*cues Fanfare for the Common Man*

I thought it was a nice gesture.

True, MB gains a publicity windfall from it, but he also helps out a popular Survivor who could use the help. With stunt casting so common in reality TV today, he also helps all of us remember the lunch lady who made it on Survivor.

Although I did not like the "victim" mentality Denise displayed in the last couple episodes and at the finale, I was really disgusted with her school district who took away her job of lunch lady to make her a janitor. Their complaint just seemed to be that the kids wanted to take the time to say "hi" to her while they were in the lunch line. If my calendar is correct, she didn't even have to take time off from her job to do Survivor, as it was filmed during the summer when she would have been off from work anyway. I really hope that school district takes a beating in the public opinion poll. If what Denise said is true, they are truly the "Grinch".

I realize it's pathetic to respond to my own posting, but I went looking for news relating to Densise's statment about her school district. This was in the Worcester Telegram and Gazette for today.

"School Superintendent Nancy T. Lane is discounting claims that school employee Denise Martin was demoted after appearing on the television reality show “Survivor.”

Mrs. Martin was one of 16 castaways vying for the $1 million first-place prize in the “Survivor: China” elimination show. She was the 13th person voted off the show.

On the season’s final episode, which aired last night, producer Mark Burnett gave Mrs. Martin $50,000 after discussion about Ms. Martin being transferred from her job as a cafeteria worker at a Douglas school. She is now a custodian.

Mrs. Martin was known on the show as the lunch lady. Mr. Burnett said he gave Ms. Martin the money because he felt sorry for her.

But today, Mrs. Lane is strongly denying the show’s characterization of Mrs. Martin’s work status.

In a statement, the superintendent said Mrs. Martin’s move from cafeteria employee came at Mrs. Martin’s request and is accompanied by higher pay and additional benefits. The move came prior to the Mrs. Martin's participation in taping, the superintendent said.

Mrs. Lane said the school district was accommodating to Mrs. Martin and that it embraced her television opportunity.

In the statement, the superintendent said: “Regretfully, the Douglas Public School District was inaccurately portrayed as failing to be accommodating to an employee during what the district viewed as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This is far from the case. On the contrary, we granted all requests made by Mrs. Martin so that she could participate in the “Survivor” series. Since Mrs. Martin was on an approved leave, her position was held open for her, and she returned to this same position upon her return from China. As a district, we make every effort to support our employees, and will continue to do so.” "

http://www.telegram.com/article/20071217/MEGANEWS/23528035

This article contradicts the claims Denise made at the reunion show. Hmmm...........

Huh.

Well, minor props to Denise for finally figuring out how and when to lie -- plus a big 'Ha!' to EPMB, who actually fell for it.

What did you expect them to say?

'We're totally innocent!' was just about the only thing they could say.

Honestly, it's a classic I said/they said situation. Given no way to resolve it, I choose to believe the option that actually has Denise learning how to play someone --

-- okay, minor hole in that theory...

Hmm, and the plot thickens. I was just going to post to your previous post, Chez, that I agreed that the true "bad guy" would be the school for transferring Denise from "lunch lady," just because the kids were "distracted" into saying hi to Denise following her appearance on Survivor. If that were true, it is a shame.

Now you post the comments by the school district that contradict Denise's claims. Interesting. And if Denise really did lie about her "demotion," shame on her. I hope she didn't lie, but the whole thing seems suspect to me.

You know, I just had this 'feeling' when she was giving this story about the kids being 'distracted' during lunch! Give me a break! Have you SEEN kids during lunch?? Ain't NOTHING gonna keep those kids from getting through a lunch line!

I worked in a school for 6 years-as the nurse-and went through the lunch line more than a few times. Thought I was going to be trampled to death by hundreds of starving kids. Even if Michael Jordon or Michael Jackson had been there, those kids would have EATEN before the distraction!!! HA! Seriously!

I think Denise is the scum of the earth and every Survivor EVER if this turns out to be a big hunk of junk that she spewed on National TV! She should have to pay back every penny WITH INTEREST! And it will turn out that, once again, Skinny Courtney was right-you don't deserve a mil just because your life sucks and you want someone else to make it right! She skated under the wire for over 2 months, on coattails, and this is the best she can come up with? NO KUDOS from me!

Jonny Fairplay is a better person, if this article turns out to be true! Shame, shame, shame AGAIN!

It's not often that I respond to anything in fanatics, but I have to tell you this is one time that I can not sit idly by....I think it was an extremely generous and thoughtful gesture from EPMB, but I think Denise is the slimiest character of all past Survivor Contestents. When she played the "poor me" card last night, it made me sick to my stomach...I will go back to my lousy lunch lady job, at 7.00 per hour, blah, blah, blah..... GIVE ME A BREAK!!! I can not believe she resorted to this tactic....what about her 2 beautiful children and a husband that loves her? She's got a rich life in more ways than many. If she doesn't like her job, then be ambitious and go get another....she totally is lazy, never played the game, did not take advantage of any opportunities that arose, and then plays the poor card. If you want more out of your life, then go get it, but how dare you ask for handouts from the kids that played the game and deserved the win or from Mark Burnett.

The icing on the cake for this sleezy, lazy woman was to be bitter about the results and vote to not give the win/vote to someone because of spite. What a loser she is. She voted for Courtney because she was pissed off at Amanda and Todd. If it had not been for them, she would have been toast well before the merge.

Denise should pray she does not get sued for fraud and slander. I was extremely disappointed in her, and felt that the kids half her age had far more substance than she displayed.

Now James and JR displayed far far more class and dignity last night than Denise ever did....James was a worthy winner of the $100,000.

>It's not often that I respond
>to anything in fanatics, but
>I have to tell you
>this is one time that
>I can not sit idly
>by....I think it was an
>extremely generous and thoughtful gesture
>from EPMB, but I think
>Denise is the slimiest character
>of all past Survivor Contestents.
>When she played the "poor
>me" card last night, it
>made me sick to my
>stomach...I will go back to
>my lousy lunch lady job,
>at 7.00 per hour, blah,
>blah, blah..... GIVE ME A
>BREAK!!! I can not
>believe she resorted to this
>tactic....what about her 2 beautiful
>children and a husband that
>loves her? She's got
>a rich life in more
>ways than many. If she
>doesn't like her job, then
>be ambitious and go get
>another....she totally is lazy, never
>played the game, did not
>take advantage of any opportunities
>that arose, and then plays
>the poor card. If you
>want more out of your
>life, then go get it,
>but how dare you ask
>for handouts from the kids
>that played the game and
>deserved the win or from
>Mark Burnett.
>
>The icing on the cake for
>this sleezy, lazy woman was
>to be bitter about the
>results and vote to not
>give the win/vote to someone
>because of spite. What a
>loser she is. She voted
>for Courtney because she was
>pissed off at Amanda and
>Todd. If it had not
>been for them, she would
>have been toast well before
>the merge.
>
>Denise should pray she does not
>get sued for fraud and
>slander. I was extremely disappointed
>in her, and felt that
>the kids half her age
>had far more substance than
>she displayed.
>
>Now James and JR displayed far
>far more class and dignity
>last night than Denise ever
>did....James was a worthy winner
>of the $100,000.

I agree 100%. JR and james were p

There is a follow up article today in the same newspaper.

http://www.telegram.com/article/20071218/NEWS/712180609/1116

Does not say too much more except describing negative emails the school district received prior to the record being set striaght.

Also, as i am typing this, the controversy is being discussed on the CBS Early Show.

Sure props to MB, but for me, props to PROBST... for being a good journalist and asking her about the mullet!

Just watched the Early Show interview where Denise admits to lying, although she says she didn't mean to. I know she didn't know she was going to get money out of it, but her blatant attempt at garnering sympathy at the finale is pretty disgusting. She completely made up the "reason" she wasn't "rehired" in her old spot, and she wouldn't even say if she would keep the $50,000. This all coming from the juror who accused the others of essentially being scum. I guess she just didn't stop playing her sympathy game when she finished Survivor.

(Sorry, I know the tone of this post belongs in Bashers, but the topic's already being discussed here.)

I just watched that too. I think she's a little too good at playing the game. She didn't seem sincere to me. Plus she's keeping the money.

I read this article about her appearance on the early show:

http://news.google.com/news?tab=wn&hl=en&q=survivor+scandal+-+Denise+and+superintendent+face+off

Sigh. Did she really think that the school district was going to take this on the chin?

" ... was not granted the position because it had been filled by another person." is far from "I went back and I talked to the food service director, and they didn't give me my job back." That she said on the finale.

At least Fairplay lied to get farther in the game. There really is no excuse for this one.

You know what probably happened was backstage beforehand someone asked her how things were going, were the kids at the school excited and stuff about their lunch lady being on Survivor, she let it out she was a janitor at the school now but missed her lunch lady job, played it for sympathy so the others don't be mean to her during live reunion especially if she wins the consolation cash, telephone game ensues until it reaches MB who decides to milk it and tells Jiffy, suddenly she's on the spot on live TV. Inexcusable and pointless as the lie was, she probably didn't expect to be throwing her bosses under the bus that way. She should keep the money, use it to go into business for herself, buy herself a lunch wagon and really make a killing sucking at life, maybe hire Courtney to be the construction worker eyecandy bait.

LAST EDITED ON 12-18-07 AT 03:48 PM (EST)

I'd say props to MB. But he is still the EP MB.

For Dense, the $50 grand? She should keep it. Money was given (I presume) with no conditions. It was offered before Dense aired her story, so it couldn't be seen as a premeditated scam to get the $50K. Maybe it was calculated as a move to get a lunch lady fund set up, or something, but not necessarily a scheme to get money from MB.

So it's hers to keep, and since 50K packets of free legal money don't come around too often to most of us, she should keep it.

MB might want to talk to her about it, he is certainly free to do so.

Her comeuppance? Was her exposure on national TV. She was uncomfortable (unlike Fairplay who reveled in his role as scammer) and I think being exposed as a liar on national TV for someone like Dense is worth (to me) 50K of the EPMB's money.

First of all, I want to say that I truly believe that Denise knew very well what she was doing when she came up with her "hardship" story. I think she is just one of those people who goes through life with a "glass half-enpty" attitude. Rather than counting her blessings, she dwells on the negatives in her life and how she perceives that others have an easier life than she.

With that said, I also think that Denise proved how ignorant she is by proclaiming such a bogus story in front of millions on T.V. In this day and age how can someone state something false that could be so easily documented and think they could get away with it?

You could tell by her voice in the CBS clip that she is scared Chitless that she was caught in a lie and that she has been exposed as a liar to such a large scale. She is probably terrified she cost her relationship with her employers and many people in her community.

I hope people learn a lesson from Denise and realize it doesn't pay to try to scam people and lie about your situation. Also, she should re-evaluate her life and realize how blessed she is for what she does have. There are millions of people in the world who would dream to have a steady job, with benefits, a family and general good health. Be thankful for what you have and don't worry about the perception that others around you may have more.

Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind.
To cherish peace & good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.
If we think on these things, there will be born in us a Savior & over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world. ~ Calvin Coolidge