Miss Survivor 2013: The Case for RC

Miss Survivor 2013: The Case for RC

Is there really a more obvious choice to be crowned Miss Survivor than RC Saint-Amour?

RC comes with a message of peace!!!

 

     All the anecdotal evidence that has amounted has certainly aligned itself with RC. Let’s take a moment to consider the straight facts. She’s beautiful. Talented. Smart. Athletic. And one hell of a Survivor player to boot. Any detective worth their salt would quickly be able to prove just how kismet the two notions of “RC” and “Miss Survivor” truly are.

Beautiful? Check.

Talented? Check.

Smart? Check.

Awesome personality? Check.

Imperishable smile? Check.

Whimsical? Check.

Fashion Icon? Check.

     Incidentally, she rarely likes to compare herself to other players. On the surface, she is the amalgamation of several dominant players of the past. Like Ozzy (Cook Islands), she is most comfortable surrounded by water, and one is left wondering how the make-up department did such a great job of covering over her gills. Like Amber (Australia), she has a pure, natural beauteous quality to her, that could never be robbed no matter the rainy downpours or the unsettling personalities around her. Like Eliza (Vanuatu), she also has a bubbly, spontaneous personality that electrifies your television as if it had just been struck by lightning. She is the real deal, people. Such dedicated alchemy obviously worked in her favor; she was born to compete. Competing is as essential to her genetic makeup than any other chromosome. And while her journey on Survivor didn’t quite end with the signing of a monolithic check, she still left the game with a great deal of grace and pride. With such attributes intact, it allowed her to thrive even greater in her next Survivor related competition: The quest to become Miss Survivor amongst the 2012 participants.

RC always comes prepared...

En route to the debate...thinking peaceful thoughts

Now arriving: The Belle of the Boulevard

     Reaching the final 3, RC is poised to compete against Chelsea Meissner and Kim Spradlin, who were both contestants on Survivor: One World. They cleverly dominated the season, manipulating the hapless Joe’s at every turn. They made as strong a duo as Survivor had seen in many years. Kim was the mastermind; Chelsea, her wry companion. The emphasis here, is that together, they’re dominant. Split them up and they become a clock who’s minute and hour hands are spinning in opposite directions. If they aren’t working together, than the whole façade falls apart (perhaps, this is why Kim so publicly endorsed Chelsea during her interview?). RC is singularly the whole package. She was the heart of the Tandang tribe during nearly every Immunity Challenge, which was a sparkling feat considering how otherwise dysfunctional the tribe was. RC never had a life vest, a luxury that Kim was afforded by having such a strong ally with Chelsea. RC was essentially ostracized by her tribe, and that’s when she truly started to shine. That’s when the television show went from being a reality competition into an ecclesiastical event. RC began to delve into her past, citing earlier events that changed her outlook of life, and we finally got to see who RC really was. A schemer creating an early alliance with Abi, Pete and Michal? Hardly. Like a cryptozoologist’s most miraculous of discoveries, RC became a mermaid, finding her paradise amongst the clapping waves. She looks so comfortable and safe, despite the eternal vastness that the ocean represents. But despite it’s ultimate lack of superficial security, the ocean can also represent a canvas of hope; a springboard for optimism when the land suddenly seems so solid and mundane. We get to see a fragile side of RC, and the fruition of her story from her bullied past into a this stunning, confident woman who has stared her adversity in the eyes. Like a punch-drunk boxer, refusing to settle in the corners, she encounters wave after wave and she still bobs back up like a personified buoy.

 

 

Further evidence citing RC's case:

 

Exhibit A: Breathtaking

Exhibit B: Playfulness

Exhibit C: Incandescent

Exhibit D: Exuberance

Exhibit E: Freebird

Exhibit F: Superabound

Exhibit G: Rainbowlicious

Exhibit H:My idea of heaven

 

 

     All pleonastic plundering aside, what I’m trying to get at, is that RC’s story is the personification of pageantry. RC’s tale is one about rising when your back is so pressed up against the wall that your flesh slinks into the pores of the adhering masonry. RC’s game was filled with highs and lows; nightmares with Jabberwocky’s that far outweighed the impromptu bathing receptacle used by Tarzan, or Troyzan’s grandstanding after winning an important challenge. RC was trapped in a fruitless alliance, filled with vindictive souls. She was stuck in a toxic camp with problems that’d make Maury Povich blush. She lobbied for the tribe. She tried to keep the lines of communication open amongst her tribe mates. But when Abi and Pete shunned her like she was the kid wearing the unfortunate Star Trek shirt at a Star Wars convention, RC’s fate had already been decided. Perhaps, had she been surrounded with more level-headed people who realized that early immunity wins were hardly the recipe for Survivor grandeur, it would have been her battling at the end for the immortal title of “Sole Survivor“. Kim and Chelsea’s journey just seems more hackneyed in retrospect to RC’s operatic crusade. Even when RC went to the jury, it became a celebration. Curious eyes always gazed over at the jury box; whether it was to check out her threads or watch her animated expressions that created an almost theatrical atmosphere to the tribal councils. And her exploits at Ponderosa were bombastic, always entertaining. Her long awaited rendezvous with Abi-Maria arguably made for better TV than the show where Abi was actually booted. RC deserved every flicker of light that the spotlight offered her.

Ready to dominate

Oh-oh-oh/The sweetest thing

Surveying the field

 

 

     Thinking back, RC probably deserves some sainthood cred for trying to soothe the flabbergastic personalities at Tandangville. And keeping in accordance to that theme, a very prepared RC unveiled her platform at her initial interview: Survivor peace. Daunting and perilous are two words that come to mind, instantly. Survivor, for all it’s ‘tightness’ as being a community of players, has had it’s fair collection of bitter rivalries. Kelly and Sue? Lex and Rob? Randy and Sugar? Russell and Brandon? Indeed, it is, for all intents and purposes, a game, but when you have really competitive people, it can sometimes carry relationships through the muck, even after the dust settles. What RC has proposed to do, is to create an environment that essentially disregards the jawing and sniping that can occur on various social media platforms (Twitter has long been a tautological temple for puerile preposterousness), and she wants to create a place where people can settle their beefs, and learn how to coexist for the sake of the overarching ‘family’.

I can hear Fergie singing: "Where is the love, the love, the love?"

What Evan & Jaron were thinking when they wrote the song "Crazy for this Girl"

Jovial...practicing what she preaches!!!

:D

 

     “Peace” is a concept of global proportions, and who better an ambassador to push this message than somebody who experienced such conflict and saw peace as the only rational resolution? RC is no stranger to this territory, as her problems with Abi were well documented, but she found a way to distance herself from the turmoil. RC was mistakenly prodded by Mr. Cesternino during the interview, when RC failed to name more ‘positive’ aspects about Pete and Abi, and offered a somewhat snarky jab at RC’s peace proposition. But just because RC is all in favor for a more peaceful community doesn’t mean that she has to kiss the asses of people she generally has no time for. There are several facets to the ‘peace umbrella’ and not all of them involve becoming BFF’s with your former adversary for the sake of the concept. I think the point is here, that RC has gotten over her anger with these people to the point where she can coexist with them, and be civil with them. One can argue the sentiments all day, but what really counts is that she’s trying this positive approach, and trying to bestow it upon other potential feuding parties. Her push for civility is admirable indeed, and she should not (under any circumstance) be doctored style points because she couldn’t applaud people who royally screwed her over.

 

A retrospective look at RC's potential peaceful influence...

Bringing unity at the first Thanksgiving, 1621

Casual attire at the treaty of Versailles, 1919

Modeling for the future at the Seneca Falls convention, 1848

The real reason that Elton John and Eminem played nice, 2001

More contemporary, adding a peaceful outlook to the Kardashian/Humphries divorce, 2012

 

 

 

...Because the Montague's and Capulet's were never going to deal otherwise, in Verona

 

 

 

Who needs a ring to stomp Sauron when you have RC???

 

 

 

 

The heart of Pandora 

     RC obviously cares very deeply about this pageant, as the pillaring zeitgeist of evidence affords us with. She has rallied her soldiers to vote often, while also giving a lot of credit to her competitors (who are both very capable contestants for this pageant). RC makes this pageant more interesting because she is kind of a ‘wild card’, going up against the bonded Kim and Chelsea. I anticipate RC to be feisty at the eventual colloquium, and it’ll make for a more robust competition. Cause let’s be honest here: Watching Kim and Chelsea pingpong compliments back and forth is like watching an episode of Pretty Little Liars where all the girls get along and are wearing friendship bracelets: It just makes for disenchanting TV. So that’s where I hope that RC’s preparation and willingness to embrace the title will come in. Her unbridled enthusiasm and passion will ultimately make her a capable corival in this grand coliseum that Mr. Cesternino has orchestrated . RC’s world was never enhanced with a billboard-sized check for a million bucks, but hopefully, it can be filled with tiara’s and sashes and all the other regalia and decorations that go with the title of Miss Survivor.

 

 

So excited, she can hardly watch!!!

 

 

 

Replace Jeff with Rob, Replace Turkey Idol with tiara

     The debate once again proved RC’s dedication to her campaign, and she flourished triumphantly. Indeed, her competition is fierce; Kim’s hypnotic charm and Chelsea’s saccharine sweetness creates a formidable duo, but in the end, it was RC who stuck to her guns the greatest, championing her campaign and offering heartfelt explanations on the issues she believed in. Who wouldn’t want to see Russell stroll through Bourbon St. sporting a sporty pink blazer? And her choice to block Abi may have been unpopular, but it was sound. Abi’s legion’s attempt to cauterize a campaign in the eleventh hour was similar to Abi’s overall strategy: Just a day behind. For the sanctity of the competition, Abi’s circus was the last thing needed for Miss Survivor 2013. So that leaves us with the vote…Like RC’s aforementioned choice of literature, The Giving Tree, it is almost symbolic to recognize her own efforts as representation of such a tree, as she has been an absolutely delightful resource to the Survivor community. And rather than sap her (no pun intended) of all her resources, let us, rather, honor her with the rewarding title of Miss Survivor 2013.

...And as always, RC=Right Choice!!!

We all have our fingers crossed, RC!!

 

 

 

Lionel the Llama says:

No spitting today...But please visit VOTE FOR RC!!!

 

 

 

Episode 3: A Game of Rice

    

 

Episode 3: A Game of Rice

 

 

      Food is short at Tandangville, and tempers flare when an impromptu decision made during a reward challenge leads to a forfeit that rubs several tenants aversely. And it’s an exploitation of just how divided this tribe actually is. Offering his usual bite-sized doses of sagacity, ornery Artis mentions how the “tribe” hadn’t made a decision when referring to “Ricegate”, and that Mike was acting on his own inhibitions. But isn’t an individualistic mindset the very notion that one can conjure after watching numerous examples of the Tandang camp life? There’s precious little to ever be jolly about, and while many pervious tribes have been shown having a grand ol’ time, things are seemingly very cool in Tandangville. I’ve seen Randy Bailey smile more than I’ve seen grins on the respective members of Tandang when they are forced to coexist in a tiny little petri dish somewhere in the Philippines. Hell, a new member is ushered onto their tribe, and rather than becoming the outsider-looking-in, Malcolm becomes a potential leader. But what makes the Tandangians unique is their ability to excel when push comes to shove, and the Wooden Turkey Idol is on the line. 

 

 

Only idol I've ever been tempted to bid on on eBay

 

     Quite simply, the whole scenario is one giant microcosm of what happens to a tribe that was splintering from the beginning, and can be written off as another example of a tribe divided. On Survivor: Redemption Island, once Russell was voted out, Stephanie and Krista were pretty much reduced to simplified replicants of their former selves. In Survivor: Africa, the Samburu tribe was easily fractured from the beginning with a massive gender gap that forced Lindsey and company to exist as a tribe-in-a-tribe. A glue stick and rubber cement both act as adhesives, but nobody wants to be that kid at the science fair grimacing when his papers fall off his corrugated cardboard display because of improper adhesiveness. Not every tribe can end up as cohesive as Westman’s Koror bunch, and you would think that Tandang is one giant sticky note waiting to fall off the fridge, but their competitiveness might be their ultimate glue. One could say that they have an advantage going into the merge. While many lovey-dovey tribes are eventually forced to turn on and each other and render former friends pseudo-enemies (is Kelly still waiting from that olive branch from Sue Hawk?), Tandang already exists on a very individual level; which is exactly the point of Survivor post merge.

 

 

The timeless arbitrator

 

     Artis claims they are a tribe “plus one”. Any outsider tuning in would assume that Malcolm is the personification of Artis’s mathematical postulation, but he was actually referring to Mike. Malcolm comes in and is treated like a boss from day one. If Tandang was a close group, the idea of somebody infiltrating their unity would be disastrous, but Malcolm’s instant acceptance is one of the many signs that point to the tribe’s overall inflatable community. 

 

 

From new kid in town to new king in town...

 

 

     Mike’s decision was ultimately a flawed one. If the survivor’s were all plants, than rice would represent the sunlight and water that would allow them to survive. Botanically speaking, that might sound about as sound as Mike’s theories on the nutritional advantages of eating raw rice (I’m not Dr. Atkins or anything, but I believe the outer coating of rice creates for poor digestion in humans), but it’s a fairly accurate assessment of the game. Remember in Survivor: Australia when Jeff Probst offered some of the players rice because it had become fairly obvious that they may not of made it otherwise (Probst coolly took their shelter as compensation). Well, rice has been one of the great constants in the show, and it acts as sort of a soothsayer to the stomachs of those who fear emaciation and the prospects of starvation. Mike’s sudden deal was flawed for a couple of reasons though. Number one: it was done without complete agreement from his tribe. Clearly, the elastic on Artis’ birthday hat had snapped, because his vocal dissatisfaction of the move could be heard all the way at the Ponderosa. Such a voice of protest would have been enough to put the plan to a vote. Number two: There were no guarantees. You can’t trust Penner. You can trust him even less when his poker face is masked with mud and his head had spent the hour below a place where the sun rarely shines. You have zero idea how much rice they have at their disposal. Maybe they had similar problems with rations, and they had potentially less rice than Tandang. So while Mike’s heart was in the right place, it might have been a move that was more headstrong than headsmart. I suppose you could say that he was caught with mud on his face. 

 

 

 

Lisa looks so cutesy in the mud!

 

 

"Think they'll put this shot in the opening credits? Oh...yeah.  They stopped doing those..."

 

 

There comes an age when being called "Birthday Boy" isn't cute anymore.

 

The hat was obviously RC's idea!

 

     Onto RC. The last time we saw our heroine, she had turned to the sea to find refuge and relief. Sailors and swimmers alike have found inexpensive therapy in the open water for centuries, and one could clearly tell that RC was more at peace in the forgiving waters than she was around a tribe that had seemingly went out of it’s way to alienate her. The ocean never barked at her, reprimanded her, or planned to double-cross her. It was actually one of the most heartfelt moments on the show yet (I still enjoyed Russell’s soliloquy of psychoanalytical proportions to Denise as well), as RC attempted to separate herself from the rest of her tribe mates by showing genuine emotion without any such sacrosanct vindication. Her gorgeous serenade reminded us that these people are more normal than any of us superfans sometimes choose to believe.

 

All hail RC, Great Summoner of light!

 

     Clowns to the left of me/Jokers to the right/Here I am/Stuck in the middle with you, have surely been the lyrics playing in RC’s internal iPod ever since she realized the fraud that her alliance with Abi-Maria and Peter had become. And if costumes make a clown, than Abi-Marie deserves her own circus. Her opening strategy of using sex appeal has proved to be as sexy as a Kris Jenner nipslip, and her contributions at challenges prove that she’s about as competitive as table tennis matches in an old folks home (no offense, old ping-ponging peeps). And Pete, who is about as trustworthy as a department store mirror, becomes the “Joker“ in the Stealer‘s Wheel analogy. RC’s new plan consists of waiting for Abi-Maria to erupt like the vindictive volcano she honestly is. She’s playing a two-way game with Magic Mike, and in the history of two-way alliances, this one has potential. They’re a Malcolm/Lisa swing away from running this game, and it could very be Abi-Marie’s amateurish, naivety that could bite her in that unabashedly, much-ballyhooed derrière of hers. 

 

So long appetite... 

 

"Wonder what the brain trust is up to"

 

 

 

Hardcore strategizing

 

 

*Sigh

 

     RC has also become something of an expressionist during her tenure in Tandangville. She nails certain expressions that some actor’s spend years trying to perfect in front of their bathroom mirrors. From sheer exasperation to complete contention, RC’s penchant for magnificently manicured mannerisms has become one of the shining storylines of the year! Hey, if the rather stoic Sundra can get a cameo on Lost, then RC can surely carve a niche in the Silver Screen. Just sayin’…Let's take a quick look at some of her expressions:

Staring into oblivion...

 

 

Seriously?

 

 

Joshing

 

 

Here we go again...

 

 

My lips are sealed

 

 

Ennui

 

 

Determination

 

 

 

Bitch, please...

 

 

That's more like it!!! <3

 

 

     Back to game play, RC has limited options now, but she also has the potential to be an ambassador when a merge occurs. She’s the type of fringe player who is smart and savvy enough to find herself in a good position once the moniker of Tandangville is finally retired for good. For now, she’s still a strong part of Tandang’s dominance, and until Abi-Maria’s inevitable tempest, she just needs to lie low enough, and for her own benefit: far away from the toxic camp life and into the wistful waves of the ocean. I truly believe that RC has not yet begun to fight. 

 

Is this real life???

 

 

 

 

 

 

                              Lionel the Llama's Spit Award

Artis. Love the guy, but threatening to slap RC (joshing or not) is worth a couple of soaking servings of llama saliva. Son, I’m dissapoint