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Review

Surviving Survivor

Workers Online's Reality TV correspondent Mark Morey rakes over the coals of the Survivor II result.

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Well what an ending. Colby in a final act of complete stupidity, and against all the narcissistic rules of the game, votes for Tina instead of Keith at the final tribal council letting her become competitive and ultimately take the million dollars because there was some dumb pact with her. Unbelievable!

There is no loyalty in this game and the fact that Colby can continue go on TV and smile and say she deserves it is beyond my grasp. Please bring back Richard. And what is with Tina's I'll pay off my home loan, my friend's home loan and set up a charity? Charity my arse!

So what were the ultimate highlights in a show that was, in itself, my weekly viewing highlight? (Well, OK Buffy and the West Wing are still up there). How can we go past that intimate human moment when Colby's mother became the surrogate mother for the final three Survivors? I'm still pretty sure I saw Keith go the grope on her though!

Or was it when "The Man" (Michael Skupin) finally realised the wilderness was the place to let out that basic human of human needs - to slaughter - than the full thrust of the ram of computer programming and ended up in a parallel Lord of the Flies universe mallei with a small pig. The haunting shrill of "Kill the pig" "Kill the pig" can still be heard echoing across neighbourhoods across the world. It was good to see at least one survivor, Kimmi the vegetarian, of course, morally well there had to be at least one person outraged at the death of a the feral, environment destroying pest. And that is why she lost. Oh to have seen Alicia take the knife to Kimmi, now that would have been reality TV!

Just on this point, can't the People for the Ethical Treatment for Animals see the irony in being more worried about a pig than a huge media conglomerate sticking a bunch of humans in the bush and starving them for TV?

And what about the wonton destruction of the Great Barrier reef by Colby? So he took some coral to buy off his teammates in order to neck Jerri. Would we have had it any other way? No!! If its good enough for an oil tanker than its good enough for our Texan Ranger.

And who will forget the beef jerk incident when Jerri had Kel removed because he was suspected to have a hidden stash. Didn't anyone else see the subtle parallels to The Fugitive? Devilishly clever. Poor Kel still hasn't forgotten as was evidenced on the final program.

As for Jerri "lets get our gear off for money" remained still the bitch to the end, even after the show finished and we love her for it. All good shows need someone to hate and what does cares, she's going to make shit loads out of the whole process with or without her clothes on.

Then there was that touching and revealing moment in the reunion episode where Deb bares her all and emotionally reflects on how the media torn her apart once she was voted off the show only to leave her with a loss of self confidence. Wa, wa, wa, you put yourself up for ridicule than that's what you get. Der! It would have been a different story had she won the million dollars.

Then good old Amber who followed Jerri around like a puppy with a lobotomy, appears not to be as dim as she was portrayed. It turns out that she was the winner of the Deans merit award 5, yes 5 semesters in a row at college. Yet despite this she is still keen to continue to follow in Jerri's footsteps and get her gear off for Playboy aaaaah, she won't be the pin up for the Christian Coalition like her fellow competitor Elisabeth.

Liz, Beth oh how we could go on. This tennis shoe designer, not as glamorous as the media tweaked shoe designer status she was given through out the show, is not going to get her gear off, no! She'll be doing the right thing and marry her all American College quarterback boyfriend of four years. Undoubtedly Rodger will be there. Did anyone else find this relationship a little strange, even bordering on the Taxidriversish?

Well that's it for another series I have to rate this one as much harder than the first in relation to the environment and the availability of food. However, it was unfortunately less Machiavellian than the first series with an inevitability about who would be the last three survivors, which at different times took some of the excitement away from the machinations of the show. Both shows had different things to offer, lets hope Survivor III will bring the best of the previous episodes together.

That's it Survivorets until we meet again in the jungles or savannas of Africa.

Websites

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor2/

www.suvivorsucks.com

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  Issue 95 contents

»	Carr Government Avoids Own Safety Laws
»	Phantom Employers Face the Flush
»	Primus Suspect? Unions Seek Answers
»	Big Australian’s Merger Faces Rocky Road
»	Happy Hour for Heineken with a Half-Price Dollar
»	Arnotts Workers Call for Consumer Boycott
»	Asian Women at Work: Daring To Act
»	Academic Sacking Sparks Global Row
»	Labor Councillors Feel Childcare Heat
»	Rail Workers Win Maintenance Security
»	Knitwear Company Stitched Up Over AWAs
»	Three Stripes and You’re Out
»	Unions and Students Move on Harvard
»	IT Workers Alliance – Last Call for Comment
»	Our News Feed Hits 1000
»	Activist Notebook

»	The Soapbox
»	The Locker Room
»	Trades Hall
»	Tool Shed

»	The Great May Day Debate
»	Questions for Macca
»	Qantas on Impulse
»	Compo: The Great Tradition

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