Stephen Fishbach was the runner-up on Survivor: Tocantins and has been blogging about Survivor strategy for People since 2009. Follow him on Twitter @stephenfishbach. Erik Reichenbach is a Survivor fan-turned-favorite, a comic book author and artist. He placed fifth on both Survivor: Micronesia and Survivor: Caramoan. Follow him on Twitter @BloodyAmer1can.
"This is like the cool kids lunch table back in high school."
– Eddie Fox, Survivor: Caramoan
Survivor is like high school. The jocks ostracize the nerds. The hotties coast on big boobs and winning smiles. Cliques form quickly. If you don't maintain your finger on the pulse of what's "in,...
"This is like the cool kids lunch table back in high school."
– Eddie Fox, Survivor: Caramoan
Survivor is like high school. The jocks ostracize the nerds. The hotties coast on big boobs and winning smiles. Cliques form quickly. If you don't maintain your finger on the pulse of what's "in,...
- 2/26/2014
- by Stephen Fishbach
- People.com - TV Watch
Stephen Fishbach was the runner-up on Survivor: Tocantins and has been blogging about Survivor strategy for People since 2009. Follow him on Twitter @stephenfishbach. Erik Reichenbach is a Survivor fan-turned-favorite, a comic book author and artist. He placed fifth on both Survivor: Micronesia and Survivor: Caramoan. Follow him on Twitter @BloodyAmer1can. "This is like the cool kids lunch table back in high school." - Eddie Fox, Survivor: CaramoanSurvivor is like high school. The jocks ostracize the nerds. The hotties coast on big boobs and winning smiles. Cliques form quickly. If you don't maintain your finger on the pulse of what's "in,...
- 2/26/2014
- by Stephen Fishbach
- PEOPLE.com
Last Saturday night, CBS threw a party celebrating the 10th Anniversary and 20th Edition of Survivor. This wasn't just any party either as every Survivor contestant — even those lamely who got knocked out in the first episode — were invited, and more than 200 of them attended.
Survivor has featured quite a few gay contestants over the years including Season One winner Richard Hatch who made a big impression on the show and at the party (where he kept his clothes on). Also attending was Survivor : China winner Todd Herzog along with Charlie Herschel (Survivor : Gabon), Spencer Duhm (Survivor: Toncatins), Brad Virata (Survivor: Cook Islands), Rafe Judkins (Survivor: Guatemala), and Coby Archa (Survivor: Palau).
I got a chance to chat with Hatch who looked remarkably fit after his stint in prison. He was also very outspoken, and watching him do other interviews, I get the impression he doesn't suffer fools gladly.
Survivor has featured quite a few gay contestants over the years including Season One winner Richard Hatch who made a big impression on the show and at the party (where he kept his clothes on). Also attending was Survivor : China winner Todd Herzog along with Charlie Herschel (Survivor : Gabon), Spencer Duhm (Survivor: Toncatins), Brad Virata (Survivor: Cook Islands), Rafe Judkins (Survivor: Guatemala), and Coby Archa (Survivor: Palau).
I got a chance to chat with Hatch who looked remarkably fit after his stint in prison. He was also very outspoken, and watching him do other interviews, I get the impression he doesn't suffer fools gladly.
- 1/11/2010
- by michael
- The Backlot
As 2009 comes to a close, we take a look back at some of the people and events that made this the Best. Lesbian. Decade. Ever. in pop culture.
Luckily for all of us, there was far more information to have mentioned from the last ten years than we could have included in this brief survey. That's why our lists for each year are not intended to be exhaustive, but are instead snapshots of different memorable moments that included the representation of lesbians and bisexual women in film, television, music, literature, comics, sports and the Internet since the year 2000.
2000
Chavela Vargas[/link] comes out
Mexican ranchera music legend Chavela Vargas publicly came out as a lesbian at the tender age of 81.
Angelina Jolie wins Best Supporting Actress Oscar
Angelina Jolie won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Girl, Interrupted and told Talk Magazine, "I only play women I would date.
Luckily for all of us, there was far more information to have mentioned from the last ten years than we could have included in this brief survey. That's why our lists for each year are not intended to be exhaustive, but are instead snapshots of different memorable moments that included the representation of lesbians and bisexual women in film, television, music, literature, comics, sports and the Internet since the year 2000.
2000
Chavela Vargas[/link] comes out
Mexican ranchera music legend Chavela Vargas publicly came out as a lesbian at the tender age of 81.
Angelina Jolie wins Best Supporting Actress Oscar
Angelina Jolie won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Girl, Interrupted and told Talk Magazine, "I only play women I would date.
- 12/31/2009
- by afterellenstaff
- AfterEllen.com
"[The wise general] must be able to mystify his officers and men by false reports and appearances and thus keep them in total ignorance." --Sun Tzu, the Art of War Russell Hantz is a lot like the Saints -- comes from Louisiana, unstoppable on the playing field. Now that he's got a majority in Aiga, his only decision is which Galu to sack first. No surprise that he decides on John; the rocket scientist knows too much, and traitors are not to be trusted. But what earns Russell his umpteenth Fishy is the way he builds consensus -- by insinuation and manipulation. Survivor...
- 12/4/2009
- by StyleWatch
- People.com - TV Watch
"The cowardice of the man who is bent on returning alive ... leads to capture." --Sun Tzu, The Art of War Could somebody else do something smart, please? As much as I love Russell’s gameplay, I’m almost getting tired of talking about him. In this week's episode, he finds another immunity idol, convinces John to break ranks with Galu, and sends his nemesis Laura home. For keeping his alliance strong and breaking the opposition, Russell wins yet another Fishy. The episode begins with Galu reeling from last week’s blindside and Shambo literally cackling with glee. She reports to...
- 11/20/2009
- by StyleWatch
- People.com - TV Watch
Two shows were out of the mix again last week, Fringe and Dollhouse, both of which will be absent this coming week as well.
Meanwhile, for the shows that did air first-run episodes this past week, the spotlight was on Thursday, which was a bit disappointing for ratings. Fox's airing of the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies dominated the airwaves, garnering a 10.6/17 share, according to Fast National ratings from The Nielsen Co. By comparison, even the reality juggernaut Survivor couldn't compete with America's favorite pastime, returning a 7.1/11 for its Survivor: Samoa iteration.
Both, however, finished well ahead of FlashForward, which is settling back down a bit. The ABC skein earned a 5.7 rating/9 share, matching the all time low it had back on Oct. 15. That's an eight percent drop from the previous week, and nine-and-a-half percent below its season average so far.
FlashForward remains the highest-rated network genre show,...
Meanwhile, for the shows that did air first-run episodes this past week, the spotlight was on Thursday, which was a bit disappointing for ratings. Fox's airing of the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies dominated the airwaves, garnering a 10.6/17 share, according to Fast National ratings from The Nielsen Co. By comparison, even the reality juggernaut Survivor couldn't compete with America's favorite pastime, returning a 7.1/11 for its Survivor: Samoa iteration.
Both, however, finished well ahead of FlashForward, which is settling back down a bit. The ABC skein earned a 5.7 rating/9 share, matching the all time low it had back on Oct. 15. That's an eight percent drop from the previous week, and nine-and-a-half percent below its season average so far.
FlashForward remains the highest-rated network genre show,...
- 11/1/2009
- CinemaSpy
I don’t like reality television. First of all, it bores me. Second, I think it’s responsible for making a lot of people famous that shouldn’t even be on the celebrity radar of the vast majority of society. People like Paris Hilton (for her Simple Life show), or Heidi and Spencer. Or the Gosselins. Or any of the Hills people or the City people or Brody Jenner (he’s in a separate category) and many, many others. And there’s just so many reality shows. There’s shows about losing weight, finding love, getting married, racing, surviving, business, living in cool cities, living in bad conditions, dancing, being ugly, being pretty, getting rich, etc. It’s so exhausting. I get that it’s cheaper than scripted television, but that’s still not enough of a justification for putting on a show like The Bachelor and exposing us to...
- 10/6/2009
- by clarissa
- TVovermind.com
Q: Do you know if any of the contestants on Survivor: Samoa are going to be Glbt? I just checked out their profiles and at least three of the guys list things like "womanizer", "never been rejected", and "a woman's dream." Is CBS trying to overly heteroize the show that has been strategically won by at least two openly gay men (Todd and Hatch)? – Topher, Toronto, Canada
A: There are no gay male contestants that we know of (although it’s always possible someone hasn’t yet come out to the network).
Is CBS trying to “heteroize” the show? Although I love your coining of a new term, I’d strenuously argue that they’re not. In fact, we recently talked with Jeff Probst, and I’m convinced he doesn’t see the show in those terms at all.
“When you look at the long-term of the show, you hopefully have some diversity,...
A: There are no gay male contestants that we know of (although it’s always possible someone hasn’t yet come out to the network).
Is CBS trying to “heteroize” the show? Although I love your coining of a new term, I’d strenuously argue that they’re not. In fact, we recently talked with Jeff Probst, and I’m convinced he doesn’t see the show in those terms at all.
“When you look at the long-term of the show, you hopefully have some diversity,...
- 9/8/2009
- by Brent Hartinger
- The Backlot
CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler
In April of last year, AfterElton.com published an indepth article examining gay representation on network television. We talked to each of the network's entertainment presidents to find out how their network approached gay visibility and, in the case of those networks with little representation, what they could do better.
CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler appeared Monday at the Television Critics Association Summer Tour in Los Angeles and I asked her about her network's failing grade from GLAAD in its annual report about gay visibility on television.
Said Tassler:
First of all, it is a source of concern for me personally and for the network. We have a fundamental commitment to the philosophy of diversity across the schedule and representation of gays and lesbians on air. The interesting thing is that I do think we have good representation in our non-scripted programming, but we certainly...
In April of last year, AfterElton.com published an indepth article examining gay representation on network television. We talked to each of the network's entertainment presidents to find out how their network approached gay visibility and, in the case of those networks with little representation, what they could do better.
CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler appeared Monday at the Television Critics Association Summer Tour in Los Angeles and I asked her about her network's failing grade from GLAAD in its annual report about gay visibility on television.
Said Tassler:
First of all, it is a source of concern for me personally and for the network. We have a fundamental commitment to the philosophy of diversity across the schedule and representation of gays and lesbians on air. The interesting thing is that I do think we have good representation in our non-scripted programming, but we certainly...
- 8/3/2009
- by michael
- The Backlot
Last night NBC premiered its summer reality show I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here, a show where a group of reality-show and would-be celebrities rough it in the jungle in order to earn money for charity. The show, at its core, is a cross between Survivor, Big Brother, and a little bit of VH1’s old Surreal Life series. And just to keep you up to speed, the idea isn’t a new one. The show is based on a British series called Celebrity, that has been very popular in the UK. But NBC’s version has definitely been Americanized, and in this case I don’t really mean that in a good way.
The celebrities are your typically group of reality TV stars such as Sanjaya Malakar (American Idol) and Janice Dickinson, who’s done Surreal Life, the British version of the show, Celebrity, and currently...
The celebrities are your typically group of reality TV stars such as Sanjaya Malakar (American Idol) and Janice Dickinson, who’s done Surreal Life, the British version of the show, Celebrity, and currently...
- 6/2/2009
- by AstroJones
- TVovermind.com
For the past few years, The Hills have provided viewers with riveting story lines of friendship, heartache, and betrayal. The Hills was a success from the get-go because it told stories that all viewers could relate to and learn from. We watched on as a young college student left the comfort of her home in Laguna Beach for the big city and encountered many obstacles that we all face in daily life. Throughout Lauren Conrad's journey on The Hills she has loved and she has lost. She loved her high school boyfriend, Jason, she loved her best friend, and all the while she was making a name for herself in the fashion industry. Currently airing is the fifth season of The Hills which will be the last for the Laguna Beach alum who are looking to get back some privacy in their lives. The million dollars question on everyone's...
- 4/15/2009
- by cjoyce@corp.popstar.com (Colleen Joyce)
- TVStar
For the past few years, The Hills have provided viewers with riveting story lines of friendship, heartache, and betrayal. The Hills was a success from the get-go because it told stories that all viewers could relate to and learn from. We watched on as a young college student left the comfort of her home in Laguna Beach for the big city and encountered many obstacles that we all face in daily life. Throughout Lauren Conrad's journey on The Hills she has loved and she has lost. She loved her high school boyfriend, Jason, she loved her best friend, and all the while she was making a name for herself in the fashion industry. Currently airing is the fifth season of The Hills which will be the last for the Laguna Beach alum who are looking to get back some privacy in their lives. The million dollars question on everyone's...
- 4/15/2009
- by cjoyce@corp.popstar.com (Colleen Joyce)
- TVStar
For the past few years, The Hills have provided viewers with riveting story lines of friendship, heartache, and betrayal. The Hills was a success from the get-go because it told stories that all viewers could relate to and learn from. We watched on as a young college student left the comfort of her home in Laguna Beach for the big city and encountered many obstacles that we all face in daily life. Throughout Lauren Conrad's journey on The Hills she has loved and she has lost. She loved her high school boyfriend, Jason, she loved her best friend, and all the while she was making a name for herself in the fashion industry. Currently airing is the fifth season of The Hills which will be the last for the Laguna Beach alum who are looking to get back some privacy in their lives. The million dollars question on everyone's...
- 4/15/2009
- by cjoyce@corp.popstar.com (Colleen Joyce)
- TVStar
For the past few years, The Hills have provided viewers with riveting story lines of friendship, heartache, and betrayal. The Hills was a success from the get-go because it told stories that all viewers could relate to and learn from. We watched on as a young college student left the comfort of her home in Laguna Beach for the big city and encountered many obstacles that we all face in daily life. Throughout Lauren Conrad's journey on The Hills she has loved and she has lost. She loved her high school boyfriend, Jason, she loved her best friend, and all the while she was making a name for herself in the fashion industry. Currently airing is the fifth season of The Hills which will be the last for the Laguna Beach alum who are looking to get back some privacy in their lives. The million dollars question on everyone's...
- 4/15/2009
- by cjoyce@mail.popstar.com (Colleen Joyce)
- PopStar
It was the third straight week that the Jalapao Tribe lost the Immunity Challenge on "Survivor: Tocantins -- The Brazilian Highlands" and had to face host Jeff Probst at Tribal Council. There was a lot of negotiating behind the scenes as to who would go home: Was it going to be Tamara “Taj” Johnson-George, who had the Immunity Idol, or would it be Sydney Wheeler? When the vote was counted, Taj's alliances held and 24-year-old Sydney, who lives in San Diego, Calif., was cast out of the Highlands. Et: Were you blindsided by the vote? I was. Sydney Wheeler: I knew it was coming, unfortunately. I had the feeling that something was going on, so I pulled Jt aside about an hour before Tribal Council. He told me that it was between Taj and me, and it was leaning toward me because Taj has a little more pull with the other tribe.
- 4/3/2009
- by TheInsider
- TheInsider.com
Pre-credit sequence. Wow. It's been a long time since last we hung out with our favorite "Survivor: Tocantins" castaways. Or, I guess, since we spent time with our least favorite "Survivor: Tocantins" castaways. We begin in Jalapao camp, where Jt isn't concerned about the loss of Spencer, but he says that any loss is a tough one with a potential merge approaching. Sydney's worried about her fate if Jalapao loses again, though she's cuddling up with Joe again to make sure that her position secure. Joe, who admits he has "a thing" for Sydney [That's what she said!], assures her that...
- 4/3/2009
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
While the number of gay/bisexual characters on scripted television has, at best, held steady over the past decade (and doesn’t exactly represent the diversity of gay men in the real world), it’s a different story when it comes to the depiction of gay men on reality television. Indeed, along with the explosion of reality programming has come a dramatic increase in the numbers and types of gay and bisexual men appearing on our television screens.
From the groundbreaking appearance of Pedro Zamora on The Real World: San Francisco to the current seasons of The Amazing Race, Survivor: Tocantins, and Make Me a Supermodel, there is a breadth of gay men that is quite frankly astounding.
In fact, there have now been so many gay and bisexual men on reality television that we decided to let AfterElton.com readers choose their favorites of all time. Here...
From the groundbreaking appearance of Pedro Zamora on The Real World: San Francisco to the current seasons of The Amazing Race, Survivor: Tocantins, and Make Me a Supermodel, there is a breadth of gay men that is quite frankly astounding.
In fact, there have now been so many gay and bisexual men on reality television that we decided to let AfterElton.com readers choose their favorites of all time. Here...
- 4/2/2009
- by dennis
- The Backlot
Nineteen-year-old Spencer Duhm, the latest Survivor: Tocantins contestant to be outed, has followed the show since his childhood. He learned plenty of strategy through his years of viewing — including his decision not to tell teammates about his homosexuality — but he was sent home when his tribe, Jalapao, lost an Immunity Challenge. Now that he's done with the show and going back to school to pursue his dream of working in broadcasting, he talked to TVGuide.com about whether he was really "half-assing it" in the challenge and who he thinks should win.
Read More >...
Read More >...
- 3/13/2009
- by Tim Molloy
- TVGuide - Breaking News
***Spoiler Warning*** This interview contains spoilers about Thursday night’s episode of Survivor: Tocantins.
For the first four episodes of Survivor: Tocantins, Spencer Duhm, at nineteen-years-old the youngest Survivor competitor ever, mostly flew under the radar as his team did fairly well in the challenges. Spencer worked hard, didn’t make any enemies, and also kept the fact he was a gay man from his teammates. Therefore it was rather surprising when he was voted off his tribe on Thursday’s episode. Indeed, given his age, fitness, and devotion to the game, many had pegged him to go much further.
AfterElton.com caught up with him the day after his elimination to discuss his strategy, his relationship with previous Survivor winner Todd Herzog, as well as his controversial statements about what kind of gay guy he considers himself.
AfterElton.com: Hi Spencer, thanks so much for talking to us.
For the first four episodes of Survivor: Tocantins, Spencer Duhm, at nineteen-years-old the youngest Survivor competitor ever, mostly flew under the radar as his team did fairly well in the challenges. Spencer worked hard, didn’t make any enemies, and also kept the fact he was a gay man from his teammates. Therefore it was rather surprising when he was voted off his tribe on Thursday’s episode. Indeed, given his age, fitness, and devotion to the game, many had pegged him to go much further.
AfterElton.com caught up with him the day after his elimination to discuss his strategy, his relationship with previous Survivor winner Todd Herzog, as well as his controversial statements about what kind of gay guy he considers himself.
AfterElton.com: Hi Spencer, thanks so much for talking to us.
- 3/13/2009
- by dennis
- The Backlot
Todd Herzog, Spencer Duhm
We're not ever likely to see a gay showmance on Survivor since there are almost never two gay Survivors on the same season (Brad Virata and J.P. Calderon were on together, but J.P. wasn't out).
But I just got word from Todd Herzog, the winner of Survivor: China, that we've got the next best thing because he's now dating Spencer Duhm from Survivor: Tocantins, which is currently airing.
Says Todd via email:
I can't say much because he's still on the show, but we met about a month before his season began. We're doing the 'take it slow' thing which I find to be really nice. Usually guys are in search for one thing, but its refreshing to see that Spencer is different. We have such extreme opposite tastes but so much in common. He Loves sports and I prefer the solo outdoors stuff, I...
We're not ever likely to see a gay showmance on Survivor since there are almost never two gay Survivors on the same season (Brad Virata and J.P. Calderon were on together, but J.P. wasn't out).
But I just got word from Todd Herzog, the winner of Survivor: China, that we've got the next best thing because he's now dating Spencer Duhm from Survivor: Tocantins, which is currently airing.
Says Todd via email:
I can't say much because he's still on the show, but we met about a month before his season began. We're doing the 'take it slow' thing which I find to be really nice. Usually guys are in search for one thing, but its refreshing to see that Spencer is different. We have such extreme opposite tastes but so much in common. He Loves sports and I prefer the solo outdoors stuff, I...
- 3/9/2009
- by michael
- The Backlot
What one word comes to mind about this episode of Survivor: Tonkatoys? Hmmm ... .oh, yeah! B-o-o-ring! The only thing saving it from a down arrow was a bromance in the works (more on that later) and the fact that the Brazilian heat has all the guys stripping down to their skivvies.
***Warning*** Spoilers below!
We start off with the Jalapenos trudging back to camp after voting off Girl Gone Too Soon To Name last week. In infrared we witness Crazy Lady Sandy running around hugging and kissing everyone as she thanks them for not voting her shrieking self off instead. Given that the night camera makes it look like she's sporting a scary ass mustache, I'm thinking she'd be better off just shaking hands.
On a side-note, I've always been creeped out by how everyone's eyes look in the nighttime shots on Survivor. Now they remind of the dead-eyed parents in Coraline.
***Warning*** Spoilers below!
We start off with the Jalapenos trudging back to camp after voting off Girl Gone Too Soon To Name last week. In infrared we witness Crazy Lady Sandy running around hugging and kissing everyone as she thanks them for not voting her shrieking self off instead. Given that the night camera makes it look like she's sporting a scary ass mustache, I'm thinking she'd be better off just shaking hands.
On a side-note, I've always been creeped out by how everyone's eyes look in the nighttime shots on Survivor. Now they remind of the dead-eyed parents in Coraline.
- 2/20/2009
- by michael
- The Backlot
The audition is over and the new season of "Survivor" is ready to get a kick start. The 16 castaways that will participate in the Tocantins edition of the reality game, have been announced. The line-up includes among others, models, a Grammy Awards nominee and a 19-year-old.
Sydney Wheeler (24), Sierra Reed (23) and Candace Smith (31) are models that will serve the women power. Tamara 'Taj' Johnson-George (37) meanwhile was one third of singing group Swv that grabbed a nomination at the Grammys and who was the star of reality show "I Married a Baller" in 2007. Also, if "Survivor: Gabon" had the oldest contestant, the Tocantins finds the youngest one in college student Spencer Duhm (19).
As usual the castaways will be exiled for 39 days in a remote area, building strategy and surviving the nature. This time the location takes place on a "rugged" highland of Brazil, Tocantins, where there are plenty of rivers but the temperatures can be unforgiving.
Sydney Wheeler (24), Sierra Reed (23) and Candace Smith (31) are models that will serve the women power. Tamara 'Taj' Johnson-George (37) meanwhile was one third of singing group Swv that grabbed a nomination at the Grammys and who was the star of reality show "I Married a Baller" in 2007. Also, if "Survivor: Gabon" had the oldest contestant, the Tocantins finds the youngest one in college student Spencer Duhm (19).
As usual the castaways will be exiled for 39 days in a remote area, building strategy and surviving the nature. This time the location takes place on a "rugged" highland of Brazil, Tocantins, where there are plenty of rivers but the temperatures can be unforgiving.
- 1/14/2009
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
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