“I’d Already Won Everything I Wanted to Win” – An Interview with Survivor: China’s Chicken

Some reality show contestants give short answers to specific questions. Others like to tell their stories. Chicken is definitely in the latter group. In doing so, Chicken was probably the most talkative first-eliminated contestant I’ve ever talked to, and one of the most talkative contestants, period. We might not have seen much of it on the show, but he had his reasons and he made up for it now. Indeed, he answered a number of my questions before I could even ask them. So read on to see what he had to say.

RealityNewsOnline: Hello, Chicken, and thanks for taking the time to talk to RealityNewsOnline! What was your strategy coming into the game?

Chicken: I’ll tell ya, when I caught the flight out of Charlotte to JFK, I had a game plan. After preliminaries to the day I left, I had a game plan. I watched many many episodes in my chair at home, [thinking] you need to do this you need to do that. But then I said I’m just going to be myself, I’m not gong to fit a piece of the puzzle that a I think would fit in. I was going to be myself, period.

Basically, that’s what I did the whole trip until last night, I took one day at a time. But a lot of people were talking about being really disappointed. I’m not disappointed. I’m very proud to be a small part of this for many different reasons. And I’d go back tomorrow.

It’s not a money thing, it’s just the people that you meet and it’s hard to talk to these people. They’re basically from a different culture. It’s just like last night, they drug that old frame out of the woods. I had enough sense to know even if we made part of he shelter out of this thing, it’s not going to hold together. They thought they found a flipping gold mine. That’s when I first spoke and said this is not going to work. You can’t make something out of nothing. I just voiced my opinion and that was the last time I did, they wouldn’t listen to me.

Then we slept in the rain and walked in the mud, the circumstances were bad for them. For me, I walk in the mud every day. When we’re sorting cattle, we don’t take the day off because it’s raining or because the mud’s a foot deep. When we got into that truck at the first of the show, there was about three or four inches of mud. They said, “oh good gracious, the mud.” I’m thinking to myself, “you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

I don’t criticize these people and I hope they don’t criticize me. This cast is absolutely super. Sixteen people from 16 different walks of life. They’ve done an extraordinary job of casting these people. That is what I like about this show. I don’t care where you’re from, rich or poor, you’re all even. And how it plays it out is what’s great about this game. It requires a little bit of luck and depending on who you are, maybe a lot of luck.

When I landed in China, I’d already won everything I wanted to win. From that day on, it was just a plus. You take a great journey and you’re at this party, and you really don’t care what happens. People think you’re strange if you don’t care about money. But money’s not the issue for me. This was the greatest trip in the world for me. I’ve never flown, I’ve never rode a boat. I didn’t miss nothing.

RNO: Speaking of the experience, what was your opinion of the ceremony at the Buddhist temple and the way Leslie walked out?

Chicken: Leslie shouldn’t have done that. This is my opinion. Jeff was very very clear on his instructions – this is not a religious ceremony. He explained more about Buddha than you saw. I was astonished with the temple. I’ll never forget the temple and what Jeff said at the start of the game. This is a way of life for these people and when they invite you in, a perfect stranger, [you should honor it].

What you seen last night took about three hours. This is a big part of their culture and they’ve shared it with you. It’d be like bringing 250 Chinese people on the farm – it’s a culture shock. Buddha is not religious, it’s like Confucius. Buddha and farming is not really on the same level but I’m using it as an example.

When I took that long walk after the game, I was disappointed. Today I’m not and that temple was extraordinary. It marked me. I’m sure the other 15 people won’t give the same answer. That’s what makes this cast so good and what makes this show.

I’ve watched a ton of Survivor. You can play all you want to in your chair. But we’re all very unique people from very unique places with a very unique way of life. Those are the pieces that make a great show. This is a great season, going by the cast and what I’ve seen last night. I think it was a good kickoff to one of the better seasons in the last three or four years.

RNO: You mentioned that you gave your opinion and they didn’t listen, so you didn’t give it anymore. I understand why you decided to back off when people on your tribe weren’t listening to you, but why did you appear to go to such an extreme to avoid answering questions when they were asked of you?

Chicken: (laughs) It’s like, I made a ton of suggestions at first. I build things. You’ve got all this know-how, but it didn’t show. They went a couple days without water and I didn’t because I was drinking water in 20 minutes and eating kiwis in 20 minutes, and these people did without. I voiced my opinion and they were talking about college days and partying. This goes on all day the first day.

Me and Peih-Gee wanted to get it done. We’re in the middle of nowhere playing the greatest flipping game in the world. We want to get stuff done and everybody else wants to sit around talking about parties and music. I can’t relate to that. That’s when the 16 different people from 16 different places come in. Nobody was talking about hunting or fishing or farming.

When I came out of that temple and saw the other seven people, I knowed I was in trouble. I thought about it and said, “just be yourself, whatever happens is going to happen.” When I’m trying to tell you something and you don’t want to listen, they just brush it off.

On the second day, when they asked me and I didn’t want to answer, then it became an issue. I could have gotten down on my knees and kissed their behind and built their shelter. But that’s not the way I am. Then the next day I’d have to kiss their behinds again. You do something for me and I’ll do something for you.