I have been watching Survivor ever since Richard Hatch first stepped his naked butt on the beach in Pulau. I’ve missed two episodes in all 24 seasons. Both due to power outages that even TiVo couldn’t fix. It is safe to say I love the show. Am I fanatic? On one level yes, but I never memorize all the people and locations like some freaks can do. But I can hold my own in a good conversation.

What I love best about survivor is the dynamics of the “characters” on the show. Yes, I said “characters” vs people. They are real people but sometimes are portrayed in a certain way. Personally, I think they are who CBS leads us to believe they are in most cases. They just get a little enhanced if you will by the editing. If someone is an ass, they will just be made a bigger ass. If they are a “good guy” then they will be played up as an even bigger good guy.

Each year I watch, I find myself shaking my head at some of the silly things these people do. When they do silly stuff late in the 39 day stay, I chalk it up to starvation or going looney being on the island, but when they do stupid early on, they are just stupid.

I find it humorous during the game when one side is all arrogant and rubbing it into the faces of the other team, then when the tide turns and the shoe is on the other foot, they get all mad at the other team for celebrating. Helloooo, wasn’t that you just the last episode that was prancing around and pointing at the other team? Or maybe through the first 1/2 of the season someone is lying to everyone and making false promises, but then when the 5th person in a 5 person alliance turns on them down the line since they know they are next to go  they are branded a lying scum bag. First off, you lied the whole time yet obviously live in a glass house and secondly, you just got played by the person you thought wasn’t smart enough to realize they were next out if they didn’t flip. It’s a game people, get over it.

Then I crack up by the reverse, people that are so naive to think that NO ONE would lie to them. Certainly not their BFF for the past 23 days. The person they didn’t know 24 days ago that they would now give up a million dollars for. I’m always amazed how people forget why they came on the show in the first place. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t to make new best friends.

Did they forget the OUTLAST word on their flag? Never mind the OUTWIT.

I also love to watch with other people and laugh at how mad they get at times as well. How they grow to hate someone so much just for playing the game.

A few years ago when everyone hated Russell Hantz, I loved him. Was he a nice guy? No. But like it or not, he played part of the game better than many people. It was so transparent how he was playing, yet people were foolish enough to miss the obvious signs. After all, the guy wasn’t really hiding his game play. And, his arrogance did cost him the win, not once, but twice. He was so blinded by the fact that his plan got him to the end in the first place, he missed the fact that he forgot the social part of the game, not once, but twice!. He played the second time the exact same way with the exact same result. Amazing.

End the end lately, people are so mad at being played that they find it better to give $1,000,000 to a person who did nothing for 39 days other than align themselves with the most hated person on the island. These are the winners that no one ever remembers. They are so unmemorable that only Survivor fanatics or Wikipedia can remember their names.

So now we have Colton Cumbie. Colton, Colton, Colton. This kid is amazing and CBS must be loving him! He is ratings gold. In the first episode they set him up as the poor gay guy that would rather be on the women’s team. The other big bad boys didn’t like him and he didn’t fit in. He even got one of the women to give him an immunity idol. By the next episode he was driving the women nuts. Then on episode three we discover that now Colton is the Godfather. Getting grown men to do some of the stupidest things in Survivor history. The same men that dismissed him as the first gone.

I laughed my butt off all episode last night. How stupid these men were being by giving up their immunity all because Colton didn’t like one of them. Never

mind the stupidity of agreeing to go and possibly get your butt voted off. At least say no. Who cares if they get mad. You have 3 more days to get them to move on to a new target!

Now, before the “haters” come out and attack. Don’t get me wrong. Colton is a first class ass. He is arrogant, racists, elitist and basically a sucky person. And for the record, by the end of the episode, Bill Posley showed what real class was. I was so impressed at how he handled Colton at tribal council and how he was the true good guy. (I really hope Bill gets a shot on Last Comic Standing as I’d love to see what his comedy looks like since his internal character is so good).

But here’s the thing. I go back to what I said up top. These are “characters” on a TV show. Yes, they are real people. But without people this obviously “whacked” we would moan and groan about how boring the show is. Ratings this year have been down. But I bet more people start to watch to “see” what the heck all the Colton bashing is about. But the dynamic I find fascinating, isn’t what an “ugly” person Colton is, but how the other idiots on his tribe can’t see it. Once again, normally smart people doing stupid things.

Look, I can sit here and bash CBS for showing his acid spewing or I can sit back and just watch as it plays out. I’m telling you, I am constantly fascinated on this show by the stupid things people put up with or do. Plus, Colton isn’t the only “ugly” person on TV. If a person can not watch the show and see for themselves what an idiot he is then they have bigger problems.

I watch Survivor for the insight it gives into what makes people tick. How they react in certain situations. I know it is a game. I know that some people go on the show for their shot at not only the money, but also their shot at fame. But let’s face it, Reality TV continues to be popular because we get to see all sides of “real” people. The good, the bad and yes, the ugly.

Do you watch Survivor? If so, what are your thoughts? Does the show make you laugh at times too?

~~~till we laugh again~~~