“I Know I Came Across as Arrogant and Maybe a Little Hateable” – An Interview with Survivor: Fiji’s Rocky

Given the Rocky we saw on Survivor: Fiji, I was wondering how he would be in an interview. But he came across as calm and even a bit understated. He has had time to think about what happened on Fiji, and gave some accurate assessments of his play. Read on to see what he had to say.

RealityNewsOnline: What was your strategy going into the game?

Rocky: Basically my strategy was pretty much having no strategy. I had an open mind and took everything in and went with the flow and moved and did my thing as I went on. I kind of absorbed everything and went with the flow.

RNO: What did you do to prepare yourself for Survivor, either physically or mentally?

Rocky: I kinda worked out a the gym a little bit, and I went to Santa Monica and ate some shellfish and got ready to eat some disgusting things and built the tolerance up a little bit.

RNO: Do you feel you were portrayed accurately – was that the real you we saw?

Rocky: You know, the way I was portrayed with the conditions and everything was pretty spot-on. I know I came across as arrogant and maybe a little hateable. Given the conditions and the different type s of people I was dealing with, I think it was spot-on.

RNO: After the tribal switch-up, did you feel like you were in a good position?

Rocky: To be honest with you, I thought I was pretty focused and excited. I thought we were going to win a lot of challenges and things would turn for the best even though we were at Ravu. I thought things were going to go pretty well for me and the group in general. I couldn’t really see two or three steps ahead, only there and then. That was probably a piece of my downfall – that was the beginning of the end right there for me.

RNO: Did you have any idea that your tribemates might find you abrasive?

Rocky: Yeah, here’s the thing. I’m used to dealing with people who have similar personalities as myself. When I make fun of you and am cutting you down, that shows I like you. If I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t bother with you. In some weird dimension, that’s me being nice and saying let’s be buddies.

RNO: At the time it happened, did you know why they turned on you?

Rocky: I didn’t – I could smell it a little bit, but I was in a little self-denial. I pretty much just chalked it up to they had to do it for the numbers. Before Tribal Council, I kind of knew it was pretty soon if not that one and if we kept losing. It just made sense for them to get rid of me, they didn’t need me anymore – if they ever did.

RNO: As you’ve been watching yourself on TV over the past couple months, have you had any second thoughts about anything you did or said?

Rocky: You know, I don’t really think so. I think it was pretty true to myself, my personality. That’s all I can be at the end of the day. For the sake of the game, I should have switched it up a little bit, but it was just being me all day. If that wins me a million, it does, if not, then what are you going to do?

RNO: What has been the public reaction to you since the season has been airing?

Rocky: The public reaction is right down the middle, 50/50. A lot of people like the way I was portrayed on the show – I get yelled at on the street, either they wanted me to win or obscenities.

RNO: Why did you target all the women first?

Rocky: I didn’t really target anybody, especially the women. We got in there and lost the first challenge. I had an arrangement with Erica and Jessica and we went from there. To be quite honest with you, Erica didn’t really try to help Jessica out. She could have persuaded Earl or Anthony, she didn’t do that. So after Jessica left, it was bad for me, but it locked me into the game. It was a game, pretty cutthroat, and here we go. I grabbed the reigns and did the best I could with what I had.

RNO: Why did you give Anthony such a hard time?

Rocky: I don’t think I went out of my way to do it. We have very different personalities, and maybe in a different situation, we might even be able to be nice or civil to each other. Just a difference of personalities, and they clashed a bit. Under those conditions, I didn’t really have a lot of tact. The poor kid got the worst of me on a daily basis.

RNO: Why do you think your tribe had such troubles with talking at the same time, refusing to choose a leader, etc.?

Rocky: I just think we got into a hole real early and were never able to dig ourselves out of it. The whole picking a leader thing, nobody wanted to step up because it’s an easy reason to get voted off. People pretty much look at the idea that we’re probably not going to win a lot of challenges, so why make yourself a focal point?

RNO: When new Ravu arrived at camp, you all went hunting for crabs and got some. Did original Ravu ever do that and we just didn’t see it?

Rocky: As a matter of fact, we did. We actually did catch crabs on a few occasions. For whatever reason, they just showed that when new Ravu moved in. But when we caught fish, that was definitely the first time.

RNO: How much food did you eat during the reward as compared with the others?

Rocky: I think I didn’t eat as much. They were putting like three hot dogs in their mouths. I’m not saying I was a saint, but I was slow and steady. Also, that was me bending over the toilet puking. Nobody else thought that was a good idea to relieve themselves. That was self-induced – I had to relieve myself so I could make fun of everybody.

RNO: Do you have any plans on what you’re going to say to people at the reunion?

Rocky: Not really. I’m not planning what I’m going to say. I got upset at certain people and some are upset at me. We’re either talk it over or we won’t. I’m not extremely worried about it. It was a game for a million dollars, if people want to take things the wrong way, I can do my best to convince ‘em not to, but at the end of the day it’s their choice. Basically, I’m not losing any sleep over it.

RNO: Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about your time on Survivor?

Rocky: All I can really say is it was a great experience. It really opened my eyes to a lot of different aspects of life. I met a lot of people, good, bad, or indifferent. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.

RNO: Thanks, Rocky!

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out these other recent Survivor: Fiji articles here on RealityNewsOnline:

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