TV Guide- July 8, 2000
As Survivor mesmerizes the country with castaways spats and all those rats TV Guide asks a panel of experts who will be the last man or woman standing.
In just six weeks, CBSs Survivor (Wednesdays, 8 pm/ET) has become a national addiction, with more than 20 million viewers a week and just as many guesses as to what the outcome of the island contest will be. With seven weeks to go, TV Guide asked a panel of experts some true survivors to help us compile a Survivor Survival Guide of tips and advice plus a prediction or two. Our tribe includes: wilderness guide and author (A Little More About Me, W.W. Norton) Pam Houston; author Richard Stengel (Youre Too Kind: A Brief History of Flattery, Simon & Schuster); Boyd Matson, host of National Geographic Explorer on CNBC; TV Guide contributing editor Susan Stewart; author Andy Borowitz (The Trillionaire Next Door: The Greedy Investors Guide to Day Trading, HarperInformation); Robert Young Pelton, host of the Travel Channels Worlds Most Dangerous Places; David Borgenicht (coauthor of The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook, Chronicle); and GQ contributing editor Joe Queenan.
RULE NO. 1: BE NICERULE NO. 2: JUST NOT TOO NICE
Richard Stengel: One of the things about flattery is that men are more susceptible to it and more judgmental about it. If youre on the receiving end, youre more likely to say, Hey, this is a great guy whos flattering me. But if you observe someone else being flattered, youre going to be much harsher. Flattery can backfire in that your teammates might think of you as a smarmy little weenie.
Susan Stewart: I bet nasty, gnarly Rudy, the homophobic 72-year-old retired Navy SEAL, outlasts the whole bunch out of pure spite. Hes like a cockroach. Theyll never get rid of him.
RULE NO. 3: IF YOU CANT BE NICE, WHISPER
Stengel: Stacey [the third person voted off the show] was trying to mobilize opinion against Rudy, and she was doing a very good job of it, but she should have been more discreet. Lie low and let the other people be plucked off. Only when it gets down to the last few should you emerge as this dynamic, powerful leader whos been harboring secret plans all along.
RULE NO. 4: SEX MATTERS
Pam Houston: I think the men are going to vote to keep the men,
and Susans going to vote to keep the men. She wants to be the
only surviving girl. But Gregs not going to make anyone mad and
is going to come through accidentally, the way young, handsome,
exIvy League, living-in-Colorado guys do. Hell win, and he wont
even care.
RULE NO. 5: KEEP YOUR SHIRT ON
Boyd Matson: My first advice is to Richard: Put a shirt on! Not
only will it protect you from the sun, but other team members
wont vote you off so quickly. Right now theyre thinking, Can
I actually keep looking at this guy? In fact, several of those
people could stand to wear T-shirts.
RULE NO. 6: KEEP YOUR PANTS ON
Matson: Colleen and Greg have gone off together on little walks,
and even if theres nothing romantic, it pisses off the other
team members when you start having special relationships. And
since Greg is more valuable, theyre going to lose Colleen.
RULE NO. 7: BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS
Houston: You have to be able to make peace. In a real crisisan avalanche or a flash floodif you can keep people from panicking, you can get a lot more done.
RULE NO. 8: FACE FACTS
Joe Queenan: The first thing young people do when they get to
a desert island is get rid of the old people. Next will be the
middle-aged people. Then the women will be eliminated, in ascending
order of beauty, until only Colleen remains.
RULE NO. 9: FISH FOR COMPLIMENTS
Robert Young Pelton: At first, Richard was like, Im going
to sit and pout. Then he realized he was a useless idiot and started
catching fish. That was the most profound change in dynamics.
He realized, Im going to get killed unless I provide.
RULE NO. 10: DONT PULL STRINGS
Queenan: A senior citizen armed with a ukulele is amenace to society.
Haute headgear. Every member of the island rat pack has topped
off his or her look with a hat. In a head-to-head competition,
the award for most-chic chapeau goes to wide-brimmed straw styles
(as worn by Kelly and Colleen) and the baseball cap worn backward,
favored by Sean and Ramona. On the other hand, Sonjas safari hat was totally bush league.
A pretty pareo. You cant go wrong with a sarong. Many of the
female castaways have gone native by sporting these colorful covers
over their bikinis. The most Ginger-like interpretation was executed
by Ramona, who artfully transformed hers into a halter dress.
Of course, fashion acumen doesnt necessarily translate into
winning the big bucks, but it does earn her our Most Stylish Castaway award.
Sandals. For those long walks to tribal council in the jungle, stilettos just wont do. Reeboks DMXCursions sport sandal is the sturdy yet stylish footwear choice and may be one of the few items to make it home from Pulau Tiga.
Sunglasses. A warm-weather must and an absolute essential for the winning survivor, whose post-island life will include dealing with the inevitable 15 minutes of fame.
Jewelry. A definite dont. Lose the macramé necklaces (seen on Kelly) and Buddha-bead bracelets (Sonja, Ramona and Kelly); theyre so five minutes ago. And gold jewelry on the beach (Gervase) is a definite dont. This means you, too, Sean. That nipple ring is cheesy.
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