Representing on Reality TV: Survivor Finale
Every challenge counts at this stage, and all four Survivors need to try as hard as they can. Last Thursday, we became nervous about Denise because she wouldn't finish the chicken fetus in the Immunity Challenge, and it looked like she was losing energy. As for Courtney Yates, the Suffolk grad, she couldn't possibly have energy because her arms could have been used to pick food out from between host Jeff Probst's teeth.
The Reward Challenge involved building a bridge with planks and solving a puzzle to gain comfort food, like pizza and brownies. It didn't help that Jeff Probst kept taunting the Survivors with the words "pizza … beer … brownies … soft drinks." Amanda won the challenge and invited Meow Mix--whoops, Todd--to dine with her so they could talk strategy. Courtney and Denise returned to camp, chatting and laying about. Courtney seemed nice to Denise … to her face.
More recap after the jump, including what's happened to Denise after the show and why Courtney is the winner of the "biggest bitch in reality tv" award.
Then the Immunity Challenge came around, and the finalists had to balance a stack of plates on a stick. Denise really started to flag and tried to cut a deal with Amanda in the middle of the challenge. To Amanda's credit, she told Denise that she'd better keep trying, but Amanda still won.
Back at camp, Denise played her last card--the sympathy card. And she played it hard. She told Amanda, "I'm not gonna have much after this…. This is all I got." She adds, "I'm gonna go back to making seven dollars an hour working as the lunch lady, doing the same things day after day, like I've been doing." It was almost too much, but Denise could have played the sympathy card earlier.
While Denise and Amanda talk, Courtney and Todd are strategizing, and Courtney drops a bomb about why she doesn't want to lose to Denise: "Are you kidding me? This isn't, like, welfare. Like, she doesn't deserve it just 'cause, you know, she sucks at life. [pause] I'm the biggest bitch on the planet."
Note to Courtney: Yes, sweetheart. You are.
Courtney Yates may not be the biggest bitch on the planet, but she is the biggest bitch on reality television. Congratulations. That's an achievement. You know, Bostonist likes rooting for the locals--or those with local connections--and we'd like to root for her, but damn. For a little person, what a bitchy comment!
And Denise got voted out. The vote wasn't a surprise. Denise was flagging, but Courtney did not need to verbally kick the lunch lady who makes $7 an hour in the face.
The final three, Amanda, Todd, and Courtney, then get the unique pleasure of justifying why they should get the million and facing the rage of the jury. Courtney says she's "proud of herself": "You have to give a little credit to the little girl who everyone thought would be gone in the first six days and who is still here on Day 39."
The time with the jury got interesting when Jamie asked the players to air their dirty laundry. Amanda said that Courtney didn't deserve to be there because she was a whiner.
But it got even better when Denise faced down those who voted her out. She showed a surprising amount of spark when she told them, "I'm glad you all can look me in the eye. That's nice." She reams Amanda and Todd for being liars, and she reserves her nicest words for Courtney, saying she respects her. She even voted for Courtney. She'll wish she didn't do that when she hears what Courtney said about her. What a nasty, nasty way to find out what another person thinks of you.
Then it goes to the live show, with the players looking well-fed and glossy. Amanda was probably regretting lying to Denise because she was quickly taken out of it. Then it was announced that Todd won Survivor: China.
Denise got to talk at the reunion and was proudly sporting her mullet. Probst asked her why she didn't switch over to an alliance with Peih-Gee and Erik, and she said that she figured she'd be at the bottom anyway.
Probst talked about how Courtney might hold the record for one-liners, but she took it way too far when talking about Denise. We'll give her a pass on the joke about Denise's mullet and the USA hockey team, but "this isn't welfare" wasn't funny--it was mean.
Then it came up that her boss didn't give her lunch-lady job back. Her bosses said the kids would be "too distracted," and now she is working as a janitor at the school and doesn't get home until late. She said, "If anybody out there is looking for a lunch lady, give me a call." (Here's hoping she gets calls for much better jobs after tonight!)
One commenter on Television Without Pity immediately posted, "I smell baaaad publicity a-comin' for a certain Boston-area school district." They'd better brace themselves.
Probst then brought up the comment that Denise "sucked at life." Courtney said she regretted what she said, and Denise said there were no hard feelings. That's mighty nice of Denise, but an apology more than Courtney should have gotten. Then Probst brought up the hair, and Denise finally explained why she has the mullet. She said she had the mullet because she had to keep her hair short for working in the cafeteria: "I still want to be a woman. I still want to make my husband happy and make him think that I am a girl."
Good for Denise for a) forgiving Courtney and b) being so positive about her job situation. So, "certain Boston-area school district," it's time to rethink your decision. On the bright side, Survivor producer Mark Burnett said that he was going to give Denise $50,000. Sometimes things work out after all.
Original article source: http://bostonist.com/2007/12/16/representing_on_16.php
