Why I Like Survivor

I have become a reality show junkie - I admit it. However, I find myself enthralled by reality shows where the contestants actually display talent or vie against the elements and each other. Hence, I am still watching Survivor. I am fascinated by the concept - a group of strangers who must work together to survive against nature, yet must also compete with each other in order to become the sole survivor. It makes for exciting interpersonal dynamics. Most interesting is seeing contestants wrestle with the question of how far would they be willing to compromise their morals to win a million dollars. While everyone knows that they are playing a game in which they may be lied to, various people deal with it in different ways - some try to be upfront, some try to appeal to friendship, some point out the strategy, some simply get annoyed. Part of the brilliance of the show's construction is that there are many ways to play it, so it is often an advantage for a well liked player to bond with an obnoxious one, so that they will have an advantage at the end when the jury of the last seven people voted off get to decide who wins between the final two. This friction makes for some very entertaining television.

The current series is set in the Mayan ruins of Guatemala. One of the big twists is that two popular previous contestants were invited back in the game. Surprisingly, both of them have made it to the halfway point, where the tribes are merged and everyone voted out at this point becomes a member of the jury. Another contestant is a former pro football player who has been lying (badly) about his former profession on the belief that people will vote him out because he has less need of the money than most others. There are several players who are not physically the strongest, but are getting by on contributing to morale and strategy. There are two highly obnoxious players who currently hold the power positions, but others could very easily turn on them as they get fed up with them. As I said, I find the social politics very compelling (and seeing them deal with the heat in various states of undress doesn't hurt either). It is definitely a guilty pleasure.

And I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to next month's new season of Project Runway!!!