by Jeff Probst » Sat Nov 15, 2014 2:08:22 am
Angie
1. How much time can you devote to the game? What are your problem hours of the day?
I wake up at noon, so anything before that I may not be able to wake up for. I can devote basically all day to the game; if not from my laptop then from my phone. 99.99% of the time I'm at home in the evenings.
2. What is your main motivation for playing?
I want to be the very best, like no one ever was, etc etc. Really, it's because I've been interesting in doing an online game since I knew they existed. But more importantly, I want to challenge myself to the social aspect of the game. I want to see if I have what it takes to really be and have the qualities needed to win.
4. Which 3 "SURVIVOR" contestants match your personality the best and how?
1. Peih-Gee Law
We're both smart, sarcastic, badass Asian girls. What more can I say? Really, though, Peih-Gee is me as a Survivor contestant. She's open-minded but picky, witty but dry, outspoken and passionate, sometimes to the extent where other people can't handle her. Basically, she's me and I love her.
2. Erinn Lobdell
Erinn went on Survivor to prove that she wasn't just a pretty girl - she could be sneaky, sassy, and smart. I very much have the same reasoning and a similar background in terms of being very traditionally feminine.
3. Kathy Sleckman
"Who the hell compares themself to a quitter?" you may ask. Me, obviously. There is a lot of me in Kathy. First of all, we both suffer from mental illness. I have severe anxiety, she has/had severe depression. She was a positive person who fed off the energy of her teammates, just like I am and do. She gave up a lot to get on Survivor. I can see myself doing the exact same thing. She was unforgivingly snarky, sometimes even unaware of her own sarcasm. And in the end, she was self-aware.
5. Which 3 "SURVIVOR" contestants are your favorite and why?
1. Jerri Manthey
Jerri has the single greatest Survivor story in history for me, along with Colby. They're so heavily intertwined that I can't not mention him. But I choose Jerri because she inspires me far more than Colby does. Jerri was great in her first season. She was the perfect villainess, the very first Survivor ever had. She solidified the archetype that so many other great players would come to fill one day. At the end of her first season, she was loathed. But I loved her. She was hilarious, she was innovative, and I was beyond ready to see her again.
Her performance in her second season was abysmal, but not horrible. She wasn't as vindictive as before. In fact, some people could argue that she "redeemed" herself. But she still had the mark of the black widow on her. No one was going to argue that she wasn't a villain. But in just that appearance, she had changed many people's opinions of her. People were shocked to find a more human and less cruel side to her.
Her arc comes together in her third season, which is unashamedly one of my favourite seasons of all time. (It was the first season I can clearly remember watching live to this day, although I did watch many before that.) She could have easily gone both ways; she could have been the "cruel" person from Season one, or she could become what would be the greatest character ever by making herself a hero. Or, at least, as much as a true villain can be a hero. She's definitely still a villain!
But Jerri in HvV is a wonderful, amazing thing. In between the, arguably, three greatest villains of all time, her old nemesis, a bearded guy who became subsequently became one of the most irritating contestants of all time... was her. Jerri Manthey, who eight years earlier was one of the most hated reality contestants ever. Between Russell, one of the biggest assholes to ever play; Parvati, the "new era" Black Widow who snaked up guys and sent them packing home; Sandra, one of the most unapologetically sneakiest players ever; she had made herself seem almost good beside them. Between burying the hatchet with Colby to finding herself a hair's length away from the finals where she could have even won, Jerri is a character that's often overshadowed by Russell, Sandra, and Parvati. But there's no mistaking the original villainess who went from causing men to cry to a woman who could be considered a saint by some viewers among her fellow villains.
Survivor is a TV show. Since I analyze the game so much, it's hard to see past the editing screw ups and the bad characters sometimes to realize the beauty of character arcs like Jerri's. Because when I look at Jerri's three-season arc, it's clear to me that Jerri redeemed herself like no one else did and has done in Survivor history.
TL;DR Jerri is an amazing character, person, and if she isn't in at least your top ten, I'm not sure I even want to talk to you. (I'm just kidding, I still will, but I'll need a 5k word essay in MLA format why you disagree submitted to me by Monday morning.)
Also, fun fact: I have an aunt who looks almost exactly like Jerri. It's the reason why I can't look at her playboy photos in a good mind.
2. Sandra Diaz-Twine
Sandra, oh Sandra, my queen! Can you tell I love girl villains? Because I do. And Sandra perfectly displays why.
Sandra is fucking badass. She plays twice, she wins twice. That's a 100% success rate in a game where 99% of the people have a 0% success rate. But what's even more amazing is the way she plays and who she is as a person. The proud wife of a military guy, she's loud and proud and sees no fault in it. She should be the kind of person that puts everyone off, but she's not. Almost all of her enemies come around to her, bar Russell, but that guy is a heartless dick anyways and he doesn't deserve to be around her.
Her strategy, which is quite literally "as long as it isn't her going home", and her personality combined, should make her everyone's enemy. Yet she finds herself in the finals, sneaking and snaking her way there, and then winning the votes of all the friends she had made despite her voting them out in the first place. She uses more polarizing characters as a shield, happily allowing them to take the heat, even more happily putting the blame on them.
Sandra is one of the least humble Survivor players ever. But when you have a 100% success rate in what some call the most difficult reality show ever, perhaps it's warranted.
TL;DR Sandra's complete awesomeness makes me think she may be some kind of Survivor goddess that's come down to Earth to teach us that yes, you don't need to be a white guy with one-hundred idols to be considered badass and cool.
3. Yul Kwon
I could've put Richard here. I almost did, since he is one of the best Survivor characters ever. But then I realized I was listing my favourites, and (sorry Richard), he's not even close to the top of being one of my favourite characters. Likewise, Yul isn't a particularly entertaining character.
He stays incredibly calm the entire game. He's hyper-aware of not coming off as too much of any stereotype. He wants to play a good game, but he wants to win, but he wants to prove that Asian-Americans aren't just characters in the most literal form. And while all those qualities may make Yul at the bottom of most people's lists, it makes him at the top of mine.
Frankly, there's not many other reasons for me to list as to why I love Yul so much. He's smart, he's funny, he's nice. If I wasn't gay, he would be my ideal type. He was one of the only redeeming parts of Cook Islands for me aside from Penner. Most people undermine his win with "OP idol!111" but I genuinely believe that Yul would have been able to get Penner to flip and, ultimately, win, regardless. Yul inspires me not only as the player I would want to be if I went on Survivor (even though we're drastically different) but as a person. Oh, now, I'm getting sentimental!
Honorary mentions: Debbie, Taj, Todd.
6. If confronted by a fellow castaway, what would your initial reaction be?
Frankly, it would depend on who it was and why they were confronting me. If it was for a misunderstanding with an ally, I'm not sure I'd be able to hide my frustration, but I'd attempt to be as civil and calm as possible. Freaking out probably wouldn't help my chances of them thinking I have the truth.
If it was for something personal, I'd probably yell at them. Not in caps lock, though, that's a bit too mean for me.
7. How would you like to be portrayed on the real show if you had the option?
The optimistic, passionate, but short-tempered tiny, thin Asian girl. Which I basically am. I don't think I'd be a major character, but maybe I can get in a few funny and snarky confessionals that will win me some fans. And hopefully some money.
8. How do you think you would actually be portrayed?
The unsuspectingly vindictive tiny girl with a temper the size of a fireball, who sucks in challenges. (I'd probably get kicked off for being so bad at them, honestly. Which is why I'll never be on Survivor, aside from the fact I live in Canada.)
9. What personality types do you typically get along with?
I get along with most people as long as they aren't being ridiculous. The one thing I have absolutely no patience for are genuinely mean-spirited and/or bigoted people. I like people who I can debate and discuss things calmly with, or just, in general, fun-loving and happy people. I wouldn't say I don't get along with pessimistic people, but it definitely takes more energy for me to have patience with them.
10. What personality types do you typically clash with?
As I said above: mean people and bigots. They usually go hand in hand, since bigots are usually mean people and mean people focus their mean energy on being mean bigots. I have a lot of super tiny pet peeves when it comes to people, but it's not enough to make me dislike anyone. Unless they're a mean bigot...
11. What style of game play do you most respect?
I respect any and all winners. If someone takes a strategy that's failed one-hundred times before but makes it to the end and wins, I'm down with that. But most of all, I admire people who are able to play the game without ending up being a jerk in the end. The people who are able to disconnect the game from personal attacks are usually the ones I end up cheering for in the end. I admit, I do lose respect for players who will pick on weak-spirited people on a personal level to advance themselves.
12. What is your strategy going into the game?
I'm not sure how much of a challenge asset I'll be, but I'm certain that if I'm able to connect with people that I'll be in a good position. I'm quite charming, you know, when I want to be! I'm not going to go out of my way to make anyone mad at me or give me a reason to be voted off, especially early. I don't plan to draw too much attention to myself.
Take this opportunity to tell us anything about yourself that you would like us to know.
Hmm, well. I'm not sure, really. I'm a gay teenager from Canada. I love Korean pop music, League of Legends, and shitty anime. I guess I'm really far from the demographic that most Survivor watchers are from, but I don't think that'll come back to bite me in the ass.
Oh, and my favourite colour is pink.
Cheers, and thanks for reading! I have no idea how long these applications are so I just went all-out.