I felt like I needed a separate post for this. I mentioned above how cool the opening montage was, and how I got in my feels during the opening mat chat. I had a quick reflection on what Survivor has meant for me.
I didn't start watching during season 1. My first episode was the premiere of season 26, Caramoan. I actually started watching because I saw a thread about it here on WDWMagic. From the first episode, I was hooked. Only to find out later that was "bad" Survivor.
I watched live for a few seasons after that, and I continued to be enthralled by the game and the social dynamics within. I started rewatching old seasons around the time of Cagayan or San Juan del Sur. I only watched during the offseason, as I didn't want to mix up the old seasons and current seasons. Eventually, I had watched many of the old seasons by the time Second Chances came around. I think I had gotten through Gabon or Tocantins. I could probably dig back in these forums and see my initial thoughts on the seasons, as I shared them in the Survivor thread. I remember falling in love with the obvious fan favorites... Boston Rob, Rob C, Rupert, Terry, Spencer, etc. During the Second Chance vote I remember voting for people I knew. However, I specifically remember voting for Monica Padilla, even though I hadn't seen her season. When I finally got around the Samoa, I laughed and wondered why she was even on the ballot.
Fast forward a few seasons, and I think the first time I listened to Rob Has a Podcast was during Millennials vs Gen X. I didn't listen very often then, but eventually I started listening to the Know It Alls every week. It was exactly what I wanted as a Survivor fan. I loved the strategy and the "outwitting". As I listened over and over, I started to check out other podcasts. I had nobody in my life who watched the show like I did and who was totally obsessed with it. RHAP was a place I could go and hear from like-minded people. It became such a big part of my life, and it still is to this day. The podcasts, and gaining more life experience, taught me that Survivor was more than just strategy. It was a social game first and foremost. People weren't chess pieces you could just move around.
During Edge of Extinction, I created a specific Twitter account for Survivor, so I could ask questions to RHAP and follow Survivor players and Survivor-related content. That was the next evolution of my fandom. It was so cool when I heard Rob and Stephen read off my question on the Know It Alls. Once, Angelina was a guest host when Stephen was out, and she commented how much she liked my username, which was "Tubby Lunchbox" - a quote from Corinne Kaplan from my first season, Caramoan. Eventually, I had asked so many questions that Rob would refer to me as a frequent commenter. The way he would respond to my questions and acknowledge them made me feel like I was part of something, and that my weird obsession was normal. It was a weekly challenge to come up with a question good enough for the Know It Alls.
A couple seasons later, I remember getting likes from Survivor players like T-Bird and even the legendary Kim Spradlin, who I am obsessed with. I have said that if I ever played with her, she would pull me in so hard with her charm and have me wrapped around her finger.
After a while, my listening time in RHAP increased, while my commenting, posting, and questions decreased. I just became busier. There became controversy over Twitter/X, and it wasn't the same. But I listened to RHAP more and more. The first year I listened on Spotify, I was a top 2% listener. The following year I even set a goal to become top 1%. Well, Spotify Wrapped never told me the following year what I was. However, the year after that, I met that goal.
All the while, I have been chatting with all of you here at WDWMagic. You have been the people who I've been able to talk about my love of Survivor with. I thank you for that. You've provided me countless hours of fun and joy, even if you probably think I'm a little excessive with everything.
Outside of Virtual World, my love of the show has blossomed a couple of friendships. I found out a co-worker of mine watched, so we started chatting every Thursday morning about the latest episode. She then moved on to another job, but we continue to text each other about all things Survivor. I ended up going to an exclusive, early viewing of a Survivor 47 episode in Madison, WI with her. While there, I got to chat with lots of other Survivor fans. I got to meet Andrea, who is one of my all-time favorites. And it's perfect that she was from my first season. I also met Davie from David vs Goliath and Sash from Nicaragua. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life, and I'm so glad I decided to stay up late on a work night to go. I almost didn't ask her, because I assumed she'd say no, and I always feel like I'm just bothering others when trying to make plans.
I then posted about the event on Facebook, and a friend's sister commented saying she didn't know I was a Survivor superfan. Based on that comment, we have now become friends. We talk about Survivor all the time.
Aside from all of this, I started watching Survivor every week with my dad. I used to watch the show by myself, but I think it was season 36, Ghost Island, when I started to watch weekly with him. He's not a superfan, and he can't remember their names two days after the season. But it's been such a great connection with him.
I could go on and on (as if I haven't already), but Survivor has meant so much to me in my life. It's given me not only entertainment, but friendships. The impact a simple show has had on my life is incredible. It's given me something to look forward to on tough days. When I'm feeling lonely, it's given me voices to listen to through RHAP. My dad and I have always had a good relationship, but it's brought me closer to him. It's not just a show that I like to talk about. It's a passion. It's part of who I am, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
