(S19E02) Controversy is good for a show, don't you think? When you think about it, we're on the 19th season of Survivor. There are only so many fresh new challenges and twists you can do with a bunch of folks stuck in the jungle. What to do? We saw it last season -- come up with outrageous cast members. The same tactic is in practice this season, perhaps two for the price of one. Evil has a name and we know it's Russell. Stupid Jerk Bully has a name ... and, believe it or not, that name isn't Russell.
Stupid Jerk Bully would be Ben. I should have known he'd be a bit off when he claimed his career is a "mixologist." He's a bartender. That's it. No fancy-schmancy title. Bar-tend-er. His behavior and attitude almost makes Evil Russell look like a good guy. Um, wait. Evil Russell is far from a good guy.
But I begrudgingly admit that Russell is doing something right. It might all backfire on him down the road -- I hope it does. He's thus far gotten out two people whom he knew didn't trust him and might work to target him. He's aligned himself with a good strong guy, Jaison. The kicker is that he even figured there had to be a hidden immunity idol around somewhere and found it without a single clue. What can I say? Nicely played.
Before I go into rants about Yasmin and Ben, I need to rant about tonight's immunity/reward challenge. What the heck was up with that? Yes, Ben was out of line with his low blows and aggressiveness. But what did the producers expect? Mud, a mix of basketball and football, and no protective gear? Nor any real rules until people started getting hurt? What's going on in their minds? Ratings, I assume.
Yasmin, when sent to the Foa Foa camp, totally blew her mission. Had she played her cards right, she would have come away with a ton of information about the tribe which would get her in better with her own tribemates. Plus, she could have played nicey-nice with Foa Foa to make a few allies for herself past the merge. I'd say she could have come away with the hidden idol except that Evil Russell already has it.
She did have the best line of the night -- "The hood's not the woods." I don't see her getting really far in the game. Maybe that's why she treated the other tribe like small puppy dogs who think she's all that. She probably realizes she has no chance to make it to the merge. She's too weak of a player all around.
Then there's Stupid Jerk Bully Ben. SJBB. While Yasmin's approach to him was poor, his reaction was even worse. I'm tempted to throw the word racist in there for him, too. His attitude when kicked out of the challenge made my jaw drop. Even Jeff Probst was stunned. "Oh, I'm an outlaw. Rules aren't meant for me." He didn't just trip Good Russell in the challenge as he said -- it was more like kicking his ankle full force.
Between his bullying, his attitude, his low verbal blows calling Yasmin "ghetto" and mocking her intelligence, and the final low blow of miming shooting Betsy the cop ... this lowlife bartender needs the boot. After last week, I didn't think there would be anyone lower than Russell. I've been proven wrong. It's a shame. He was one of my eye candy boy toys. Your thoughts?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-25-2009 @ 3:43AM
Owloo said...
I hope Yasmin realizes that a member of Foa-Foa will be sent to her camp when that tribe wins a challenge and that, that person will be given a clue telling them there is a hidden immunity idol in the Galu camp so when Yasmin gets back to her camp hopefully she starts checking out the trees
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9-25-2009 @ 7:11AM
PJ said...
You are giving Russell too much credit. I don't think he can be credited with getting the oldest, weakest player voted off his team. What are the chances Betsy would have been voted off no matter how Russell wanted it to go.
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9-25-2009 @ 12:44PM
GL said...
I agree completely.
9-25-2009 @ 7:49AM
laura said...
I knew someone would throw the word "racist" out for Ben, I think thats a bit much. I would have called that girl ghetto for how she was acting and its nothing to do with her race. She did have poor grammar,poor manners, and she has no clue how survivor is played! I hope her family was at home going "what are you doing!?!"
Russevil, brilliant for finding the immunity idol, I just want him to find his pants again cause him in his skivvies? gross.
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9-25-2009 @ 6:15PM
TD said...
Yes, Yasmin is tactless and obnoxious, so ghetto trash is fitting. But he didn't just call her ghetto. He said she was trash and smelt bad (like he just had a shower??), also that she should go back home and eat ketchup sandwiches and drink kool-aid. And how could we forget that he also called her a HOOKER?! How can people still wonder if he was being racist?! I had to watch it a couple of times to see if I had heard wrong. But if people still think that some of his comments were not based on race then you seriously need to look at how you view people
9-25-2009 @ 8:13AM
Gene said...
Even though 'Evil' is actually evil, he is playing the game top notch. He puts much effort into the challenges unlike 'Coach'.
Yes, I do want to see him get blindsided later on BUT right now he is A OK.
As long as he doesn't pull any more burning socks and water pouring which was hard core EVIL.
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9-25-2009 @ 10:28AM
Kristi said...
Is Jeff Probst a sissy? Heck No.
Does Yasim need a strategic lession of her own? Whoa Yeah.
Is Ben a racist? All signs lead to yes.
Is Russell the single best player of Survivor History? I hope so.
http://www.orble.com/teevee-survivor-samoa-924/
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9-25-2009 @ 11:45AM
jag said...
First Betsy was stupid. She didn't know how to play the game. You lie. So you lie to Russell and tell him I'm sorry for voting for Ashley and not listening to you. She might still be there if she had done that.
Ben did come close to being racist in his comments but he said nothing wrong to Yasmin. Her job was to go there and observe them and she went there and acted like it was her job to be their new leader.
Ben will be around for a few more weeks unless he continues to screw up.
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9-25-2009 @ 12:15PM
Cyn said...
I think Ben is a little worse than Russell.
Both have a lousy opinion of women and no morals. Ben and Yasmin deserved each other- getting into name calling. Yasmin was to be an observer and marched in there with her mouth flapping.Betsy should never have said she was a cop. And, she should have played Russel better but in her world, scum like him is usually not a buddy. Hated the contact game- too violent and potential for some to get hurt.
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9-25-2009 @ 12:49PM
GL said...
Ben is awful, but mainly because he has no game. He's just an annoying snot. Russ is at least engaging in behavior toward an ultimate goal.
However, I can't believe Ben got booted from the challenge for his trip. I saw someone nearly choke out another player seconds after Jeff issued his warning and was sure that player was the one to be booted. The whole thing was odd and strange.
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9-26-2009 @ 1:01AM
champ said...
I think Evil Russell is way more fun to watch than Coach last season. At least he's not dumb, he does thing with a plan in mind. I do want to see his whole big scheme thing in play.
Ben is dumb, period. And Yasmin .. I don't care about her. She'll be gone very very soon.
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9-25-2009 @ 3:56PM
Joyce N. said...
As much distaste as I hold for Evil Russell, I have to give him kudos for his gameplay. Still, I hope that his butt DOES get kicked somewhere down the line. Also hope, too, that somebody soon hands him some pants or a grass skirt or SOMETHING! His skivvies are beyond gross.
Ben is one step beyond Natalie's (BB) mean-spiritedness. At least she wasn't physical.
Wonder if Mike will come back. I suppose medical would not want him in comps again and more than likely, he would have been out quickly anyway.
This looks to be a great season so far.
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9-25-2009 @ 8:34PM
Owloo said...
the stay tuned for scenes from our next episode line had Jaison leading a rally to get rid of Ben so I am guessing Foa-Foa loses the immunity challenge again LOL and Jaison himself a African-American thinks Ben has racist tendencies
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9-25-2009 @ 10:59PM
Derek said...
I hate both Russell and Ben, the difference, Russell is wealthy and "playing" a character and Ben is not, looks like real Ben. Ben will get tossed he is too unlikable and out in the open.
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9-26-2009 @ 8:01AM
Anthony said...
I hate those contestants so much. Russell & Ben aren't interesting at all. The show will be much better when they're gone.
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9-27-2009 @ 2:38AM
wh said...
Ben is way worse he is just being rude because that's how he is and Evil Russel actually has a plan that explains his behavior. He wants to stir up trouble so he can have some fun while he there. Although I do think it will wind up backfiring on him in the end.
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9-28-2009 @ 12:33PM
Eric said...
Did they change their mind? I watched the TV preview special for this season of Survivor, and Jeff said that they had gotten rid of Exile Island this season, but their was two hidden immunity idols, one at each camp, for the opposite tribe. I thought he said that the one at the each camp was only valid for a player of the opposite tribe. So even though Russell found the hidden immunity idol, it wouldn't be valid for him, since it's meant for someone on the other tribe.
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9-28-2009 @ 12:33PM
Eric said...
I meant the TV Guide channel preview.
9-28-2009 @ 2:36PM
JR said...
That idol thing (must find on other tribe's beach) would make it very interesting now wouldn't it? Good twist if ti is. And yes Ben is a butthole. Sorry but you don't ever mime shooting a cop. You just don't. And the whole ghetto thing? He would prob cry like a baby if he ever found himself in the ghetto or Detroit for that matter
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12-10-2009 @ 11:30PM
Nick said...
Ben isn't a racist, whoever thinks so is a dumbfuck.
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