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Original Message
"There's No Hiding Under The Radar on Forever Eden"
Posted by Howard Dean on 03-09-04 at 04:27 PM

After watching three episodes of the show, I noticed that it is much harder to use the "under the radar" strategy on this show, because of all the twists and turns.

Brooke, for example, was pretty much out of the spotlight the first two episodes, but she was definitely front and center this week, and could have been voted off.

What do all of you think of this?

I'm torn. Like P-Ho, this show seems to have so many twists that it's hard to become attached to any of the players or root for them, because they could be gone tomorrow. That's frustrating for me.

But making the UTR strategy harder to use is a good thing, in my opinion. A lot of you who are Survivor fans may remember Colby pointing out on last week's Survivor that UTR is not a very honorable way of playing the game.

At least I don't like it personally, even if three of the last four Survivors have been won by players using the UTR strategy. I prefer the old days of Rich, Tina, Ethan and Brian, who won with a more straightforward strategy.

So I guess I'm paying FE a bit of a compliment. It may actually grow on me. And as much as I hated P-Ho, that's really saying something.

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Messages in this discussion
"RE: There's No Hiding Under The Radar on Forever Eden"
Posted by volsfan on 03-09-04 at 05:54 PM
HD, I agree with you that Eden has sort of taken the UTR harder to play and I like that. I agreed with Colby last week when he told Shii Ann what he did.

However, due to the plot twist it is hard for me to follow and really get to know what is going on. It is difficult to see it as a game because you don't get to concentrate on a strategy at all! I have also found the FOX reality shows to be this way. Oh well, I guess I am into until my summary is written!


Director of Public Relations for GAWKUR!

"RE: There's No Hiding Under The Radar on Forever Eden"
Posted by Estee on 03-09-04 at 06:15 PM
It is difficult to see it as a game because you don't get to
>concentrate on a strategy at all!

Agreed. If there is a strategy that can work in Eden, three episodes haven't been enough to expose it. As HD said, it's harder to hide -- but at the same time, you can't feel you're in control of the game when you're not entirely certain what the game is. Eliminations on, for example, Survivor, are mostly a matter of perceived threat potential, strength of numbers, and who you've offended recently. Eliminations on Forever Eden seem to go something like this:

KASSIE: 'Look, a kitty!'

(EVERYONE crowds around to look at the KITTY.)

MICHAEL: 'Where did it come from? I haven't seen any cats before now.'

MATT: 'Hey, it's rubbing against my hand!'

BROOKE: 'Well, it can't be a female.'

(RUTH appears.)

RUTH: 'Good afternoon, houseguests. I mean, PHo's. I mean, residents of Eden. I see you've found our cat. Now, as you all know, cats represent contact with the outside world.'

WALLACE: 'I did not know that.'

RUTH: 'Shut up, American pretty boy! This is a colony and I am your queen! Your vaunted revolution means nothing here! Do you understand me, peon?'

(WALLACE shuts up.)

RUTH: 'As I was saying, cats represent your contact with the outside world. As this is strictly forbidden, the first three of you who touched the cat are up for banishment from Eden. When we gather at the temple tonight, we will have this cat with us as our special guest. Whoever it walks up to and rubs against first will have to leave forever.'

(MATT immediately picks up the KITTY and throws it into the pool.)

NAVEEN: 'What did you do that for?'

MATT: 'Bad memories. Now it'll never come near me again.'

If you can construct a strategy that works against automatic writing, congratulations. Otherwise, the twist composers are going to continue pulling out the first three things hit on the Big Dartboard Of 'You Never Saw It Coming', and eventually, sheer randomness is going to put your head on the block.

Survivor is surfing. Forever Eden is treading water in the middle of the ocean. There will be calm, rough seas, nightmare waves, and perhaps calm again -- but eventually, you're going to drown.


"RE: There's No Hiding Under The Radar on Forever Eden"
Posted by volsfan on 03-09-04 at 07:41 PM
This is too funny Estee...as you were this, I was posting on another thresd how these peeps can't control the game and that the strategies can't be seen! Two great minds!

But, your right on with your description! YOUR GOOD!


Director of Public Relations for GAWKUR!

"RE: There's No Hiding Under The Radar on Forever Eden"
Posted by Howard Dean on 03-10-04 at 01:39 AM
I agree with both of you. I root for the players on Survivor who have a good strategy, and as both of you said, it's hard to figure out how that works on Eden.

Looking back at P-Ho, it was clear that the producers went to great lengths to foil the strategies of both the Barbies and the Originals. And that aleady appears to be happening on Eden. As you said, it tends to happen on most Fox reality shows.

I think Fox wants kids today to grow up believing that they are powerless minions that should do whatever corporate bosses tell them to do, instead of taking control of their own lives.

"RE: There's No Hiding Under The Radar on Forever Eden"
Posted by volsfan on 03-10-04 at 07:29 AM
Can we blame FOX for all our troubles? hehehe! Just kidding!

I can get into a deep discussion about comparing FOX and MB or SEEBS in their quest for reality TV but I will try to not to that!

I think MB has a thought process that understands the game he is trying to get the survivors to play. I do think his contestants are sort of puppets on a string to a point. However, FOX has no clue how their game is going to play out and they play by the seat of their pants. IMHO!


Director of Public Relations for GAWKUR!

"RE: There's No Hiding Under The Radar on Forever Eden"
Posted by speedyforme on 03-10-04 at 07:45 AM
i would try to play the MOST popular guy on the island and NEVER to be picked for anything...

work with the girls so they NEVER pick me for anything (good or bad)...

as for the guys...try to work something out so I never get picked for anything either from them (good or bad)

"RE: There's No Hiding Under The Radar on Forever Eden"
Posted by Howard Dean on 03-11-04 at 11:12 PM

Problem is, if you are the most popular on the island, you *DO* get picked.

>i would try to play the
>MOST popular guy on the
>island and NEVER to be
>picked for anything...

"RE: There's No Hiding Under The Radar on Forever Eden"
Posted by managerr on 03-12-04 at 11:12 AM
If everyone starts staying under the radar and being boring, then the Producers will just change the rules and switch things up. There is no strategy in this game, everything is just going to be totally random. The kitty example was hilarious and perfect.
"RE: There's No Hiding Under The Radar on Forever Eden"
Posted by mmm_link on 03-12-04 at 11:57 AM
I would secretly tell everyone I am a Kennedy and that I will remember who are my friends...even if it's everyone. Works great for both male and female.
"RE: There's No Hiding Under The Radar on Forever Eden"
Posted by Big Al on 03-16-04 at 01:47 PM
The people running the show are making up the rules as they go along. they can get anyone they want tossed anytime they want to.
"RE: There's No Hiding Under The Radar on Forever Eden"
Posted by mmm_link on 03-16-04 at 01:56 PM
What about this? Give all of my Gold Coins away (except 1). That will take away the incentive for being voted off because I have the most coins, though it didn't seem to matter last night.
"RE: There's No Hiding Under The Radar on Forever Eden"
Posted by Estee on 03-17-04 at 08:00 AM
If the only motivation for voting someone off was jealousy of their riches, that could work. Once. The producers would create a rule against it the next day.

As-is, I'd guess there are already rules in place against transfer of chocolate anywhere outside of the 'games' and the disbursement after banishment. However, it wouldn't surprise me to see more coins changing hands within the game under the random direction of the writers.

One idea that just popped in: a poker game between Edenists, using half their earnings for chips. The two highest winners are up for banishment, with the departing person determined by the first two people to go broke. So -- do you try to play the game to win, knowing your extra earnings could put you out of the resort? If you have very few coins, do you shrug and play to lose in order to gain the dismissal power? (Ever seen poker played misere'?) Or do you try to win just enough to be in the middle of the pack, and stay out of the process entirely?

That feels vaguely interesting. So of course, they're not going to do it.

"RE: There's No Hiding Under The Radar on Forever Eden"
Posted by Howard Dean on 03-18-04 at 04:41 AM
LOL ... Since there really are no viable strategies to win, it becomes more fun to fantasize about the ways the producers can screw the contestants.

Show me the exit door!

"RE: There's No Hiding Under The Radar on Forever Eden"
Posted by mmm_link on 03-18-04 at 09:13 AM
There is one strategy and that is to convince everyone to "not" vote you off. I mentioned the Kennedy strategy earlier on another post.

An alternate strategy would be to convince some others that my step brother was a producer on another TV reality series and that is why I made it here...i.e. I have connections (indirectly). Naturally I would need to be a good actor to pull it off.

A third strategy would be to convince others that max. face time on camera is more important than actually winning...and let their ego's take over and be their downfall.

"RE: There's No Hiding Under The Radar on Forever Eden"
Posted by Agman2 on 03-11-15 at 12:57 PM
I just hid under the bed and made it to the end.....actually it hasn't ended and I'm still there