Mitchell's Final Chat
February 21th, 2001 12:30 PM PST
CBS_Moderator: There are tons of great questions, so let's get started!! If you're just joining us, we're chatting live with Mitchell Olson. To ask Mitchell a question, please type it in the space below and click "Ask the Survivor.". We'll get to as many of your questions as we can. Here we go!!!
Mitchell Olson: Hey, thanks for joining me! I'm excited to chat with you all! Sorry for those who thought I was going to the end, because I didn't!
ScoobyDoo: Why did you ask to be voted off?
gogo: Why in the world did you tell the council you were physically and mentally exhausted? Didn't you know they had to boot you? They couldn't call 911, you know!
Mitchell Olson:
realist: What do you think is the most important thing you gained from doing Survivor?
Mitchell Olson: Fifteen great friendships! That was the most important thing I gained from it. I'm also a singer/songwriter, and I'll probably get an agent. And that exposure will help my career.
slamd: How soon did you realize this adventure wasn't for you?
Mitchell Olson: Day 3. After Day 3 I realized just how tough living off the land was, and that trying to survive the Outback was not my cup of tea.
Aureole: Do you have any regrets concerning your experience on Survivor?
Mitchell Olson: No regrets. If I was to do anything differently, I would have done my best to separate my friends from the game. And try to vote without a conscience. I should have voted how I felt I should have voted, and not who my friends were.
Eggrolls: What was the toughest about being in the Outback?
Mitchell Olson: Eventually, it came down to the boredom. Initially it was the hunger, then the lack of sleep, and eventually the boredom.
mywings: What was the first thing you did when you hit stateside?
Mitchell Olson: I spent time in Australia. And first thing I did was eat, take shower, and sleep. And when I got home, I spent time with my family.
OgakorQT: How were the live bugs and the uncooked food?
Mitchell Olson: How do you think they were??
survivor_chick20: Have you been watching yourself on the show?
Mitchell Olson: Yeah, I watch every week. It's difficult to watch yourself. And I realize how boring and tiring and weak I came across. And that was frustrating. We had fun, and I never saw myself having fun.
Spiritwind: How long did it take before you started feeling "back to normal" again, after you were voted off?
Mitchell Olson: About four days. But the whole situation really plays your mind for months after. It's really been on my mind. And now after the promotional tour, I feel like I can put myself in "real" life.
AdventureMitch: What was the hardest challenge for you?
Mitchell Olson: The challenge when we were all tied up, the Obstacle course challenge. Probably any other day, I would have been alright. But the fact that I hadn't been eating or sleeping and I was really fatigued... it was very difficult for me.
Chris: How quickly did alliances form? Do you think the first series led to a faster evolution of inner circles?
Mitchell Olson: The answer to the first question is one hour! Me and Jerri formed our alliance in one hour. We all had our own PhD and strategy on how to play Survivor, and we all wanted to form some type of our own alliance.
toothpaste: Hey Mitch, how differently do you think things would've gone for you if you were on the opposing tribe, Kucha?
Mitchell Olson: I'm extremely thankful I was not in Kucha. Things probably would have not gone differently. I loved the people I was with... and I wouldn't change that.
Eggrolls: Who was your favorite castaway and why?
Mitchell Olson: You guys are going to hate me for this, but it's Jerri! Because we're both inspiring. . . we both have a lot in common! I think she's a great person, but of a victim of editing and of speaking her mind.
Melivor: What do you think about the relationship between Colby and Jerri?
Mitchell Olson: I was kind of a go-between in that relationship. Jerri would come to me explaining her attraction to Colby, and Colby would come to me explaining his attraction. I thought it was a great relationship. I think they are both great people, and I wanted to see them "hook up."
plankton: Did Jerri push you around like the show suggests?
Mitchell Olson: That's the first time someone asked me that. I'm happy because I was very surprised to hear people talking online about how I was her "puppet." Because the two of us worked so well together, and we're such good friends. Never did I feel like she was in control of any situation or above me or anyone else. I think the reason people think I was her "puppet" is only because of one line: "...Jerri said I saw Kel with beef jerky and I believe her." There were many reasons of why I believed her, so I think it's unfair to base my relationship with Jerri on that one line.
FruitLoops: Hey Mitch: why did you accuse Kel of smuggling the Beef Jerky without proof except for Jerri's word (which we know isn't that reliable)???
Mitchell Olson:
Barbie: Weren't you upset when Jerri and Tina pilfered through Kel's belongings?
Mitchell Olson: Well, first of all you have to understand that the belongings would be only a couple articles of clothing, and the beef jerky if it was there. It wasn't trifling through someone's briefcase, so you wouldn't see something personal. This was only a bag with clothing in it. What's he got to hide? Everyone of our bags could have been looked through, I wouldn't care, it was only supposed to have clothing.
Jakey: Each tribe had its strong and weak points... what do you feel each tribe's strongest asset was?
Mitchell Olson: I felt at first our tribe was very close to each other, like a "Brady Bunch" family. That was our strongest asset. That eventually changed. And that became the torch of the Kucha tribe, and that became their strongest asset.
Mimi: What is one word to describe each Survivor in your tribe?
Mitchell Olson: Tina: Maternal; Amber: "Under the radar"; Keith: pompous; Colby: good friend; Jerr: faithful; Maralyn "Mad Dog": hilarious; Kel: isolated.
Michael38: What was Mad Dog like?? Was she really such a domineering, tough person like they showed her on TV?
Mitchell Olson: I felt like she came across rather funny and fun-loving on TV. But, my impression of the way she looked when I first met, she looked like she could be tough and domineering. But she's extremely nice and loving. . . and just extremely fun to be around.
Dmoney: My 3-year-old son loves the show, especially the diving off the cliff. It looked pretty dangerous though. Were you caught in any instances where you felt it was dangerous?
Mitchell Olson: All the time. Australia is a dangerous place, and it's dangerous the land. There are spiders and snakes. And even though these challenges were safe for us, and they had doctors in case problems came up, there was always an opportunity of being injured... always.
callie: What did you miss the most about the Outback?
Mitchell Olson: The kukaburra bird. It was a bird that woke us up each morning. And if I ever heard that song again, I would instantly be brought back to my Australia Outback days.
pepe: Did the group make up any games to pass the time that we haven't seen on the show?
Mitchell Olson: Absolutely! One day we played a game where we would go around the circle, and one person would say "I'm going on Survivor and I'm bringing chunky peanut butter..." and the next person would say "I'm going on Survivor and I'm bringing chucky peanut butter and a bra..." and the so forth. You know the game!
survivor3_champion: Is it difficult to be selected as a contestant on Survivor?
Mitchell Olson: Well, they started with 50,000 and narrowed it down to 16. It was a very grueling process. Many, many interviews... psychological testing...
S2_is_the_greatest: What did you do on your video to get on the show?
Mitchell Olson: It was kind of a like a "Tom Green" interview around my hometown in Vermillion, South Dakota. I would just ask crazy questions to people and get crazy responses. I showed them where I grew up in the farm and showed them where the chickens were and said this is my bedroom. Just being silly.
plankton: Which Survivor from season 1 do you relate to the most?
Mitchell Olson: I didn't relate to anybody. I loved them all, and I thought they were all great people, but I didn't relate to anyone. That's kind of why I auditioned.
IWannaPlay: Who brought the most useful luxury item and who brought the least useful? What were they?
Mitchell Olson: Colby's flag was the most useful, because it was our shelter from the rain and the sun. Amber's journal didn't benefit any of us, even though it may have benefited her. And the same goes for Maralyn's lipstick and Jerri's bongo drums... and same for Keith's pan. We didn't need a pan! They gave us a pan.
aussieangel: What would have been your ideal place to have Survivor be? Like instead of Australia where would you have most preferred?
Mitchell Olson: I haven't been to Australia before, and it was a great vacation and experience.
Denise: Most of it is just a mind game rather than a physical one, don't you think?
Mitchell Olson: Yeah, clearly we see that the mind games are just as important as the physical part of it. But in some ways, it comes down to physical. For me, for example, I felt I got along with everyone in my tribe, but they had to decide what's going to help us in the next few challenges--Mitchell's strength or Keith's. I respect that decision. So in some ways it is a mind game, but it does come down to the physical strength.
pokie: Do they allow the survivors to bring soap, toothpaste and toothbrush and toilet paper to the outback?
Mitchell Olson: No, we were not allowed to bring anything comfort. We had to dig a hole and go to the bathroom and we would have to use the bark from a paper bark tree as toilet paper.
SuRvIvOr_FaN_007: Did you do any type of training before going on the show?
Mitchell Olson: I rode my bike a lot. There was no organized training for all the Survivors. We had a month to prepare. So things you should have done in that month, would be tanning, riding your bike, and eating lots of food.
cajungirl: What was the hardest part of having to rely on strangers?
Mitchell Olson: Good question! You really don't think of them as strangers. You're spending 24 hours with them and bonding with them so quickly, it's ridiculous. We were just sharing this very unique experience together. So it wasn't that difficult to rely on them.
m: Was there much sexual tension between survivors?
Mitchell Olson: Maybe for the first couple of days, but once you start smelling and not eating and not sleeping and everything else, you're really not thinking about sex.
Locke_Scythe: Was religion any part of your tribe?
Mitchell Olson: Tina has some Christian background, as well as I. It wasn't really an issue and rarely came up.
Spiritwind: Have you and Keith been able to make amends since the show ended? You said you made 15 friends... is Keith included in that list?
Mitchell Olson: Okay... fourteen friends!
kdc: Much has been made of killing the pig. I saw nothing but putting one's survival skills to work. what are your thoughts?
Mitchell Olson: I grew up in a farm in South Dakota, so slaughtering animals was something that took place in my area often. So it didn't bother me really. It was just like going to a restaurant and ordering bacon. You just got to see the ugly side of it.
Redzilla: Do you have a girlfriend and if the answer is yes what did she think of the whole thing?
Mitchell Olson: For the last year and half I lived in New York, and ever since I graduated from college I haven't had a girlfriend.
pickles: Have you had any offers of work since you left as a result of the show?
Mitchell Olson: I've been on a crazy promotional tour, so I haven't checked messages or emails. So I don't know. And we're not really allowed to meet with promotional agents until after the show airs.
ScoobyDoo: What favorite TV show did you put on the application?
Mitchell Olson: Price is Right!
Denise: Was there any questions about the others' sexuality like in the first Survivor, or did it even come up?
Mitchell Olson: It didn't come up on our tribe, but I can't speak for the other tribe.
Dulcinea: Do you get recognized on the street a lot? What's been the public's response to you?
Mitchell Olson: Yeah... I'm recognized quite often. I think due to my seven foot structure. But usually people say they didn't expect that, and they apologize for my exit.
BobBarker: Did you show your fellow tribe-mates your dance from Price is Right?
Mitchell Olson: Not out there, but they've seen it on TV since I've been back. I won a foozeball table, luggage and a gas grill.
Robothead790: What's it like being 7 foot tall?
Mitchell Olson: I don't fit on the subways!
misterjohnnyfever: After being a part of the wave of Reality TV shows, do you think that they will last, or are they just a fad?
Mitchell Olson: No, it will definitely last. I don't think it's a fad. I think since Survivor is the first, so it will outlast. It's the "Who wants to be a Millionaire" of the Reality shows!
Kreegdog: Do you plan on making a spoof album with all your original Survivor songs like Weird Al Yankovich?
Mitchell Olson: No, but me and Maralyn decided to come out with a Christmas carol album!
ChefSwiz: What do you think was your greatest contribution to your tribe?
Mitchell Olson: Just good old light-hearted humor! We just had fun and Tina mentioned that it kept her sane.
DAntarticaOutback: What was your favorite day with your tribe?
Mitchell Olson: The first night was probably the best. Nobody slept. We just huddled in the center of the tent, because it was rainy and cold and there was no fire, and we just sat around and told each other jokes and getting to know each other. We told everybody our luxury items, and about our families. And really just getting to know each other.
Doogie: Do you have to be a real backstabbing individual to win this game? Can a nice person win?
Mitchell Olson: Actually, that was my strategy going in. That a nice person can win this game, but look where I am today.
lendel: Where do you plan to go with your singing/songwriting career?
Mitchell Olson: I'm writing a musical right now and hope to have that running in the next few months. So I hope to do what I was doing before Survivor... writing, auditioning, and living on the East Coast.
Mitchell Olson: Thanks everybody for chatting with me! Please continue to watch the show and watch for me! I'm going to be at the Grammy's tonight! And in my future in musicals and anything else I'm in. I love to hear from you... thanks!
daggs: I can't believe I am actually chatting with you! I don't have a question but I just want you to know, that you are my favorite Survivor. And I look up to you very much!
CBS_Moderator: Thanks for joining us everyone. Tune in to an all-new Survivor Thursday at 8pm ET/PT. After Survivor, you can check out America's number one new drama, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, at 9pm ET/PT on CBS. And don't forget to check www.survivor.cbs.com for all the latest Survivor info. Goodnight!
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