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Survivor
in Panama 2002 Jonny wins one million pounds.
Television
game show and the pressure to survive. How does Jonny win? He said he
would not try and influence the final jury; instead he reminded them
of what they meant to him on the island. The effect was to make each
jury member smile with the memory. A clever trick or a genuine connection?
Jonny was trained as an under cover cop; able to blend in with the crowd.
Newspapers wondered if he was two-sided. Jonny said he was joking around
and played a straight game - exactly as he would in his work. His talent
for fitting in and also being fit for the island showed all the way
through to the final days on the island. A worthy winner was voted as
unanimous by the jury.
12
people survived for 37 days on two islands in Panama. The group were
divided into two tribes. Left to fend for themselves and find food while
facing physical and mental chalenges was the new British television
game show survivor 2002.
Mistakes
were common. When the stakes are high and people are placed under pressure
people may feel vulnerable. The
consequence of mistakes made by one person that affect the whole group,
started from the moment the challenge began. One person threw the machete
into the water expecting it to float which meant the tribe lost the
easy way of chopping or cutting down trees for shelter and breaking
open coconuts which were the immediate source of nurishment. In the
group challenge; one member forgot to complete the course correctly
and the tribe was disqualified, so giving the other group the prizes
including waterproof matches - enabling a fire to be lit and hot food
to be consumed.
Connecting
with fellow castaways and creating alliances is necessary for survival.
Even the most intelligent person is not immune from needing friends,
however the ability to break the bond is also needed when there is only
one winner and the rest are not. John was unable to break the bond with
Jonny and his loyalty he described as a blind faith; so he lost the
game.
Susannah
is reported to have a book with a reminder "be prepared to shaft
others as they may shaft you". So Susannah adopted the strategy
of betraying friendships and alliances as necessary to survive eviction.
Head
to head Susannah and Johnny in the final. Susannah appealed, using a
negative approach by saying she had many debts to clear from university,
which seemed contrary to the high life she spoke about.
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Survivor
2001 - Charlotte Wins One Million Pounds
16
castaways were marooned for 40 days and nights on an Island and created
a British Television game show. Gang bonding and warfare surfaced in
the people taking part. This competition had extreme survival conditions;
giving surprises from the start. The wild environment was challenging
and hostile with rats, snakes, sharks, sometimes torrential rainfall,
yet a beautiful and compelling desert island with dramatic sunsets.
The
game show phrase “Trust No-one”
was the ultimate strategy that Charlotte used to advantage, enabling
her to win a million pounds. Her manipulation, mind games and appeals
based on feminine needs seemed to be driven by tactical game playing
or survival instincts, for example; breaking down in tears at family
pictures, unable to win at games but determined to beat others at any
price, monthly menstruation creating sympathy in some and aggression
in others, scraping the last remnants of food while constantly talking
about her longing for food in a droning kind of voice.
Leadership
skills. Spot the similarities to Big Brother's nasty Nick. Another
Nick with brilliant survival skills and leadership qualities. Yet he
was the first to be voted off the island by the other competitors. His
tactics appeared almost a repeat of nasty Nick in Big Brother; namely
tribal leadership while attempting to manipulate and control the group
voting but without the cheating. Yet as a participant Nick failed to
complete a number of important tasks.
Rivalry
and Team work. JJ was an excellent leader who like Nick was keen
to support and promote the weaker members of the team, possibly at the
expense of her own personal gain. Some animal and bird species look
after their weaker members in the same way. In JJ's case she was ill
but continued to try and lead the group by spurring on the members she
felt needed support. She was trying to be strong all the time but this
can have a downside to personal health. JJ was ousted by team members
after a tied vote.
Tribal
bonding and social skills. It was common in tribes to respect
and listen to the elders and their stories; as ways of learning to consider
past behavior and act accordingly. Tribal bonding is very powerful and
used today in themes such as; Cowboys and Indians or Cops and Robbers.
Some members felt the desire to form social groups. As a way to survive,
there is safety in numbers. Alliances were being made and betrayed.
Sexual differences and age bias began to surface in the group. Select
and reject are the rules of this competition. Jayne missed her young
son and for her home was where the heart beckoned. Family ties have
strong reminders of longing for another lifestyle. In some, respect
for others was beginning to show. Jayne was voted off by some members
with that recognition in mind. For others vengeance was sweet.
Effort
less. Adrian was voted out. He said he did not see it coming
but spoke of just doing enough to get by. His lack of effort around
the camp was felt by other members of the tribe as feelings of frustration
and anger. Adrian described his attempts to sleep and how he was disturbed
by rats running around and nibbling his face and body.
Continued
sleep deprivation can be stressful on the body's natural rhythms. In
the end his view for voting was based on who had made the most mistakes
or was older while less fit and his attempt to vote out James was thwarted
when others changed their vote. Others in the tribe voted out Adrian;
their decision based on lack of effort and therefore not deserving to
win the contest. Its a bit like a dolphin swimming in the slipstream
of a boat and getting a free ride; from the dolphin's point of view
- I guess that it is fun while it lasts.
Strong
competition, cool in a crisis. The tribe merged into one, yet
old loyalties still applied. The rules changed with every person up
for eviction. The endurance test - to see who could stand on a log in
the water for the longest time - was amazing. The time exceeded all
expectations, going on through a day a night and another day as Andy
proved to be the winner. He said that thoughts of his family kept him
going and made him stronger, more determined to win. Andy gained temporary
immunity from eviction, so Simon, who stayed on the log almost as long
was voted off; in what appeared to be a tactical decision by some tribe
members. Afterwards Simon described his feet as numb, body as painful
and often he wanted to quit, especially during the night, although he
had an advantage of a skin type that did not burn in the sun. Andy was
evicted next. As a strong leader he showed little signs of stress, so
was seen as a threat by the others. His manner appeared genuine and
kind but cool under pressure; understandable as he was trained as an
airline pilot. Andy did attempt to do a deal before he got voted off.
If he could not win, then he wanted to influence the final result as
to, in his considered opinion, who was the most deserving. This act
could be considered manipulative and a last attempt to control the group.
Evicted
members became the jury to decide the winner.
Mixed
emotions cloud the mind. Cooperation disappeared as the challengers
squabbled, bitched and generally began to feel more pressure while some
were feeling very hungry. Charlotte decided she was more deserving than
others to win but did not do much to help the group. Pete disliked the
idea of voting anyone out and James felt the need for a last desperate
attempt to threaten Richard - who was having none of it. Alliances were
being tested with exploitation and manipulation as strategies. James
was voted out and described himself as a bit eccentric. He said he used
Autogenics to keep calm, help his breathing and heartbeat, particularly
in the underwater challenge.
Honest Pete played the game straight and
then said he felt betrayed when voted out. He did not play the game
as others would have liked him to do. Knowing that people can change
their minds and break promises is part of human nature. Pete read his
bible and prayed for answers. The votes now seemed more personal as
the numbers got less. Some desperate tactics were tried, such as offering
to share the winnings with another person. Stress showed as wear and
tear while the body got weaker. Motivation and will to win can be a
key to survival. Charlotte's need for food overrode any desire to share
the scrapings of rice with others who then complained but did nothing
to stop her.
Talk of home. Videos of family were played;
Some were tearful and wanted to go home. One competitor generously gave
his prize away to Charlotte who broke down in tears. The prize was more
family videos which seemed to help Charlotte and support her determination
and resolve to beat others in the game.
Zoe
left with only a moment of regret, knowing her trust was misplaced.
Others raised their hopes of being in the final three.
Getting nasty as the pressure increases and the
prize money seems nearer. The competitors got very personal in
their actions, behavior and reactions to other competitors. Stress makes
people respond in ways they would consider normally to be unkind, cruel
or vicious. Cut and thrust seems to provoke retaliation and strong hate.
Ganging up on an individual is one way to feel safe - crowds behave
as a mob, justifying their behavior using self righteous talk. (Football
crowds and politics evoke similar reactions)
The
competitors were weaker without the strength to fish or catch food.
One competitor had cut the fishing lines earlier in the game, as a strategy
to demoralize the group. The group killed and cooked rats to eat and
some made it easier by thinking it was like chicken. Stealing or hiding
food is nature's primitive reaction for self preservation. Anyone caught
in the act or even thought to be doing so faced a hostile group. This
strategy was used to throw the blame onto others. False accusation can
difficult to prove, so the mud sticks on the innocent victim. It is
easy to blame others when the going gets tough, as anger gets vented
onto friends who are then seen as enemies. The alternative is to blame
your self with emotional withdrawal, perhaps feeling guilty and wanting
to give up, run away or make amends for wrong doing. Having a conscience
about wrong doing is societies way of controlling human primitive instinct
to kill or be killed. In many parts of the world killing animals for
food has been hidden under plastic wrapping and super market advertising.
In other parts of the world for example people eat dogs as a normal
part of life and people scavenge or beg for scraps of food.
Social
community. Being responsible for other people's welfare is one
way animals and humans have evolved to thrive in difficult environments.
Basic self needs can be unleashed as shown by Charlotte who wanted sexual
contact with others. Was this a strategy or a human need? Some may see
her as a harlot, others may consider it justified as a game plan. Opinions
are constantly being voiced about other peoples behavior both by the
island competitors and the outside viewers especially newspapers. Anyone
who deviates outside the normal rules of the community could become
a target for being outlawed. At one point Charlotte felt isolated and
was not part of the main group so she made an effort to cultivate some
friendship with individuals.
Move
and counter move. The last survivors lost weight, anything up
to 2 stone. Charlotte influenced Jackie and talked about minds spinning
when a seed of discontent is sown in someone's mind. She succeeded by
telling tales, in getting Jackie to turn against Richard, knowing that
he was a strong contender for the final vote. Charlotte knew she had
a better chance to win against Jackie. Jackie may have felt the same.
In
the final round the two survivors had to convince the jury in a speech
that they alone deserved to win the money. The jury vote was strongly
in favor
And
finally the jury voted the winner as Charlotte - who showed typical
human traits. She made no apology for being the way she was and appealed
to the jury by asking them to look to their own qualities and see them
mirrored in herself.
Like
early explorers and settlers, survival depends on multiple skills. The
ability to withstand stress and pick yourself up is vital. Competition
for limited resources challenges the ideals of some humans; used to
a comfort zone of warmth, instant food and shelter. Family values, about
being unselfish and cooperative, can be self defeating when there is
only one winner. Being the leader invites others to think about and
feel their place in the group. Cheating and exploitation comes into
its own, as ancient primitive survival strategies surface in the group.
Mind games of intrigue, deceit, plot and counter-plot make and break
alliances. Creativity challenges fitness, skills and logic. Survivior
- Trust No-one was a real life story of adventure and self-discovery.
The balance of being aggressor, victim, friend or foe was played to
a fine art and sometimes luck played a part. The fantasy of living on
a desert island was mixed with the reality of basic human needs and
the creativity to overcome hardship.
Under
pressure, stress levels can rise with emotional overtones blocking out
rational thinking, coordination and task completion. On the social side
making alliances and trusting your fellow competitor to vote in a certain
way, may be felt as controlling and aggressive. With one million pounds
at stake the pressure intensified as each new day dawned. Performance
stress showed in the group. Mistakes happened and tempers flared. Satisfying
hunger and shelter are basic survival needs which can override everything
else. Generally, the mind and body will act to survive by any means
possible.
Rivalry
for leadership takes many disguises and sometimes being weak can be
a useful weapon to get other people's support - Charlotte managed this
in the later stages of the competition. Sometimes this wears a bit thin
and people may become resentful; feeling they are being put upon.
Telling
tales is a way of learning about other people's behavior. In contention
for the winning place, manipulation,
in any form, is a very powerful weapon. Often people are unaware of
the effect they are having on others or that they are being manipulated.
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