SURVIVOR RUSSELL REALLY IS AN ASS
Whereas 4th Place Brett Showed Class Will Tell
The Huffington Post, December 21, 2009
I watch a bit of Reality TV and I'm a big fan of seven-time Emmy Recipient The Amazing Race -- the best of the breed.
Better than American Idol and all the rest on NBC, Fox, ABC or the CW. I'd love to participate with my pal, charismatic
German TV Star Andreas Stenschke (take a look and you'll agree) -- not just for the million dollars. It's fun and challenging,
and the winner wins because the team has achieved victory, as opposed to contests decided upon by scheming and
jealous cohabitants of a house or remote island.
But the point here is to cast light on the devil incarnate of the most recent Survivor, which concluded Sunday night on CBS. Machiavellian is too tame to describe the overconfident and somewhat deluded Russell Hantz, who was earlier voted
Fan Favorite by the viewing audience even as he sat through the program sullen and glum after learning he'd lost
to Natalie White.
I watch a bit of Reality TV and I'm a big fan of seven-time Emmy Recipient The Amazing Race -- the best of the breed.
Better than American Idol and all the rest on NBC, Fox, ABC or the CW. I'd love to participate with my pal, charismatic
German TV Star Andreas Stenschke (take a look and you'll agree) -- not just for the million dollars. It's fun and challenging,
and the winner wins because the team has achieved victory, as opposed to contests decided upon by scheming and
jealous cohabitants of a house or remote island.
But the point here is to cast light on the devil incarnate of the most recent Survivor, which concluded Sunday night on CBS. Machiavellian is too tame to describe the overconfident and somewhat deluded Russell Hantz, who was earlier voted
Fan Favorite by the viewing audience even as he sat through the program sullen and glum after learning he'd lost
to Natalie White.
For many weeks we watched Russell plot and play people against each other, and, to a certain extent, he must be commended for achieving his goal to make it to the end. While his Survivor counterparts couldn't see the edited confessionals presented to the television public in which he
admitted his lies and cheating, they were nonetheless exceedingly
dimwitted as each of Russell's supposed confidantes were voted
off the island.
Didn't these clever people, including a physician and articulate law student ever talk to each other out of Russell's presence? Wouldn't they have let it be known they had a deal with Russell in the same way that Mick Trimming and Jaison Robinson conversed about the
rare slip Russell made when he revealed he was actually a successful businessman? Wasn't it obvious when his close companions, such as the earthy but not too swift Shannon Waters (Shambo) were voted off with his support?
And yet, when there were only six people left and attention turned to the heretofore mostly wallflower, soft-spoken and handsome 23-year-old Brett Clouser, who'd saved himself by winning the immunity idol, no one started talking about getting
rid of Russell. This was the amazing faux pas, that each of Russell's tribe mates stuck with him when Mick, Natalie and
Jaison could have taken him out. At the least, they should've made him think they were going to do so to make him use
his last personal immunity idol that he amazingly kept finding (even without clues). Instead, they allowed him to keep the
idol for another round, thus ensuring he'd be in the game for another two tribal councils.
But that's the background to the finale. The game changed enormously when Brett, who'd stayed on the sidelines most
of the season, was suddenly in jeopardy because he was one of the only players left not in the Russell alliance. He surprised everyone by winning the competitive immunity idol. Then winning it again. And then a third time. All three contests exhibited
a combination of physicality and mental processes. The first entailed learning how best to catapult a coconut into a box, no mean feat, the second, slow methodical counting and the third putting together a jigsaw puzzle faster than the others.
He was suddenly the one to beat, as all his former tribe mates were on the jury panel and everyone feared going up against
him in the final vote. It was down to the last contest, prior to which Russell, who'd mocked and derided Brett as a punk, now played up to him, offering to take him to the final three because he deserved to be there.
It was a close call, finally down to Russell and Brett balancing a figurine on a continually growing elongated stick, and, as
fate would have it, Russell won. Even then Russell told Brett he was going to vote out Mick to force a tie, his strategy being
he would gain respect and favor with the jury, who he feared mostly despised him.
I'll skip to the end, where Jeff Probst delivered the final vote, which Russell had earlier predicted in front of the jury he had
the best chance of winning. It wasn't even close. Natalie won by a five to two margin, and during the hoopla of her victory
one could see Russell wasn't happy. Even though he'd declared during questioning by the jury before they voted that he
wasn't really the cunning liar they'd all known. He was an honorable man and it was just a game.
But he couldn't help himself, even on live TV when the vote was announced. He continued to protest to Jeff Probst that he
was the winner, and the morality-challenged audience cheered in agreement. But the jury members took issue, as did winner Natalie who refused his outrageous offer of ten thousand dollars if she would allow Jeff to declare him the Sole Survivor
on national television. So much did he need the validation of that title.
Contrast that with Brett Clouser, who was asked how it felt to have a million dollars slip through his fingers during a final event that was so close. Probst even took a poll of the jury, which confirmed his thought that Brett would have won hands down.
But Brett said with a warm smile it was just the way things are. He did his best and while he surely regretted losing he was proud of his achievement. He was the epitome of grace and a good sportsman.
Brett was voted, along with Shambo and Russell, one of the three finalists as audience favorite, and perhaps had the viewers seen Russell's true colors the young man would have easily won the hundred thousand dollar prize. But the audience voted
for the villain, much as they preferred J.R. to Bobby on Dallas, and were no doubt demonstrating their most favorite character. Had they realized it was not an act and what a despicable, unpleasant and ungracious man Russell Hantz was perhaps they wouldn't have been so generous adding to the hundred thousand dollars he'd already won as runner-up.
For me, Brett Clouser made a run for the roses in the last quarter mile, falling short by a nose but coming out a life winner
in the long run.
Follow Michael Russnow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kerrloy
Contact Us
admitted his lies and cheating, they were nonetheless exceedingly
dimwitted as each of Russell's supposed confidantes were voted
off the island.
Didn't these clever people, including a physician and articulate law student ever talk to each other out of Russell's presence? Wouldn't they have let it be known they had a deal with Russell in the same way that Mick Trimming and Jaison Robinson conversed about the
rare slip Russell made when he revealed he was actually a successful businessman? Wasn't it obvious when his close companions, such as the earthy but not too swift Shannon Waters (Shambo) were voted off with his support?
And yet, when there were only six people left and attention turned to the heretofore mostly wallflower, soft-spoken and handsome 23-year-old Brett Clouser, who'd saved himself by winning the immunity idol, no one started talking about getting
rid of Russell. This was the amazing faux pas, that each of Russell's tribe mates stuck with him when Mick, Natalie and
Jaison could have taken him out. At the least, they should've made him think they were going to do so to make him use
his last personal immunity idol that he amazingly kept finding (even without clues). Instead, they allowed him to keep the
idol for another round, thus ensuring he'd be in the game for another two tribal councils.
But that's the background to the finale. The game changed enormously when Brett, who'd stayed on the sidelines most
of the season, was suddenly in jeopardy because he was one of the only players left not in the Russell alliance. He surprised everyone by winning the competitive immunity idol. Then winning it again. And then a third time. All three contests exhibited
a combination of physicality and mental processes. The first entailed learning how best to catapult a coconut into a box, no mean feat, the second, slow methodical counting and the third putting together a jigsaw puzzle faster than the others.
He was suddenly the one to beat, as all his former tribe mates were on the jury panel and everyone feared going up against
him in the final vote. It was down to the last contest, prior to which Russell, who'd mocked and derided Brett as a punk, now played up to him, offering to take him to the final three because he deserved to be there.
It was a close call, finally down to Russell and Brett balancing a figurine on a continually growing elongated stick, and, as
fate would have it, Russell won. Even then Russell told Brett he was going to vote out Mick to force a tie, his strategy being
he would gain respect and favor with the jury, who he feared mostly despised him.
I'll skip to the end, where Jeff Probst delivered the final vote, which Russell had earlier predicted in front of the jury he had
the best chance of winning. It wasn't even close. Natalie won by a five to two margin, and during the hoopla of her victory
one could see Russell wasn't happy. Even though he'd declared during questioning by the jury before they voted that he
wasn't really the cunning liar they'd all known. He was an honorable man and it was just a game.
But he couldn't help himself, even on live TV when the vote was announced. He continued to protest to Jeff Probst that he
was the winner, and the morality-challenged audience cheered in agreement. But the jury members took issue, as did winner Natalie who refused his outrageous offer of ten thousand dollars if she would allow Jeff to declare him the Sole Survivor
on national television. So much did he need the validation of that title.
Contrast that with Brett Clouser, who was asked how it felt to have a million dollars slip through his fingers during a final event that was so close. Probst even took a poll of the jury, which confirmed his thought that Brett would have won hands down.
But Brett said with a warm smile it was just the way things are. He did his best and while he surely regretted losing he was proud of his achievement. He was the epitome of grace and a good sportsman.
Brett was voted, along with Shambo and Russell, one of the three finalists as audience favorite, and perhaps had the viewers seen Russell's true colors the young man would have easily won the hundred thousand dollar prize. But the audience voted
for the villain, much as they preferred J.R. to Bobby on Dallas, and were no doubt demonstrating their most favorite character. Had they realized it was not an act and what a despicable, unpleasant and ungracious man Russell Hantz was perhaps they wouldn't have been so generous adding to the hundred thousand dollars he'd already won as runner-up.
For me, Brett Clouser made a run for the roses in the last quarter mile, falling short by a nose but coming out a life winner
in the long run.
Follow Michael Russnow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kerrloy
Contact Us