Back From Africa-Reunion Show
The ClubHouse: Archives: Back From Africa-Reunion Show
Dahli | Friday, January 18, 2002 - 12:30 pm   Jack's younger brother on Will and Grace... WOW what an incredible idea!! that would be perfect. |
Car54 | Friday, January 18, 2002 - 12:32 pm   Well yeah Twiggy that was sort of my point. I want to pick who I like myself. |
Neko | Friday, January 18, 2002 - 05:22 pm   We should write Will and Grace producer and tell him that Brandi should have a guest star role and see if people like him. Even if he probably would be the only one of them actually gay...or maybe not? *Wiggles eyebrows* Hmmmm.....they do do it quite well don't they :P!!
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Fred | Friday, January 18, 2002 - 07:42 pm   i have to say...and i know i will probably be struck down by lightening as soon as i hit "post this message"...but i thought that Silas's morning ritual of reading the bible seemed phoney...anybody else? |
Sunshinemiss | Friday, January 18, 2002 - 09:27 pm   I have trouble taking ANYTHING Silas says seriously.. he proved himself a liar and untrustworthy, so anything he says now I take with more than a few grains of salt, especially anything that is positive or self-aggrandizing (sp?) and that grin of his just shouts smarmy to me. JMHO. |
Misslibra | Friday, January 18, 2002 - 11:41 pm   It was a good show, I always enjoy seeing what happen to them after the show. Frank's wife is huge with child, I thought she would of had the baby by now to, and from the looks of her stomach she probably wish she had the baby by now. I missed the very begining of the show. I was hoping to see Ethan's Girlfriend, don't ask me why I just want to see her. Ethan has hair like his Father's. Tom having fun and like Max said, just enjoying life. And that is good to see, because sometimes people take things so seriously. I missed Kelly's and Brandon's interview, and poor little Kim. Can't MB help her out with a job, not that walking dogs is a bad thing. And Kim J also seem to be really enjoying her life with her family, after having kind of a ruff life growing up. Diane does have a very colorful house. I thought her Son's comment about all the different colors of their house compared to when he goes and visit his friends house was cute. |
Whoami | Saturday, January 19, 2002 - 12:24 am   I have to say I agree with you Fred. I thought at the time, "how can that slick little weasel be devout?" |
Car54 | Saturday, January 19, 2002 - 03:12 am   MsL, I posted this in another thread Ethan's girlfriend pic There is a small pic of his girlfriend Diane. |
Car54 | Saturday, January 19, 2002 - 03:28 am   Jan 16, 2002 - 10:00 AM Big Tom Talks SURVIVOR With CBS gag rule lifted, Buchanan speaks STEVEN MACKAY Staff BHack on his Rich Valley Farm, Tom Buchanan can now talk about his adventure. Tom Buchanan's cell phone is ringing. So is the house phone. They constantly ring, interrupting every other sentence that the Rich Valley farmer and newly-minted television celebrity can speak. He has calls from fans, young and old. Calls come from long-time friends and some forgotten ones. Other calls come from people down on their luck and seeking help. Radio stations call asking for interviews. He does not answer every call. In one afternoon, he had 64 messages left on his cell phone and home phone. The only time he can get quiet time is to venture out on his 800-acre Rich Valley farm. With the cell phone turned off and, as he put it, manure between his toes, Buchanan said he feels at home. Buchanan is not complaining about his newfound "Survivor: Africa" fame; he wants to ride the fame as long as he is able. Not bad for someone who never watched the CBS show until after he turned in an application to become a contestant at the suggestion of his wife, Sandy. "I used to sign a check and people would not take it and now I can sign a piece of toilet paper and people will say they want it," Buchanan said Monday, the day after he returned home from a Los Angeles trip that included a live cast reunion and an appearance on the syndicated show "Hollywood Squares." Since the reality game series has ended its regular season run, Buchanan can talk about the show, his fellow contestants and fame. Officials at CBS barred him from talking to the media until the game’s winner was announced. On Jan. 10, a series finale named Ethan Zohn as the winner of the $1 million prize. Buchanan was awarded a sum of money "close to $100,000," but Buchanan cannot give the exact amount. Apparently, CBS’s gag rule still covers some topics. The contestants Buchanan was the fourth to last contestant voted off the game. He said the producer’s choice of a memory game - where the final four contestants had to recall details about their former teammates - targeted him. He added, "They knew it wasn’t my strong suit." Still, Buchanan said Zohn is a worthy winner. He called the professional soccer player a great man, like a brother. He also fondly remembers Clarence Black despite the early tension on the show after Black ate a portion of a can of beans without his teammates’ permission. Of the contestants, Buchanan said he may be most similar to Frank Garrison, the military-obsessed telephone line repairman. Buchanan is still sore at Kim Johnson, who he traded barbs with on the final episode. But, he considers all of his 15 competitors friends. The memories of Africa also are embedded in Buchanan’s soul. He said the hot-air balloon ride he took with contestant Lex van den Berghe was one of the best experiences. ‘Love, peace and hair grease’ and a lucky charm On his now famous "Love, peace and hair grease" sign-off he used after being voted out, Buchanan does not have an answer for the phrase’s origin. He said it’s just a phrase he picked up years ago. "It got in my brain," Buchanan said. He does have an explanation for the raccoon penis he took with him to Africa as his sole luxury item. It’s a good luck charm. It was given to him at age 11 by an old-time farmer when Buchanan was out playing one day. The man told Buchanan to keep it for good luck, which he did. He did not use it for years. He took it on a gambling trip to Mississippi and won big - going in with $500 and coming out with $5,900. It was only natural to bring the memento to Africa. "A little bit of luck wouldn’t hurt anyone," Buchanan said. Getting on the show Buchanan’s wife, Sandy, thought he would do well on the program and encouraged him, besides the family needed the money. With the deadline near, the Buchanans borrowed a neighbor’s video camera and made an audition tape. Buchanan had Sandy film him on his tractor feeding goats. A few weeks later, he went to an interview in Baltimore. Sandy gave him some encouragement, Buchanan said. "‘If it’s a man, you might as well come on home. If it’s a woman, you’ll do fine." And "Big Tom" did. After the interview, Buchanan was convinced he would be on the show. He got along well with a female interviewer who, like Tom, had stayed up partying late the night before the session. But, he got a rejection letter in the mail. The same female interviewer told him in the letter to try out for "Survivor 4." After that, he told some friends he tried and failed to get on the show. One day he got a 5 p.m. call from the same CBS interviewer asking that he drive from his home to the Roanoke Airport to make a 7:30 flight. A ticket was waiting and he was to meet with producers in Los Angeles. The producers apparently wanted him on the show. He missed the plane, though. He called CBS and told the woman, "The good news is I saw the plane. The bad news is, I’m not on it." Minutes later, though, he was put on another flight. He spent three days and two nights going through various meetings and interviews versus the 12-day standard interview time for most contestants. The interviews gauge each personality. Big Tom’s personality apparently won him the slot as the last contestant on the show. Still, Buchanan may have never gone. He hurt his back while playing softball days before leaving, irritating a severe childhood back injury. Every once in awhile, his back will pop out of place and become unbearable with pain. Getting ready to leave for Africa, he could not tie his own shoes. He persisted. "Talk about a grown man wanting to cry. Actually I did cry. I was going, ‘Why me, God, why me?’" Buchanan said. Sandy begged him to stay home. He went ahead. His back problem cleared up before touchdown in Africa. Out in Africa On July 4, he left for Africa with a layover in Europe. Along the way, he met his fellow contestants, but they were barred from talking to each other. In Africa, he spent the first few nights in a pup tent in Kenya. He thought the game was on and it was easy. Then they left for the "Survivor" location. Little water. No hunting. No fishing. No toilet paper. He was out in the wilderness with total strangers. Only Garrison, the strict military man, was a fellow country boy, Buchanan said. Buchanan said he never realized how hard the show would be, although he acclimated himself to the region. For the 39 days or so in the African bush, he said he refused suntan lotion and mosquito netting. He wanted to live like the locals, Buchanan said. Despite all his hardships, sore body, parched mouth and shrunken stomach, Buchanan said his experience pales in comparison to most Africans. "Those people are so poor and I’m over here with my mouth full and [griping]," Buchanan said, adding that everyday is a quest for survival in Africa. The incident with a lion coming close to the camp scared him and two other contestants witless, Buchanan said. Even the otherwise unnoticable camera crew was scared. Despite some public opinion the show is faked, Buchanan said he knew the situation was dire when the cameramen started radioing for help as the lion approached. If there were any sharpshooters hidden for protection, Buchanan said they were too few and too far away. He said he was disappointed that CBS edited out his finding a water spring early in the show’s season. He said he helped his tribemates out greatly, but was never given proper credit for it. As for his portrayal on the show, including wild scenes of him pouring water on female contestants, Buchanan said, "Cameras don’t lie. That’s the way I am." Returning home For 50 days, Buchanan had no contact with his family. When he returned home, he had made up his mind to abide fully with the CBS gag rule. "From the day I went to Africa to last Thursday, my wife, my son, my parents, I never told a word to nobody," Buchanan said, adding that he did not want to make his family lie about the prize as they did with his whereabouts when he was in Africa. He spent countless nights awake wanting to tell his wife about Africa, but never did. "It hurt my marriage to this day because I kept that secret." The secrecy showed. When Buchanan was voted off the Jan. 10 broadcast his parents watched with shock. His father’s eyes swelled with tears, adding that his son "fought a good battle." Buchanan had trouble sleeping for weeks at a time after he got home. He had acclimated himself to two or three hours’ sleep each night and needed to readjust again. He gorges on ice cream, drinks Mountain Dew for breakfast and is still thankful every time he turns on the water faucet. Celebrity Any time Buchanan goes out in public, little children run up to give him a hug. While in Smyth County, he gets shouts of encouragement from friends and strangers. Even in California, passersby recognized him. Buchanan said he can’t complain about the countless phone calls to his home and the fans who visit KJ’s Kuntry Korner to buy "Survivor" memorabilia. He has yet to receive hate mail or a negative phone call. "I’m busy and I’m aggravated, but deep down I like it," he said. Buchanan said he is thrilled with all the attention and his "Reading is the Key to Survival" program at schools. One boy at Chilhowie Elementary read more than 100 books. Another read his first book ever because of the program. Still another wrote him a poem patterned after, "‘The Night Before Christmas." He wants to help in other areas, too. Echoing the sentiment for AIDS victims on "Survivor: Africa," Buchanan said he will go to Texas to participate in an AIDS charity event with openly gay contestant Brandon Quinton. He quickly adds that he dislikes the homosexual lifestyle, but liked Quinton personally. "You can’t help but like him," Buchanan said later. Buchanan also wants to get involved with Special Olympics, both on a local and state level. As for fame and endorsements, he has yet to get a call from his dream job as a Mountain Dew spokesman. The National Beef Council is showing a strong interest in Buchanan becoming a spokesperson. He may host a five-day cruise for a company, but he is unsure of details. An appearance on "Hollywood Squares" will air later in the month. While taping the show, actress Whoppi Goldberg said she would love to visit the Buchanan farm. He said she’s welcome. Showing his sense of humor, Buchanan has named some of his animals after his fellow contestants. Lex is a spotted longhorn. He is joined by Frank, Ethan and others. There is no Brandon. "We don’t have anything like that out here," Buchanan said. "These animals know better." Impact on community The day after Buchanan was ousted from the show, Edna Love, who owns The Art Place in Chilhowie said, "It got Smyth County talking about something other than factories closing." Buchanan agreed. "Every time you pick up the paper it’s something else closing and another dagger in the back," Buchanan said. "And I’m glad to be involved with something so positive." Buchanan said reaction from the show was larger than he could ever imagine. He said he could never thank all of Smyth County and Southwest Virginia for the support, but feels indebted to all of his fans. |
Missy2 | Saturday, January 19, 2002 - 06:22 am   I thoroughly enjoyed this episode! I LOVE what Big Tom is doing! He is a big sweetheart! I noticed he spelled some names wrong but I never thought anything of it. It takes a big person to admit they are embarassed and wrong-that really touched me. Another person I really liked was Frank! I know I was very surprised-but he seemed like a sweet guy (structured-but sweet). Clarence Black's sense of humor really shined on both reunion shows-I loved him! Kelly actually re-gained my vote. I was really hating her annoying bark, but after seeing her in real life seemed more---normal---less annoying. And finally -- I LOVE LEX! I could just bite him! I love all his tattoos-and I thought it was fantastically sweet that him and his wife got matching anniversary tats! Ack-I love it! Okay I just had to rant! |
Bidasea | Saturday, January 19, 2002 - 09:13 am   Lex and Brandon did a radio talk show together yesterday. They are still friends and talk often. Brandon is having an Aids Benefit at his bar later this month, and all the survivors are attending. They were funny together. A caller asked Lex what was the scariest thing about being in Africa..Lex said he was at the water hole, on guard duty with only a cameraman, and that Cape Buffalo came really close to him. He said they had been warned that the Cape Buffalo kills more people in Africa than any other animal. He said he was scared to death and so was the camera guy..He backed slowly away, and got the others.. That's when they filmed them looking at it..Brandon said that if they were in any real danger someone would have fired a gun, but that MB is such a reality hound, that he would have loved to see any one of them get trampled and killed. Both Brandon and Lex said that they signed their lives away before they went to Africa. They couldn't sue or get any compensation from either the network or MB productions in case of death or serious injury. Lex said MB would have loved it, and kept the camera rolling as someone was badly injured..The lions and snakes were real..and very close. Those fearful looks at night were real also. Brandon said that he wanted to be the villian, and not the Bit..! He said the could easily have edited him that way, instead of Lex..He laughed about the flaming arrow scene..Said just that scene would keep him in dates... Lex said that the first boots got the best of Africa. He said they stayed at 5* hotels, ate great food, and got to spend days scuba diving in the Indian Ocean. He also said that Jeff is a great guy. When they drove the Avalanch, he knew that Lex was missing music, so he let him use all his own person CDs for the day..Lex said he still didn't have the truck yet..You don't get anything until the show is over, and all wrapped up..Both Brandon and Lex said one of the hardest parts was going to the bathroom. Because they didn't want Hyenas and Lions to come close to the camp, they had to dig a new hole in a new spot everytime they went potty. So smells etc. wouldn't attract animals..Lex said rooting around in the dark, trying to dig a hole, was really scary. Lex did get very sick, but did not mention being in the hospital. He was in bed for 2 weeks when he came home, and is still taking lots of medicine for 3 different parasites, and 1 very bad bacteria. They both said that they all get along now. Both of them said they really didn't get to know the first 7 voted out..But that they knew from the first that both Diane and Jessie were out of there league. Way in over their heads. Brandon said that he never even had been on a camping trip before the show, so he was pretty proud of how he did. Brandon said he was really disappointed when Silas got voted out..He was a hunk.... Lex wants to do voice overs for cartoon work now.Brandon has gotten to be really friendly with Lex's wife, and they talk girl talk every week.Ha Ha....They were both very nice, and Like Tom, Frank, and Ethan the best...Neither has any regrets..Lex said he felt like Snidely Whiplash..THey also played songs from Lucky Dog..They sounded really good..Like Neil Young.. |
Knightpatti | Saturday, January 19, 2002 - 09:27 pm   Thanks for all the great information! |
Misslibra | Tuesday, January 22, 2002 - 06:09 pm   Thanks Car54 for that link so i could see Ethan's girlfriend. I guess she meets my approval. |
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