Survivor

When looking at the game of Survivor, it’s always interesting to see who ends up forming an alliance with whom and more importantly, who they ultimately decide to pair up with to take to the end. What’s even more interesting is that more often than note, a female player will always choose a male before choosing a fellow female. Here’s the thing about the women of Survivor refusing to team up with each other. Let’s look at some facts. Out of 16 seasons of Survivor, there have been only 3 where 2 women have sat next to each other in the finale. There have only been 2 seasons where a woman has successfully formed an alliance with a man that has paid off for her in the end. In season 2, Tina Wesson won over Colby Donaldson and in All-Stars, Amber Brkich won over Rob Mariano (though, in that case, they basically both won).

With history working against them, you would think that the female players would wise up and team up with each other. Then again, women on reality shows are typically unable to get along and work together to achieve a common goal. Take The Bachelor, America’s Next Top Model, and The Real World as examples. There is something about teaming up with a man in the game of Survivor that makes most women (not all, most) feel comfortable.

I get it. First of all, it’s lonely out there and can even be scary at times. You’re removed from your family and friends, you’re cut off from the rest of the world, you’re hungry, you’re cold, you’re uncomfortable. What’s better than a warm body to cozy up to at night? There are so few comforts in the game of Survivor that it’s almost understandable. In order to get ahead in the game, one obviously has to be physically strong. If a female aligns herself with a strong male player, he can either take their tribe far early on or win individual immunities late in the game that could save both of them. However, the point is, that when a male has sat next to a female in the final tribal council, he usually walks away with the million, not her. A man has won over a woman 8 times over the years.

Can an all female alliance make it to the end of Micronesia? Considering that Amanda and Ozzy are still an item to this day, it doesn’t seem that she will be willing to turn on him. This could either take them to the end or make them targets in the coming weeks. By the way, if they both make it to the finale, he’s winning. Natalie really has no choice but to stick with Jason right now, as this is still very much a game of fans vs. favorites. With the numbers against them, it seems they’ll be sitting on the jury soon enough. Parvati has hinted at ditching James in favor of teaming up with some of the other women. If she can pull it off, it will be the smartest thing she’s ever done and maybe even win her that million.


- Gina Scarpa, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of CBS)