SURVIVOR 39: ISLAND OF THE IDOLS premieres Sept. 25, 2019

[L&Lfan]

Varner says the cast is rallying around Dan and the reason the reunion is being taped is because the cast planned to speak up for Dan. He says the show’s explanation of what happened that led to Dan’s elimination was “100% BS”.

 

[JaxDad]

Interesting. I wonder if there will be some legal action, whether this is true or not. The contestants certainly must sign some pretty extensive waivers to go on the show, but I’m sure a competent lawyer could come up with something, even if just to get a settlement, and especially since it was an interaction with a CBS employee that ultimately got him eliminated. He could argue that elimination not only cost him a chance at $1M, but also loss of revenue, as I’m sure his business will suffer as well. Heck, throw in pain and suffering too.

Personally, I think he is at fault, based on the (edited) footage that was aired and the consistent complaints from the other contestants. But I could definitely see him feeling he was the victim. It’s pretty easy nowadays.

 

[wgeo]

Interesting. I wonder if there will be some legal action, whether this is true or not. The contestants certainly must sign some pretty extensive waivers to go on the show, but I’m sure a competent lawyer could come up with something, even if just to get a settlement, and especially since it was an interaction with a CBS employee that ultimately got him eliminated. He could argue that elimination not only cost him a chance at $1M, but also loss of revenue, as I’m sure his business will suffer as well. Heck, throw in pain and suffering too.

Personally, I think he is at fault, based on the (edited) footage that was aired and the consistent complaints from the other contestants. But I could definitely see him feeling he was the victim. It’s pretty easy nowadays.

In today's world I would almost just expect a lawsuit as a given, unless the contracts they sign with CBS to play are that comprehensive. But I don't think anything that Varner has to say should be believed, he's just not credible.

 

[mnrose]

The contracts they sign are ginormous. I'm very very certain that they provide CBS the right to pull someone from the game, in their sole discretion, for a good reason, a bad reason, or no reason at all. And, the right to "edit" the show any darn way they please. It's a risk you take in signing up for a reality show. With the literally hundreds of hours of video they have per show, edited down to about 48 minutes, they can make anyone look any old way they want. It's a STORY. They are telling and selling a STORY. Just like up above people wondering why everyone was targeting Karishma when she was the perfect goat to take to the end....at least on what we were shown. They told us a story about Karishma....is it accurate? Hard to say really. While Dan could certainly try to sue (people sue over really dumb things sometimes), I give his lawsuit 0% chance of working. Potential liability to contestants is something those CBS lawyers have figured out six ways from Sunday. Now, that would not stop Dan from suing a fellow competitor....but he wasn't pulled from the game because of his interactions with a competitor, but with a CBS employee. Too bad Dan....and for the record, he's a little creepy from the video they've shown. And, I definitely think he stepped over a line with Kellee.

 

[CynBeth]

I just watched it and as unusual say how dumb they are. The women could have banded together to get Tommy out and then Dean. I can’t believe they all thought they would be taken to final 3 and would actually win against them.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

The contracts they sign are ginormous. I'm very very certain that they provide CBS the right to pull someone from the game, in their sole discretion, for a good reason, a bad reason, or no reason at all. And, the right to "edit" the show any darn way they please. It's a risk you take in signing up for a reality show. With the literally hundreds of hours of video they have per show, edited down to about 48 minutes, they can make anyone look any old way they want. It's a STORY. They are telling and selling a STORY. Just like up above people wondering why everyone was targeting Karishma when she was the perfect goat to take to the end....at least on what we were shown. They told us a story about Karishma....is it accurate? Hard to say really. While Dan could certainly try to sue (people sue over really dumb things sometimes), I give his lawsuit 0% chance of working. Potential liability to contestants is something those CBS lawyers have figured out six ways from Sunday. Now, that would not stop Dan from suing a fellow competitor....but he wasn't pulled from the game because of his interactions with a competitor, but with a CBS employee. Too bad Dan....and for the record, he's a little creepy from the video they've shown. And, I definitely think he stepped over a line with Kellee.

I don't agree. If Dan is completely innocent, and for the sake of argument, let's say he is. I feel that for some reason this season wanted to make a statement about Me Too, going all the way back to a very early tribal counsel when Jamal mentions an all girls alliance, and Kellie cuts in to say it is sexist to talk about alliances as all females, since nobody ever refers to a men's alliance as all men. The conversation took on a serious tone as they discussed the issues of Me Too. That was forshadowing.
Back to Dan. If he is innocent, then regardless of any contract he signed with the show, he would have a lawsuit. Defamation of character would top the list. Preventing him from potentially winning a million dollars would be another. Survivor is a game show that awards prizes, so they have to abide by the laws set for game shows. The biggest one of those laws are they cannot do anything to influence or help anyone win or prevent anyone from winning. IMO, Survivor walks a thin line with possibly telling people where to find HI idols, but the editing done for the viewers can't influence the game because we see it after the winner has been chosen by the players. If they wanted to edit the rest of the season to make the viewers think Dan was a creep, he could potentially sue for the defamation of character. Especially given the career he is in. Now, if they wanted to go one step further and pull him from the game to make the message seem more important, and he is innocent, oooohhhhh boy I would love to be the lawyer to hook up with Dan.

If Dan did what they say he did, then Survivor did the right thing. If he is innocent and Survivor ruined this guy's reputation to advance a propaganda, then their lawyers better be ready to write Dan a huge check.

 

[wgeo]

I don't agree. If Dan is completely innocent, and for the sake of argument, let's say he is. I feel that for some reason this season wanted to make a statement about Me Too, going all the way back to a very early tribal counsel when Jamal mentions an all girls alliance, and Kellie cuts in to say it is sexist to talk about alliances as all females, since nobody ever refers to a men's alliance as all men. The conversation took on a serious tone as they discussed the issues of Me Too. That was forshadowing.
Back to Dan. If he is innocent, then regardless of any contract he signed with the show, he would have a lawsuit. Defamation of character would top the list. Preventing him from potentially winning a million dollars would be another. Survivor is a game show that awards prizes, so they have to abide by the laws set for game shows. The biggest one of those laws are they cannot do anything to influence or help anyone win or prevent anyone from winning. IMO, Survivor walks a thin line with possibly telling people where to find HI idols, but the editing done for the viewers can't influence the game because we see it after the winner has been chosen by the players. If they wanted to edit the rest of the season to make the viewers think Dan was a creep, he could potentially sue for the defamation of character. Especially given the career he is in. Now, if they wanted to go one step further and pull him from the game to make the message seem more important, and he is innocent, oooohhhhh boy I would love to be the lawyer to hook up with Dan.

If Dan did what they say he did, then Survivor did the right thing. If he is innocent and Survivor ruined this guy's reputation to advance a propaganda, then their lawyers better be ready to write Dan a huge check.

I feel like you could have a point here except the "foreshadowing" argument falls apart. Dan touching Kellee inappropriately and being asked to stop happened on the very first episode - so the discussions of the girls alliance that happened later cannot be foreshadowing. Dan had already offended females at that point. Dan's issues happened from the very first day of the show and they have video evidence to support themselves.

I am quite certain that they edited things to give them a big dramatic narrative, and that actually bothers me but it is a moot point. The video is rather clear at what Dan did (and assuming CBS is telling the truth and he was asked to stop both by contestants and producers) the fact that he continued to act in a way that made other people uncomfortable is inexcusable.

On a different note - I really do think that the contracts they sign say that CBS can edit the show anyway they want, they can make you the villain or the hero and so I doubt Dan has any leg to stand on that says - they "edited" me to look bad - I would imagine the contract covers that.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I feel like you could have a point here except the "foreshadowing" argument falls apart. Dan touching Kellee inappropriately and being asked to stop happened on the very first episode - so the discussions of the girls alliance that happened later cannot be foreshadowing. Dan had already offended females at that point. Dan's issues happened from the very first day of the show and they have video evidence to support themselves.

I am quite certain that they edited things to give them a big dramatic narrative, and that actually bothers me but it is a moot point. The video is rather clear at what Dan did (and assuming CBS is telling the truth and he was asked to stop both by contestants and producers) the fact that he continued to act in a way that made other people uncomfortable is inexcusable.

On a different note - I really do think that the contracts they sign say that CBS can edit the show anyway they want, they can make you the villain or the hero and so I doubt Dan has any leg to stand on that says - they "edited" me to look bad - I would imagine the contract covers that.

I was not aware that the inappropriate touching happened on the 1st episode, the episode that called it out came well into the game. I must have missed that. I do feel though, if Dan is innocent, this goes way beyond editing to make someone a villain. Contestants have been complaining about that for years, and you are right, there is nothing they can do about it, unless it affected their ability to win the money. But like I said, since the editing is done for us viewers and the players are seeing the person for who they really are, the editing does not affect the outcome of the game. REMOVING someone from the game, editing to make it look like he is a sexual predator is beyond editing. His real life will be affected by this. Based on the video evidence, I do not think Dan is innocent. So these claims that his fellow contestants want to defend him makes no sense. The question we all have, is why did they not remove him from the game the moment Kellie had her tearful one-on-one interview with the producer? He even offered to do something about it. IMO, they should not have asked Kellie's permission. If any contestant feels uncomfortable by the actions of another contestant, and he is asked to stop and doesn't, he's gone.

 

[lovin'fl]

First we have to believe the story that the show is telling us. IE: above says that Dan was touching Kellee before the foreshadowing talk about me too...well that's how they showed but what if the Kellee stuff was after? We don;t know how the show cut and pasted things.

Also, either show has lawsuit with Dan in that they slandered him...OR...they have lawsuit with the staff member he supposedly touched that got him the boot (we weren't SHOWN that so who knows what really went down). But, if true that he touched inappropriately, that staff member can sue because they (the producers) knew, from Kellee, that Dan was a groper (right? According to the show's edit). So if they booted him when the first grope was done then the staff member would not have also become a 'victim'.

Personally, I think (just my opinion and I even hesitate to say, but this is my gut feeling) that only Kellee really had an issue with Dan. I think he was a touchy feely type but I don't think there was any ill intent. I also think the rest of the cast liked him pretty well. He seemed to be an integral part of the big alliance. I think the merge led to Kellee and Missy talking and Missy thinking Kellee was playing her so she 'played along' and that just fed the fire so to speak (got Kellee all worked up and alert to Dan and his touching). I just get this feeling that the whole cast has been blindsided by this edit about Dan. They truly seem clueless about it all. So I wonder how 'inappropriate' Dan really was. I feel like the show exploited the situation, like Dr Phil, for it's own agenda (to be relevant and woke...to get ratings...I mean they began day 1 with the Jamal convos like the doorag thing and all). And them booting him, I have to wonder if they were afraid he was going to win (thus cause a firestorm with fans who had been 'shown' the edit as Dan was a perv). So the show were worried he might win and they watched for any little thing they could boot him for?? All just my opinion and thoughts only. But they likely will have some law suit on their hands...Dan or even Kellee or the staff member. I mean Kellee could say she wasn't protected and/or her game (and possibly winning) was harmed by what all went down in regards to Dan???

 

[wgeo]

I was not aware that the inappropriate touching happened on the 1st episode, the episode that called it out came well into the game. I must have missed that. I do feel though, if Dan is innocent, this goes way beyond editing to make someone a villain. Contestants have been complaining about that for years, and you are right, there is nothing they can do about it, unless it affected their ability to win the money. But like I said, since the editing is done for us viewers and the players are seeing the person for who they really are, the editing does not affect the outcome of the game. REMOVING someone from the game, editing to make it look like he is a sexual predator is beyond editing. His real life will be affected by this. Based on the video evidence, I do not think Dan is innocent. So these claims that his fellow contestants want to defend him makes no sense. The question we all have, is why did they not remove him from the game the moment Kellie had her tearful one-on-one interview with the producer? He even offered to do something about it. IMO, they should not have asked Kellie's permission. If any contestant feels uncomfortable by the actions of another contestant, and he is asked to stop and doesn't, he's gone.

I can't get the video clip from the first episode because cbs isn't good about letting people stream old episodes. But here is the recap written up in Entertainment Weekly of the that episode
"Dan is not feeling what Jason is up to, but he’s feeling pretty much everyone else at camp — literally! I don’t know if Handsy McGee over here is running for president of the Vokai tribe so is doing his best Joe Biden impersonation, or if he is just naturally a very touchy-feely kind of guy. “He makes me feel a little bit uncomfortable,” says Kellee. “His lack of spatial awareness, for me being a germaphobe, but also for me being a girl… I don’t want your sweaty body on me, at all.” It’s not just Kellee either. Molly is also a bit skeezed out by the fact that “Dan does not know personal space.”

Before things can reach Ted vs. Ghandia levels, Kellee brings her concerns to Dan and tells him that he is a total pervert. Well, not exactly, but she does express that his tactile obsession is making her uncomfortable. Good for her. And good for Dan for seeming to take the feedback in stride, not getting defensive, an at least talking about adapting his behavior. That conversation easily could have gone south really fast."

Clearly the recap author is trying to make jokes, but the point is that Dan was specifically asked to not touch people in the very first episode and he continued to do so, that is not right.

I haven't enjoyed this season, and I'm not sure if producers took advantage of this situation in an attempt to get more ratings, or if they just got suckered by a bad season too and tried to make of it what they could. Regardless he should have been removed from the game sooner. Doesn't matter if some contestants still liked him, doesn't matter if he was "naturally touchy feely" you don't get to have that right to touch other people, especially after they've asked you to stop.

 

[mnrose]

Exactly. We need to stop making excuses for men who invade the personal space of women, especially when it involves touching them. JUST STOP. It's not that hard. And, I'm tired of the old "he didn't mean anything" excuse. Egads. It's (almost) 2020. Stop acting like it's 1980 and you don't "know" that it's wrong. I was giving lectures on this to businesses in 1988. I'm sick to death that it is STILL happening.

 

[piglet1979]

Personally, I think (just my opinion and I even hesitate to say, but this is my gut feeling) that only Kellee really had an issue with Dan. I think he was a touchy feely type but I don't think there was any ill intent. I also think the rest of the cast liked him pretty well. He seemed to be an integral part of the big alliance. I think the merge led to Kellee and Missy talking and Missy thinking Kellee was playing her so she 'played along' and that just fed the fire so to speak. I just get this feeling that the whole cast has been blindsided by this edit about Dan. They truly seem clueless about it all. I feel like the show exploited the situation, like Dr Phil, for it's own agenda (to be relevant and woke...to get ratings). And them booting him, I have to wonder if they were afraid he was going to win (thus cause a firestorm with fans) and they watched for any little thing they could boot him for?? All just my opinion and thoughts only. But they likely will have some law suit on their hands...Dan or even Kellee or the staff member. I mean Kellee could say she wasn't protected and/or her game was harmed by what all went down in regards to Dan???

I agree with you and I hesitated as well to say something. I do not think (for me personally) that what he was (or what we were shown) was wrong. He is a touchy feelly guy. He was not touching anyone in inappropriate ways. However he did cross the line when he continued being touchy feelly with Kellee after she asked him to stop. I also think that if Kellee had such a big issue with it when asked for him to be removed she should have agreed. Also, production should not have left that up to her. From what we were shown I think there are many wrongs on several sides and until we know the full story it is (all sides) it is hard to know truly what went on.

 

[gometros]

This was in this weekend's New York Times
‘Survivor’ Removes Player Accused of Inappropriate Touching https://nyti.ms/2PFZGpQ

 

[starvenger]

I agree with you and I hesitated as well to say something. I do not think (for me personally) that what he was (or what we were shown) was wrong. He is a touchy feelly guy. He was not touching anyone in inappropriate ways. However he did cross the line when he continued being touchy feelly with Kellee after she asked him to stop.

For me, it's somewhat similar. The issue at hand is that Dan did not see the touching as inappropriate, but Kellee did. And if you've been told to stop, it doesn't matter if your perception of the touching is that it's harmless. You need to stop. Dan didn't.

I also think that if Kellee had such a big issue with it when asked for him to be removed she should have agreed. Also, production should not have left that up to her. From what we were shown I think there are many wrongs on several sides and until we know the full story it is (all sides) it is hard to know truly what went on.

I think we've seen enough real life stories where people will not report issues or press charges or similar because they're afraid of repercussions. This, unfortunately, doesn't seem that much different, except that Kellee and Dan were also competing for a million dollars.

In a vacuum, reporting Dan is a no brainer. But then you start thinking about how this will be perceived in the game, how you'll be perceived once you get back to the real world, what happens if production considers it fine for Dan to continue playing, and things aren't so clear anymore.

 

[pxidst119]

Once Dan was told to stop and didn’t, he crossed the line. I’ve been kinda torn about whether it should have all been included in the show because it did affect the game. However, I think that the show could have handled this off camera. As a family, we have discussed Me Too many times but there are many families watching with much younger children than my own. There’s a lot at stake in the real world to attempt to vet it out in a few short minutes during the show.

 

[L&Lfan]

I wanted Dean to win but I can live with his getting second place. Glad Noura got zero votes. The interview with Kellee, imo, was a bust. I’m hearing too many things that make me question what really happened with Dan’s removal. Glad Elaine got 100k from Sia. Even though I dislike Carishma’s personality, when she’s glammed up, she’s quite a lovely woman. Rob’s 4 daughters are adorable. Looking forward to season 40 which I hear begins on February 12. Go Parvati!

 

[declansdad]

I wanted Dean to win but I can live with his getting second place. Glad Noura got zero votes. The interview with Kellee, imo, was a bust. I’m hearing too many things that make me question what really happened with Dan’s removal. Glad Elaine got 100k from Sia. Even though I dislike Carishma’s personality, when she’s glammed up, she’s quite a lovely woman. Rob’s 4 daughters are adorable. Looking forward to season 40 which I hear begins on February 12. Go Parvati!

I was good with Tommy winning, he played the entire game. I think Dean was good in the end but for the first three quarters of the game he was just being brought along and not voted out because he was a good choice to sit next to in the end. Noura getting no votes was excellent and it was great to see her realize she was getting no votes at that last tribal.

I agree with the Kellee interview but I think that would have been amazingly difficult for her to do. I didn't like the fact that JP glossed over what Missy and Elizabeth did. They should have been held accountable for what they did as well.

 

[mnrose]

Given who the final three were, I was good with Tommy winning. He was the "most tolerable" of that grouping to me, which isn't saying much. LOL.

 

[wgeo]

What a bust of a season. Really hoping 40 is much much better.

 

[lovin'fl]

What a bust of a season. Really hoping 40 is much much better.

This.