# Survivor: 41st Season **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** reality-or-game-show\ **Created:** [September 23, 2021, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-41st-season/951202 "2021-09-23T15:04:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-41st-season/951202/161 "2021-12-18T15:01:26Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > So popularity contest and not merit? Got it. The goal is to get people to vote for you at the end. Being “popular” is a valid and proven strategy for getting votes. So, yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-41st-season/951202/162 "2021-12-18T15:30:07Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > So popularity contest and not merit? Got it This takes me all the way back to season 1 and the very first episode. Sonja was the very first person voted out and in her post interview, she said, “I naively thought we would rally around the best survior and vote for them to win in the end.” It’s about: - luck of making it past the first few rounds - making relationships - hoping your group of relationships has enough sway/votes to maintain control What would merit be? ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-41st-season/951202/163 "2021-12-18T16:08:46Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Sonja was the very first person voted out and in her post interview, she said, “I naively thought we would rally around the best survior and vote for them to win in the end.” I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s actually what Mark Burnett had in mind, as well. But Richard Hatch blew that up immediately and it’s been that way ever since. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-41st-season/951202/164 "2021-12-18T23:47:25Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > So popularity contest and not merit? Got it. As Russell Hantz still hasn’t figured out, you need to be able to take a chance at a million dollars away from people, while still making them want to give you that money at the end. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2021, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-41st-season/951202/165 "2021-12-19T11:30:18Z")
I think the fact that most of us were stunned with Erica’s win can be almost entirely attributed to the editing of the show. This is extremely obvious but I think it’s worth stating: The jury wasn’t stunned. Can Survivor please veer away from the _I’m a person of color / I’m LGBTQ / I’m a woman / I’m an older person and I am strong and I represent and I am here for my people and here come the hugs and the waterworks and the manipulative music telling the viewer that they should be feeling something profound_ moments? mmm ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2021, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-41st-season/951202/166 "2021-12-19T18:11:49Z")
Yeah, yes and no. It seemed at the start of the season, the show/producers were really self-congratulatory on how incredibly diverse we are, and isn’t that wonderful? peaking with Probst taking the vote on whether “come in, guys” was offensive. But it seemed to settle down…and the tribal council, where the 4 Black players got emotional about how much it meant to them to represent, was sincerely profound. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2021, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-41st-season/951202/167 "2021-12-20T14:58:43Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I think the fact that most of us were stunned with Erica’s win can be almost entirely attributed to the editing of the show. This is extremely obvious but I think it’s worth stating: The jury wasn’t stunned. > > Can Survivor please veer away from the _I’m a person of color / I’m LGBTQ / I’m a woman / I’m an older person and I am strong and I represent and I am here for my people and here come the hugs and the waterworks and the manipulative music telling the viewer that they should be feeling something profound_ moments? > > mmm Boy, do I agree with your last statement. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2021, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-41st-season/951202/168 "2021-12-20T15:27:31Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Can Survivor please veer away from the _I’m a person of color / I’m LGBTQ / I’m a woman / I’m an older person and I am strong and I represent and I am here for my people and here come the hugs and the waterworks and the manipulative music telling the viewer that they should be feeling something profound_ moments? It’s not that these things are in the show, it’s how forced they are. A female character was talking about how important it will be to have a female winner of the show. My wife and I looked at each other. “Wait, there have been a TON of women winners, right?” I guess men had a bit of a streak going, but at one point…there were actually more female winners than male. I had no idea being a female winner would be a breakthrough in any real way. I don’t think it is. Not including this season, it was 15 female winners and 25 male winners. Still…it’s hardly a major milestone. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2021, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-41st-season/951202/169 "2021-12-20T15:51:38Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I think the fact that most of us were stunned with Erica’s win can be almost entirely attributed to the editing of the show. This is extremely obvious but I think it’s worth stating: The jury wasn’t stunned. Absolutely right. However, I’m not entirely sure it was the “representation” angle that made it hard to follow. I actually think the “representation” angle was played up both because there was some genuine impact on game-play (as @jsc1953 said) and because there just wasn’t much else going on. But maybe you are right and they edited to focus on the social commentary at the expense of game play footage. If so, they absolutely need to get away from that in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2021, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-41st-season/951202/170 "2021-12-20T16:41:17Z")
I echo most of these sentiments. Having a diverse cast is great. Repeatedly patting yourself on the back for assembling a diverse cast is not. Remember the Jack/Jamal do-rag incident in season 39? Or Zeke getting outed as trans on national TV in season 33? These, as well as Deshawn talking about balancing playing the game with his racial identity, were all compelling and important moments in Survivor history, because they were _driven by the players_ in an organic way. It’s when the straight white-guy host tries to steer the conversation to race or sexual orientation that things get cringeworthy. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2021, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-41st-season/951202/171 "2021-12-20T18:51:58Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > …These, as well as Deshawn talking about balancing playing the game with his racial identity, were all compelling and important moments in Survivor history, because they were _driven by the players_ in an organic way… I’m not really trying to dismiss Deshawn in any way, but it seemed a bit of a stretch for me. I thought he was going to lament that he really wanted to partner up with some Black folks, but at least one of those Black ladies(that “villain” one) ended up being annoying losers and it kind of ruined his plan. Was it Danny that worked out some things in his past about his Dad? I think that was really compelling. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2021, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-41st-season/951202/172 "2021-12-20T23:34:38Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > It’s about: > > - luck of making it past the first few rounds > - making relationships > - hoping your group of relationships has enough sway/votes to maintain control > > What would merit be? Absolutely not a hill I care to die on but it’s way more than that. We’ve seen many times a jury-member swayed the rest of the jury because they made the case that the underdog played a better game. I agree Russel will never win, but there’s a difference between a little under-handed and down right hated. I also agree that the editing must have been disingenuous for most of us to have been that surprised that Erika won - no, dominated the voting. But I’ve watched Sandra’s seasons several times. She did nothing in the first 3/4s of her seasons that warranted merit OR popularity. So again, shitty editing? Maybe. Or maybe people just bought into her jingo-ism? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-41st-season/951202.md?page=8)