This week on Survivor: Tocantins, Taj outed herself as the wife of former NFL player Eddie George (she also used to be in the pop group SWV). Another contestant, Brendan, is wildly well-to-do, having cofounded and later sold Bear Naked granola. Brendan, who like Taj was recruited for the show, briefly (and inexplicably) posted his audition video to YouTube just before being cast last year...and at least one other contestant noticed, or at least recognized him before the game began.
Coincidentally, it was Brendan and Taj who ventured to Exile Island in Episode 2 and bonded over the experience. The teasers for next week's show hint that they may even form an alliance. That aside, will their finances alone (assuming Brendan's becomes widely known or suspected among other players at some point) hurt them? After all, following Taj's admission, J.T. noted that he needed the million far more than she must. And in a game where contestants might grasp at any reason to get rid of someone other than themselves, you'd think Brendan and Taj would be at risk.
The Life of Brian Revisited
But maybe not -- because we've seen this before. Way back in 2002, the financial status of Survivor: Thailand contestant Brian Heidik was glaringly revealed to his fellow contestants. As I wrote in Tribal Warfare:
In an episode midway through the season, the contestants viewed videotapes from home, and in Brian's, we watched as his wife wandered through their impressive abode, which housed a white grand piano, and then showed off the family's two expensive automobiles. As this insertion of the "real" world into the manufactured world of Survivor reverberated, Brian frothed, fearing the revelation would undercut his plans -- would his tribemates vote him out, feeling he didn't need the million-dollar prize?
It turned out that Brian had little to worry about: He wound up winning, 4-3, even after his opponent in the final two, Clay, argued (if memory serves) that he could better use the money due to a troubled restaurant business.
In a 2005-ish interview, Helen Glover, another contestant from that season, told me that the video "was a BIG deal to me, but to me alone" and that wealth was a bigger issue for her than personality, but that "didn't matter" to the other contestants. Glover noted that near the end of the game, Clay talked some about Brian having money already, but "by then it was too late to change things up."
I conducted an extensive survey with Tribal Warfare that asked the 1,000-plus respondents what affect Brian's video had on their opinion of him. 62 percent said it had none, and just a third said it made them want him to win the game less. So if anything, most viewers might have sided with Glover's tribemates, not her.
Gary's Game
Another apparently well-to-do contestant would be Gary Hogeboom from Guatemala. The former NFL quarterback did his best to shield his identity out of fear of being voted out. He went by the last name "Hawkins" and said he was a landscaper, his current job. But the season's eventual winner, Danni Boatwright, recognized him and many in his tribe suspected the truth, though they couldn't know for sure.
Did his potential wealth affect Gary's standing in the game? Not according to one of his former tribemates, Brian Corridan. "His identity didn't matter to us for a few reason," Corridan told me. For one thing, his strength was important, especially early on in a tribe with few buff players. "Even if he was a billionaire, it would have been hard for us to vote him out that early without running the very real risk of having to face many more Tribal Councils before the merge."
Gary, Corridan noted, had also befriended several players on their tribe, and those teammates would have needed a very good reason to vote him out early on. The bottom line, explained Corridan: "Had he been on a stronger tribe or had he revealed his wealth earlier on or with more arrogance about him, it might have been a different story. But with his usefulness around camp and in challenges, and with his tight bonds with several teammates, he wasn't going anywhere." And Gary didn't for awhile, placing seventh that season, with an assist from Survivor's first hidden immunity idol.
It's the Stupid Economy
Precedent, then, would suggest that fat wallets don't hurt, assuming players don't flaunt it. But a couple of things are different this time. First, in Taj's case at least, the other contestants have found out about her very early on, while impressions and alliances are still setting. With Gary, they never knew for sure, and Thailand Brian's financial status was revealed well into the proceedings. But if Taj's tribe heads to Tribal again soon, they might see her tax bracket as an easy reason to let her go, although in interviews she's said that she is going on the show to earn money for her charitable foundation.
On a more subliminal level, could outside conditions -- namely the economy -- affect the game, which filmed last fall as Wall Street began its nose-dive? Would a "Player X is already rich" argument carry more weight in these conditions?
Don't get me wrong: I can't quite imagine someone deciding to vote out Brendan specifically because the economy is in the tank. However, assuming the nation's financial situation was clear enough when filming began (and perhaps reinforced at the inevitable family visit late in the season), such thoughts could lurk beneath the surface when it comes to players' strategies. In his interview with Reality Blurred, Ben/Coach, who knows about Brendan's wealth, hinted he'd use it against him in some way if he had to.
If anything, it might be more of a factor as the game draws to a close. In fact, if I were on the show, I might want to sit next to a millionaire (or two) at the final Tribal Council. It may not have worked for Clay against Brian, but "the other guy doesn't need the money" can't hurt as an argument, especially these days, right?
