Are the contests fixed???

[calvinoyler]

I have enjoying watching survivor like the rest of us, but I have seen some things that need an explanation. In the last survivor (I don't remember names) the contest was down to the last three people including the former fighter pilot. The contest was to advance and then stand on a styrofoam raft for 30 seconds. The rafts were all the same size in each station (which was getting progressively smaller) which is where the problem lies. The two men weighed about 180 lbs each and the woman was maybe 110 lbs. The woman had a distinct advantage over the men because the rafts would be unable to hold their weight as easily. This sounds like fixing the outcome of the event. True the woman could have fallen off, but like when you have one player on a football team missing points on purpose, there is a decided advantage for the woman to win. Put it another way, three contestants and the contest involves going through a hole in a fence that is 16 inches in diameter. A very small person will win over regular sized people. To me that means the outcome is weighed in favor on one person over another and is not a true contest. Does anyone really believe that the two teams completely changed sides except for Rob and Amber. It was fun, but it wasn't fair!
New show divided by race. What if the decision is made that one team is looking bad and show a contest is designed to favor one team over another. That is not the contest that I want to see. Having scanned the teams I would think that the team to beat will be the asian team. I hate saying that because they are Americans, but this concept will force us to take sides.

[Diva]

I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. All the challenges favor someone more than the other as no 2 people or 2 tribes are alike. The idea is to get a balance of different types of challenges. Like last year, they screwed up royally in my opinion...almost ALL the challenges favored those physically dominant. So to see the final challenge possibly favor someone other than Terry made me smile (too bad he depended on challenges to win the game..hehe) Survivor is not about being the most physically fit. So I hope this season, they mix it up more....physical, puzzles, memory, etc.

As for picking sides..isn't that the fun part of watching the show? Picking your favorite and cheering someone on. My favorite usually changes at least 5 times within the season

[Lazer]

Hi Cal,

I also wonder if the contests are chosen in a biased way. I watched the first few Survivor shows and then stopped watching them because of that feeling.

I hope this one is different but became suspicious when I saw that the male/female ratio of the teams was different. The winners of the first contest, the Asian and Hispanic teams, had a 3/2 ratio. Since physical superiority was the prime factor in winning, these two groups came in first and second.

As I mentioned, I have missed most of the Survivor programs so I don't know if the winner has ever been an Asian or Hispanic person. If not, the 3/2 ratio could be an attempt to make that happen.

Hope I'm wrong. I'll still enjoy the series though.

Cheers!

[calvinoyler]

Originally Posted by Lazer

Hi Cal,

I also wonder if the contests are chosen in a biased way. I watched the first few Survivor shows and then stopped watching them because of that feeling.

I hope this one is different but became suspicious when I saw that the male/female ratio of the teams was different. The winners of the first contest, the Asian and Hispanic teams, had a 3/2 ratio. Since physical superiority was the prime factor in winning, these two groups came in first and second.

As I mentioned, I have missed most of the Survivor programs so I don't know if the winner has ever been an Asian or Hispanic person. If not, the 3/2 ratio could be an attempt to make that happen.

Hope I'm wrong. I'll still enjoy the series though.

Cheers!

A woman won a couple of seasons ago when Rupert was playing. She was an ethnic Puerto Rican and she won because of intelligence and savvy.

[calvinoyler]

Originally Posted by Diva

I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. All the challenges favor someone more than the other as no 2 people or 2 tribes are alike. The idea is to get a balance of different types of challenges. Like last year, they screwed up royally in my opinion...almost ALL the challenges favored those physically dominant. So to see the final challenge possibly favor someone other than Terry made me smile (too bad he depended on challenges to win the game..hehe) Survivor is not about being the most physically fit. So I hope this season, they mix it up more....physical, puzzles, memory, etc.

As for picking sides..isn't that the fun part of watching the show? Picking your favorite and cheering someone on. My favorite usually changes at least 5 times within the season

In the contest where Terry lost they (the contestants) had to balance on a float of styrofoam for length of time to move on to the next float. The floats got progressively smaller. Being a math and physics type of person, I know that styrofoam has a certain amount of bouancy for it's volume. For the sake of argument let us say that the last float they jumped on was only able to maintain 150 lbs maximum. That mean that a person (man or woman) who weighed less than 150 lbs had a chance to win. Anyone over that wieght had no chance to win. That means that the two men had no chance to win and that it was up to the woman to lose. She could have also failed to stand up, but the physical factors were in her favor. The men could not win and she could! When a professional athlete is caught shaving points in a professional game then it is called cheating. It does not mean that the game will be decided by the shaving (other athletes may win the game anyway) but it unfairly increases the chances that one team will win. If this contests were published ahead of time and the selection of each contest will left to chance then I won't mind so much, but the way the show is now the producers can affect the outcome by deciding what kind of contest and when that contest will be played. In effect, cheating!!! Why not have contest where a rope is suspended nine feet in the air? Because only the tall contestants have any chance of winning and it would be an obvious way to eliminate someone who is short and not helping ratings.

[Lazer]

Hi Cal,

I agree that there is a weakness in the Survivor program whereby the contests can be arranged in a way to effect a certain outcome.

I would suggest that the contests should be randomly selected by the contestants. For example, say there are a total of 10 contests. On the first episode, the viewers can see a brief summary of each contest along with its corresponding number (1-10 in this case). The next contest will then be selected randomly (maybe a dart board scheme) by one member. This would eliminate the possibility that the producers of the show could select a contest that would favor a certain tribe or individual. Each successive contest would be done in the same way. Obviously the selection would not be done immediately before the contest but perhaps a day or two ahead.

It might even be a good idea for the contestants to see the details of the contest when the viewers do. It would provide the contestants an opportunity to discuss their strategies and therefore make the show a little more interesting.

Cheers!

[turboguy]

Let me get this straight -- the brainiac asians get the puzzles done first, while the stupid nigs can't even put together their boat and you're asking if the contests are FIXED? You can't get any more real life than that!!

As long as none of the challenges involve capital murder or black-on-anyone crime, their tribe will be going to the first 5 tribal councils.

[Lazer]

Hi Turboguy,

Don't be bashful, tell us exactly how you feel, no holds barred.

The truth is, in the past, competitions look like they were planned to influence the outcome in favor of certain players.

I know it's early in the game, but who do you think is going to win? I'll give you my opinion after seeing yours.

Cheers!

[calvinoyler]

In an unbiased contest, I would pick the asian team. They have brains, physical fitness, and Cowboy. He is the Rupert/Rudy character.

[turboguy]

You've got to love Cowboy! He could be a good outside shot, except the previews of next week show him not too popular with his own tribe. It would be great to be in the same tribe as him -- he doesn't take anything too seriously.

As for a winner, I think it will be between Adam Gentry and Yul Kwon....but you are right...it is too early too really make a call...