It's not often that my taste intersects with that of the mainstream. So imagine my surprise -- not to mention my elation -- to discover that the entire country latched on to my not-so-guilty pleasure this summer, the insta-hit "Survivor!"
But things didn't start out that way. What's so amazing is that by last week's top-rated season finale, I had done a complete 180-degree turn. I watched the show from Episode 1, and in the beginning the revisionist game show was absolutely deplorable. I found the show flawed and unfocused. At one point, it was downright demeaning, taunting its cast of castaways with a reward of dog food instead of the regimen of rice.
It wasn't just that the show became more exciting the closer it got to announcing the winner (which it did). No, what "Survivor" did best was let us make an investment in the lives of the contestants and truly care about the outcome. "Survivor" wasn't just a game show; in making their own personal alliances with various island castaways, viewers felt as though they had something at stake as well.
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Many people shared this sentiment, judging by the heated and divisive reaction to Rich's win. But I object to his characterization. "Survivor" portrayed him as malevolent, even Machiavellian in strategizing an indomitable alliance.
But all he was doing was playing the game. Of course he tried to outwit the other competitors; it was one of the game's trademark commands. Leggy Pagong tribeswoman Colleen may have been a darling, but she acted like she was at sleep-away camp, not in a fight for a million dollars ($640,000 post taxes). No one complains when someone buzzes in first on "Jeopardy!" And no one's ever upset when one opponent blocks the other on "Hollywood Squares." It's how the game is played, and Rich was one of only a few (Sue, Joel and Gretchen were the others) shrewd enough to know that before diving into the South China Sea.
It didn't help that the other finalist was the opportunistic Kelly. Reports surfacing during the final weeks of the "Survivor" revealed Kelly to be a wanted woman. It turned out that the FBI wanted her for credit card fraud and for biting her husband's nose. Who wants to see her win if her money's just going to go to posting bail? Did the producers learn nothing about background checks from "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire?"
Other cases of human drama became more abundant as the series continued, giving it some more depth and letting the audience grasp the emotional toll experienced by the castaways. A few of my personal favorites: Stacey, a lawyer, whining "I know you switched your vote" to Sue after getting the boot; Jenna, a single mother of two, being the only islander not to receive a videotaped message from home; heterosexual Greg flirting with the openly gay Richard as a means of avoiding the big heave-ho.
There were also some personal moments that never found airtime on "Survivor." Colleen said during the reunion special that she and Greg were using their fake relationship as a ruse to divert attention from another real one taking place on the island. I'm still trying to figure out who the two were. Susan at one point called Kelly her first best friend in nearly two decades, but CBS deprived viewers of seeing any true closeness between the two before the competition severed their friendship.
In the end, though, it was Sue who helped out the show. The finale's most memorable moment was her impassioned diatribe against Kelly. Who could forget her saying she would "leave her to the vultures" if she caught Kelly dying of thirst? It was more than a rant, though; her eloquent "snake and rat" metaphor provided the inspiration for the imagery the producers used to frame the episode.
"Survivor'"s set-up raised a few interesting observations from a sociological standpoint. Aside from Rudy, senior citizens were the first to be voted off. And why was Rudy, a former Navy SEAL who constantly referred to Rich as a "queer," a fan favorite?
So Rich, spend the money however you want to -- you deserve it. And to anyone who's unhappy with that outcome, better luck with your contestant next season.
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