Hello babyboys and babygirls,

I tell you what, this week brought an interesting mix to the island. It is my first time watching the survivor show and i was wondering how the dynamic would change as time went on. I do not know the process or the formula, but i did figure that all these rural characters displayed in the show would have  outrageous stories to tell.

Through out the pilgrimage to earn 1 million dollars, i was excite dot see the two groups merge together and the way they would react to the competition. I feel that i am a bit confused with what will happen to the merged group, but i do know that the way they were communicating compares directly to the book.

Where to start? Non verbals will do. The characters have so many different facial expressions. The first character (and he really is just that) that began to use non verbals is keith.  He is the older man who is the fire captain, if i had to guess his middle name is cletus or jebediah, but that is all speculation. What i can say is he was moping around like his parents forgot his tenth birthday. He is a bit sensitive and it comes through in the character that he plays.  Once he saw that a couple of members had voted him gone, he looked as if he couldn’t bare the pain.  Get around it, old boy.

I also noticed  the contempt that came from the lost trail mix. It is funny to think that something of that nature would be such an issue, but because of the characters on the show i began to understand. Resentment bred and it looked like the situation could go out of hand. I think that this could be considered mob mentality and to relate to the book, group think.

On to the next one!

I am finally beginning to enjoy the idea of reality TV and why Americans enjoy watching real people do real things. Next stop is watching the Kardashians show, well as soon is there is enough time. Thanks Group Comm!

All jokes aside, The more i learn about group communication and the more survivor i watch, the more the two intertwine.  It is also interesting to find out that a majority of the communication skills that we have seen in the show thus far is a poor use of these skills. We see conflicts that are not taken care of properly. We see the weak group skills and the lack (or often the overzealous) leadership, as well as the function of passive group members and the way that they often hold back the success of the group.

We have seen conflict styles of the group and the often avoidance of conflict by members. It is exciting to wonder how this will play out for those who choose to avoid conflict. Firstly it is because they hope to remain well liked, but it also leads other members of the group to believe that they are overly passive and lack control.

The main communication element that was relevant in this group is listening, or to be more specific hearing. We see in that hunahpu tribe that there is a lot of talking going on and while they all hear each other. There is very little cognitive focus going on, and most of the members of the group are listening in order to respond. They pay for this with there food. They should have taken the class, maybe they could organize and lead there groups better.

As a first time viewer of survivor, or reality TV in general. I am just beginning to understand how the game works and why it can be entertaining.

The first thing that struck me about the episode was Dale ( i believe that is his name) discussing his position within his group and evaluating his personal game. He feels that if he does not gain some trust from the group, that he will definitely be the next to go. It is exciting to see the inner workings of his game and view his hidden agenda.

Also i enjoyed to see Drew be kicked off the show and the way he played his game, i was not at all surprised. In the last episode and the beginning of this one we watch him trying to command his group. Even pulling an ignorant argument when he attempts to return the flynt that they had previously lost.

We see him sleeping at the beginning of the show and being a resented member of the group.While he may be athletic, confident, and capable. We see that he is overly confident and makes the rest of his group uncomfortable. It makes me wonder whether he was kicked off early because they feel he could win the overall game, or because they purely do not like him.

Slowly the members of the show are dwindling down and i am looking forward to seeing the overall strategy of the show change. I have not watched survivor previously but i imagine the game will be a lot different when there is only a couple members left.
May the best man or woman win

The story continues to be as dramatic as can be considering we have a group of people on a island being followed around by a camera crew. We find out that for the first time someone has been kicked off the show, and it is one of the twin sisters. It is an interesting thing to watch the communication between the twins and it made me wonder of what will go on with the remaining twin through out the show.

We then watch another separation among the couples when John is sent to exile island and leaves his girlfriend behind.  This seems to be the most interesting theme in the show that with every person who is kicked off, their close partner remains. The comings and goings and the character development is just beginning so it is a bit much to keep track of, however i imagine as the people are voted off the island it will become easier.

The first need we see of the characters related to the book is the need for affection. It seems that the smart players are using this more than anyone. They give people false affection in order to play the game. We also see a need for control from the stronger personalities on the island. While this is beneficial up until now, i could see that when the Hanapu tribe loses a challenge (and they will), it could become a issue among the group.

We also get to see the different roles of the people in groups, some being very group oriented and the others being more self centered. While they all would like to take home the initial prize, i believe we are just beginning to see the strategy of all the different characters.

Having never watched the survivor show, i went in with an open mind and a meek curiosity. I don’t much enjoy watching tv, but i figured the show must be important if it is required for our class.  Truthfully, the show didn’t interest me much. However, i think we would be hard pressed to see more of the communication theories we have learned in action. The fact that the show has the theme Blood vs. Water makes it even more interesting. When the couples were first separated, it made me think of the change it would have on the show. Would the couples form a secret cohesion? or would they truly combat each other?

Moving forward, the most interesting part of the show to me was watching John and Jeremy team up to protect their wives.  Then watching the lies and deceit that follow. Understanding that this is just a game makes it easy, but if this was a real life situation (and life can often be compared to just a game), it would make them terrible people. I found it funny to see the two faced actions of the characters when we see their actions, followed by their one-on-one interviews.

Just a short two episodes in, i am just getting a hang of the show and starting to understand how each character plays the game. I have also found it fun to make my assumptions of who may win, what characters are strong and which are weak. I do realize that while the battle in episode two relied heavily on physical strength, that the game is likely more mental than anything.  Nomatter what happens, I am sure that cast of this show will do whatever it takes to win the prize money. May the best win.