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Can’t stop thinking about how Earl, Jeremy, and Wendell were three of the most likable, rootable Survivor winners in 40 seasons, and yet, the producers chose to underserve their game and favor their lighter skinned male counterparts in the edit.
When Earl won with one of the most dominant and essentially perfect games in the history of the show, Jeff was publicly dismissive of the season and Earl was not given the same opportunities as other winners (something he talked about on the black voices RHAP round table).
Yau Man is great, but he was edited as the hero of the season, even though his gameplay (especially with the car deal) could be incredibly manipulative. But the show made Dreamz (& Earl & Cassandra, to a lesser extent) look like the bad guys for not handing him the money.
Jeremy also played one of the most perfect and dominant games, against one of the most stacked casts, and yet, the edit focused so much on Spencer’s journey in learning how to have feelings, that many casuals were outraged when blue collar, family man Jeremy won.
And, while I’m sure the fact that a lot of casuals are at least subconsciously somewhat racist didn’t help, the edit certainly played a part in their perception of who was deserving.
Wendell probably got the worst edit of the three, and speaking from experience, it was so incredibly undeserved. Not only were so many elements of his game omitted, but outside of a couple prejury nuggets, he was under-edited, and his character was not well represented.
He is one of the most kind, generous, fun, and infectiously positive people, but he was entirely overshadowed by Dom in the edit, to the point where everyone thought Dom would win, and was pissed when he lost. Both are awesome guys and strong players, but the edit favored Dom.
Their edits don’t look *that* bad in isolation, but, when you compare them to the edits of winners like Ethan, Tom, and JT, I think it’s obvious that there’s a discrepancy and I don’t think it’s a coincidence.
I don’t even think it’s intentional, since all three have been invited back since (and tbh there have been a lot more mistakes in story structure on the show from 30-40) but that’s all the more reason to call attention to it.
All three men played masterful games while being incredibly likable and playing as honorable as one can in a game like Survivor. But the edit did not reflect that like it did with white male winners like Ethan, Tom, and JT (or even Cochran, although he’s obvi in a diff archetype)
And that’s not even getting into how Vecepia, Dreamz, Cassandra, Tasha, and Laurel were portrayed and (epspecially in V’s case), mistreated post-game. Because that is a disgusting can of worms that would make this thread 10X longer.
Having winners who are perceived as likable and “deserving” is good for the brand. They seem to know that when they have white male winners who fit the bill, but squander the opportunity when it’s the same character type, but a black man winning, it’s not treated the same.
Seeing the way Davie was edited in 35 did give me hope (especially when every casual I knew told me he was their favorite), but I just really hope that production is continuing to learn and put in work, bc casting a few more BIPOC is not enough.
As I tweeted last night, the cast is always 50% women, unless there’s a last minute drop out. Women have equal representation, but over time it’s gotten even harder for them to excel and gain respect as players, and that’s because of the choices production has made.
Look at how Kellee was treated. Read any of Stephanie from GI’s posts about her experience on the show. Look at the number of recent female winners vs zero vote finalists in recent seasons.
The show treats women very poorly and has reshaped the narrative so that traditionally female styles of play are viewed as unworthy, and voting for someone you really like over the person who played the flashiest or ~best strategic game~ makes you a bad, bitter juror.
It is a good thing that CBS is committing to casting more BIPOC but it does not in any way, shape, or form solve the problem. And the lack of accountability or acknowledgement of wrongdoing from Jeff and co deeply concerns me.
There’s so much more that I could say, but this thread is already way too long and I’ll be shocked if more than five people read it, so I’m gonna force myself to leave it at that lmao.
Ok one more thing— I know this would probably be conceived by some as nitpicking, since these three were edited positively as a whole, but the different treatment makes a huge difference, and is so easy to miss if you’re not looking closely, so it has to be called out.
For me, it took actually getting to know one of the players to notice because I loved Earl and Jeremy so much that I wasn’t as affected by the edit, and didn’t realize that my perspective wasn’t universal.
I know most people would think Wendell received a good edit in 36, but IMO it wasn’t good enough. Seeing him win was like seeing a modern version of Ethan winning and they didn’t do a good job of conveying that bc they’re not good at telling black stories tbh.
And it is especially bothersome knowing how passionate Wendell is about being a positive influence for black children, and seeing how they completely threw him under the bus in 40. It’s abhorrent and I don’t believe they would EVER do that to Ethan.
And the fact that a racist conspiracy theorist like Joe Anglim will be protected and made into a fan favorite at all costs, when someone like Wendell who is the nicest person ever will be made to look like an actual bad person in real life for drama is unacceptable.
Like if they made Wendell look like a villain in the game, fine. Stupid, but fine. But they gave him nothing but the Michele storyline that was strictly her bad mouthing who he is outside the game. His edit wasn’t her fault and I know she’s sorry now but it still sucks.
I know I’m like a broken record with this stuff, but it is so frustrating and terrifying seeing how black and brown men on the show unjustly get labeled as an asshole/arrogant/aggressive/threatening/scary by white female fans and players and seeing how few people care.
Seeing Parv get NO backlash when Wendell spoke up about how she repeatedly called him “aggressive” on the island, and why that’s a problem. And having people agreeing with her when I speak out on it. It’s so scary.
I call it out every time I see or hear it, but I know that it’s not enough. Black and brown men are not inherently threatening or scary and that attitude gets innocent black men killed all the time. And that knowledge weighs on me every day.
I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like to see it happen to your son, your brother, your husband, your dad, your best friend. Seeing people portray them as a threat knowing they wouldn’t harm a fly. Or to be the one it’s happening to. The pain is unimaginable.
There is still so much racism in the hearts of so many Americans, whether it’s malicious or subconscious. And we cannot let up on having these conversations until hearts and minds are changed. Because Black Lives Matter. Enough is enough. It’s time for change.
If you’re white & you consider yourself to be an ally to BLM, but your activism begins & ends with mourning and demanding justice for the dead, then I’m sorry, but in my opinion that is not enough. We have to put in the work to change the attitudes that get black people killed.
