RupertBoneham

I am loving the latest season of 'Survivor'.

For one thing, every time I think about it, I get 'Heroes and Villains', the Brian Wilson song, in my head. For the uninitiated, have a listen. Now you can sing that in your head (or out loud if you're really talented) when the tribes march in for the next challenge.

For another, I love Boston Rob. Not in a 'TV crush' kind of way. My love for Rob is on a different plane from mere physical affection. It's the love that comes from watching countless hours of reality television and finding the characters grotesquely human - they change their minds, are inconsistent, or give up midway through a task because they are tired or hungry. Rob suffers from none of these problems. He behaves the way a written character would, God bless him. He even managed that most difficult of storylines, the unattainable girl, with aplomb.

Whetting our appetites for next week's 'Survivor: Heroes Vs. Villains' season premiere, this evening's 'Surviving Survivor' was definitely an hour worth watching for any true fan of the show. So often clips shows tend to tread the trodden path, but not so much with this one. The focus wasn't merely on the castaways we'll see in the upcoming season, but a look back at the show's history and a peek at what's happening in the lives of some of our favorite 'Survivors' over the years.

I've watched since the first season, and it brought back memories of the phenomenon that was 'Survivor: Borneo.' Fifty-two million viewers, extreme watercooler chat, and the start of the reality competition genre.

If you are a big fan of America's Favorite Survivor, otherwise known as Rupert Boneham, you'll be happy to know that he is doing really, really well. When Rupert didn't Outwit, Outplay or Outlast the Survivor: All Stars, his fans voted him their all-time favorite Survivor, and he won $1 million anyway. What's he doing with that money? A lot. First, he launched RFB (Rupert Frederick Boneham) Enterprises to handle his personal appearances and speeches. He gave 200 speeches last year at $10,000 a pop. He created Tournament Towers, a production company contracted out for camera work for live sports events. His crew is currently building walkways and floors for vendors at the Super Bowl in Detroit. He also is dabbling in real estate, buying office spaces in his homestate of Indiana and renting them to businesses. His latest project is to create tie-dye milk cartons with his photo on it because, he says, he wants to "make milk cool."

And yes. He still wears the tie-dye.

[Via Pop Candy]