Aren’t social dynamics fascinating? I’m guessing that a lot of you watching the show this season are enjoying Shambo. And why not? She’s got a great sense of humor and a great head of hair. So why does Galu dislike her so much?
Here’s my take. I think it comes down to the unpredictable nature of human interaction… social dynamics. You put a group of people together and natural relationships begin to form. Some people quickly connect, others not so much. But give it a few days and the tribe itself begins to form a personality.
As a tribe, Galu is a young, fit, hip group of people who are all feeling very good about themselves at this point in the game. They’re like the popular kids in high school. Really cool. In fact, at times, they’re too cool for school or in this case Survivor.
The odd person out is Shambo. For starters, her mullet hairstyle is older than most of her tribemates and the way she acts and speaks just throws everybody off. She’s former military, rides a motorcycle, is constantly excited by what the game throws at her… there is nothing about Shambo that fits in with Galu.
Trust me, if anybody from the Galu tribe is reading this right now they are screaming at me “You didn’t show how annoying she was! What a menace she was around camp!”
Oh, relax.
They can scream all they want, I remain committed to my thesis. I think if you put Shambo with a different group of people, say … Foa Foa… she would blossom. I think Foa Foa as a group is more forgiving and accepting than Galu. Chill. It’s not a criticism, it’s just my armchair psychology flaring up again.
I could also argue that if you took Kelly from Galu and put her on Foa Foa she too might behave differently because she’s around different people. Maybe she’d be less coy, less flirtatious, overall just less attractive. Oh go ahead. Take a moment and write me back about how sexist I am. I know it’s coming.
Let me ask you, would it sound better if I inserted the word JOHN instead of Kelly? Take a look…
“I could also argue that if you took JOHN from Galu and put HIM on Foa Foa HE too might behave differently because HE’S around different people. Maybe HE’D be less coy, less flirtatious, overall just less attractive.”
Do you like that better? Let me know. But don’t say you wish I didn’t say anything about anybody or the way they look or talk or act. That’s why it’s a blog. It’s my opinion. I have to write about something other than simply regurgitating what happened in the episode, right?
Back to the point at hand… social dynamics.
The members of Foa Foa are a completely different lot. They’re like the kids who were transferred mid-school year from that “other school.” There is always a story associated with “those” kids and try as they might, “those” kids never really ever end up fitting in with the other kids. They’re the ones you look at in the year book and say, “Ohhh, yeah… I remember that kid.”
Shambo is just on the wrong tribe. But then again, sometimes having someone you don’t respect can turn into a good thing. Just ask Eric and John. They were more than eager to befriend Shambo for a moment so they could take advantage of her good will.
Shambo is so unaware of how to play Survivor that she’ll gladly share anything with anyone. Even the clues to the hidden immunity idol. The one thing that can keep you safe in the game and ole Shambo is giving it away.
Ah, Shambo.
I did enjoy the look on Eric’s face as he was this close to getting all the information to the location of the hidden immunity idol… when John approached…with the same idea.
Eric: Shambo, you give ME the clue. If I find the idol…I’ll give it to you if you need it.
What? No way. Who on earth would make such a deal? Oh, that’s right. Shambo would. Ah, Shambo.
Shambo’s sharing of the information made me love her even more. The way she struggled to remember all the clues…and got so excited when she remembered the last line…verbatim!
But the line that summed it all up for me was the last thing she said after giving John and Eric every bit of information she had in her head.
Shambo: “And if I get to the final jury… you guys better give me your vote… and if you don’t, bad on you. Gotta go!”
If Galu are the popular kids, and Foa Foa are the kids from that “other school”, then Shambo (and I say this with absolute love) is the kid who just kinda wanders to her own beat. Wears different clothes than everyone else, has an unusual hair cut, probably odd shoes as well. The kid that may not have a lot of other friends either.
The kid that (if you are honest) you find yourself laughing at and then when you get home you feel badly that you laughed because you realize that kid isn’t doing anything to hurt anyone. They’re just living. They’re just being themselves. Expressing themselves. And they’re probably more pure and more honest than you have ever been in your entire life.
Ah, Shambo. They should make a Bobblehead of you, and if they did it would outsell mine 100-1. I would buy the first 50 for myself. That’s how much I like you. (Yes, they made a Bobblehead of me, yes, you can buy it through CBS.com, and no, I do not make a single penny off of it.)
HOST-LESS CHALLENGE INSIGHT – We have talked about doing something like this for a long time. A challenge in which nobody is there. Nobody tells them anything. We just watch to see what they do. This was a major experiment. How would it work without having me there to moderate and oversee everything? And for the record, I wasn’t hiding in the bushes, “just in case.” When we commit, we commit. I was back in my tent reading an old copy of Rolling Stone. Poor Michael Jackson.
And as you saw, the host-less challenge worked so well CBS is probably figuring out how they can do a “Host –less Tribal Council” as well! Hope not. I have not yet paid off my mortgage.
What do you guys think of an occasional host-less challenge? Let me know.
Regardless, Dave Ball came through big time! I root for Dave Ball. I really do. I think he’s a guy with so much potential and I think Survivor was a big risk and a big adventure for a guy like him to undertake. I was happy to see him pull out the win for Galu.
ERIC GOES IDOL HUNTING – You gotta love it, right? That “black short wearing, long black sock sportin’ excitable, shoulda been Galu leader” now has the idol.
Once again, he who works hard is rewarded. I hope he doesn’t tell anybody. For once, would someone just hold onto the damn idol and not tell anybody you have it! I like Eric. I think he has a great attitude. A little aggressive at times, but it comes from being a true competitor. I think Eric would be a humble winner and a good sport if he loses. He’s also a loyal soldier for Russell.
SHAMBO CLUCKS – Okay, now wait a second. You guys hate Shambo, but you put her in charge of the most valuable asset you have? You put the crazy woman in charge of the chickens! You guys did it to yourself. You watched her “cluck” with the chickens and yet you still left her in charge. Of course she’s gonna lose a chicken. It’s in her nature. You should apologize to your tribe, Russell. You’re the man in charge, what gives? Shambo is the kid with the helmet. You can’t give her a responsibility like this and not expect to have some drama. For crying out loud.
Russell and Natalie – in the final? Possible for sure. Probable? No. Russell is actually starting to seem like a parody of himself. Every time he talks I see Mike Myers with his pinkie in the side of his mouth.
FOA FOA WINS! FOA FOA WINS! FOA FOA WINS! It’s about damn time. Now that was an exciting challenge. A great finish and yes, I had to remind myself, “If yellow does in fact win, their tribe name is Foa Foa.” How great was it to see Jaison screaming, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5!”
Finally we get a chance to go back to Galu’s camp and hang out a while.
INSIGHT: You’ve been screaming at me for weeks that our episodes have been focusing too much on Foa Foa and not enough on Galu. I totally get it. Let me explain why that has been happening. After a tribal council we always follow the story of the losing tribe because they are the ones going to tribal council and ultimately the climax of the show centers around the question, “Who will be voted out?” So since Galu had not yet lost we didn’t have the chance to get to know them. Now we do.
PERSONAL INSIGHT: Kids, if you’re reading this…DO NOT LISTEN to Yasmin. Sorry, Yasmin, but your justification for not doing anything around camp was embarrassing.
Yasmin’s approach to the game seemed to be to avoid doing anything. Her reason being that if you don’t do anything then nobody can blame you for doing anything…wrong. That doesn’t work. Not in life, not on Survivor.
You have to be willing to step up. It’s why you have to respect Russell and Mick for taking on the leadership role. Of course they’re targets. But they were elected and to date they have stood up and made decisions. And whadaya know, they’re both still in the game.
Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. But not being willing to contribute in all aspects of Survivor life is reason enough to get my vote.
Sorry Yasmin, I do love the shoes and the effort to look good at tribal council but it’s time for you to go. There is some good news… at least your body will get the rest you requested.
See you guys next week. Remember, it’s all in good fun.
Check out the deleted scene below and read Dalton Ross’s ‘Survivor’ TV Watch.
Comments (1-15) of 522 Add your comment
I’m not even done reading your post, but I have to post this:
I can’t believe you haven’t picked up that the large majority of viewers (or at least commentators on your blog) do NOT like Shambo.
I am one of those that does not like her! I’ll be so happy when she goes! I truly believe she should have been voted out tonight instead of Yaz (even though I dislike Yaz just as much as Shambo). At least Yaz was good in challenges, Shambo isn’t good ANYWHERE. I can’t believe they didn’t get rid of her tonight!
And I like Shambo… for all the reasons Jeff mentioned and then more. I always go for the underdog and her innocence certainly bothers some, but sometimes you have to look outside the box. Sometimes the stems of the flowers are just as beautiful as the flower itself. Give her a break… she’s “cute” in her own little way.
FAIL! lol! Shambo rocks and many viewers DO think so…
I agree, I really like Shambo
Agree! I love Shambo and find the yoga people annoying and entitled. Shambo is so cool!
I love her! She’s awesome and true to herself…. She works at camp, not like those other girls who lie around on the beach tanning and gossiping
i like shambo and bretts hot:P
who’s brett?
should have kept reading, cuz he said he knows alot of people dont like her…..
I actually like Shambo. She was actually entertaining. I guess she was just misunderstood. If she is such a wreck, why did Russell pick her to be part of the Reward Challenge?
I don’t like Yasmin with her “I am always angry attitude.” Logically, I would keep her since she gets stronger when she is angry, but in the long run nah I will still vote her off.
Who is hotter, Kelly or Natalie? Not as hot as Sydney Wheeler from Tocantins (I guess people already forgot her now). That is why I am hoping either stay longer in the game.
Shambo’s a bit of a mess, but she is a hoot, too.
Lisa, this is THE PERFECT description! I was groaning at some of her actions, yelling at the screen, I get totally fed up with her! Then I start to laugh – she always makes me laugh. She’s a messy hoot, a hooty mess. I’m surprised she wiggled out of being considered for the vote so fast, but I’m still glad she stayed. Frankly, they didn’t show it, but I’m pretty sure someone said something about at least she works hard. Russell sent her to the other camp, he took her to the reward challenge. He wasn’t happy with her there, but he chose her. And you know why they didn’t take away the chickens from her once she started clucking at them? Because a little part of these too-cool-for-school tribemates thought *maybe* she was onto something….until they saw she wasn’t. lol My favorite part? Shambo taking credit for the egg. lol lol
i havent read any other comment but yours, and have to reply….I LOVE LOVE LOVE Shambo!!! (and I don’t usually comment)
I agree. Fans clamor without end for more contestants like Shambo (who don’t look like models) and then when they get them they still complain. Shambo is one of a kind. Just be happy with what you’ve got.
Shambo is by far an interesting character…a bit clumsy in my opinion, but she is the closest thing to reality when it comes to these contestant. Im not saying that we all look and act like her, but the uniqueness in this character can be resembled to each player. <—not like these Californians.
..
Dont get me wrong though, i love monica and kelly…
but i like them because they're attractive….that's about it though.
AnonymooseBlog – Fail.
State your personal opinion and let everyone speak for themselves.
=)
*”the uniqueness in Shambo’s character can be resembled to each individual PERSON outside the game”*
is what i meant to say….not players.
A challenge without Jeff = Failure. What I want to know, is what was up with the bad editing job on Dave’s “winning” throw of the Bocce ball? I would have rather seen the suspense of Jeff measuring the closest two balls to the pole, than see a totally staged fake close-up of the final throw. (Oh, and Jaison lost some huge points IMO – he needs to stop complaining!!)
Oh.. and Jeff, you sound tired.. hope you are well.
Babies like Jaison spend their WHOLE LIVES whining. Oh its so hard out here. Oh I’m cold. Oh I resent white men…
Robert S, we get it. You’re a racist. No need to keep posting to emphasize the point.
Trust me, black me do not sit around resenting or worrying about white men. It is a myth dough dough.
hmmm, is mis-spelling also a myth?
Right along with superfluous hyphens?
Never ever leave us alone with these crazy survivors again! Jeff, the show can’t run by itself. We need you as the glue to hold it together! Oh, and who is Kelly?
Exactly my thought on both points! Who IS this Kelly? Don’t have enough strength to look her up on site. Prob. wouldn’t matter anyway. They obviously haven’t given her any solo camera time so I prob. wouldn’t be able to associate her picture with a personality.
Jeff, I LOVED the host-less challenge. I think the hostless thing is fantastic… it might have been the challenge itself that was a little lacking. I like Dalton’s idea… Find Jeff Probst.
she’s probably friends with that “brett” someone mentioned earlier. are they actually on the show? i don’t think i’ve seen either one.
There is one girl in the opening credits who I absolutely don’t recognize. Not only don’t I recognize her, but I don’t remember her by the next week where I sit amazed (again!) watching the opening credits, wondering who that girl is. I can’t even go look her up, because her name *poofs* out of my brain just that fast.
Please Jeff, no more Jeffless challenges…you’re the reason I watch Survivor, I love your smart a$$ comments and those dimples when you smile are just too cute. The challenges are no fun to watch without your running commentary and off the wall comments so please don’t do that again…by the way does the bobble head have the dimples?
Ah yes, the dimples.
Yeah… and you will experiment yourself right out of a job. No more jeffless challenges please. Like riding a bike with no wheels. SHEESH!
I gotta have my Jeff dimple fix! But if you try it again try a multiple level challenge not Bocce Ball. sheesh!
I totally disagree. I love Jeff but I can get by without him for one RC. That challenge posed such a moral dilemma. Do you follow the rules if no one’s watching? I’m amazed everyone did, and I kind of want to see what would happen with a different group.
Jeff, your risking your emmy chances for next year..
I think the challenge without you was interesting in concept, with a little more devious plotting on your game people’s side – it could have been even more interesting to watch. With the directions less clear? I guess I am really interested in the human nature side of all of this.
Having said that – I am a big fan of just how fun and handsome you are – you just can’t be that cute in person.
PS. I think Shambo is the lovable geek, I work with teens and love the underdogs.
-Jeff, please never do a host-less challenge again! Without you around it just get’s boring! We need the commentary and excitement that comes from a real host!
-And yes, Yaz had the worst camp life strategy I ever heard! The second she said that we all knew it would come back and bite her in the ass.
-I literally have no idea who a few of the Galu members are. There was that one white dude who you talked to at tribal council who was sitting next to Yaz, and I had to do a double take when I first saw him on the beach. I could have sworn he was someone new and we had never seen him before!
-I love that both Idols have been found this way, but I wish they were harder to find! I loved that one season when the idols were out in the open on the tribe name signs. That kind of intrigue definitely adds some excitement, especially if we are shown where the idol is near the beginning of the season so we can scream at the contestants when they are within spitting distance but cannot find it!
-I really hope the Idols get used this time, and soon. Too many times the Idols have been kept in the pockets of players as they get voted out!
Too many times? Has an idol EVER been successfully played? I think the only idols ever played were the fake ones. I could be wrong… but
Amanda played the idol perfectly in ASS2. She and her ally maneuvered everyone into voting for Amanda so only their votes counted. When she whipped the idol out and twirled it around her finger, I screamed with laughter (and I was not an Amanda fan).
ASS2. Heh.
Yau-Man did it just after the Car Challenge in Fiji.
Off the top of my head, i’m thinking of Amanda in fans v favorites.
I liked it when Sugar used it to save Matty. Pissed me off when he didn’t vote for her in the end.
I didn’t know who that guy was either! Still don’t know his name. I like Dalton’s take on him in his article. He said Jeff was probably sneaking him into the game during the reward challenge.
No more Jeff-less challenges ever again. I must have missed where the Host-less challenge worked so well. If you had been present, I believe it would have only been slightly less boring. Without you…it was just boring.
Regarding Yaz having the worst camp life strategy, I don’t for a second buy that it was an actual “strategy.” That’s just her excuse to personally justify being lazy, period. Not wanting to make an effort to cut your own coconut for the water? How could you possibly do that “wrong” and incur the wrath of your team over it? You can’t. She was just too lazy to do it. Or anything, apparently, except the actual challenges.
-You know, thinking about it, I like Foa Foa better so in that sense I would like to see them loose so we can spend more time at their camp!
-Jeff, you guys should do that thing where you have the two separate tribes live at the same camp again. I love when you guys do that!
-Alright this is seriously my last comment for the night, I don’t want to take up too much space!
Jeff, your reverse psychology ploy about Russel H. and Natalie not being probable as the final two… i don’t think it’s working. You may have advertently just revealed our final two players.
I’ve just been reading your blogs since you started doing them and I can already tell when you’re making things just a little too obvious.
uh, what??
I loved the host-less challenge idea. I had no clue what was going to happen, and I wanted to find out. The fact that everyone played by the rules without a monitor is just as interesting as if they hadn’t. What I want to know is, why wouldn’t they have expected a tribal swap based on the note? No way would I have sent my best players!
Good theory! I could see Burnett stealing that idea in future editions.
I loved the idea of them just standing there and going all Lord of the Flies on us and flat out fighting each other for the food. No rules, no bocce, no notes from producers. Just a duel to the finish!
THAT would have been interesting.
I was thinking Lord of the Flies, too, and it was interesting/fun to watch unfold. I’d like to see more challenges sans referee…but future contestants won’t be as confused as the ones last night. That confusion re: no Jeff, was a big part of what made it so fun to watch. As much as I often welcome Jeff’s comments during challenges, I welcome the silence, too. I think the contestants would prefer that once in a while, too.
I liked the fact Evil Russell was the first one to make a move. He is growing on me.
Have to give Evil Russole props for two-stepping so quickly on the line. Amazing really, considering his build. (Troll-like)
LOL @ Chelsey. “Considering his build. (Troll-like)” had me chuckling.
Henry. I totally agree with you. Acutally, for me it was the best challenge since Survivor Africa. I used to watch football, but got so sick of the commentator telling me what I was watching, as if I was too stupid to know for myself, that I quit watching, and never went back. I love Jeff, but not that much of him. Great challenge, and my fave, Dave pulled it off.
The camera was the monitor.
Yes, Henry thats what I thought too, and I also like the host-less challenge, I love how they just stood around and then all of a sudden everyone went for the chickens. And Very interesting that they played by the rules. I wouldn’t mind if they did those types of challenge’s every once in a while.
They knew it was not a swap because the clue said that when they return they may have some food for the tribe. So the tribe knew it was a challenge & not a swap.
I also enjoyed the host-less challenge, it was a nice change of pace and it was interesting how the players eventually played by the rules. It was fun for me to figure out what the challenge was along with the players. I wouldn’t want to see every challenge run this way, Jeff’s comments are too entertaining, but it’s a nice idea to do it occaisionally.
The idea of Jeff not giving instructions to the players at the beginning of the challenge may be an idea they could use in the future. He could supply the running commentary while the player are figuring it out.
When the tribes embarked on their “quest”, I was totally disappointed that it ended with a ball-toss game. When I heard “quest”, I was anticipating just that, a real, honest-to-goodness quest. I was expecting them to have to search for something in the jungle, at the very least. The only cool moment of the whole thing was watching them stare at each other for those few tense moments. The instructions for the ball-toss were the proverbial needle that popped the balloon. If you’re going to use a word like “quest”, then give us a quest already! So much build up, and then…nada.
Yeah I loved that bit, just the look on Russel’s face “well if you ain’t gonna do it… I’m gonna do it” and heads right to it. LOL @ Shambo “whoever catches the chicken gets the treasure chest.. haha!”. You’re lucky that wasn’t the case Shambo because we know YOU would’ve gone home empty handed! Okay I’m sorry Jeff, I won’t crack on The Amazing Shambo anymore… at least not until she loses her third food source ;p
Did you notice how Shambo carried that chicken around by the neck? Lol, I don’t think she knows too much about chickens. Poor chicken.
A day long scavenger hunt would be a very cool new challenge, trek throught he jungle, camp overnight. Mix it up a little.
I have a feeling that when it comes to the merge, Galu is going to have trouble. In the sense that, I think that the same thing that happened in Gabon and Tocantins is going to repeat in this season of Survivor, which is, one tribe did so poor in the beginning, but once they make it to merge they successfully dominating the previously glorious tribe. It’s going the be the same story, different location.
I think you may be right about that. The Galu tribe is a bit fractured as evidenced by last night’s vote and Shambo is a likely swing vote for Foa Foa. And Russel is tricky. Galu could go down in flames if they don’t gel into hard majority alliance soon.
FOA FOA! That’s my girl Ashley! “Screaming across that bridge” Nobody believes me but she’s gonna do something later on in the game, I can feel it. And if not, either way she’s great fun to look at.
>>>No more hostless challenges dude, you’re the king of commentary, one of my favourite moments in Survivor history is when Jonathan Penner (one of the best) told you to shut it and you kept going anyway. Dude we need you on the sidelines. That’s half the reason I watch the challenges.
>>>Russel and Natalie…interesting. Natalie’s been laying back in the cut and now we get to see a little more and I think there’s more to her than we think. Russel, as awesome as he is, may be underestimating her a little too much.
>>> I tried to roll with you on Shambo dude, just the name alone gets props from me, and I’ve grown to trust you while drinking my beer and yelling/cheering at the TV over the years and I was hoping she was gonna be the Lumberjack tina chick we never got to see… but I dunno. She’s a fishing expert who loses piece of the snorkel, and a country girl who loses her chickens. I hope this is one of those “I told you so” things that will all make us nod in unison as we finally understand later on the game….Aaaaah, NOW I see what Jeff was talking about.
>>> Dave Ball is gonna turn into one of my fav’s in a few episodes, I can tell. Nuff said.
I’m loving Dave too……..really.
At least we finally got to know Dave. The past couple episodes, when he’d pop into a shot, I kept wondering who he was and where he came from.
The host-less challenge was okay – but it would have been better if the challenge was get an object from A to B – that’s it. Something that is all objective, create fake obstacles and other red herrings that distract teams from the goal.
BTW what’s with Jaison AKA Osten Pt. II?
I presume he’s shuffling his deck of race cards, and getting ready to deal out another one.
Yeah seems like you just shuffled your IDIOT card and are playing it nicely. GO RACIST IDIOTS LIKE ROBERT S. You rule…… in Hell with Satan the Devil your Father. Anytime a minority stands up for their rights and protest against the CENTURIES of abuse the famous line of a racist (most likely white) is “They are playing the race card”. Cards wouldn’t have to played at all if all the racists in the world would just die. Do mankind a favor and exit 6 feet under. You are useless to our planet.
Robert, not everything is about race. Sometimes it’s just about the whining.
Fun2Watch, you need to dial it back a bit. You’re no help to your side of the equation when you go all histrionic like that. You made your point beautifully in your very first sentence; you should have left it there.
It’s only playing the race card if you accuse someone of racism who had only the best intentions, or try to get something extra for yourself. There was no way to take Ben’s comments other than racism. And where racism really exists it’s not manipulative to fight that, it’s heroic.
No more of these wimps and posers, get real fans of the show. Don’t recruit, use the applicants. No more quitters!!!
No more Jeffless challenges. And if survivor signs on past season 20…No Jeffless Survivor.
Shambo: It’s annoying to watch someone play so poorly…but if she can make it to the merge she could go far.
Jaison: He better not quit…and if he does I hope you let him have it.
Russell H: I don’t think he’s all that evil. I think he’s playing the game hard and will do whatever it takes to win. Villain or not, I’m rooting for him.
Russell S: It seemed like he might be letting this tribe leader thing get to his head…but then he did eventually vote with the tribe.
@Jim
Completely agree with you on Russell S. I wasn’t sure if anyone else noticed that being the tribe leader doesn’t make him any different from any other player.
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I noticed that FoaFoa didn’t get to send anyone to the Galu camp.
Me too. What is up with that?
Both HII were found so no clue to give. It should have tipped off the players that the HII’s had been found.
Good observation. . .
But Shambo went to observe Foa Foa when Evil Russell already had the hidden immunity idol. In past seasons, even when the idol was in someone’s possession they still gave people clues to go find it. That’s how the fake idols were born.
Good point but I don’t think that has anything to do with both HII being found. The Foa Foa was found before anyone was ever sent to their tribe to observe. No one observed Foa Foa after week 1’s loss so maybe it’s only after your first loss?
Yes both Yasmin & Shambo went to Foa Foa to observe them so it wasn’t just week 1.
the jeff-less exprement probley put a stop or hold
Do you think that means the hii won’t come into play now?
Hey good point! Duh me. Now its going to bother me. To keep the suspense of the game, they should still be giving out clues. How great would it be if someone realizes that it must have already been found after looking for it forever?
We missed you in that bocce challenge, Jeff!! NO MORE HOSTLESS challenge. You are the reason why Survivor is successful. You are the BEST Reality Host there is!!