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Exclusive Interview: ‘Survivor Samoa’ Contestant Dave Ball

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 09:39:36 +0000

On Survivor: Samoa, ‘Danger’ Dave Ball, the 38 year old fitness boot camp instructor from Los Angeles, and 25 year old law school grad Monica Padilla joined the jury. They become the fifth and sixth members of the elite advantage club who will choose the one million dollar winner.

Dave’s elimination was hardly a surprise, though the series tried to keep viewers guessing until the last minute. Dave was one of the last remaining members of the former Galu power core and the man of Shambo’s dreams. (That’s a bad thing.)

During his time on the show Dave played well when he was in a mood to, but not when he didn’t. He got into pointless public arguments with Shambo, but will mostly be remembered for his awkward sexual comments around camp. (At last report Dave is still looking for his wench.) I asked Dave about his relationship with women in the game, his work as a fitness boot camp instructor and to rank the members of original Galu for their game play. He certainly spared unnecessary words.

You were an alternate for Survivor: China. Do you think you would have fared better or worse with the likes of Todd, Frosty, Courtney and James? Who would you have aligned with?
Tough question. I don’t really remember enough about that season to speculate but my tribe (Galu) was far superior.

Prior to the game, you said “You can’t let the women outnumber the boys” because they will turn “gyno-tribe on you and boom, you’re doomed.” What role did gender play in this game?
Not nearly the role I had feared. Ultimately the largest part it played was scaring John so badly that he convinced Erik to do things that got him blindsided.

Tell me about Brett. Is he actively playing the game? If so, why do you believe the editors have tried to make viewers forget he exists?
He is the strongest physical player in the game and socially only a close second to Natalie. Dead even really.

Rank the players on the original Galu tribe (Brett, Dave, Erik, John, Kelly, Laura, Monica, Russell Swan, Shambo, Yasmin) from the best Survivor player to the worst.
No, because I think would it be disrespectful to my tribe and people I love.

What was the funnest challenge that you got to be a part of?
Schmergenbrawl

You’re a fitness boot camp instructor. How tough are you?
Tough as nails. Except on the inside where I’m a Teddy bear.

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‘Survivor: Samoa’ Contestant Russell Swan Talks About His Brush With Death

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:27:16 +0000

I was very glad to be able to interview Russell Swan this morning. The 42 year old environmental protection attorney from Philadelphia seemed moments from death after collapsing during a reward challenge on last night’s Survivor: Samoa. He collapsed twice and lay motionless after his heart beat rocketed and plummeted, the result of extreme dehydration, exhaustion and malnutrition. Russell has reported that he’s now in great health and thankful for everything he has.

Russell always seemed to put a tremendous amount of pressure on himself to be the tribal chief, and didn’t always make the right decisions. How useful would a tarp be for Galu right now compared to blankets? Still, he was a hard worker around camp and a big part of the reason Galu won so many Immunity Challenges. I liked Russell as a guy and I was sorry to see him face such a bitter end. If Russell’s near death was Survivor’s scariest moment then his return to life was one of its happiest.

Earlier today I had a chance to ask Russell about his near miss with being a contestant on Survivor: The Australian Outback alongside Colby, Tina and Elisabeth. I found out about his greatest victory as a lawyer working with the Environmental Protection Agency, and how it was possible to become so dehydrated while surrounded by water.

Q: At one time you were a semi-finalist to appear on Survivor: The Australian Outback. Who would you have aligned with from that cast? Which season would you have rather done?
I would have to say Jeff and Colby. We seem to have the most in common in terms of game play. I am glad I did Samoa as opposed to Australia. It almost killed me, but it was a phenomenal experience.

Q: A lot of viewers may be confused. You seemed to be surrounded by water and practically drowning in rain. How did you become dehydrated?
You can still get sick from water that runs off of things. Remember, it’s all about bacteria, and water is the perfect substrate for it. So, just because it’s rain, if it’s touched something else, you should boil it.

Q: Did this near death experience lead you to make any changes in your life? If so, what?
It has lead me to appreciate everything I already have, (love of my wife, love my daughter, etc.) and not focus so much on the things I do not have.

Q: Prior to the game you told Reality Blurred that you planned to change your dialect, using short sentences and a ‘dumb’ voice to make people think you weren’t a mental threat. Did that work out in practice?
No, because after I got elected chief, all bets were off. In other words, my whole strategy had to change.

Q: You seemed to put a lot more responsibility on yourself as tribal chief than Mick did at Foa Foa. Did you ever consider playing the title off as honorary and allowing someone else to lead around camp?
I thought about it, but my tribe seemed to have strong people/personalities than what I saw on Foa Foa. I don’t know how Mick got a pass, but I will tell you I would not have gotten a pass on Galu if I was the same weak leader that Mick was. He was useless. I guess his being useless did help keep him in the game.

Q: As an environmental protection lawyer I really admire your service. Are there any particularly sweet victories you can share with us?
I had a case where a child was poisoned by lead paint. Ulitmately, we were able to get a nice penalty from the respondent, and ordered him to remediate his properties. No more children will be exposed or poisoned by that property anymore.

Survivor: Samoa: The Other Russell Ain’t What He Seems To Be

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:14:35 +0000

Am I the only one who was a bit alarmed with what Russell said on Survivor: Samoa last night? No, not the one from Foa Foa. I was referring to the one from Galu.

When they lost the immunity challenge, forcing them to Tribal Council for the first time, there was this tribe-wide discussion about who should be eliminated. Most were going for Yasmin, thinking she hasn’t helped much with keeping the tribe’s wheels rolling, rather choosing to spend her time, in Kelly’s words, to “act like a princess.” And then there was Russell, steady in his belief that Monica should go, because she didn’t deliver in the challenge.

Sure, he does have a point. It was that one thing that cost Galu immunity, a crucial thing for a tribe that’s won the past three immunities, needed if they are to play a strong hand once the merge happens. While Yasmin’s consistently stepped up–something she’s more than willing to back up–Monica’s been so-so for the past few days.

But I saw Russell advocating for Monica’s elimination as more about revenge than clear thinking. She may have done wrong before, but last night’s flub was just one thing. He was looking for someone to blame everything on–hey, he’s the leader, he sees everything and knows everything, right?

Seems he didn’t feel secure with his position in the tribe, really. Seems he felt he’d be the one to go. Was it because of what he did last week, when he chose pillows over hunting gear? He hasn’t really made the best decisions, but he’s lucky that Galu’s got its gears working, never mind that it’s forgetting what they’re in the game for. He didn’t need to assert his authority. That thing he told Erik–”they better listen to me or there’ll be some serious ass-kicking”–that alarmed me.

I think it’s obvious that he isn’t as powerful as his being tribal chief suggests. A couple of observations from the bits I saw from Galu before last night: one, Shambo’s in a strong position because of her working hard for the tribe, as well as her people skills. Two, Erik’s in a strong position, having played a game that’s not too subtle and not too blatant–and I haven’t factored in the immunity necklace he found. The rest of the tribe still seem flimsy to me. Russell is staying steady, but now that Galu had to kick someone out, I think he feels he has to angle to hold his fort and stay where he is.

Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but his decision to send Yasmin to Foa Foa two weeks ago is probably a move to earn her favors–the same reason why he’s defended her from elimination. He could’ve done it to someone else, I think. Now she’s out, I think he’ll be more desperate to hold more leverage in the tribe, and I won’t be surprised if he resorts to more drastic measures. I think he’s willing to do that. I think he’s painting a bigger target on his back if he pushes with it.

Exclusive Interview: ‘Outlaw’ Ben Browning of ‘Survivor: Samoa’

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:33:09 +0000

After lasting just three episodes 28 year old Ben Browning, the mixologist originally from Kirksville, Missouri, may be the most controversial Survivor contestant of all time. Or perhaps controversy would have required Ben to have a lot of fans defending him. So far I have yet to find one.

Ben became the first contestant ever ejected from a challenge after taking out Russell Swan’s leg from behind, later remarking he didn’t know he was playing by Jeff Probst’s “sissy rules.” The self-proclaimed ‘outlaw’ used derogatory language towards women on several occasions and called Yasmin “ghetto trash” on the verge of becoming a prostitute. But remember, he doesn’t start arguments. He just ‘reacts.’ Whether or not he will be missed, Ben will be remembered.

In our interview, I asked Ben whether he had ever felt like someone had discriminated against him, how he would respond to Jeff Probst’s recent blog claim of ‘owning him’ in Q&A, and whether he can truly say that no woman has ever rejected him.

While Ben was brief and not always to the point, he did reveal one bit of interesting information that’s bound to leave some readers regretting their lunch decisions. The nature of his real victory over Marisa.

Q: Last night Jaison suggested perhaps you were naÃ¯ve, that you didn’t understand discrimination. Have you ever felt like someone discriminated against you – or looked at you with less respect – because of your background?
Jaison is overly sensitive. I’ve been discriminated against. Everyone has. I completely understand it. But it was interpreted incorrectly.

Q: Did you invite a lot of people over for the broadcasts knowing the stuff that was going to come up? If so, what was the mood like in the room during the controversial moments?
Everyone of my friends have laughed and said it was refreshing to see someone be REAL.

Q: Do you feel as though your experience with Survivor – overall – has had a positive or negative impact on your life? In what way?
Another chapter in my crazy life. Definitely a positive experience.

Q: Going back, in your CBS.com bio you say you’ve never been rejected by a woman. Do you stand by that?
Can you find one that’s rejected me?

Q: You seemed really bothered by Marisa. Did we see the whole story there? Why were you upset with her?
She was really annoying. They didn’t show all the moronic things she said and did. I let her have it because she sucked. Pre-game started she was trying to give me eyes. I was in no way interested and that’s what originally started her campaign against me. Obviously I won that one.

Q: Jeff Probst said in his blog on Entertainment Weekly last week, “Ben and I went at it quite a bit [during the Episode 2 Tribal Council]. He may be able to beat me up, but in a game of Q and A, he’s all mine.” Is that your recollection?
Jeff’s job is Q&A and he’s good at that. Does he own me in that game? No way. I turned the tables on Probst and he was amused.

Q: After Jeff’s warning during the Schmergenbrawl challenge, did you expect to get thrown out of the challenge when you took out Russell Swan’s ankle? If you knew you were going to get thrown out, why do it?
It was all creative editing. And there was never any rule that said you couldn’t trip.

Exclusive Interview with Betsy Bolan with ‘Survivor: Samoa’

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:37:06 +0000

Betsy Bolan, who struggled with substance abuse before becoming a police officer at the age of 47, was a very relatable contestant. Though she never seemed to find her strategic footing, she brought a nurturing spirit and a well earned wisdom to the show that added warmth to an otherwise gritty cast. But last night Ben accused Betsy of being a bad cop and blew her away with an imaginary pistol. The others joined him in voting her off as a liability even though she never appeared to struggle in the challenges.

When I talked with Betsy earlier today she told me whether her wild youth impacted her decision to become a police officer, whether she was especially disappointed in the women for siding with Ben, how successful Mick and Liz were in hiding their professional success and how hard she found it to keep her frustrating island experience from her family.

I was really touched by your story. You’ve been open about the fact that you went through a wild youth before becoming a cop at age 47. Was it your goal to prevent others from making the same choices you did? And has it made you a better cop?
It sounds shallow, but no, it wasn’t a goal of mine to prevent people from making bad choices. I am sure I don’t have that much power. Maybe [I could be] an inspiration to some. That would be wonderful because I will never forget (or want to) how down and out I felt in those crazy days. And to be so blessed now… It took me just as many tries to get sober as it did to get on Survivor. I just didn’t give up. It helps in working with the community since I do have experience and I have more empathy.

I know you’re a fan. Of anyone who’s ever played the game, who would have been your two ideal allies?
I would think I could trust Mick and Jaison.

Did the fact that you got voted off in the second episode make it most frustrating to keep your experience secret from excited loved ones?
Absolutely! My brothers and sisters will not tell me things, they know better. I would try to tell my husband little things but he wouldn’t let me.

In preshow interviews Mick and Liz promised to lie about their backgrounds to sound less professionally successful. Jaison also seemed hesitant to talk about his Ivy League degrees. Were they able to keep their secrets on the island?
Liz and Jaison did mention their professions. Mick was a little vague. He did say he was in the medical field but not a doctor.

Ben has made some hateful comments about women and minorities. Did you feel especially let down by the women and minorities in the tribe for voting to keep him over you?
It was extremely frustrating! I thought women were so much smarter. I know the women I hang around with are!

Ben or Russell. Who is the worst offender?
Russell. Ben actually has a heart and soul where Russell doesn’t seem to.

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Survivor: Samoa: Is Russell Hantz Really The Evil Incarnate?

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:46:11 +0000

Survivor: Samoa is just an episode old, and already we have someone to watch out for–or, maybe, you could blame it on CBS promoting the hell out of Russell Hantz, better known as “small Russell”, better known as “evil incarnate” to everyone else.

I mean, who in his right mind would finish off an entire tribe’s water supply to make them cranky and easier to manipulate?

Sure, the preview clips made this multi-millionaire look like the worst person to ever grace the show’s 19 seasons. As much as the show is about going through a handful of other castaways also aiming for the million dollar prize, it’s also about surviving the elements–because really, the million dollars won’t make much sense if you’re not feeling well. But after last night’s episode, I suddenly saw the point of what he’s trying to do.

Everybody at Foa Foa woke up the following morning seemingly off a nasty hangover. “Dude, where’s the water? Where’s my socks?” Russell, with that smug smile, looked like it hasn’t affected him, and his tribemates have noticed his so-called tranquility. A trick on his sleeve, yes, for him to be able to manipulate everyone without them knowing it, pretty much like that fake Katrina story, or the way he had the tribe votes Marisa off on the back of a misinterpreted threat. Suddenly he’s got credence. Gravitas, well, that’s not the right term.

So sure, it works. He’s doing what many others have done, only with a villainous streak that I thought I’d only see in cartoons. So yes, perhaps he’s evil incarnate. But we all know someone who’s doing the nasty stuff outright won’t last long in the game. I still think he’s lucky if he makes it to the merge: that’d mean everybody around him really is as stupid as he thinks, and nobody’s put two and two together and stood up against his shenanigans. And somebody will, soon–Betsy, go on and work that intuition.

Russell also said he’s trying to prove something. It’s easy, he says, to win this game. I think he’s trying to prove that most of those who join Survivor are pretty dumb in the first place. Yeah, so he doesn’t care whether he wins or not–”I should be the first one voted off,” he mused–as long as he proves his point. But one, you’re delusional enough to go out and prove your point. Two, you should know that being outright won’t work most, if not all, of the time, which is the point of secret alliances and secret immunity idols. This? A massive ego stroking session. You may prove a point, but you’ll end up looking worse than Kanye West.

But maybe he doesn’t care. And us, we’ll just see this go on and on and on until something else happens.

‘Survivor’ contestant Elizabeth Kim says racism was hardest challenge

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:41:27 +0000

Elizabeth Kim said living with bugs on Survivor wasn’t as hard as living with some of the people.

Of all the things she faced during the taping of “Survivor: Samoa” – the bugs, the weather and other ordeals – New Yorker Elizabeth Kim was most surprised by her fellow competitors’ views on race.

“In this era, it surprised me very much that people can be racists,” Kim told the Daily News. “Being a woman of color, and living in New York, where everyone is so progressive, that experience heightened the awareness that other parts of the country are not necessarily as progressive as New York.”

Kim, an urban planner for the City of New York, said it was “just shocking” that some competitors had such negative racial views.

She is one of 20 castaways in the 19th installment of “Survivor,” set to launch Thursday at 8 p.m. As in seasons past, the participants were left to fend for themselves, this time for 39 days in Samoa. One contestant was kicked off every three days.

Kim, 33, said she got involved with “Survivor” after an e-mail from a friend of a friend saying producers were seeking a New Yorker, specifically a young, urban, female professional.

“I didn’t think of it as a TV show. It was more like the ultimate competition,” she said. “The fact it was a real-time live game, interacting with other humans – that was the part that got me.”

One reason she was attracted to “Survivor” was the way in which it puts people together and demands they interact in order to succeed.

Not for a moment was she worried about living outdoors or surviving in the wild, she said.

“The elements of Mother Nature can be a bitch,” she said. “I’m fairly outdoorsy, I’m very active and competitive. It just spoke to those characteristics I’m drawn toward. Especially when I heard what the location would be.”

Living in the elements and with the bugs wasn’t as much of an issue as the people, Kim said.

“I learned I can be patient,” she said. “I learned that I have little tolerance for other people’s impatience and short tempers. It’s such a stark contrast to the way I’m hard-wired.”

One benefit of her experience, perhaps prompted by being away from home, was that she starting paying more attention to loved ones back home.

Keeping the show’s outcome a secret, she admitted, was difficult.

“It was hard, very, very hard not to be able to share this experience with others I worked with every day,” she says. “I think they might have guessed, but they were nice enough not to ask.”

Kim is securely back in New York now, and says she’d be hard-pressed to do “Survivor” again, if asked.

“I’m not sure. I love the game aspect, the challenges, I would totally do that all over again, minus the people,” she said, noting the paradox that you need people to survive in the game.

“I couldn’t survive on a deserted island all by myself, and that made it much more interesting,” she said. “Yet, at the same time it made it much more daunting, much more aggravating and much more annoying.”

Survivor: It’s A Court Case If Richard Hatch Isn’t Released, Lawyer Says

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:12:38 +0000

Back to first Survivor winner Richard Hatch, and the slightly messy situation he’s been in just as he prepares to finish his home confinement sentence, something he incurred after not paying his taxes. You might remember that, after his interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer (where he alleged that he was jailed because of his homosexuality), he was brought back to jail on light of two other media interviews that authorities did not approve.

Now, Hatch’s lawyer, Cynthia Ribas, is threatening to go to court if he is not released from jail soon. “It’s awful,” she told reporters. “It’s been eight days. He’s tormented. It makes no sense. We’ll file something in a real court of law if they don’t get him out of here.”

Hatch was brought to a county jail in Massachusetts in August 18, and attended a hearing with authorities. The information gathered there, according to Ribas, will be passed on to authorities, who will then decide whether they should keep him in prison, return him to home confinement, or send him to a halfway house. Ribas claims that her client was not allowed to have a lawyer present during the hearings.

The Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union also pitched in with calls to release Hatch, submitting witness statements to the hearing, and later releasing a statement condemning the imprisonment. “It is appalling that he would actually be sent to jail for engaging in quintessential free speech activity,” the group said.

Ribas added that she thought the authorities’ permission to have Hatch interviewed on Today extended to all other NBC properties: in this case, his interview with an NBC affiliate in Providence, as well as Access Hollywood. On both interviews, he repeated his previous allegations. However, federal rules state that each media outlet is separate, and in theory, Hatch should’ve asked permission twice more.

Survivor: Richard Hatch Returns To Prison

Survivor: Richard Hatch Returns To Prison

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:37:58 +0000

So much for looking defiant in his interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer yesterday. Turns out, after taping the interview which aired yesterday morning–where he alleged that he was imprisoned because he’s gay–Richard Hatch was brought back to prison, and nobody seems to know why.

Well, actually, officials know why, but they aren’t telling, citing “privacy concerns”. It seems the Rhode Island US Attorney’s Office doesn’t know why it happened, and the same goes for his lawyer.

The first Survivor winner is currently serving the rest of his 51-month sentence, which he snagged when he was convicted of tax evasion, in house arrest. He has to give permission to officials to do stuff. The interview on Today was granted permission, but apparently his other interviews, which happened after the segment was taped, wasn’t. That included, according to the Providence Journal, an interview with a local station, and another pre-taped bit with Access Hollywood.

“He’s obviously violated some sort of condition of his house-arrest situation with them, but I don’t know what it was,” Roy Lyon, spokesman for the Barnstable County Correctional Facility, said.

“I’m waiting to hear,” Cynthia Ribas, Hatch’s attorney, said. “I’m troubled that I haven’t heard, at this late date, anything. I did reach one of the sheriffs, but she was grocery shopping last night and said she couldn’t talk to me.”

Hatch is expected to get a closed hearing within 72 hours of his return to custody.

Survivor: It’s A Court Case If Richard Hatch Isn’t Released, Lawyer Says