Who's your worst quitter? E-mail markopolo100@yahoo.com your comments.

 

RESPONSES TO WORST QUITTER IN SURVIVOR HISTORY

I saw your request for responses to Survivor's worst quitter on Survivor Network. I'd like to offer my opinion.

Osten is far and away the worst quitter in the history of Survivor. (1) He quit his only chance ever to be in the game. (2) He is the biggest bust as someone who was supposed to be a physical asset. (3) He outright lied about his swimming ability - or, more aptly, inability - on a Survivor season set on an island. (4) He was pleading to be let go even before Ryan S. was voted off and before Lillian was voted off. True, Ryan was really thin; but, like the parable of the widow and the four coins, Ryan gave all he had (including spewing up snot and seawater while successfully getting game pieces during a challenge where Osten nearly drowned without getting the game piece). (5) Even though he still wanted to be let go, he was kept on the tribe due to Andrew's power-broker tactics whereby Andrew deduced that Osten, although still pleading to leave, was such a better physical asset. Even after being saved twice, Osten urged yet again to be able to quit at the first subsequent opportunity. (6) After all that, Osten stated that his end-all reason for quitting was that his health was more important than anything.

As a result of these six encapsulating points and especially the sixth point, I believe that Osten never should have applied to be on Survivor in the first place. More to the point, whoever decided to make Osten one of the eight male Survivors on Survivor 7 took away that spot from a much more deserving candidate. The cruel injustice is that Candidate #17 will probably never know.

I'd also like to add that Jenna M. is a solid 2nd as worst Survivor quitter. Alicia was right. With Jenna's mother being in such poor health, she should have stayed with her mother and not agreed to be on Survivor All Stars. She had already won $1,000,000 on Survivor 6 AND been paid another $1,000,000 or more for her Playboy pictorial with Heidi. My sympathies are with Jenna (probably more than you know because Jenna's mother died on my birthday in 2003. So, I knew about it the day it happened.) Still, her presence on Survivor All Stars sure looked a lot like greed superseded at the last minute by panic when she obviously must have received word about her mother's health taking a most dire turn. Jenna should have declined and let another more financially needy and emotionally available female Survivor have that slot on Survivor All Stars.

Finally, this leaves us with Sue's departure being the most credible. Richard's "contact" incident was instantaneous and could not have been reasonably foreseen prior to the 39-day competition. With, a "no extreme physical contact or violence" rule in effect, I don't think such a situation was a thought in Sue's (or anybody else's) mind - especially beforehand. Sue's delayed reaction, although iffy, is justifiable as all of the Survivors, already under strained conditions, were intensely competing 7-on-7 for immunity. Then, Sue was in the sensory deprivation tank (also known as 2 days of "down time" on Survivor) where she could mull the event over and over in her mind - and, yes, possibly even blowing the incident out of proportion. In her usual isolationist manner, she didn't talk much with anyone even though it was troubling her greatly. So, she reached the point where she kept it inside for so long so that the first available release resulted in her (i) blowing up and (ii) quitting being the only viable solution to her.

What surprises me most is how little sympathy Sue has received over this. Is it because she isn't young and pretty? I'm sorry if that sounds somewhat flippant, but consider this. Alicia was made out rather badly for making a single statement wondering why Jenna would chose to be in Survivor again with her mother's health declining so much, even though Alicia expressed compassion and immediate agreement that Jenna should
leave to be with her mother. Yet, Kathy ("Girl Power" on several occasions during and after Survivor 4) Vavrick-O'Brien experienced no apparent repercussions for stating that she was "offended" by Sue's reactions and that Sue should "just get over it." Sexual violation is a very serious and touchy subject. Sexual harassment laws are based on the offended party's perceptions and almost never on the other party's intent (or lack of intent). It is also apparent that Sue has deeply affected issues regarding this area of her personality and her life. I am surprised that so little understanding or benefit of the doubt has been afforded to Sue about this. If the roles were changed and the "rubbing incident" had occurred to Jenna M.; Jenna L.; Amber; or even Jerri, I believe that there would be a lot more fervent discussion going on and maybe even more substantive talk of legal action.

To quote Dennis Miller, "Hey, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. But, I don't think so."

Gerry Doyle

It is a hard decision, but I vote Jenna M for worst quitter.

#1 She won Survivor, but chose to come back anyway knowing her mom was ill. Much discussion could go on here. But in my opinion she never should have played again. Osten never should have come either, but he had not had the chance or life experience already in his pocket as Jenna did.

#2 She continues to lie about getting information about her mother.

#3 The self-centered person she is, she waited before an immunity challenge to quit. Yes Sue did this too, but the standard was already set. At the time, all us spoilers thought that quitting at that time would be absurd. I think it was.

From: Anonymous:

Osten is the worst quitter by far. Everyone knows that there is potential for weight loss. His wussy butt kept someone else from playing their heart out in this game. SHAME!!!!!!

From: Anonymous: