Jeff Probst (CBS)
XFinityTV is blowing up their coverage of “Survivor: Philippines.” Every Monday Jeff Probst and I will tackle a wide variety of topics with the “Survivor” Question of the Week. Every Tuesday I’ll be squaring off against “Survivor: One World” favorite Kat Edorsson in this season’s Power Rankings challenge. Every Wednesday briefly after the show we’ll have a full episode recap and every Thursday we’ll have an interview with the latest eliminated player. Follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for all the updates!
Set Your DVR to Record “Survivor: Philippines”
This Week’s Question: If you had to pick one moment that describes what “Survivor” is all about, what would that moment be?
Gordon Holmes: OK, I love this question. If I knew someone who’d never seen the show before and I had to show them one clip, it’d have to be Jonny “Fairplay” Dalton’s dead grandma ruse from “Survivor: Pearl Islands.” This moment has it all. It combines brilliant gameplay (Fairplay having the forethought to arrange the strategy with his buddy Thunder D), trademark “Survivor” deception (the lie itself), as well as the best of human nature (when Lillian Morris did her best to help Fairplay win). So good. In fact, I’d like my headstone to someday read, “He died, dude.”
Jeff Probst: Another interesting question. It’s funny to hear your answer because as much as I loved that moment, that does not represent what “Survivor” is about to me. I see “Survivor” as a social experiment in this sense; how do you create a healthy existence living with other humans in a competitive environment but an environment in which you also need each other to survive? It has always seemed to be a microcosm of our normal lives back home. We all want to get ahead and that often means defeating or outsmarting the other person but ultimately we all need each other in order to keep the planet functioning. How do you do that? It’s more than being a leader as we can all think of great leaders who would get slaughtered in “Survivor.” It takes a beautiful balance of self-awareness, empathy, the ability to assess and adapt, and when necessary make the big move. So… after that long winded speech, this is my question for you; why are all of these questions “the MOST” and “the BIGGEST”?
Holmes: That’s how this bit works! And a non-answer again? You’re killing me!
Probst: That’s just too much work, Holmes. A guy only has so many hours in a day. Holy cow, man. I also have a family. Great wife and kids. Plus I am still learning to play tennis and guitar and drums. I can’t spend time trying to figure out the “best” of anything. Final answer.
Holmes: Your social game is going to cost you my jury vote.
Which Moment Defines “Survivor” for You? Send your answers to me on Twitter: @gordonholmes
Tags: jeff probst, jonny fairplay, survivor, survivor pearl islands
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