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.
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?)
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.
You’ve never met my friends. I have one thing to say–Pringle-Can-Nerf-Ball-Lighter-Fluid-Powered Cannon.
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.
Late Show with Craig Ferguson perhaps?
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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.
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.
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.
I need to meet these people. I admire the amazing MacGuyverness of the sound of that particular item.
** Cite.*
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.
Yum, Funyuns!
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:<makes hand sign back> You guys…?
JP:Well it wasn’t special, you wouldn’t believe how many challenges are thought up with smoking.
<everyone laughs>
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.