# Trivialest Survivor question ever: extinguishing torches **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 20, 2014, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivialest-survivor-question-ever-extinguishing-torches/688825 "2014-05-20T13:52:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivialest-survivor-question-ever-extinguishing-torches/688825/1 "2014-05-20T13:52:55Z")
I haven’t watched _Survivor_ since season 2. In researching a trivia question just now, I came upon a YouTube montage of hundreds of clips of contestants being removed. In each one, Probst says, “[Name], the tribe has spoken.” He extinguishes the contestant’s torch, then says, “It’s time for you to go.” I’d always remembered the contestant putting out his/her own torch, after Probst said something like, “The tribe has spoken. Please extinguish your torch.” Am I misremembering? Or was this changed long ago? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivialest-survivor-question-ever-extinguishing-torches/688825/2 "2014-05-20T13:58:43Z")
Here’s the [first tribal council](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6J291yvh9g#t=10m25s) ever in Survivor. Jeff put out the torch. I don’t ever remember the player putting out the torch, so I think you’re misremembering. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivialest-survivor-question-ever-extinguishing-torches/688825/3 "2014-05-20T14:12:55Z")
Maybe you’re conflating that with the tribe member lighting their own torch in the tribal council fire? Another long-time Survivor tradition that Probst makes a big deal about (“fire represents life and your life in this game”). ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivialest-survivor-question-ever-extinguishing-torches/688825/4 "2014-05-20T14:20:09Z")
BTW, I read an interview with Probst and/or Burnett a long time ago, where they said they very purposely have Jeff use the same words & actions from season to season. Basically they want every interaction with Jeff to be ritualized. Even the annoyingly redundant phrase “Once again, Immunity is back up for grabs.” ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivialest-survivor-question-ever-extinguishing-torches/688825/5 "2014-05-20T14:41:55Z")
Cool. Thanks for setting me straight. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivialest-survivor-question-ever-extinguishing-torches/688825/6 "2014-05-20T14:45:53Z")
He also doesn’t put out the torches of people who take themselves out of the game, or who are medevacced out. No snuffing for losers or the terminally unlucky. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivialest-survivor-question-ever-extinguishing-torches/688825/7 "2014-05-20T14:56:59Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > BTW, I read an interview with Probst and/or Burnett a long time ago, where they said they very purposely have Jeff use the same words & actions from season to season. Basically they want every interaction with Jeff to be ritualized. Even the annoyingly redundant phrase “Once again, Immunity is back up for grabs.” I remember Jeff saying that he thought the “fire represents life” line was the hokiest thing ever. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivialest-survivor-question-ever-extinguishing-torches/688825/8 "2014-05-20T15:52:44Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > I remember Jeff saying that he thought the “fire represents life” line was the hokiest thing ever. I read that too. I think it was in the same interview **muldoonthief** is talking about. It was good, someone should dig it up. ---
**Author:** ![Lips\_Obsession](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bbce88/32.png) [@Lips\_Obsession](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lips_Obsession)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivialest-survivor-question-ever-extinguishing-torches/688825/9 "2014-05-21T20:18:12Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > BTW, I read an interview with Probst and/or Burnett a long time ago, where they said they very purposely have Jeff use the same words & actions from season to season. Basically they want every interaction with Jeff to be ritualized. Even the annoyingly redundant phrase “Once again, Immunity is back up for grabs.” Don’t forget what he says to the losers of reward challenges - “Got nothin’ for ya!” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivialest-survivor-question-ever-extinguishing-torches/688825/10 "2014-05-22T11:59:21Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > BTW, I read an interview with Probst and/or Burnett a long time ago, where they said they very purposely have Jeff use the same words & actions from season to season. Basically they want every interaction with Jeff to be ritualized. Even the annoyingly redundant phrase “Once again, Immunity is back up for grabs.” “I’ll go tally the votes.” ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivialest-survivor-question-ever-extinguishing-torches/688825/11 "2014-05-22T23:42:07Z")
“You’ve got to dig deep!” ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivialest-survivor-question-ever-extinguishing-torches/688825/12 "2014-05-23T00:35:49Z")
“Gettin you’re first look at the new \_\_\_\_ tribe. \_\_\_\_\_ voted out.” ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivialest-survivor-question-ever-extinguishing-torches/688825/13 "2014-05-23T14:51:58Z")
“Is it worth playing for?” “I know it’s worth playing for”. “Now the power shifts to the jury”. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivialest-survivor-question-ever-extinguishing-torches/688825/14 "2014-05-23T14:58:34Z")
“\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ tribe is going home with a basket of burgers, hot dogs and all the fixin’s. [Other] tribe, I got nothin’ for ya.” ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivialest-survivor-question-ever-extinguishing-torches/688825/15 "2014-05-23T15:44:47Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > “\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ tribe is going home with a basket of burgers, hot dogs and all the fixin’s. [Other] tribe, I got nothin’ for ya.” ‘…head back to camp’ ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivialest-survivor-question-ever-extinguishing-torches/688825/16 "2014-05-23T15:49:14Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > BTW, I read an interview with Probst and/or Burnett a long time ago, where they said they very purposely have Jeff use the same words & actions from season to season. Basically they want every interaction with Jeff to be ritualized. Even the annoyingly redundant phrase “Once again, Immunity is back up for grabs.” The ritualized quotes also give an advantage to the true fans of the game. A few years ago during the ‘fake merge’, fans who pay attention weren’t fooled because Jeff never said “Drop your buffs”. And in this season, when the surprise was going back to a two-person finale, Spencer picked up on it because Jeff didn’t give the canned speech about the winner getting a chance to speak to the jury.