Survivor: Fiji

Yau Man Credo: "Love many, trust few, do wrong to none."

Yes, I watch Survivor. It's one of two reality shows I watch regularly; the other is The Amazing Race. My husband used to make fun of me for watching until he sat down and watched for the first time a couple years ago. Now he's a big fan too.

One of the appeals of the show for me is that I can watch it while quilting--there's no involved plot to follow. The other appeal is in watching the way humans interact in an isolated but competitive setting. Interestingly enough, one of the participants said something about the experience being similar to being out in the real world, working in a business setting: It's not always the smartest or strongest who get ahead. I admit I hadn't really thought of it in those terms.

If you didn't watch Survivor this season, you'll probably have little idea what I'm talking about, but if you did, perhaps you'll have an opinion or a comment. The huge upset/surprise for me this season was when Dreamz went back on his promise to give Yau-Man the immunity necklace, thereby eliminating Yau-Man from the game. When that happened, I was so angry I almost turned the TV off. Almost.

I've read a number of different opinions on this development, but as I see it, Dreamz did nothing more than shoot himself in the foot and prevent someone from winning who deserved to win. I can't imagine Dreamz would have thought he'd have a chance with the jury by going back on his word, so what was the point? Had he kept his word and given Yau immunity, he would have been a role model to others. Many of the more personable Survivors from the past, even if they didn't win the $1 million, go on to do fairly well through commercials, endorsements, or other business deals. Dreamz' decision to renege on his promise to Yau surely guaranteed that there wouldn't be anything offered to him along those lines in his future. So now he has a $60,000 truck and no credibility; and, if there's any fairness in this world, he'll be stuck paying the taxes on the truck. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy!

I've read a couple comments on different venues suggesting that the "contract" between Yau and Dreamz is enforceable in court. I think one of the things people forget is that the "contract" was not entered into in the U.S., so U.S. law would not apply, and Survivor may well have had their own rules covering such contingencies that the contestants agreed to ahead of time.

I've also read that since Survivor is a game, Dreamz was justified in doing whatever he had to do to win the money. Okay, granted that one of the elements of Survivor is to trick and manipulate people, but I've noticed that many of those who win do so because they are essentially as honorable as it's possible to be under the circumstances. When is it okay to cheat in a game, anyway? In my mind, there are times when it's acceptable to be less than honest in a game. One instance that comes to mind is when you know your opponent has made a mistake or overlooked something, and it's to your advantage to say nothing. To me, that's okay. Cheating is not okay. I certainly don't want to play cards with someone who's stacking the deck. I don't want to play Monopoly with someone who's pulling money out of the "bank" when I'm not watching. I don't think I can tell you exactly what I think of Dreamz without using a lot of words that aren't fit to print, but you can believe I'm thinking them in my head!

While I don't dislike Earl and think that out of the three remaining contestants, he was the best choice, I still can't help but think Yau Man should have been the one claiming the $1 million. I hope that life rewards him somehow for being one of the most likeable and honorable Survivor contestants in some time.