Gorilion Rising

The ROB VERSUS RUSSELL edition of SURVIVOR plows ahead and Phil the Former Special Agent continues to try to out-crazy Coach the Dragonslayer. His explanation of his gorilla and lion tattoos makes me realize that I need to come up with some more batshit explanations for my own tattoos. How long can the GoriLion possibly last...?

But that's neither here nor there. Did you realize that Jeff Probst has a blog?

Excerpt from his blog entry for the first episode:

HOURS BEFORE THE START...

I took my boombox, yes I still have a boombox, and I gathered the Survivors around me in a circle. They still couldn’t talk because the game hadn’t yet started. I then put on LOSE YOURSELF by Eminem. I blasted it from the speakers. I had the words printed on a sheet of paper. I went from one person to another singing the song.. well talking the song… well actually just basically screaming the song. I wanted them to feel the energy I felt – that we were sitting on the edge of something really special.

Jesus. I'm sure he's a nice guy in person but Probst does NOT come off well online. Online, he comes across as David Brent. Can you imagine Jeff Probst pretending to be Eminem, forcing a bunch of shellshocked SURVIVOR contestants to listen to him sing "Lose Yourself" right before they begin shooting the season?? I think they should've filmed this and it should've been the opening of the season. I think it should've been the opening title sequence of the season, week after week Probst singing "Lose Yourself".

Season's still early so not much to talk about. "Redemption Island" doesn't even kick in until next week. Russell already seems to be losing it—made worse by him NOT finding the hidden immunity idol—but the teaser for next week seems to imply that he's about to shake shit up so who knows. I'm still amazed he made it to the end of his last season. Thing is, he seems to be playing the exact same game that he's played for two seasons in a row... and this is the first season where his fellow players know he's shady... so I hope he's got some magic tricks left under his hat.