Confessions of a Former Survivor
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Confessions of a Former Survivor
Moondance | Sunday, February 17, 2002 - 11:37 am     Confessions of a Former Survivor February 13, 2002 By Jeff Varner, Special to ET Online Another "Survivor" is just days away. And all the recent press about the show's 4th season has propelled me and fellow show veterans back to the days of tribal councils and sleeping on dirt. There's so much to never forget! Watching the video and photos of my Marquesan siblings, I'm instantly transported back to finals, and surviving lock-down hell in a hotel room. I'll never forget the long, anxious flight to Australia or those nail-biting weeks leading into the show. From experience, I know that during these final days of anonymity, the contestants are answering their phones every 4 minutes, and replying to tons of e-mail from people they haven't seen in years. With their drama in the can, they're also sharing their pre-show excitement and fears privately with the only people they're allowed to -- each other. Soon, viewers will meet the players for the first time. But for contestants, it's a game that began long before the cameras started rolling. THE HOTEL GAME About a month before the eventual hike to hell camp, 50 people are sequestered for about two weeks in a hotel. It's the final interview process ... the "Survivor" version of foreplay! All finalists get the same instructions: (1) stay in your room, except for meals, interviews and gym hour, (2) be ready for an interview 24-hours a day, and (3) NEVER acknowledge or speak to another finalist. It's all very awkward! As a contestant, you stand in line with people you don't see, ride elevators with others you can't acknowledge, and eat in a dining room filled with 20 "tables for one." Some people scan the room, others sit facing the wall. ALICIA constantly read a book, NEVER diverting her attention -- something that told me she was a focused contender. I for one, filled my journal with notes and interpretations on each potential contestant. I documented reactions to a smile I may have offered and observed winks between other finalists. I gave my future challengers silly names, ages and assumed occupations. MITCHELL was "Long Tall Sally" (I'll pay for that one, I'm certain!), Alicia was "B-B-BOOyow" (the visual helps!) and COLBY was "Opie Taylor on Steroids." Okay, so sequestration makes you stupid. (Note: Like Colby, Opie eventually became major power!) So I had a little fun. The point is that once I came face-to-face with my 15 competitors, I felt those two weeks in sequestration afforded a good start. When MARK BURNETT knocked on my door September 22, 2000 at 9:22 pm and said those three words I'll never forget, "You're in, kid," my 5th thought was, "Oh, I hope my hotel buddies were picked along with me." They weren't! THE 2ND PERIOD For my group, the awkward non-verbal dance continued through the "2nd Period" with three different parts: a silent 14-hour flight, the first sight of "the chosen," and a three-day orientation period. Living in close quarters, we "still non-speakers" posed for cameras, attended group sessions, and met with field producers. Some contestants went for morning jogs, some stood under tropical trees smoking cigarettes, and others holed up in their rooms. Their voiceless faces communicated fear, anxiety, humor, focus, shiftiness, arrogance and so much more. Then, one month into this intriguing experiment in non-verbal interaction, the real Day One finally arrived, releasing a surge of adrenaline that lasted for months. THE ANTICIPATION One of the most exciting parts of being a contestant is anticipating the premiere. Nerves, like an old friend tapping you on the shoulder, come and go. You have knowledge of what went down out there mixed with the anticipation of how your memories will be edited for American consumption. The Marquesan contestants face a different world. They're now wearing lots of new attention. They're preparing to face the active and sometimes evil message boards, the know-it-all armchair quarterbacks like me, and the horrid reality of watching yourself on television. They are not ready! We don't really know them. They look interesting. But right now, all we have are profiles -- publicity littered with clues. Many viewers don't realize that the contestants themselves help produce their profiles. Already, we see potential egos eager to push their accomplishments (TAMMY, HUNTER, and GABE) and those with little to say (ROBERT and SARAH). Potential alliances surround common threads of religion (PASCHAL, NELEH and SEAN), care-giving (Neleh, JOHN and the parents), humor and lightness (GINA and Rob), true crime adventure (Tammy, Robert and John), alcohol abstinence (Sarah, VECEPIA, PATRICIA, Neleh and Paschal) and potential ruthlessness (Tammy and Gabe). I can't wait for the start of this show. If I were a betting man, I'd predict Peter, Patricia, Hunter, Kathy, Zoe and Robert will struggle making the merge. I'd say Tammy and Gabriel reveal conniving devilish sides. Sarah, Rob, Hunter and Gina top the list of eye candy and Maraamu will be the strongest tribe. But what do I know?! ... I lost! |
Buttercup | Sunday, February 17, 2002 - 11:53 am     Thanks, Moon!
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Neko | Sunday, February 17, 2002 - 02:46 pm     "But what do I know?! ... I lost!" LoL Thanks Moonie!! Hopefully you'll have to go through all of that too! |
Lancecrossfire | Sunday, February 17, 2002 - 03:17 pm     Thanks, that was a great article. Jeff may have some odwn sides, but he's been up front about what things can be like, and approaches to take to deal with them. He may not be right about who has trouble and who will be alligned, however his description of getting there sure sounds like it's right. |
Twiggyish | Sunday, February 17, 2002 - 08:20 pm     Excellent article!! I really like Jeff! |
Joan | Sunday, February 17, 2002 - 09:24 pm     Very cool! It is interesting to know that the contestants helped write their profiles. I had suspected that but didn't think of the potential implications Jeff pointed out. Somehow I don't see "alcohol abstinence" as a big unifier when they are without alcohol. lol (Unless it comes up at the merge when they are given wine.) I also see religion as being more of a divider than a unifier in Nelah's case if it is a factor at all. |
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