Archive for year: 2014

The survivor tribes are made up of many different members. As discussed in the chapter, “every person on this earth is different” therefore, for the most part, there is always diversity in groups. Diversity is good because as we see in all of the survivor tribe challenges, it allows a flow of different ideas and approaches.

The chapter discusses the fact that even twins bring diversity and we see that in sisters Natalie and Nadiya Anderson and brother Drew and Alec Christy. Although they were probably brought up in the same household with the same parents and similar environment, they are different because we all have different experiences, characteristics, abilities, and beliefs. A little after the beginning of the episode, they decide to change the game and change the tribes. With the new tribes, the diversity changes not only because they are now a different mix of groups but also because now they have to go through the different group stages. Since certain groups have different loved one, which adds even more diversity.

I also wanted to circle back on John Rocker who was recently voted off. He did not like disclosing who he was because people would stereotype him as an ‘egotistical jerk’ major league pitcher. In other words, he was saying that people would rely on exaggerated belief to make judgments about a group of people— in this case baseball players. However in his case, people claimed he actually made racial comments.

We also see the many types as discussed in Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. For the most part I feel everyone in survivor is an extrovert defined as someone who is outward. Missy is the only character who might be an introvert but I think it was because she was turned against for a while so she was staying off the radar.

This episode shocked me because there were many changes in the group dynamics that it made it even more interesting!

The title for this episode was definitely on the mark because the Hunahpu tribe, specifically, was nothing but a big ‘ol “hot mess”. In this episode, we were able to see how the diversity among tribe members effected the tribe’s ability (or inability) to work together as a cohesive unit. Evidently, the Hunahpu tribe is still in the storming page because they have stopped playing nice and moved, instead, into the more aggressive realm of secondary tension. Then again, the Hunahpu isn’t the only tribe with problems…

At the beginning of the episode, I thought that the focus was going to be on the Coyopa tribe. As this tribe returned from their last tribal counsel, the spotlight was turned on Dale. He knew that if he didn’t start being more social then he was in danger of being eliminated next. I think Dale is right to be worried but, if he does get eliminated, it won’t be for being a bad tribe member. If anything, I think the Coyopa tribe would single out Dale because of how different he is from the rest of the tribe.

When thinking about Dale’s three layers of diversity, it should be noted that a couple of things that make him different are things that he cannot change. For example, the external layer of Dale’s diversity tells us that he is a dad. Of all the members in his tribe, I believe he is the only member left who has children. Next, part of Dale’s internal dimension of diversity is his age. Dale is much older than the rest of his tribe and, for this reason, he has often been referred to as the “old guy”, “dad”, etc. Thus, the only thing left for Dale to rely on is his personality. He admits that he has let the social game slide a bit and, that may not have been a very wise decision.

It follows, however, that it may be difficult for Dale to talk with his tribe members because there is also a generational dimension that stands in the way. Dale is 55 years old and a Baby Boomer whereas most of his fellow tribe members are Millenials. The textbook states that these two generations may have the hardest time working together because their views on work vary so drastically. That being said, it looks like Dale is going to survive another day on the show so we’ll see how this dynamic plays out as time goes on.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for one overly cocky member of the Hunahpu tribe. Drew went home this week and, I was not at all sad to see him go. From the beginning of the episode, at the Reward Challenge, Drew made it clear that he was going to do whatever he wanted to do. Despite the disapproval of his tribe, Drew exhibited his masculine upbringing by trying to barter with Jeff Probst to get some fishing gear. It didn’t work but, I don’t think that had any effect on his confidence. Drew still seemed to play the recognition-seeker role as he boasted that “these people would be nothing without me!” We’ll see about that…

Drew’s tribe seemed to get along just fine without him when he was sent off to Exile Island to accompany Jaclyn. In fact, Jon was even joking with his tribe that Jaclyn might have to do all of the work at exile because the only task Drew did well at camp was nap. This may have been true and, thus, I thought Drew was an interesting choice for a trip to Exile Island. I don’t understand why Jon sent a lazy womanizer like Drew out there with his Miss Michigan girlfriend. If Jon had thought about the layers of diversity and the fact that both Drew and Jaclyn were unmarried, attractive, heterosexual people of similar age and opposite gender, then maybe he would’ve picked someone else.

That being said, Drew definitely did acknowledge that he found Jaclyn attractive and, it’s possible that he was trying to earn her approval when he told her that he was going to throw the next Immunity Challenge. I can’t be sure if her good looks had anything to do with it or not but, Drew took on the role of a blocker and set out to accomplish his own personal agenda. For the rest of the episode, I watched him aggressively try to manipulate his fellow tribe members and, I’m glad his plan didn’t succeed. Good riddance, Drew. The Hunahpu got rid of a “snake” after all.

The theme that I saw was most prevalent in this week’s episode was conflict. Every episode focuses on how the teams are competing, but this week we saw some real conflict in the Hunapu starting with Drew trying to be the team leader and trying to barter with Jeff, trading their flint for some of the fishing gear that they lost previously. After making many of the group members uncomfortable bringing up the idea for a trade already, Drew proceeded with his plan with no sympathy given from Jeff. Then, after Jon won the reward challenge he sent Drew to go with his girlfriend Jacqueline to exile island.

Once Drew was sent to exile island Jon sensed some internal conflict with sending someone he trusts, but is also a ladies man to a deserted island with his girlfriend. While on the island Drew revealed his true intentions to throw the challenge so that he can get someone voted off of his tribe. This is the opposite behavior of groupthink, which is when the entire group thinks as a whole and get caught in a rut. Drew laid out his ulterior motives to getting ahead in the game, and showed his true colors that he was willing to play dirty to get ahead.

As he claimed, Drew threw the immunity challenge and started his plot to get Kelly voted off. But there lies his folly, by trying to force the one large group to form into smaller gender based groups, the tribe members spread even further apart, with four different names getting called at tribal. Eventually it was Drew who was sent home. His own plan backfired due to him wanting constant control. Keith also came into conflict with Jeremy this episode and Jeremy was not pleased at all. This early on in the game I think alliances are crucial, and the fact that Keith threw one away with one of the best players in the game was a very bad move on his part.

In this episode the Coyopa tribe is shocked to see that Drew was eliminated. Some of the members in the groups are switched back to couples. Some of the couples are happy to have their loved ones in the same tribes and their glad to play a new game especially John and Jacklyn. For Josh and Reed they feel like they have higher chances of being eliminated. For new groups the deep diversity has now changed. Dale feels like he needs to use his idol now that he feels alone in the tribe and everyone else is with their loved ones. In the Coyopa Tribe Baylor is getting some rice with her mom and Dale is bothered with her getting more rice then needed. Baylor tells Missy that Dale has been trying to get her out of the competition and Missy is being prejudice towards Dale because he dislikes her daughter. I think that Missy shouldn’t be prejudices towards Dale because she doesn’t know how Dale has been in that tribe.

The Judgers in the Coyopa tribe are John and Jacklyn because they get to judge Missy, Baylor, Dale, and Kelly and choose who looses their loved one. Dale is the thinker because he has reasons to eliminate others. The introvert in the Hanahpu tribe is Kelly because she keeps everything to herself and doesn’t seem to communicate with her tribe members. John and Jacklyn would be the extroverts in the Coyopa tribe because they are a very liked couple. The intuitive in the Coyopa tribe would be Dale in my opinion because he knows who to eliminate and sees the big picture. The perceiver in the Hanahpu tribe is Jeremy because his wife has been gone and now that some couples are together he is willing to get closer to other tribe members that he wouldn’t think of getting close to. I think that Jeremy is finding new strategy’s to stay in the game longer. This episode was intense because the some of the tribe members where united and seeing them work together made the game a little different.

 

 

As always the episode starts out with a brief recap of the last episode. In the last episode the orange team voted John off the island which i believe was a good move on their teams part. For the first challenge of the episode is John vs. his girl friend Jacqueline. Its starts with Jacqueline in the lead but John then got focused and took the lead and won the challenge. When Blue won they got a choice between a great meal to cook over a fire or comfortable things to make a bed with. Diversity in groups plays a huge part in all groups and now that the show has gotten past the first few episodes personality are really coming out.  The fact that everyone is so age different brings different energy and different motivations. The orange group is very eager to win a challenge and not have have to fear being voted off the islands. Keith finds an idol by the well in his camp. He had blamed Jeramey for finding it before him breaking their alliance. The orange team finally won their first challenge and do not have to kick someone off their team. Drew on the blue team lost it for his team on purpose so he can try and vote some of the women that are on his team. This is a massive move and in my opinion is very dangerous. The groups have been working well together for the most part but when everyone in the group has a different goal it makes thing conflicting. On the blue team they are creating somewhat of a girls vs guys group. Drew was voted off of the blue team which i think is a smart move of the teams part.