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Survivor Fiji Outcome

I hate to be one of those obsessed people who goes on and on about a bloody TV show, a REALITY show for chrissakes, but I have long been a fan of the “Survivor” series and this past season, Survivor Fiji, was a particularly good series.

Like a lot of people, I guess, Yauman was my personal favourite and he really deserved to win. He played a pretty smart game right up until the end, until that is, he trusted the flaky and unpredictable “Dreamz” to carry him into the Final Three.  Gentleman that he is, he even admitted the whole thing was his fault: because he trusted Dreamz to live up to his word and because he was stubborn in his belief, he couldn’t bring himself to make a final plea to him to honour the agreement.

For those of you who didn’t watch, (assuming you care) here’s what went down: Yau won a truck in a reward challenge and knew how badly Dre wanted the truck. So he made a deal with him: he’d give him the truck if Dre agreed, IF they both made it to the final four and IF Dre should happen to win immunity, to give Yau his immunity. Dre readily agreed, saying he was a man of his word, and got the truck.

For the remainder of the game Dre was all over the map: one minute trying to get Yau voted out before the final four so he wouldn’t have to live up to the bargain (probably a good strategy), the next minute saying he was an honourable man and would keep his word, then later hinting that he might not keep his word. However, Yau had a hidden immunity idol for the next vote and wisely played it, saving himself, and won immunity in the maze challenge leading up to the second last vote, and was saved again. Dre, of course, won the final immunity challenge. So he was forced to decide if he would honour his end of the bargain or keep the idol for himself, thus assuring himself a one-in-three chance in the final million dollar vote.

And of course, as I predicted and as we all now know, Dre kept immunity for himself. Yau got voted out by the other three (who knew he would win the jury vote if he stayed in) and in the end Dre did not get ONE SINGLE VOTE from the jury, who were all pretty disgusted with him for what he had done, so he sold his integrity for nothing.

Dre later tried to justify himself by saying “It’s only a game, and it’s a game about lying and cheating.” Really? Is it? I thought it was a game about strategy and forming alliances, which (I would think) requires trust and honour. Who is going to form an alliance with you if they can’t trust you? Most of the people who have won the game have done so by being pretty up-front and playing as clean game as they could. People who play dirty usually get bit on the ass by karma at some point. Hell, Richard Hatch, who one the first survivor ever, is now serving 4 years in prison for tax evasion. If that isn’t karma, what is?

Here’s why Dreamz is a moron: firstly for having even a shred of an expectation that anyone would vote for him in the final three once he had pulled that low-life stunt. Secondly, for making a decision that I have no doubt made him feel shame the second he made it and which will surely cost him a huge measure of self-esteem, and then deluding himself that it didn’t reflect badly on him or that he didn’t care what others thought of him for it. Thirdly, by believing his own lie that he was playing Yau all along and never intended to keep his bargain. And fourth, for thinking that bald-faced lying to someone when you make an agreement would somehow put you in a better light than making a pact and then going back on your word.

It IS only a game, but it’s a game that changes lives. If you play Survivor, your life will be changed whether you win a million dollars or get voted out in the first tribal council. If you’re an “Indian Giver”, the other kids in the schoolyard hate you. If you cheat at cards, other players despise you. If you screw someone over in a business deal or cheat your customers, you are scum and won’t succeed long.

What does a person have, if not his honour and integrity? You don’t have to be a Christian (I’m not) to practise “Christian” values. And being ethical isn’t all that hard – I think we all instinctively know right from wrong. If you have a hard time deciding if something is the right thing to do, it probably isn’t. Be fair to others. Don’t lie. Don’t hurt others for your own gain. Don’t make a promise unless you intend to keep it. And keep your word.

Mr. Dreamz, if you are setting yourself up as a role model for young people, why would you risk that image by demonstrating in the most public way possible, that you are a dishonourable asshole? And what kind of example are you setting for your son?

Filed under Pop Culture, May 15, 2007
 

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Comments on this post:

WORD!

I know this is late but I agree 100%. I could not believe that Dreamz pulled that shit.

Comment by Scout - 2007-05-28 10:14:11

 
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