Survivor Nicaragua--Old v. Young

@Cycloptichorn,

Not necessarily - there have been people like you on the show - I think they like to have all sorts of personalities - in order to attract a more diverse audience. Some survivors they showed more of the hunting and crap like that. IF it was more interesting - for example that sweet little southern girl that killed a rat.

The one thing though after some one has caught a fish and got the hang of fishing - could you keep showing that week after week? If that is all they are doing to get food, I wouldn't want to see an hour of some one sitting fishing.

1 Reply

@Linkat,

Linkat wrote:

Not necessarily - there have been people like you on the show - I think they like to have all sorts of personalities - in order to attract a more diverse audience. Some survivors they showed more of the hunting and crap like that. IF it was more interesting - for example that sweet little southern girl that killed a rat.

The one thing though after some one has caught a fish and got the hang of fishing - could you keep showing that week after week? If that is all they are doing to get food, I wouldn't want to see an hour of some one sitting fishing.

It's so much more involved than that. Where do they get their fresh water? How do they stay out of the rain? I watched a tiny bit of the episode last night and honestly their setup is ****. A boy scout could design a better shelter than the one they had, let alone an adult. Where are they in working on improving their camp? On getting medicines from the trees and forest, building a permanent fire, finding fibrous plants to make rope, using fire to chop down trees. Using sand and fire to build an oven. Build a raft. Yaknow; survival stuff.

I could go on, but I'm sure you get the picture. ACTUALLY surviving is a complex and difficult ordeal, with many different and various challenges. The show eschews the vast majority of this in favor of endless scheming and plotting by the contestants, who sure seem to spend a lot of time just hanging around at camp. Those contestants who refuse to be petty backstabbers are inevitably derided by the others - though I have read that these guys tend to be the 'fan favorites' at the end of the year. If the show is really all about 'the game,' why bother putting it in the middle of nowhere - especially if you're going to turn around and cut out most of the interesting parts about being in the middle of nowhere?

Cycloptichorn

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@Cycloptichorn,

I think the idea is because of the harsher conditions the bad side of people come out. It much easier to be politically correct when you are comfortable, fed, and clean. When you have little to eat, are dirty, cold and wet - you are not at your best.

So some one that can be a nice little old lady like Jane or a loving motherly type person like Holly while enduring this environment and still be able to bad stab while maintaining good enough relationships that some one they voted off will vote for them for a million dollars - all that thrown into together can make winning pretty tricky.

I always do wonder though, why the heck these people that get selected for the show, do not do any research what so ever on basic survival skills? Wouldn't it make sense to try to build a fire from scratch before you get on the show, read a bit to see how to build a decent shelter with little tools, how to catch a fish with little resources? It does amaze me how inadept most of these people are and sometimes how plain old dumb - like when they burned down their own camp.

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@Cycloptichorn,

Most tribes have only been given a machete and a pot to start. Some have gotten food (in the form of rice), but others not. They're usually provided a place to get fresh water, but still have to boil it before drinking.

The other thing to remember is they're only there 39 days and a typical season runs 13-14 weeks. That means they're going on challenges (reward/immunity) every couple of days -- lots of times on just a spoonful of food, so some players tend to try to conserve their energy and don't do much around camp.

I get what you're saying, though. It's not Survivorman, but rather like watching a social experiment to see what/how far people will go to win a million dollars.

Survivor Nicaragua is by far (in my opinion) one of the easiest seasons. Past locations have been far more trecherous and challenging (anyone remember Exile Island??). The cast this season is also not my favorite (didn't like the concept of old vs. young to start with), but the DVR makes it easy to keep up with, so I'm into it mostly to see if my favorite takes home the prize.

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@Irishk,

I'd have to agree with you overall - mostly unlikeable characters. The conditions not nearly as bad as others. Way too many people that think they are the best and too cool for school.

There have been ones where one guy caught a small shark, and didn't some one else hunt down and kill a wild pig?

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@Irishk,

The better survivors have been the ones where it was more difficult to "survive" and that you had better competitors - those that actually hunted, built fire and shelter..

These guys are almost on a resort with little food - if it wasn't raining so much even some one like Nanoka would have lasted.

1 Reply

@Linkat,

Jane did all that -- she practiced making fire, even took a full course of PK-90, reduced her food intake and ran up and down the stairs in her house.

If there's a tie at the end, the others better hope they don't have to face the 'fire-starting tie-breaker' lol. (They will).

1 Reply

@Irishk,

Irishk wrote:

Jane did all that -- she practiced making fire, even took a full course of PK-90, reduced her food intake and ran up and down the stairs in her house.

If there's a tie at the end, the others better hope they don't have to face the 'fire-starting tie-breaker' lol. (They will).

Oh man, I'd crush that. I used to compete in fire-starting back in the scouts.

Maybe I should try out, and absolutely dominate with my wilderness skills.

Cycloptichorn

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@Cycloptichorn,

Sign up!! I'm thinking of signing up Mr.Irish LOL. He does triathlons and knows how to fish!

1 Reply

@Irishk,

Irishk wrote:

Sign up!! I'm thinking of signing up Mr.Irish LOL. He does triathlons and knows how to fish!

I don't do triathlons, but I do have the fire of Ten Thousand Suns burning within my heart. It's unquenchable, certainly by something as silly as a few weeks out in the jungle with no food or shelter.

If I had a decent knife and a pot I feel I could survive for any length of time in almost any environment (except probably cold-ass snow). I spend a lot of time thinking about it and practicing my skills. However, I can't plot and scheme against people; it goes against my entire ethos.

Cycloptichorn

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@Cycloptichorn,

The player I think will win it this year has gotten far without lying, cheating or backstabbing. His strategy was to fly under the radar (not usually a good one, IMO), and win challenges and he's been successful so far. He'll eventually have to incorporate some lying into his 'outwit, outlast, outplay' scheme, but he's such a dufus, it'll probably be more unintentional than not LOL.

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@Cycloptichorn,

I'd watch ya - but are you going to be any good at the social aspect? You will need to pretend you are not too good - because then others will vote you out - you want to be needed without them realizing that you are too good. You need to be humble - pretend the others are smarter than you.

<which for many of these dummies and with so many with huge egos wouldn't be too hard to do>

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@Irishk,

Exactly the type of person I described (except it would be intentially hiding your intelligence)

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@Cycloptichorn,

I've thought about it too - the one thing that keeps me is that I couldn't be away from my kids that long. I mean it would be hard to be away from my husband, but impossible to be away from my kids. Which always made me wonder how parents on Survivor could be away from their young children so long.

And that my husband said I'd be too nice and get voted off for that. Can't be overly nice either because then everyone worries you are more likeable.

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Wow, quite the show yesterday!

I've been reading over other's comments, and mostly agree. I'm not really surprised that Naonka quit, as she was threatening that many episodes back after there was a lot of rain and wind.

As far far as Kelly is concerned, I never saw her as a very strong player, but rather someone who was playing along on the coat-tails of others.

I read Jeff Probst comments with a lot of interest. I do have some questions.

Has there ever been a contestant that has turned down an opportunity to be on the jury, in preference to just returning home?

I presume that the folks who get voted out prior to the jury forming, return home right away?

In the cases of Naonka and Kelly, who quit the game, could they also have said that they don't want to be on the jury?

To be clear, as far as I know, anyone who serves on the jury wins no prizes or perks of any kind? I suppose other that getting "decent accomodations", lots of food, access to showers, etc. I would imagine that they are in the same area as the production crew? I wish, just once, they would show a behind-the-scenes as to what this looks like. There's got to be quite a few people!

1 Reply

@Linkat,

Linkat wrote:

I'd watch ya - but are you going to be any good at the social aspect? You will need to pretend you are not too good - because then others will vote you out - you want to be needed without them realizing that you are too good. You need to be humble - pretend the others are smarter than you.

<which for many of these dummies and with so many with huge egos wouldn't be too hard to do>

My strategy would be to be so ******* helpful that people couldn't bring themselves to vote me off. Spend all day improving the lives of everyone there and never stab anyone in the back. I'd rather be voted off by a bunch of clowns with my head held high, then win like a liar or a coward.

I always wonder how these people who lie on shows like this - constantly, for a whole season - return to their normal lives and expect anyone to trust them.

Cycloptichorn

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Quote:

My strategy would be to be so ******* helpful that people couldn't bring themselves to vote me off. . .

This has been tried and usually results in the person getting voted off mid-way when the hardcore players are done with them and decide they can boil their own rice.

The game is mostly social and psychological. It's not Survivor Kindergarten or Survivor Afternoon Tea, it's just Survivor, and it's meant to force people to work together when necessary and back stab to win. It's not so much about physical survival as mental survival. I never understood the people who say they didn't care that they were voted out because they left with their "honor intact", meaning they never lied or betrayed anyone. Many winners crowed about their honor early on only to betray a close alliance in the end. The Susan speech about a rat and a snake summed it up at the end of Survivor I. She was right. If you want the million dollars at some point you will probably end up having to be a rat or a snake. The show would not be any fun if everyone wanted to be a cuddly bunny or a rescue dog. May the best rat or snake win!

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@Reyn,

No one that I know of in the 21 seasons has ever wanted to go home rather than to the jury. Eliminated players not eligible for the jury (before the final 9, 10 or 12) do go home, having signed an affidavit that they won't divulge anything about the show under heavy penalty of a fine. I don't think contractually either Na or Kelly could refuse to go to the jury unless they had a valid medical reason and the doctor at the Ponderosa has already cleared them.

Jury members continue to get their stipend, just as they did while they were playing the game. I can't remember how much it is, and I think it varies from season to season, depending upon the location.

Past seasons have seen 2nd, 3rd and 4th place winners and again, the amounts varied depending upon the season. The year Yau-Man finished 4th, he received $60,000, and every player gets something, depending upon how long they last. The runner-up (2nd place winner) generally gets $100,000 and each player who attends the reunion show receives an additional $10,000.

1 Reply

@Linkat,

Linkat wrote:

Exactly the type of person I described (except it would be intentially hiding your intelligence)

Ha! Well, I'd be surprised if Fabio is doing that part intentionally lol. Did you catch that he's intentionally thrown a couple of immunity challenges, though? I'm pretty sure of it and I do think it's strategy on his part. It's exactly what I'd do -- people are more comfortable if they think you're not going to be equal to them physically and only players with huge egos would have a problem doing it.

Of course, now they'll be gunning for him, so he'll have to turn it on and win the challenges.

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@Irishk,

Irishk wrote:

... I don't think contractually either Na or Kelly could refuse to go to the jury unless they had a valid medical reason and the doctor at the Ponderosa has already cleared them.

Thanks so much for all the info you've given on this thread! It's been really helpful. I've only been watching Survivor for a few seasons, although I've been able to catch up a bit by watching old seasons on DVD from our local library.

The Ponderosa - what's that all about? I tried to watch the links to some of this stuff on this thread, but it's blocked in Canada.

Quote:

Jury members continue to get their stipend, just as they did while they were playing the game. I can't remember how much it is, and I think it varies from season to season, depending upon the location.

Really? I had no idea they were being paid!

Quote:

Past seasons have seen 2nd, 3rd and 4th place winners and again, the amounts varied depending upon the season. The year Yau-Man finished 4th, he received $60,000, and every player gets something, depending upon how long they last. The runner-up (2nd place winner) generally gets $100,000 and each player who attends the reunion show receives an additional $10,000.

Okay, I knew about the $100,000 for 2nd place, and the $10,000 for attending the reunion show, but had no idea about the other stuff, and definitely not that every player gets something!

This never seems to be announced anywhere, definitely not on the show. Where can one read up on this?

1 Reply

Survivor Nicaragua--Old v. Young

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