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Original Message
"Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by Andromeda on 05-16-05 at 09:29 AM
LAST EDITED ON 05-16-05 AT 10:57 AM (EST)

First things first: the reason why I'm posting this in the Fanatics forum is because I'd like this thread primarily to be an honest discussion about what happened to make Ian concede the game to Tom and Katie. I don't expect everyone to have only positive things to say about Ian; I welcome any civil criticism of this unprecedented move. However, if you feel inclined only to make mean-spirited comments about Ian's personality or character please take it over to Bashers because, well, that's why Bashers is there!

I think it would be useful to start with a brief summary of Ian's bio from the official Survivor website. He spent his summers in high school working as a camp counselor and also volunteered for an organization that helps children with mental and physical disabilities. He currently works as a dolphin trainer and dolphin-assisted therapist for children with disabilities. He is most proud of participating in Penn State's Dance Marathon, where he did not sit or sleep for 48 hours and helped raise $3 million for children with cancer. I just saw him on the Early Show and the guests he chose to take to New York were not his family, but a group of kids with cancer.

This paints a portrait of someone who is very concerned about the well-being of others. Someone who dedicates most of his time to charitable causes or working with disabled children would also, I imagine, be a sensitive and caring individual. True to form, his sensitivity came through loud and clear in the final days of his time on the island. With each passing day he became more and more consumed with his emotions and less focused on the fact that, in the end, Survivor is nothing but a game and one of the goals is to "outwit" the other players.

My initial reaction when I saw Ian drop out of the final immunity challenge was one of anger. Even though I actually expected him to do something to sacrifice his place in the final two for Katie, I still could not believe that someone would go so far into the game only to essentially drop out of the competition. The fact that he spent 12 hours clinging to that pole before he resigned was even more incredible. Despite having anticipated such a move on his part, I was very mad at him and was greatly disappointed with his decision.

The more I thought about it, though, the more the whole situation made me sad. I have actually now come to feel that the main reason Ian quit was because Tom and Katie gave him such a hard time in camp the day before. This is not to say that Tom should not have questioned Ian about plotting against him. When they all came back from Tribal Council and Tom was shocked that Ian was still there (after having tried to vote him out) it is completely understandable that he would be upset.

Still, the way things played out struck me as very unfair. Tom and Katie teamed up on Ian and essentially badgered him into feeling as if he had no other recourse but to quit in order to regain his honor. They really laid into him and they wouldn't let him get in so much as a word. Every time he tried to defend himself or explain his actions Katie and Tom would cut him off and go back to attacking his game and his character. I found it to be extremely hypocritical, especially on Katie's part. She had agreed to join him and vote off Tom had he lost the immunity challenge and here she was berating Ian! Tom wasn't much better; how dare he act as if he'd never broken his word or lied to anyone! Who is he to crucify Ian for trying to eliminate his biggest competition when he himself had schemed to vote off Gregg? They both knew that Ian was a sensitive guy and they both knew how such a two-fronted assault on him would make him feel. It seemed to me that they used Ian's emotional nature as a means to manipulate him into losing the desire to continue playing the game.

I don't think Ian slept very much (if at all) that night and so I'm sure he was physically and mentally drained even before he went into the final challenge. The lowest point for me, however, was Tom's response to Ian's offer to step out of the game. Tom could have been a good sport and responded with something along the lines of, "Ian, it means a lot to me that you would let me win immunity and ask me to take Katie to the final two. That really shows me that you're sorry about what happened and that you wish you had stayed loyal to me. Just the fact that you would do that proves to me that you're an honest guy so I'm not going to ask you to go through with it. Let's duke it out and may the best man win."

Of course, that's not what he said. I count his response to Ian's offer to be among one of the most manipulative and slimy moves ever made in Survivor. Tom told Ian that he could earn back his respect by stepping down. He basically insinuated that the only way Ian could ever prove to him that he was a decent person was by sacrificing himself to atone for his mistakes. What the hell was Tom thinking? I found his holier-than-thou response to be sickening. How dare Tom respond that way? How dare he act as if he had never behaved in a dishonorable or disloyal manner during the course of the game?


~*~Andromeda~*~

Table of contents
Messages in this discussion
"RE: Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by DonnaLynn on 05-16-05 at 09:50 AM
After Stephanie got voted off, Ian was my fave to win. I was flabbergasted after he got off that buoy. My husband and I couldn't believe it.

First of all, I didn't realize this until after it happened, but Katy was so mean. She was also extremely hypocrytical. I agree with you about how she tells Tom that Ian was going to vote him off next, when she was planning the same thing. I also forgot about the problems she had with the rest of the tribe. When it came down to her and Tom, she did NOTHING almost the entire game whereas Tom worked his butt off.

But back to Ian... My husband was yelling at the TV and thrilled because he didn't like Ian, but I was just upset. I really do think that he was so hurt by what was being said about him and how Tom and Katy were treating him that he felt at that point that that was the only way for them to "like" him again. It appears as though he really does have a big heart and really didn't like the situation he was in.

I still think that it should have been a showdown between the 2 guys, but all in all, that move showed what a big heart Ian has...

--Donna :~)

"RE: Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by Andromeda on 05-16-05 at 10:16 AM
LAST EDITED ON 05-16-05 AT 10:18 AM (EST)

Based on Ian's behavior last Thursday (when he was absolutely to pieces about Katie being angry at him) and on some of the things he had said in his confessionals I had been expecting him to step out of the game for Katie. Still, I was hoping up until the last moment that he wouldn't take himself out of the game; why had he had worked so hard and come so far only to give up his place to someone else?

I can imagine how you felt about your husband yelling at the TV. I had gone over to my parents' house last night to watch Survivor with my dad (he's the only Survivor fan I know!) and when Ian started crying after Katie and Tom attacked him my dad started laughing. He pointed at the TV and said, "Look at him, he's bawling like a baby! What a wuss!" ...Except he didn't say "wuss", but you get the idea. Then he said, "I have to see that again!" and he rewound on the DVR just so he could gain further pleasure from Ian's suffering. I got upset with him and told him to stop it. I was so disappointed when he dropped out of the final challenge because I really wanted him to win.

Katie was extremely mean. I will not go into details here about how much I dislike her because I disdain her so much at this point that any comments I have about her only belong in Bashers. One thing I can say here, though, is that perhaps the meanest and most selfish thing she did was to ignore Ian's sacrifice. Katie didn't say one word about what Ian had done for her, not one word! She wasn't even gracious enough to acknowledge his actions at the final tribal council! She makes me sick.

Ian does have a big heart, but he really allowed himself to be used. It makes me sad. As you said, he didn't like the situation he was in, but why was it really so terrible? Tom and Katie had deceived people, too; why was he the "bad guy"? I think that he spent 12 hours clinging to a pole and contemplating his actions, only to come to the conclusion that he was "evil" and needed to "redeem" himself. He said something at some point about not wanting to "be the villain", which really gave me a window into what he was thinking. I honestly believe that he had convinced himself that Tom was the "hero" and he was the "enemy" and that what he had done was the dirtiest thing in the history of Survivor. I think that he was convinced that unless he did something to regain his honor he was going to get a worse edit than Johnny Fairplay.


~*~Andromeda~*~

"RE: Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by DonnaLynn on 05-16-05 at 10:29 AM

>perhaps the meanest and most
>selfish thing she did was
>to ignore Ian's sacrifice. Katie
>didn't say one word about
>what Ian had done for
>her, not one word! She
>wasn't even gracious enough to
>acknowledge his actions at the
>final tribal council! She makes
>me sick.
>

Boy, I hadn't thought about that! You're right! Katy didn't thank Ian or anything. I think she knew that she could manipulate him and preyed on his good nature to get to him. That must be why he ended up not voting for her in the end...

--Donna :~)

"RE: Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by okaychatt on 05-16-05 at 06:04 PM
<That must be why he ended up not voting for her in the end...

Given that he sacrificed a million dollars just to gain Tom's respect back, his vote was a given.


Everyone is entitled to my opinion.

"RE: Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by calamityc on 05-16-05 at 10:24 AM
I would love to have seen Ian and Tom as final two, I think it would have been closer for the jury. I think Ian clung on so long to prove jumping off wasn't a sign of weakness. But I don't think his jumping off was as much about Tom as it was about KATIE. He wanted to basically hand her 100,000. The question is why? If Tom has now seen the season, he knows that Katie brought up his name many more times than Ian did. I also think Tom would have hung on til he mummified if necessary, so perhaps Ian thought he had already won a car and the money for third place, so he just wanted Katie to come out financially better off?
"RE: Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by bostonrobfan on 05-16-05 at 10:31 AM
I don't think Tom was mean at all. I think he was justifiably hurt and angry that Ian was plotting to vote him off.
"RE: Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by colleenwannabe on 05-16-05 at 05:32 PM
So, Tom went into the game expecting everyone to see how wonderful he was. Once they saw that, how could they vote for him? He is so wonderful. Perfect, really.

When Tom walks down the street, people should bow and scuttle out of the way.

When I play Monopoly, I do expect to pay the rent if I land on a space with Hotels. When I play chess, I expect my pawn to be taken off the board if it gets in the way of my opponent's queen.

The only thing Ian did wrong is listen to guilt. He didn't have to feel guilty for playing the game. He is nothing to Tom. Tom is nothing to him. Survivor is not a game for gentleman's agreements, unless you use them to produce guilt in your opponent.

Tom didn't do anything wrong in the game either. He is free to use guilt in order to win. But, I hope he realizes that that is what he did. He wasn't a better man than Ian, he was a better player.

That was fun to say. Tom is a player. Tom is a player. And Ian fell for it.

"RE: Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by bostonrobfan on 05-18-05 at 11:04 AM
Wasn't Ian hurt when Katie knocked him out of that game? Come on! They all get hurt. They get attached to people and feel betrayed. Ian, Katie, and Tom made a pact to stick together. Ian went on and on about how Tom was like a father figure to him. Tom wasn't all that hurt and surprised by Katie's betrayal, but the way he and Ian had been, it hurt Tom when he heard Ian was going back on his word, which apparently meant so much to him.
"RE: Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by adricharlie on 05-16-05 at 10:38 AM
I was thinking the same thing especially in regards to Katie. I didn't have as much trouble with how Tom reacted as at least when he schemed to get Gregg off it was because he thought Gregg was going after him. However, Katie was constantly flip flopping and scheming with everyone and given the oppportunity would have voted Tom off. She was in with Gregg and Jenn at one point and was even going to go along with the all girl alliance on a couple of different occasions.

I really liked Ian and actually he played the game more honestly than the rest. Even when he was scheming he never really lied about it to anyone when confronted. I just wish he had a little more of a backbone and told Katie where to stick it. I mean just say once, "You were going to vote Tom off too!!!!"


"RE: Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by calamityc on 05-16-05 at 10:57 AM
My sentiments exactly on your last paragraph. And Katy did not redeem herself for me at all in her conduct with the jury or at the reunion show. She apparently was nicer to Tom and Ian than we ever saw, using some kind of "butter up" strategy.??
"On a side note"
Posted by Andromeda on 05-16-05 at 11:18 AM
LAST EDITED ON 05-16-05 AT 11:19 AM (EST)

I'm not sure if this is funny or sad; perhaps it's a bit of both. I watched the Early Show and the host asked the Survivors a few questions (and they were better questions than Jiffy asked them last night, I must say). He asked Ian, "What is your relationship with Katie? Is there any kind of romantic feelings there?"

Ian responded, "Well, Katie and I hit it off right away and we really got along well. We're really good friends because we have the same kind of personality."

The hell? Ian thinks they have the same kind of personality? What is wrong with that boy? He is clearly delusional. Perhaps he has not fully recovered from his experience on Survivor.

On second thought, this is not funny at all. It's just sad. Very, very sad.


~*~Andromeda~*~

Note: These quotes are based on what I recall them saying and are not direct transcriptions of what was said on the Early Show. Perhaps I'll watch the show again later and repost with the actual quotes, but for now these will suffice as I feel they accurately represent what was actually said.

"RE: On a side note"
Posted by MizLiz on 05-16-05 at 11:41 AM
Andromeda, I'm wondering: does Ian have a girlfriend? If he does not, perhaps Katie's attentions were mind-boggling for him and he has trouble seeing her for what she is. A nice boy, but a bit of a dork.....I don't see him as being overly successful with women.
"People pleaser"
Posted by PagongRatEater on 05-16-05 at 12:36 PM
I think that Ian's problem is that he just tried to keep too many balls in the air at the same time. Unlike how the show painted him, I just didn't see that he was some kind of duplicitous connivving backstabber. I think that Ian wanted to be friends with everybody to a certain extent and had a hard time telling people he liked 'no'.

I do think that he never really had the intention of stabbing anyone in the back and may or may not have voted Tom out at 4 if given the chance. However, his poor lying skills came out when he slipped AGAIN and let Tom know what was in his heart - that he would possibly taken Tom out. It would be foolish if he hadn't considered it, but I don't think he would have done it.

Katie on the other hand, would have voted out whoever - including dear, dear Ian - in order to get to the end. She played a double game with several people, but never actually had the chutzpah to commit to a plan of action that woud get rid of Tom. In the end, I think that is a much more damning aspect of her game than any other.



"RE: People pleaser"
Posted by borkeesh on 05-16-05 at 12:51 PM
Well do you think that Koror domination created a community love fest? After all you really aren't there to make friends if you want the cash but sitting around and not having to 'play' the game lulls oneself possibly out of the bigger goal. Thye really had no scheming until Ulong was gone sans the Willard incident. Also, correct me if I am wrong but the fianl tribal council is TWO people not the FIVE person alliance they lept throwing about. Possibly no exit strategy under 5 people for Ian. He wilted under Tom's pressure and Tom was (IS) an ##### for expecting all to lie down and give him the cash... of course Ian was going to vote him off if he wins immunity..THATS WHAT IS ALL ABOUT. I wish he would have stood up to Fire Marshall Bill and said so. The poor kid lost sight of the world outside the game and wilted. In the grand scheme of things do you really think these folks will be the tightest of friends?
"RE: Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by RealityMom on 05-16-05 at 12:42 PM
Hi, Andromeda,
I feel so ambivalent about what Ian did. I think that he is a very good person with a big heart. But I will never understand someone lasting nearly 12 hours handing it over like that. I guess in the end, everyone has to be able to look themselves in the mirror and I don't think Ian thought he could do that unless he righted things with Tom. I sincerely hope that he did do it for Tom.
I also saw TES and was flabbergasted when Ian said that he and Katie had similar personalities. Hadn't he been listening when all the others said how much she'd hurt them. I don't know why he'd want to align himself with her. As MizLiz has said, Katie's like the very mean but often popular girl in high school. Even when you know what she's like, when she pays you the slightest attention, you're so flattered, you forget how mean she is, often casting your real friends aside while the flattery lasts.
I so much wanted the final two to be Ian and Tom. They would have been the most deserving final two in Survivor history, IMHO. I think that once both guys were off the pole and Tom saw how much Ian was willing to sacrifice to prove his friendship, that Tom at that point should have said, "Pal, I'm taking you with me. You've already proven yourself". I wish he'd done that. I was disappointed that he didn't but I have to say that I was so glad that Tom won. I admired him from the beginning and never thought he'd make it this far, because he was such a leader and so good in the challenges. My hat's off to him!
"RE: Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by mocha madness on 05-16-05 at 02:04 PM
Very interesting discussion......I was also hoping that Tom would step up and take Ian with him to the final two. It would have been the class thing to do since Katie had proved to be such a despicable wench. Katie showed how much class she has by not even mentioning Ian at any time. I think Ian is a young guy without a lot of life experience who was played by Katie, and put into an emotional corner where the only way he could get out of it was to sacrafice himself.

Now that I know about his selfless activities in his "real" life,as supplied by Andromeda, I believe that emotionally he was not as equipped to deal with the strain that Survivor puts on some of the participants, and that is why he not only bailed out, but fell on his sword in favor of Katie. My diagnosis is that Ian is seeking the approval of others, and he does not feel worthy unless he "overgives" of himself.

"RE: Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by Wacko Jacko on 05-16-05 at 03:18 PM
I know it's probably being said at Bashers but Ian is an idiot. If he thought about how Katie was willing to vote him off....she manipulated him into handing him over $100,000. Props to Katie actually. People talked about how stupid Colby was...this was even worse.
"RE: Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by RealityMom on 05-16-05 at 03:22 PM
Andromeda,
I'm so excited. You and I both got to ask questions on SurvivorLive! I was really excited when I realized it was you. There was also a Donna from Texas. DonnaLynn was that you?
"RE: Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by Andromeda on 05-16-05 at 03:46 PM
LAST EDITED ON 05-16-05 AT 03:50 PM (EST)

LAST EDITED ON 05-16-05 AT 03:48 PM (EST)

RealityMom,

I know, it was so exciting! It was cool when you got through because I was on hold and it was a little boring and then I recognized you and it wasn't so dull anymore!

I'm jealous that you got to talk to Ian, though. You are lucky! I was on hold to talk to Ian but then they didn't get to me so the screener came back on and asked me if I had anything to say to Katie or Tom instead. I was disappointed but I'd been on hold (long-distance) for so long I wasn't just going to hang up.

I know this isn't bashers but I can't stand how Katie played the game or how she treated Ian. Katie totally avoided answering my question, too. I don't even know if she got it, but after she had given an answer Jenna asked her something like, "Katie, you were scheming and plotting against almost everyone. Why is it okay when you do it but not okay when someone else does?" She said, "Well, uh... Um... Uh..." Jenna said, "Exactly!" At that moment I just thought, "YES! Thank you, Jenna. Thank you for getting her to admit that she's a hypocrite because when I tried to get her to say it she weaseled out of giving me a straight answer."

I really was hoping to talk to Ian, though, because I wanted to ask him why he suggested voting out Tom to Katie and Jenn before the immunity challenge. WHY didn't wait until after the challenge to see who won immunity? It was his plotting against Tom that made him lose the game! Ian should have made sure that the immunity necklace was around his own neck before he went off and started scheming against Tom.

No one asked Ian that, either. If only I could have asked him it would have answered a big question that I (and my dad) had about what happened last night.

Plus I wanted to tell Ian that he's a sweetheart.


~*~Andromeda~*~

"RE: Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by RealityMom on 05-16-05 at 03:55 PM
It was doubly fun to have told each other who we are because I knew you'd realize it was me and I was so excited when I knew it was you. You are absolutely right about Katie. She really didn't answer your question and Jenna called her on it. I think Katie is one of those people who just doesn't see herself as anything but "funny Katie" who doesn't realize that her words sting. I was glad everyone called her out in the jury. Once again, I had telephone problems. After Live asked me what my question was, she put me on hold without even telling me where in line I was, so I was pretty sure I was getting on. Then my phone went completely silent- the show wasn't coming through it at all. So I didn't know if I lost the connection or what but I was afraid to hang up. So I held on to a completely silent line for almost half an hour- even trying to call on my cell while I waited. Then all of a sudden, Dalton comes on, so I asked my question, but had no idea what they were saying. When I just watched the recap, it turned out Jenn asked how old my son was- I never even heard her ask. My son's going to be mad I didn't tell her. I did tell Ian that he has tons of fans and having one like you in his corner makes him very lucky.
"RE: Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by Andromeda on 05-16-05 at 04:23 PM
Aw, thanks, RealityMom. I'm glad you got to tell Ian that he has lots of fans. I'm sure having someone like your son to back him makes him even luckier!

I had the same phone problems you did! I got through about 10 minutes into the show and when the screener told me I was in line to ask a question and then put me on hold it was as if the line went dead. There was absolute silence so I started to think I had been disconnected. I just stayed on the line, though, and after about 20 minutes of silence the screener came back on to tell me they were changing guests and I was next in line. Thankfully at that point I finally did get the audio feed so I was able to hear Dalton say my name and was prepared to ask my question when they answered my call.

We are such big fans that we both held (long distance) to a completely silent line for almost half an hour. That either proves we're dedicated or that we're foolish...

Even though I have a lightening-fast cable connection the video and audio feed on my computer was very choppy. I heard Dalton say your name and recognized your voice but was only able to hear part of your question and part of the answer. I didn't hear her ask your son's age, either, so don't feel too bad! I will have to watch the archived version because I didn't get to hear too much of what Ian was saying.

Once Katie and Tom were on, though, I didn't have any more problems with the feed so I was able to completely hear Katie avoiding my question. Jenna is awesome for not letting her get away with it! I guess Katie does perceive herself as being funny, friendly, and likeable. Maybe it was just me but I didn't find her humorous at all. I guess she thinks it's funny to trample on a sensitive person's feelings. I felt so bad when Ian was crying and neither Tom nor Katie seemed to care. The worst was the next morning when he was sitting alone at the table with his head down and she came up to sit beside him. Instead of putting her arm around him and saying, "Hey, Ian, it's okay. It's all a game, remember? No hard feelings," she said, "Hey, Ian, you'd better win the challenge today so you can take me to the final two."

Katie is vile. Oops, did I just say that in Fanatics? Sorry.

~*~Andromeda~*~

"RE: Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by RealityMom on 05-16-05 at 05:50 PM
We're probably dedicated, foolish and several dollars poorer! But it was worth it. I'm not 100% sure, but I think I remember Jenna saying several weeks ago that she liked Katie because Katie had said Jenna was her favorite Survivor. I don't think Jenna feels that way any more.
"RE: Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by debicki on 05-16-05 at 03:25 PM
Survivor requires strong mental skills. You absolutely can not let anyone else know your true thoughts and I couldn't believe it when Ian said he was glad not to have been in Tom's place. Then he tried to stutter his way out of this mess which was impossible with the aggressive personalities he was dealing with. I hope he is happy with his decision to drop out because it was a silly move.
Even though I didn't like his bullying tactics, I believe Tom deserved to win. Katie, on the other hand, deserved to be booted out on hiney weeks earlier.
"What did Ian actually give away?"
Posted by Voltec on 05-16-05 at 06:57 PM
Ok, he MIGHT have won $1,000,000 if he beat Tom on the pole but I don't think he would have gotten the needed votes anyway. Now if he stepped down and lost to Tom, then he would have won $100,000 - a nice chunk of change.

But - What is the payout difference between 2 and 3? (I don't know the answer to that, so it is a genuine question). If the payout for 3rd is something like $75,000, then basically he figured he paid $25,000 for his Integrity. (As far as I am concerned, he didn't need to do it, but I am talking about it from Ian's point of view).

So the question is, if he stepped down to move from 2nd to 3rd, how much did he give up for his Self Respect?

Matt

"RE: Ian, Ian, Ian... What happened?"
Posted by cycles2k on 05-16-05 at 09:08 PM
Tom deserved the win but I lost some respect for him after I saw his treatment of Ian. Sure, he was upset but he really played the card to increase his own chance at the million.

Katie's entire strategy seemed to involve manipulating Ian while plotting against him. Ian sacrificed himself to save a friend who was really no friend at all.

Ian is a fine young man. He is a hardworking and caring individual who was manipulated by two seasoned manipulators. During the Tom/Katie tag-team bullying, I started to find myself hoping that Ian would fight back and tell them that he deserved a shot at the million as much as either of them.

"Interviews with (or about) Ian"
Posted by Andromeda on 05-17-05 at 06:14 PM
I've really enjoyed reading everyone's opinions about Ian's game play. Now that Ian has been extensively interviewed about his decision I thought I'd stop by and post some points that I thought were especially relevant to my original post.

One thing I didn't understand about Ian was why he even tried out for Survivor if he knew all along that he would choose friendship and honesty over money. I have a much better perspective on Ian's frame of mind now that I have watched Ian's "the day after" interview in this week's edition of the Survivor Insider. The following excerpt best addresses this question:


It's a game where there's real people involved and real emotions and real feelings. I came into it thinking, "Oh, it's a game. I don't have to take it very seriously. Everything's cool; I can do whatever I want. I can lie, cheat and steal and stab people in the back, and it's not going to affect me." But the bottom line is you get there, and you do it, I mean you cut those throats, and all of the sudden you feel for people, particularly that you like. I mean, the people you don't like it's no big deal, but the people you really begin to care about, I mean, it really affects you. So, add that to the fact that I'm probably the worst liar in the history of the world, and you get a squirmy, weasely me at tribal councils, and I didn't like the person that I was becoming; I didn't like the person that I was feeling inside, and I didn't like the way I was playing the game. And it came to a head at the challenge where I finally said to myself, "You know, if I'm gonna play the game this way, if I'm gonna earn a million dollars this way, it's the wrong way to do it." I think the bottom line is that the game that I wanted to bring, and the game that I actually am, were two different things. And when I realized that, I realized that it was time to go and I think I earned a lot more than a million dollars when I made the decision.


I now understand that he is a very competitive person and knew going into Survivor that lying and hurting people is inevitable but he thought he would be able to "turn off" his feelings within the context of the game. In the end, however, he could not compartmentalize his emotions and it cost him the game.

The other part of this interview I found amusing was that Ian does realize he is a horrendous liar. I had previously described him on these boards as "the worst liar I have ever seen," but I must say that he is more accurate in saying he is "probably the worst liar in the history of the world". He gets bonus points for realizing that he is also "squirmy" when he's trying to lie to someone.


The next thing I didn't understand about Ian was why he caved under pressure when Tom and Katie were grilling him for "lying" as the guilt he allowed them to instill in him was the sole reason he stepped down. I also wondered if he now realized he had been completely manipulated. Thanks to this week's edition of Survivor Talk on the Fishbowl with Rob Cesternino and Jenna Lewis I now have the answers to these questions:


Jenna L: I was so mad watching the show last night and watching Tom and Katie kind of bully you when I thought that all of them had lied before and then they put all this pressure on you for lying, I was so angry.

Ian: Oh, yeah, you know what? In hindsight, I've thought about it obviously, but now that all of it's kind of coming together and we're kind of, you know, letting all of it out I think I'm starting to realize that I might have been had a little bit.

Jenna L: I kept thinking to myself "Ian, step up!" They kept saying "we agreed to go to the final three" and they never brought Katie into the fact that Katie was willing to go against both of you.

Ian: You know what sucked about it was is that when we got back to the beach after voting Jenn off, well, after I won the tie-breaker, the two of them, and they're both so convinced that this is what... You know, it's kind of when you have a lie and you've distorted it to the point where you actually believe it? I think that's kind of what started to happen is that Tom and Katie started to believe that what was going on was altogether my fault and none their fault. And then the worst part was is I think I started to believe it. So, all the sudden I'm like s***, maybe I am the bad guy.

Jenna L: You did, that's why you stepped down! I couldn't believe it; I just wanted to reach through the TV and be like "Ian, you played this game great! You barely lied to anyone! They're the a*******, step up!"

Ian: Yeah, I know, I know, I really was had. Yeah, definitely, I definitely, definitely felt that way --- at least today, after I started to get, you know, there's some catharsis that goes on, right?


At least he's finally beginning to realize how much Tom and Katie manipulated him! If he's aware that he's a sap then hopefully he won't let himself be so much of a doormat in the future.

Now if only he could recognize that he and Katie do NOT have, as he claimed on the Early Show, "the same type of personality"...


Finally, one thing that has been perplexing me is Ian and Katie's relationship. It had crossed my mind that Ian might be inexperienced or inept with women in general. I have seen many others on these boards pondering the same. Thankfully, Survivor Talk addressed this issue as well! (The following excerpts are "gossip" but there is something useful to be gleaned from them nonetheless.)


(Rob and Jenna speaking with Ian about the after-party)

Rob C: Did you hook up with any former survivors last night?

Ian: Did I hook up with any former survivors?

Jenna L: Tell the truth!

Ian: No comment.

Jenna L: *squeals in delight* Ah, he did!

Ian: *laughs* I'm gonna let you figure it out.


(Rob and Jenna speaking with Katie)

Rob C: Just for the record, Katie, that you and Ian are not dating?

Katie: We are not dating, I have a boyfriend.

Jenna L: Oh, well you can set me up with Ian.

Katie: Ian's awesome, but I'm telling you, he is hittin' that left and right. Those tears worked. You should have tried that, Rob.

Rob: What, what works?

Jenna L: Oh, see? Who'd he hook up with? See, you're not telling us. Tell us!

Rob C: Yes, who did he hook up with?

Katie: I don't know, he's like a make-out bandit; he makes-out with different people all the time.

Rob C: I'm trying to think of who might have been there.

Katie: Um, like, everyone from his school.

...

Katie: You know what, am I actually on the The Fishbowl right now?

Rob C: Yeah, we're on the radio.

Jenna L: Yes, you are. We're on radio.

Katie: *complete silence for a moment and then starts laughing* Oh, my god... I just talked so much trash. Okay, great.


As I said, it's "gossip" but I still think it proves that Ian is neither inexperienced or inept with women. The best part about Katie's comments was that she thought she was just on the phone with Rob and Jenna. She didn't know she was on the radio so why would she lie?

Knowing that Ian is popular with the ladies is both good and bad; it's good because it means Ian is not starved for female attention, but it's bad because now he has no excuse for being Katie's tool.


~*~Andromeda~*~