Last episode a focus was made of how the players coming back from the reward challenge "complained" about their good fortune and were spoken about negatively.

I'm wondering...is there any way to come out of this in a non-negative light? The way I see it, when you come back after partaking in a reward, you have three options:

A) Downplay it so the ones back at camp don't feel that bad. But then you have the Amandas and PGs of the game tagging you as "ungreatful" and "unappreciative".

B) Tell them the truth...it was great having REAL food, etc., etc... Then they hate you because they feel you are rubbing their noses in it. You run the risk of their bitterness translating to a vote at TC.

C) I think the worse of all options...avoid the situation and ignore any questions about it. Then you may be percieved as allusive and speculations fly about alliances formed during the reward and you're targeted for something you didn't do.

There have been many rewards where the castaways came back saying something to the effect. "I wish I could have brought something back, but I wasn't allowed..." So for the sake of this post, bringing back food is not an option.

That being said, what do you do? Personally I would probably choose A) and have Amanda/PG call me "ungreatful".

• RE: Lose/Lose/Lose Situation???,smokedog, 02:36 PM, 12-15-07
  • RE: Lose/Lose/Lose Situation???,michel, 03:30 PM, 12-15-07
    • RE: Lose/Lose/Lose Situation???,Aruba, 06:13 PM, 12-15-07
      • RE: Lose/Lose/Lose Situation???,michel, 06:33 PM, 12-15-07
        • RE: Lose/Lose/Lose Situation???,nazpink, 07:22 PM, 12-15-07
          • RE: Lose/Lose/Lose Situation???,garcor, 08:59 AM, 12-16-07

LAST EDITED ON 12-15-07 AT 11:40 PM (EST)

I'm not really answering your question, but if I was in that situation, I would NOT want to win. Not necessarily throw it, but maybe not give maximum effort and maybe somehow 'assist' someone else in winning.

The reason: You don't want to be put in a situation of having to show your cards (this was in essence a coconut chop type of challenge designed to show the pecking order). You MIGHT also get picked to go on anyway, therefore you get all the reward and none of the bad feelings against you.

And absolutely do NOT either brag or blow it off. Just be cordial and say it was a good time. If the others left behind are really interested in knowing what it was like, I'm sure one of the other buffoons you went with will be more than happy to give them a running commentary

I'll back Smokedog on this: Once the game is individual, don't win any reward, share money during auctions, avoid at all cost attracting attention or worse animosity towards you. Did you go on Survivor to win a trip to the Great Wall, a car or to get the Million and the title?

If you are chosen to go on reward, let the winner tell the story and, if asked about it, tell it like it is without embellishing.

I agree with both of you...don't try to win it. My question pertained to coming back from a reward (which includes being asked). Actually on Thursday's episode Denise did not really "win" the challenge...she just had more arrows hit her name because of Courtney's ineptness. And Todd and Courtney were asked.

Yet when they returned and downplayed the experience, Amanda calls them ungreatful. And when brought up at TC, PG gives this speech about negativity and how she's such a positive person.

Watching this I asked myself, what else could they have said??? Those were the only three options I could think of.

There is room, I think, between downplaying the experience and saying it was bad. Avoiding words like great when talking about the food doesn't mean saying it was hard to prepare or bad. Isn't it hard to prepare in camp also?

When Amanda returned from her boat reward, she played it well, I thought.

I felt Todd and Courtney were complaining, because that's how they actually felt, opposed to simply "downplaying" the situation. Courtney comes off as whinny and negative and even Todd gets that way, especially when he's around her. I think sticking to the facts without getting extremely giddy would have been the most appropriate way to handle being asked about the reward. Besides, if Peih Gee wanted to make them feel bad then they could have brought up the best ever reward that she got to participate in.

I like B, tell them how great it was; only try to avoid going into detail. Unless the pre-challenge reactions of the player's to Jeff's descriptions of the reward are suggested by the producer's, most really want to win. If you come back downplaying or complaining you might be seen as insincere or create resentment from players who really wanted to go. If you win a car however, . . .