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Branded
by Chris Wright “Change is good,” the saying goes, but it’s really in the eye of the beholder. The contestants in Survivor: Africa can vouch for this after host Jeff Probst forced six of them to switch sides in Episode 5 — derailing their assumption that they knew the game cold. This shattering — and subsequent reconstruction — of Boran’s and Samburu’s social/political structures has implications for all players. As their roles have abruptly changed, some members’ stocks have risen, some have fallen, while others’ have held steady. Most of the brouhaha focused on the tribal tradeoff and Silas’ subsequent reversal of fortune. You have to think this is a first for Silas — the jock/frat-boy/wannabe actor was probably Mr. All-America in high school and college before becoming the linchpin in the Samburu alliance. Then, in one fell swoop, he’s on the outside looking in. Seeing Silas standing in the Boran camp’s shadows while everyone else (even Clarence, the perpetual outsider) sat around the fire gossiping about him said it all. And as for getting voted out, well, that must have felt like being the shoo-in for Prom King, only to have the band-geek nominee win at the last minute.
What’s been overlooked, however, is the impact the switch had on another member of the Mall Alliance: Brandon. Indeed, while Boran lost only one primary leader — Lex, in the swap — Samburu lost both Silas and Frank. Stepping in to take command of the "new" Samburu members is Lex. And, yes, Brandon is now leader of the "old" tribe.
"We’ve inherited a castrated bull. … We’ve got a queer and two girls as tight as a badger hide." Courtesy of: Up until now, the Dallas bartender had been branded as the stereotypical semi-effeminate young gay male (he was, after all, a department store makeup artist). This contrasts with the portrayal of original Survivor winner, Richard Hatch, the show’s first openly gay contestant, who, as a large, conniving, Machiavellian corporate trainer, was anything but stereotypical. Indeed, Hatch fulfilled a more traditional (some would say hyper-masculine) role. Now, however, with Silas gone from Samburu (and from the game, though the Mallrats don’t know that yet), Brandon has stepped up to the plate. We saw signs of his leadership even before the switch: The previous night, when Silas and Lindsey confronted Teresa and Frank about their votes for Silas, it was Brandon who tried to smooth things over, something we also saw him do with the Episode 4 Linda/Lindsey conflict. In fact, Brandon fulfills both leadership roles that sociologists see in small groups: the task specialist, who recognizes problems and organizes the group’s response, and the social-emotional specialist, who attempts to resolve interpersonal issues and promotes unity. While Kim and especially Lindsey wail under their mosquito nets (talk about editing to promote gender stereotypes), Brandon takes the initiative to, well, hatch a plan. It’s critical to the Mallrats that Tom, Lex and Kelly not find out about Lindsey’s four previous votes, fatal in a Tribal Council tie. That means misleading them into voting for someone else — and Brandon offers himself as the bait. “I will find a way to get them to vote for me,” he assures a sniffling Lindsey and Kim. This worked last season, when Ogakor’s Colby manipulated five Kuchas into voting for him rather than tribemate Jerri, who had previous votes against her. The question is not only whether Brandon can pull this off, but if he will even go through with it. Even before the swap, Brandon has been a task specialist in terms of strategy, if only behind the scenes. Online clips reveal it was he who primarily pushed for voting off Carl in Episode 3. Later, he chastised his buddies for being so gung-ho about trying to vote off the unpopular, but strong, Frank: “This is a game and we’re supposed to be thinking. We have to have [Frank and Teresa] or we’re all screwed. It’s very frustrating for me to see a clear plan and have these people all around me just living in the moment.” Once Silas leaves, Brandon is firmly in control of his triad — but his frustration is only growing: “[Lindsey] doesn’t think about strategy at all, she just runs her mouth,” he vents. “When you are doing everything, everything for your team, [but] you’ve got two girls who are trying to save their own ass [and] want you to get the votes ” you have to tell them who to vote for. You have to do everything and then all they do is cry and whine. ” It’s such a great thing that I’m gay, because I could not put up with a crying woman now.” Clearly, Brandon is taking it upon himself to lead his small faction. But given his frustration, coupled with Silas’ booting, one wonders whether Brandon will stick with his ladies or betray them. If he chooses the latter, he’ll face a choice in roles: Does he try to stay a leader, or will he return to the background? Fading out may actually give him an advantage, in that workhorses such as Clarence and Ethan won’t see him as a physical threat. His charm, too, would be a plus (Kelly, for instance, says she, Tom and Lex like Brandon more than Lindsey or Kim). But if Brandon refuses to re-brand himself once more, will he, unlike Silas, have a place among the remaining Borans? Trying to lead can, as Survivor: Africa’s other bartender learned, leave you vulnerable to the vote. Indeed, the killing fields of Survivor are strewn with fallen leaders, both effective (Palau Tiga’s Gretchen) and hopelessly ineffective (Australia’s Jerri). In other words, young Brandon had better be wary. Next week: Brandon and Kim try to shield Lindsey’s prior votes from the new Samburus; Boran’s food stash runs dry as they worry when (and if) the merge will occur; a mystery person ponders betraying his or her friends. Chris Wright, an admitted Survivor addict since Season 1, Episode 3, spends his days as a copy editor for Federal Computer Week in Falls Church, Va. He previously wrote about how the media turns crime stories into narratives. His take on Survivor will appear here each week.
Related Sites All Survivor-related articles from PopPolitics can be found here. The Lowdown: Episode 5 |
