I would call Survivor a guilty pleasure, but I honestly don't feel guilty about it. It is the only "reality" show that I watch. I have watched it since the very first season that premiered almost exactly 25 years ago (you know when $1 million dollars was worth $1 million dollars). I'm still surprised they have not increased the prize money in all of those years. But they keep getting people willing to put their mind, spirit and body through some serious trials in a quest to win that $1 million prize. Winning $1 million today is like winning $540,000 back in 2000. Doesn't seem to have the same ring to it. But that is for later.
Today I want to talk about season 48, the current season of Survivor. The show has gone through some dramatic changes over the years. They no longer change location every season (it is always in Fiji now). They have shortened the adventure from 40 days to 26 days. And it appears the contestants have access to way more clothes. Before, players wore what they showed up in on the day the game started. But now it seems they have many different outfits.
The show also seems less brutal with less gross challenges (like eating half formed bird embryos), eyeballs, or giant slugs.
The biggest change seems to have taken place since Covid. It is almost as if the producers decided "There has been way too much misery and negativity in the real world, let's steer away from that negativity on the show." There have not been any real villains lately. Some people are annoying but they are almost never evil, or at least they are not edited to appear that way. And I am 100% for this change. I do not need to see people acting like complete jerks. I get to see that enough every time I drive on a highway. The game does not need that crutch. Even without an obvious bad guy, the physical challenges, relationships and strategic game play are enough to keep me interested.
But it seems they may have let the pendulum swing a little too far this season. It's not that the current cast aren't jerks, they are flat out huge-hearted, genuinely nice people (again or at least they are edited that way). They seem more interested in making friends rather than winning the prize. It would be like 16 strangers showing up to a poker tournament and being too worried about hurting someone's feelings to ever bluff or force them to push all their chips in the middle. It's like they want a 16 way tie.
Although I still love the show, it is not the game I have come to expect. There is absolutely no strategy involved. Nice people banded together and are sticking together to vote out other nice people who happen to be on a different team. I think I know why this has happened. None of the people on the show this season really need the money. The money is a luxury to pay for their kids college or to buy a house for their mom. But no one is going to suffer hardship back home if they don't win. There are teachers, lawyers, doctors, drug counselors, and fire fighters. None seem rich, but they aren't poor either. For them, the reward of feeling good about themselves and making life long friendships is more valuable than the $1 million dollars. Perhaps this also has to do with the fact that $1 million is no longer generational wealth like it was 25 years ago. And that is no complaint. It is actually a pleasant divergence from the more cutthroat seasons.
I wouldn't make this observation without a suggested solution. I think this is an easy fix. Just bump the prize money up to $2 million where it belongs after 25 years and I bet people will play harder to win it.
Or there is another possibility. All players receive some payment for being on the show. If they all buy Bitcoin with it, they can make lifelong friends and attain generational wealth.
Does anyone here still watch Survivor? What are your thoughts?