Survivor: China, Episode 1 As I See It - Who’s Who?

OK – is it just me or does Jeff Probst get more handsome with every season of Survivor? Come on, ladies, you know what I mean. But I digress…

I have to start out by sticking up for Chicken. Much has been written about his non-compliance with the rules of the game of Survivor, his balking when asked for suggestions after he’d been ignored when he first offered them, and his general demeanor on the program. I live in rural southwestern Ohio, and, let me tell you, I know lots of “Chickens.”

I know farmers who have never been out of this county, much less the state, and what you saw on Survivor in the persona of Chicken is what they are. Plain, simple men who stay on their farm, raise their livestock, fowl, and families, and never venture away from that security.

I am sure Chicken was sincere when he said this was one of the most awesome experiences in his life. I am sure he will never forget it, even though he was the first eliminated. So, let’s give him a break and realize that what we saw was what we got. A plain, simple man. And good for him for being himself!

Now, as far as being oneself, I know much has been written about Leslie and her protestations of not being religious. Give me a break. She applied for and was accepted for a TV reality show and listed her occupation as “Christian Radio Host.” And we weren’t supposed to assume that she was religious.

I don’t know about you, but I wasn’t born yesterday and I don’t think my assumption was wrong. If she is such a fan of Survivor she should have known that sometimes one has to participate in ceremonies or challenges that may rub against your grain somehow, but you just do it.

It’s too bad she opted out of the welcoming ceremony; most came away quite impressed and energized, though solemn. She did redeem herself in my eyes by taking James aside and giving him some Survivor clues, such as how to socialize with the other tribe members.

James, somehow, reminded me of John Coffey in The Green Mile. I don’t know why, but he has that quiet, unassuming personality that hides a very intelligent mind and some hidden strength behind it. His muscles have muscles and I’m sure he is eye candy to more than one viewer. I hope he sticks around for a while; I’d like to see how he plays this game.

Todd just tickled me for some reason. His little tête-à-tête with Jean-Robert was interesting and made me wonder just who the poker player really is. Jean-Robert may have put a little target on his back and Todd may be the one with the arrow.

Todd also directed attention to Aaron by nominating him to be the leader; wisely on his part, since he wants to stay in the background. Somehow, I don’t think a gay Mormon flight attendant (I even had a hard time writing that- it’s so just not right) is going to stay in the background.

Peih-Gee, in the promotion for the current season, said her friends said she would be the B***H of this season. Guess they know her better than us, eh? I was moved that she was so moved in the temple and I know the memory of her grandfather was utmost in her mind.

Other than that, she is proving her friends right. She wants to be the boss so badly she can taste it. Comparisons to Shii Ann are flying all over the place and for good reason. I wonder how long she’ll last.

Frosti is adorable, but his name makes me think of a snowman. This fellow is no melting piece of ice, though, and, although his tribe lost the challenge, I was impressed with his scaling the wall and want to see more of his athletic endeavors.

And then there’s Courtney. Do parents not teach their children respect anymore? Respect for other people, their cultures and their elders? And, who did she think she was going to be stranded with on Survivor? A group of fellow New Yorkers? This little prima donna just rubbed me the wrong way when she rolled her eyes during the welcome ceremony and I’d like to see her torch snuffed soon, like, this week.

I love it when the promotions really build up a cast member and then that cast member is the first one to get sick. That’s what happened with Ashley. She was made out to be this big time, tough, wrestling chick and who was it that couldn’t get up off the ground for a day? Yep. Ashley.

I will give her credit for rallying for the challenge, and she was right at Tribal Council when she asked to not be judged by one day. I want to see what this woman is made of, so I hope she’s around for a while.

There were some Survivors who didn’t get much air time, but we did learn that Dave talks out of both sides of his mouth, Denise was extremely moved by the welcome ceremony, and Erik and Amanda are both nice to look at.

I thank the producers for giving Jaime a buff, since she admitted to having no bra, and for giving everyone shoes, since Ashley had those twenty-pound boots and Sherea had on high heels (are we seeing another Cirie here?).

Stay tuned.

Peace!

Eileen is an intake operator for a legal referral service in Cincinnati, Ohio by day and spends her free time with the little ones that call her the “Queen of the Grandmas” and their parents and practicing Yoga which she thought was going to be the “lazy woman’s exercise”. She got fooled. She welcomes comments and constructive criticism at ohiograndma2003@hotmail.com.

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