# Survivor: Fiji - Ep. 9: "Are We Gonna Live On Exile Island?!" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 12, 2007, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-fiji-ep-9-are-we-gonna-live-on-exile-island/399818 "2007-04-12T16:45:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-fiji-ep-9-are-we-gonna-live-on-exile-island/399818/21 "2007-04-13T11:49:14Z")
Now that I’ve had some time to think about it, I still think Dreamz _might_ be an idiot, but _I can’t tell for sure_. I’m going to have to tune in next week to see how he explains his way out of this one. Which means that, gameplay notwithstanding, things are going exactly according to _Burnett’s_ plan. That _bastard_. ---
**Author:** ![Reloy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Reloy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reloy3)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-fiji-ep-9-are-we-gonna-live-on-exile-island/399818/22 "2007-04-13T14:18:04Z")
[QUOTE=FlightlessBird] I saw Probst on The late late show with no name but a host named Craig something and he said that the crew smokes a fair amount of pot on set, and that half of the challenges are come up with during those session. I would think they would record it, just in case they come up with something good and couldn’t remember it. If that’s the case, I want to see those tapes! [/QUOTE] That is a little surprising for four reasons - first, in the past the producers and Probst have made a big deal about how they are careful to respect local environmental conditions and laws, for a really pragmatic reason - if they aren’t good guests, they won’t be able to find a good location next season. Although not all the countries may have anti-pot laws, I would wager the majority do. Second, a show like survivor has pretty high insurance costs, and no production insurance agreement I have ever seen doesn’t have a very strong no drugs policy. That doesn’t mean that drug use doesn’t happen around a set, but for it to be so open, and for Probst to admit it on national tv, would seriously endanger a multi-million dollar contract. Third, the creation of these challenges has to be planned fairly far in advance. They need to engineer them, test them for safety, and get the equipment transported to and set up in remote locations with custom agents and the like. Not to mention vetting them with their production insurers, a representative of whom is likely on the set. Having them come up with the challenges by the crew “on the set” would be difficult at best. Finally, I’ve seen human interest stories about families and others who suggest and play-test challenges. According to the local news broadcasts, most of these are suburban folks who never go near the location shoots unless they happen to take a cruise. That’s not to say that these people create all the challenges, but they do create at least some of them months before filming even starts, and usually before the cast is chosen to prevent allegations that there was favoritism in the design process. So, was Probst joking? Am I misremembering? Can you remember any more about the broadcast, like when it was? Was is Craig Kilborne’s (sp?) late night show (which is now defunct?) ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-fiji-ep-9-are-we-gonna-live-on-exile-island/399818/23 "2007-04-13T14:27:18Z")
[QUOTE=rockle] Now that I’ve had some time to think about it, I still think Dreamz _might_ be an idiot, but _I can’t tell for sure_. I’m going to have to tune in next week to see how he explains his way out of this one. Which means that, gameplay notwithstanding, things are going exactly according to _Burnett’s_ plan. That _bastard_. [/QUOTE] I think Jeff must just _adore_ having Dreamz at Tribal Council. Jeff asks a question, and Dreams answers it. No waffling, no sugarcoating. Jeff wants to know something, he just asks Dreamz. I’m liking him more and more, despite myself. > [@](#): > > Also: while I want to believe the spoilers with regard to how some of these challenges got devised, I don’t know that I buy it 100%. Or else the Survivor people are waaaaaaay higher functioning than the potheads I know. You’ve never met my friends. I have one thing to say–_Pringle-Can-Nerf-Ball-Lighter-Fluid-Powered **Cannon** _. > [@](#): > > I will say this: I think the “split merge” is an absolutely brilliant idea, and I wish they would implement it earlier in the game. Like, on Day One. It would be really refreshing to have a season where the teams are different for every challenge, and the players would have to think on their feet ahead of every Tribal Council. Alliances would have to change every time. I’ve been saying that for three seasons now. Last night I was wondering how long the whole alliance and manipulation strategy would have taken to evolve on the show if Richard Hatch hadn’t been picked for the first season. ---
**Author:** ![meek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@meek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meek)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-fiji-ep-9-are-we-gonna-live-on-exile-island/399818/24 "2007-04-13T14:45:01Z")
[QUOTE=Reloy3] … So, was Probst joking? Am I misremembering? Can you remember any more about the broadcast, like when it was? Was is Craig Kilborne’s (sp?) late night show (which is now defunct?) [/QUOTE] Late Show with [Craig Ferguson](http://www.dailyguilt.com/wp-content/46_cf_tv.jpg) perhaps? . ---
**Author:** ![Reloy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Reloy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reloy3)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-fiji-ep-9-are-we-gonna-live-on-exile-island/399818/25 "2007-04-13T15:26:21Z")
[QUOTE=meek] Late Show with [Craig Ferguson](http://www.dailyguilt.com/wp-content/46_cf_tv.jpg) perhaps? . [/QUOTE] That sounds right - my guess, having had very little exposure to Ferguson’s show, is that Probst was probably joking - something like: Host: How do you come up with those wacky challenges? Jeff: The crew and I sit around and get high, then figure out how to torture them. cue laughtrack. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-fiji-ep-9-are-we-gonna-live-on-exile-island/399818/26 "2007-04-13T15:31:00Z")
[QUOTE=Draelin] I think Jeff must just _adore_ having Dreamz at Tribal Council. Jeff asks a question, and Dreams answers it. No waffling, no sugarcoating. Jeff wants to know something, he just asks Dreamz. I’m liking him more and more, despite myself. [/QUOTE] But it’s not _stupid_ honesty, like some players have exhibited. His answers are generally incredibly well-phrased, politically. Like when Jeff asked him why he’d want to vote for Michelle. “Because she’s not me.” That’s a hell of a good answer, as it’s not a personal attack in anyway. I think he’s got fantastic intuition. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-fiji-ep-9-are-we-gonna-live-on-exile-island/399818/27 "2007-04-13T15:48:46Z")
I agree about Dreamz. I started off the season thinking he wasn an annoying, self-involved asshole, but now I like him. I’d love to see an Earl-Yau-Dreamz-Cassandra final four. ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-fiji-ep-9-are-we-gonna-live-on-exile-island/399818/28 "2007-04-13T17:37:34Z")
[QUOTE=Draelin] I think Jeff must just _adore_ having Dreamz at Tribal Council. Jeff asks a question, and Dreams answers it. No waffling, no sugarcoating. Jeff wants to know something, he just asks Dreamz. I’m liking him more and more, despite myself. [/QUOTE] > [@JSexton](#): > > But it’s not stupid honesty, like some players have exhibited. His answers are generally incredibly well-phrased, politically. Like when Jeff asked him why he’d want to vote for Michelle. “Because she’s not me.” That’s a hell of a good answer, as it’s not a personal attack in anyway. > > I think he’s got fantastic intuition. > [@RikWriter](#): > > I agree about Dreamz. I started off the season thinking he wasn an annoying, self-involved asshole, but now I like him. I’d love to see an Earl-Yau-Dreamz-Cassandra final four. Yes, to all of the above. Dreamz is like the anti-Yul, in ways that sort of thrill and excite me. He’s honest and politic, but he is both in a way that _is what it is_. Where Yul was careful and spin-ful (not necessarily in a bad way), Dreamz is completely candid and off the cuff and – _I did not think such a thing was possible on a reality show, but_ – he seems to be _learning from every experience._ Looking back on the previous threads, we referred to Dreamz as an “asshole,” “jackass,” and an annoying poseur, and now a lot of us are talking about F4 for the guy. Our opinions of players sometimes change, but we usually think _less_ of them, not more\*. So I have to say, my attitude shift in favor of Dreamz is a welcome surprise, even to me. > [@Draelin](#): > > You’ve never met my friends. I have one thing to say–Pringle-Can-Nerf-Ball-Lighter-Fluid-Powered **Cannon**. I need to meet these people. I admire the amazing MacGuyverness of the _sound_ of that particular item. \*\* [Cite](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=316271&page=1&pp=50).\* ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-fiji-ep-9-are-we-gonna-live-on-exile-island/399818/29 "2007-04-13T17:44:55Z")
[QUOTE=rockle] I need to meet these people. I admire the amazing MacGuyverness of the _sound_ of that particular item. [/QUOTE] You should have been there when they were working out the possibility of expanding on the idea using a steel pipe and a basketball. I shudder to think of what might have happened if they hadn’t been distracted by Funions. ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-fiji-ep-9-are-we-gonna-live-on-exile-island/399818/30 "2007-04-14T00:02:07Z")
[QUOTE=Draelin] You should have been there when they were working out the possibility of expanding on the idea using a steel pipe and a basketball. I shudder to think of what might have happened if they hadn’t been distracted by Funions. [/QUOTE] Yum, Funyuns! ---
**Author:** ![FlightlessBird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cdc98d/32.png) [@FlightlessBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlightlessBird)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-fiji-ep-9-are-we-gonna-live-on-exile-island/399818/31 "2007-04-14T18:49:39Z")
[QUOTE=Reloy3] That sounds right - my guess, having had very little exposure to Ferguson’s show, is that Probst was probably joking - something like: Host: How do you come up with those wacky challenges? Jeff: The crew and I sit around and get high, then figure out how to torture them. cue laughtrack. [/QUOTE] **Reloy3** , the conversation was more like, what I said. Paraphrased: Jeff:On the last night the locals made us dinner and had a large amount of Kava… Kava is the local drink that numbs your mouth. CF:numbs your mouth? JP:It’s not like a hallucanegenic, but it numbs your mouth and has..other effects…and makes pot smoking sign(like taking a hit off a joint)\> CF:\ You guys…? JP:Well it wasn’t special, you wouldn’t believe how many challenges are thought up with smoking. \ As for your first post: I don’t think any hollywood endeavor cares about who is smoking what as long as they get the job done, and in those cases it help the creative process. I don’t think he’s really risking anything by saying that they smoked pot on an island not governed by US laws. And your other point about building the challenges, I don’t think he meant the smoke up and come up with the challenges for the next day, it can still be months in advance. ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-fiji-ep-9-are-we-gonna-live-on-exile-island/399818/32 "2007-04-15T13:15:05Z")
Heh. I was reading something at [Salon](http://www.salon.com) today, and I came across [this bit](http://salon.com/ent/tv/iltw/2007/04/15/top_design/index1.html) about Survivor: > [@Salon article](#): > > **“Survivor: Fiji”** (8 p.m. EDT Thursdays on CBS) has been solid but unremarkable so far, with a few exceptions: Rocky, the confrontational dummy, brought a few laughs to the picture, as does Boo, the nonconfrontational dummy, and Dreamz, the Man Who Cannot Tell a Lie (who, incidentally, you should never align yourself with if you want to win this game). But my favorite by far is Yau-Man, the strange little old guy who not only found the immunity idol (after digging for it ineffectually on a few different occasions), but who’s suddenly figuring out ways to win challenges, either by scurrying as fast as his feeble little legs will carry him, or by choosing “the straightest possible arrow” and shooting it near the bull’s eye to secure a win for his team. > > … Yau-Man, though, is the crowning glory of this new era, the polar opposite of the protoypical “Survivor” hottie. He’s a tiny man with a weird little shrill voice and huge Coke-bottle glasses, prone to saying geeky things about how crazy it is that he has an alliance with “a big black man” (Earl). Far from an outcast, Yau-Man was an accepted member of his tribe, and since he has the immunity idol and his tribe is in the majority since the two tribes merged, he’s sitting in the catbird seat right now. > > If Yau-Man wins the million-dollar prize, it would be a huge victory for diminutive dorks everywhere. … [R]ooting for Yau-Man is a subversive act that buoys the little guy against a rising tide of meaty-chested refrigerator monkeys. So apparently all of us Yau-man fans are not just awesome, but also subversives. I love that, a little bit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivor-fiji-ep-9-are-we-gonna-live-on-exile-island/399818.md?page=1)