Survivor China: Hello, I'm Still a Person!

So the Lunch Lady was the ultimate Liar!
Douglas school officials challenge "Survivor"

By Mike Elfland TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
melfland@telegram.com





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 Mrs. 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 to custodian came at Mrs. Martin’s request and is accompanied by higher pay and additional benefits. The move came prior to 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.”

So let me get this straight:

Although you love the locale (+) you don't really like this season (-) but you will most likely like it more than Vanuatu, no matter what (?).

So basically you tell us nothing in about three sentences.

When I noticed that you even got other things wrong from a 60 minute episode I stopped reading.

I hope you don't get paid for this.

Earl and Yul were both nice guys, and they won.

Of the remaining four, only Amanda and Todd "deserve" to win. Courtney and Denise just haven't done enough in the game for me. Unfortunately, the final immunity will involve endurance; and that favors Todd over Amanda - he's smaller, and better fed.

At the end, Jeff said there were 3 more tribal councils. If I follow that correctly, there will be only 2 finalists. First TC gets rid of 4th place, second TC gets rid of 3rd place and the final TC is for the winner.

That would be an interesting twist since everyone seems to be playing for just the final 3.

Love the show. How does one get picked to be on survivor.

First things first, a couple of weeks ago I stated with authority that there was no way Todd would make it to the final four. Obviously I am currently eating crow, or balut or whatever. Nonetheless, he shouldn't be there because he is a punkass and an idiot who overestimates himself.

Quick question- does anyone remember from last season if the final vote was done at the reunion or not? I may be completely smoking crack but I thought I remembered the voting not actually even taking place until the reunion show. I looked back at last season's postings and I didn't see anything pointing either way. Am I crazy?

For me there is no one in the final 5 (and even higher) that has really excelled this season. Todd perhaps had the best "early" strategy but then again the producers know whom made it late in the game and focused more camera time to him. Also for me there is no villian or non-villian this year so I don't have a favorite or no favorite (but I was glad to see Peih-Gee finally leave). Todd seems to have played the best game of those remaining, but he has also stood out as the leader!

As for this weeks show I too figured they gave the most arrows to Courtney because she's not very good at challenges so she was a safe bet to NOT win. And you can tell she is not very bright or strategic because when she made Todd the leader and there was NO way she could hit here name enough times to when, why did she just not shoot the arrows way off to the side?

If she is aligned with Todd then let him when it got to the points she couldn't win. Not very bright and she showed her true colors as a tag along in my opinion. Now some might say she was "helping" Denise, but not from what I saw. She didn't think and her Survivor skills are not very good!


As for Peih-Gee! Come on girl no one likes you and the only reason you are still there is because you won a few immunity necklaces. How dumb was she to think she anyone would take her on a reward trip? I am so glad she is gone. And to whine about stuff, hummmm.... aren't you the same girl that had the idea to throw a challenge awhile back to have it the next week backfire? Good ridance to her whining! If the roles were reversed she would do the same thing!


As for Denise, actually besides Todd I think her strategy for a few weeks now is to "go along with the group" and try to get to the final 4, then really try hard to win the immunity challenge to secure a final 3 -- thus having a legit chance to win since she has no pissed off anyone. She looks and come across as a longshot, but I think she is smarter than everyone thinks!

Courtney is just there, all skin and bones of her!

Amanda. Yes she has a strategy and has used it (remember it was her that convinced everyone to get rid of James). However I think most see her as Todd's right hand up until now, and I can't vote for her based on being a tag along that looks like she fell into the right group or team. Now if Amanda wants to win she needs to take the lead role and show she isn't what everyone thinks.


Todd. Most say they woould want to face him before the jury, but I disagree! Todd has played the game period, and yes he voted most off or at least had something to do with them leaving. But all of them were there and know he is and has been the leader. My point is that if I was there I would be mad the minute I was voted off, but they have time to sit around and think about it. Yes I would be mad at first, but then I would think about it to realize Todd was the best player and he deserved to win.

In my opinion, they better get rid of Todd and not let him be a finalist!

I don't know why Todd's punk ass is still playing the game. Denise can't be a dumb as she appears

Hey Joseph, no problems. I had the same idea while I was watching it. And to lend credence to that idea, for some reason she wasn't too broken up about it either.

Was it just me or did others think that Courtney was throwing the reward challenge? No one could be THAT bad a shot. I mean she hit the board almost every time, just not her own name. Also, she kept hitting Todd and Denise's squares but NEVER Pee Gee's. That may have been the first (and only) example of Cortney actually "playing the game". She gave Denise the win knowing (or at least betting on) taht she would take her with her on the reward for doing so without putting herself in the postion of being scorned for winning and then deciding who goes with her.

Don't get me wrong, I loathe Courtney, but that was probably pretty smart of her. The way that her eyes roll around constantly, I thought her head must be empty but maybe there is a little brain in there anchoring them after all.

However, it was a nice twist of irony that she ended up not enjoying that reward too much.