more paranoid contestant, always questioning the alliance and people’s loyalty. But, he added, you don’t last 38 days on the game if you really are a jerk. Besides, he says with a grin, the villian gets more exposure than someone who flies under the radar. "I never was boring," he says. Still, it’s hard to hold the image of a paranoid villain when van den Berghe agrees to lift up his shirt and show the stick-figure tattoos he let his boys design for him: a stern-looking earwig and a smiling portrait of dad. Or when he reaches into the bag he carried in Africa and pulls out his "luxury item" a tiny worn pair of black Keds that belonged to his kids. His wife says lots of people come up to van den Berghe now and say he was the guy on the show who should have won, the one who played the game the best. "And that," van den Berghe says, "is very cool." An amazing journey It didn’t surprise van den Berghe when he lost 26 pounds. But what did surprise him was the psychological fallout of the game. On the show, there was constant maneuvering. Constant pressure to watch your back and figure out who might try to vote you off the show. "It took me two months to get over that," van den Berghe says. He felt claustrophobic in his house, thought about impact of every sentence he uttered, didn’t trust his friends. In a strange way, he says, he felt like he needed to go back to Africa to keep playing the game. "It really screwed up my mind for awhile," van den Berghe says. But the trip changed him for the good too. His visit to AIDS patients at an African hospital made him determined to help the fight against HIV. A "rebirthing" ceremony given him by a group of Samburu warriors altered his life. "Call me crunchy. Call me cheesy, but whatever that was out there was heavy, spiritual," he says. It’s hard not to miss the goosebumps that suddenly rise up on his legs as he talks about it. "It reconnected me to all the stuff I had lost touch with in Silicon Valley," he says. The natural order of things. A man’s soul. The ancient way of being. "Maybe if I had thought about it, it would have been better strategically not to jump so long, but I completely surrendered myself to this ritual," he says. "It was awesome." The secret calendar Ask van den Berghe what he brought home besides parasites and he digs into a dusty woven bag from Africa. Colorful necklaces and armbands that still carry the musky smell of a Samburu warrior spill out. A brass telescope, compass and magnifying glass that he stole from the set come next. A pair of sandals made out of old tires. Two sharp baboon teeth. Then he pulls out a leather canteen decorated with paintings of the moon, fire and the microphones ("hairy hot dogs" as van den Berghe calls them) that invaded his life. "This was my best-kept secret," he says, pointing to a part of the canteen covered in a random pattern of tribal-looking dots. It was his calendar, where he marked each day, each challenge he won. Keeping a calendar was prohibited on the show, because it might reveal how the game had turned out. But no one ever guessed the dots’ meaning. Not even his wife. The phone rings almost constantly as van den Berghe talks. Calls from talk-show hosts, radio deejays, newspapers. Van den Berghe hopes to parlay the show into a new career: maybe acting jobs, work as a narrator or a cartoon voice ("I love cartoons," he says). He and his band, Lucky Dog, have already signed with a record label. He’ll be appearing on "Hollywood Squares" this week. Right now, his friends are planning a charity appearance and community event in Santa Cruz for Jan. 27, complete with interviews, autograph signings and a set from his band. He looks at his wife. Smiles. "I humbly hope good stuff will come out of this for me," he says. |
Car54 | Wednesday, January 23, 2002 - 03:54 pm   Cute interview with Ethan from ESPN: On Jan. 10, Ethan Zohn, a former professional soccer player-turned soccer coach, won $1 million by beating 15 other contestants in "Survivor Africa." Originally from Lexington, Mass., Zohn -- who now lives in New York City -- has been swamped with calls from the media begging to ask him the same stupid questions over and over again. Zohn answered Page 2's Darren Rovell's request for 10 Burning Questions, but only after he promised Zohn that he wouldn't ask him one question that he'd been asked over the last two weeks. 1. Page 2: How many ex-girlfriends have contacted you since you won? Ethan Zohn: Four. Have any asked to get back together with you again? Zohn: No. But they're all claiming a little piece of me. One girl now likes to say that she lost her virginity to me. Did she? Zohn: Yes. 2. When will you get the $1 million? Zohn: I got the check the next morning. It was one check, two commas and a lot of zeros. Did you deposit it right away? Zohn: No. I cashed it at one of those money exchange places in New York City. Just kidding. Actually, I had about 10 hours of interviews after I got it, so I gave it to someone at CBS. When it was time to go, she was asleep with the check shoved in her sock. It was all wrinkled, but it was still good when I deposited it. 3. You've been an assistant coach for the Fairleigh Dickinson University men's and women's soccer teams since 1998. How much did they pay you? Zohn: Not a lot. It was actually bordering on poverty. I spent more money going over the George Washington Bridge (to get from New York City to Teaneck, N.J.) than I made at FDU. We read somewhere that attendance at FDU soccer games increased in the fall, thanks to "Survivor" fans wanting to see you. True? Zohn: No. No one wants to go to Teaneck, N.J. But every time we'd play someone, you'd kind of hear the buzz from the other team and the crowd. "Oh, that's the 'Survivor' guy." Did that help you win any games? Zohn: Well, we made the final eight in the (men's Division I NCAA) tournament, but I don't think anyone let us win. 4. You went on "Survivor" because you got a full-time job and then were fired the night before you were to start. Has the company expressed any interest in hiring you back, based on your "Survivor" skills? Zohn: No, but I did get an e-mail from the person who hired and fired me. I'll read you the note. "Ethan, congratulations. You showed me and everyone at Landor that you have integrity; you handled what Landor did to you better than anyone could have imagined or expected. A lesser man (myself included) would have probably sued. Last night, you showed the world that you have integrity. You stayed honest with yourself and your tribe, stabbed no backs, played fair and won ...." 5. It seems like a bunch of "Survivor" girls might pose in Playboy? Would you pose for Playgirl? Zohn: No. But I'll be the first in line to get that issue. I've only seen them in bikinis. 6. What would you rather do: Win "Survivor" or play in one game in the World Cup? Zohn: The World Cup, because soccer is my life, my passion, and I've trained my entire life to get to that point. When I played in Zimbabwe, I played in front of 50,000 people and that was the best feeling in the world. I wouldn't take any amount of money to give up that dream. 7. It was reported that you nearly fainted when you overindulged in Rice Krispies Treats when you got home. True? Zohn: No. I was being sarcastic and everyone seemingly took it seriously. I did eat a lot, though. I got home on Aug. 23, and I ate from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. without stopping ... and I never got full. Buffalo wings, Rice Krispies Treats, bagels and lox. Everything I craved, I ate that night. 8. What athlete would do the best on "Survivor"? Zohn: I was thinking about Michael Jordan, but I don't know how good his real people skills are. I'd probably go with Magic Johnson because he's friendly and light-hearted, or maybe Charles Barkley because he's funny but can also be a little bit sneaky. 9. If you could invite any four people -- dead or alive -- to dinner, who would they be? Zohn: Bob Marley, my father (who passed away), Pele and Nicole Kidman. 10. The ability to fly, the strength of 100 men or the ability to be invisible ... which superpower would you choose? Zohn: The ability to fly. I could score crazy goals. And remember, if you fly high enough, you could also be invisible. |
Car54 | Wednesday, January 23, 2002 - 03:56 pm   From Survivor Fever Monday, Jan 28 - Friday, Feb 1 Hollywood Squares - Ethan, Kim Johnson, Lex, Tom, Teresa, Kim Powers, Frank, Brandon, Kelly Goldsmith, Clarence, Lindsey and Silas appearing during the week. Where's Carl? |
Car54 | Wednesday, January 23, 2002 - 03:57 pm   From Survivor Fever Monday, Jan 28 - Friday, Feb 1 Hollywood Squares - Ethan, Kim Johnson, Lex, Tom, Teresa, Kim Powers, Frank, Brandon, Kelly Goldsmith, Clarence, Lindsey and Silas appearing during the week. Where's Carl and Diane? |
Car54 | Wednesday, January 23, 2002 - 03:57 pm   From Survivor Fever Monday, Jan 28 - Friday, Feb 1 Hollywood Squares - Ethan, Kim Johnson, Lex, Tom, Teresa, Kim Powers, Frank, Brandon, Kelly Goldsmith, Clarence, Lindsey and Silas appearing during the week. Where's Carl and Diane and Jessie? |
Car54 | Wednesday, January 23, 2002 - 04:30 pm   Oh my god, TRIPLE POST! How did that happen! OOPS! Sorry! |
Moondance | Wednesday, January 23, 2002 - 04:32 pm   I was laughing Car... in each post a name was added |
Whoami | Wednesday, January 23, 2002 - 04:52 pm   You should have quad posted and added Linda! LOL |
Lilliegirl | Wednesday, January 23, 2002 - 05:59 pm   Have another beer Car LOL |
Car54 | Saturday, January 26, 2002 - 05:29 am   From Newsday: o. 2 'Survivor' is Back Home on LI Among Friends By Denise Flaim STAFF WRITER January 23, 2002 THE WELL-WISHER arrives at about the same time as Kim Johnson's tuna melt and Diet Coke. "You did a great job," gushes the stranger as she hovers, beaming, at Johnson, who is sitting at a window-side table at Taby's Burger House in Oyster Bay. Graciously, Johnson acknowledges the anonymous accolades, smiling and issuing a demure thank you - a routine she'll have to repeat several times before lunch is over. Long Island has had ample representation on CBS' "Survivor" series, starting in the inaugural version with neurologist Sean Kenniff, who exasperated his teammates - and viewers - with his insistence on voting off his rivals in alphabetical order. Season two brought Ronkonkoma bartender Kimmi Kappenberg, whose whining about the challenges that surviving in the Australian Outback brought to her vegetarian philosophy was not terribly endearing, either. But Johnson, who made it to the penultimate position on "Survivor Africa" before being beaten by 27- year-old professional soccer coach Ethan Zohn, is arguably the most popular of the show's Long Island alumni. First off, she looks pretty damn good for her 57 years - good enough to wear a thong on one episode. "I don't know when I was younger if I knew what 57 looked like - I probably didn't think it looked like this," says Johnson, accessorized with such 20-something touches as a denim jacket, thumb ring and the occasional use of the word "cool." "You can be who you are." Who Johnson is, is a former elementary schoolteacher married for 38 years to husband Ted, now retired from his career as a stockbroker. A Cleveland native, this grandmother keeps in such good shape by running and lifting weights at home. She moved to Oyster Bay about two years ago, after spending a decade in a Cold Spring Harbor house that simply seemed too big when their three children left home. "I live a pretty normal life, whatever that is," says Johnson, wriggling her fingers in the air to make imaginary quote marks. "Life is really good to be able to go off and have the opportunity to do this. And to do well at it is great." Part of Johnson's charm is her infectious blend of competitiveness and caprice, of youthfulness and maturity: While she killed four chickens during the course of "Survivor" (something that wasn't televised), she also came across as an understanding mom figure to many of her tribe mates. Audition videotapes she sent to "Survivor" producers underscored this dichotomy, showing her delivering a pleasant monologue in "laxative commercial" tones in her living room in one scene, wrestling a blow-up alligator in another. "Survivor Africa" wasn't Johnson's first foray into reality television. She was among the final 26 hopefuls for the second "Survivor" season, which prepared her for the arduous screening process for the "Africa" version: That included days sequestered in a Los Angeles hotel room between visits from producers, doctors and psychological evaluators; and meals taken alone, with eye contact forbidden, for fear contestants would make unspoken "alliances" before they were even chosen. But the selection process was a picnic, says Johnson, compared to the rigors of the show itself, from walking two miles to Tribal Council to relying on a dung-filled waterhole as the only source of moisture. "The challenges were much harder than I thought," says Johnson, adding that several personal quirks served her well in the Kenyan countryside: "I love camping and I love competition. I can fall asleep anywhere. I don't drink or need a lot of water: There were two days when we didn't pee at all." By the time she came home from more than 40 days in "Survivorland" this summer, she had lost almost 20 pounds. A self-proclaimed games fanatic, Johnson helped while away the downtime in Africa by playing versions of "Match Game" and "To Tell the Truth." "I ripped up the 'Survivor' manual that they gave us and made playing cards out of it," she remembers. As for the larger game that she was playing, with million-dollar stakes: "It's not that I wanted to win the money. It's just that I don't want to lose my chips because I don't want to stop playing." When it comes to physical mementos of her "Survivor" stint, Johnson had some bad luck: Necklaces made by the Masai that she earned during a challenge were packed in a suitcase that "never, ever surfaced" after she boarded the plane. Still, she left "Survivor" with something not quite as tangible, but far more valuable. "I accomplished more than I thought I would, and I think my family was shocked that I lasted that long," says Johnson, adding that she didn't reveal the show's outcome to them: They saw it unfold on television along with the rest of the country. "It's probably the coolest thing I've ever done |
Car54 | Saturday, January 26, 2002 - 05:44 am   Good interview with Lex LEX |
Car54 | Thursday, January 31, 2002 - 11:01 am   Lex's Band did an AIDS fundraiser in Santa Cruz this past weekend and Ethan and Kelly attended. Here is a link to an article and pictures Santa Cruz Fundraiser |
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