Survivor I recommend because within its framework it
shows unrehearsed interactions of people in often trying circumstances. The
interplay of "He's so good, with him our tribe will win, so we must keep him"
with "He's so good, there is no way we can beat him, so we must get rid of
him" is at times hilarious.
Thanks
Harry, but I'd rather watch people bash each other about in hockey. I'll try to
be honest about 'Survivor'. One point I'd make is that it debases people. It
makes them look like self-serving shits, and perhaps that is what the people
they pick for the show really are. Another is that it gives a very false
impression of what "tribes" - people who live beyond the pale of American
civilization - are really like. Frankly, I see nothing hilarious in the show.
Perhaps I'm a moralist, but to me it represents the very worst of the stench of
America.
Ed
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, December 12, 2003 1:01
AM
Subject: RE: Slightly extended (was Re:
[Futurework] David Ricardo, Cavema n Trade vs. Modern Trade
Ed,
It's just a television show.
Would you not see Brigadoon because the highlands
were never like that? Would you refuse to see South Pacific because war is
really hell? And as for Peter Pan, we know how ridiculous it is. In reality,
people can't fly.
Of course I would never have watched Wayne and
Schuster because they had an airline sketch where the first class passengers
enjoyed an orgy, but the coach passengers were simply pushed out of the plane
when their destination was reached.
Simply Canadian crap - but at times the show
was hilarious.
Survivor I recommend because within its framework it
shows unrehearsed interactions of people in often trying circumstances. The
interplay of "He's so good, with him our tribe will win, so we must keep him"
with "He's so good, there is no way we can beat him, so we must get rid of
him" is at times hilarious.
The writing is often very good. Previous shows
had allowed them to dress appropriately for their 39 days on the beach.
They were given some basics - a little food, a machete and they could
bring one luxury item. They climbed in a boat and were taken
ashore.
This latest 16 players were brought up on deck
(I think for a photo-shoot). They had dressed
for the occasion - women in long dresses, men in
suits.
They were asked to put their personal possessions in
a bag. Then they were ordered overboard to swim to the island - in their
dresses and suits. The game had started.
They were completely surprised,
but they jumped overboard and the game
began.
In the last show, instead of mixing the genders, they
put all the men in one tribe, all the women in the other. The tribes
compete.
The men got to work, built a shelter, and were
comfortable.
After several days the women were still being
rained upon. They just couldn't get it together. The male tribe were pretty
arrogant and were sure they would destroy the female tribe in the contests
they would endure.
Only problem - the women beat them. Male morale
dropped. Then the women won the second contest. Male morale slid further. The
women won the third contest and the males were whining and complaining. It was
fun.
Finally, the women appointed a leader and she got
things organized and the game proceeded.
I don't like commercial programs and I don't like
commercials. So, I watch little network stuff.However, Survivor for a while
(until the writers' ideas run out) is a fun program - not at first so much,
but as it proceeds and the contestants react to the situation and to each
other, it becomes very interesting and very
entertaining.
I doubt the dozen and one copies of Survivor - the
reality shows - are in the class of Survivor - but I don't know.
Harry
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Harry, don't even mention the show 'Survivor' to
me. I see it as absolute American crap, like the "Stench of
America". There's nothing in it that even remotely bears any resemblance
of the reality of hunters and gatherers.
Ed