12/5 Show Discussion **Spoilers**

[Fanny Mare]

Actors are often accused of acting in real life but it doesn't work that way. They play a role with a defined personality.

Lisa reads genuine, to me.

I plan to vote for Penner as favorite. I adore his personality, humor, honesty and sensibilities. Malcome is hot and a good guy but cannot hold a candle to Penner, for me. He is a shining star in Ponderosa too! He is the bar tender, mediator, chef at times and soul of that place.

I am so torn. I really do love Penner, and as you say, he is wonderful at the Ponderosa, he is so welcoming.

[sweetpea]

Penner is a grown up. He sees Survivor for what it is, an amazing, fun, incredible, challenging game to play, but at the end of the day it's just a game. Kent could take a few lessons from Penner, although I'm sure he wouldn't want to hear that.

I'd love to see him as the host if Jeff P were to leave.

[redsox girl]

redsox girl---I posted what Malcolm said about OJ below...notice that he specifically says "before all the legal drama", which presumably includes the wife beating, likely murders, etc. What he liked about OJ was the underdog story, from practically disabled to fantastic athlete. Now I admit there are probably other underdogs out there, who didn't grow up to be felons after their success, and I would also prefer he not be able to apparently overlook that "legal drama stuff" while admiring the rickets to football superstar stuff, but at least he's admiring the right things about OJ, not the wrong ones. Maybe he read a childhood biography of OJ, or maybe he had some childhood disability himself that made him connect with him... I like the work Malcolm himself did with poor kids.
I also like that he and Denise (and Penner) seem to have kept their perspective for the most part. Probably helps that they talk to each other and use each other to vent to, so they are generally reacting on Surivivor as they might in the real world. I think some others have totally lost perspective (e.g., a certain famous ballplayer), and it's refreshing to see someone responding the way we all would like to think we would--e.g., the spot on Harry Potter reference.

Inspiration in Life: O.J. Simpson before the legal drama. When he was a kid, he had rickets. For his birthday, when he was still young, his father took him to a signing to meet Jim Brown and O.J. hobbled right up to him and told him he was going to break all his records which he eventually did. I’m a sucker for underdog stories.

ETA...since I was a young adult in the 60's-70's I'm sure I'll always find long hair on guys a good look...and maybe some of the other older viewers crushing on his looks grew up then...or during the grunge period! That early imprinting of what's sexy. I wouldn't mind it if he got washed I admit, but also agree with others that even grubby he looks good--not easy with long hair!

Regarding his looks, its just my opinion. It really has nothing to do with the issue of long hair. Honestly, it was just a silly, off- handed comment. Its just looks, afterall. As for O.J., I know what he said about O.J., and I stick by my opinion that there are plenty of athletes past and present who had or have mad skills who were or are quality human beings. Malcoms youth ,imo, shouldn't`t be a pass for him not getting what O.J. definitely did (beating his wife) , might have done (murdered Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman) and what Simpson now sits in jail for (armed robbery). He acknowledged knowing about O.J.s legal problems. I mean seriously, Malcom, you couldn't` come up with someone better, if you are going the route of admiring athletes? Say, Roberto Clemente, for instance? You choose a wife beater over an athlete who was not only the epitome of greatness in his sport but also a humanitarian. Its again my perception of Malcom, not an attack, just a comment about how I view him,first on a superficial level(looks) and then musing about his choice of who is worthy of admiration.

[kev89]

Penner is a grown up. He sees Survivor for what it is, an amazing, fun, incredible, challenging game to play, but at the end of the day it's just a game. Kent could take a few lessons from Penner, although I'm sure he wouldn't want to hear that.

I'd love to see him as the host if Jeff P were to leave.

Penner hosting would be awesome!

[redsox girl]

Also bear in mind his age - he would have been eight when the trial was taking place. I don't think Simpson's crimes would have had much of an impact on his, whereas, if he is sports-focused, Simpson's athletic achievements would have.

Malcom acknowledged knowing what Simpson dd, choosing the term `legal problems.` I honestly don`t know anyone (I`m excluding todays children ) who does not know that O.J. absolutely beat his wife Nicole Simpson, might have murdered her and Ronald Goldman and is currently serving a prison term. Afterall, it remains one of the most infamous and well known, documented crimes in modern American history. Maybe, Simpson's actions did not impact an 8 year-old Malcom, but I would hope the adult Malcom, and he is a fully grown man, would be impacted by the grave nature of Simpson's acts and perhaps choose someone else just as talented or more talented , who also has a moral compass rather than a criminal record laced with violence. Again, just my perception.

[Florimel]

Malcom acknowledged knowing what Simpson dd, choosing the term `legal problems.` I honestly don`t know anyone (I`m excluding todays children ) who does not know that O.J. absolutely beat his wife Nicole Simpson, might have murdered her and Ronald Goldman and is currently serving a prison term. Afterall, it remains one of the most infamous and well known, documented crimes in modern American history. Maybe, Simpson's actions did not impact an 8 year-old Malcom, but I would hope the adult Malcom, and he is a fully grown man, would be impacted by the grave nature of Simpson's acts and perhaps choose someone else just as talented or more talented , who also has a moral compass rather than a criminal record laced with violence. Again, just my perception.

I agree with you, redsox girl, and I've posted pretty much what you said a couple of times here. I think Malcom has been very easy to like on the show, but I just can't get past that. At the very least, it was not smart to put that in his bio even if he does still believe it. As you say, there are many other athletes he could have chosen as an inspiration.

[Daisoo]

Wait, voting for fan favourite is open already?

Hmm, I think for this season it's going to be a tossup between Malcolm, Penner, Lisa, Denise and maybe Skupin (?)

[mesachick]

I luv'ed Lisa's explanation that while she prayed to God to help her out she really didn't expect him to.

Way to give God an out...


I have absolutely no problem with Malcolm whatsoever. I have no problem with the way he stated what he liked about OJ - although that would not have been an example that I would have chosen, but then again I was much older when the trials where going on, so I have a much different view of OJ. I didn't even know he had rickets lol. Anyway, Malcolm has so many wonderful qualities about him, for example the fact that he volunteered at a teaching program in the Marshall Islands for a year, teaching elementary school English to local children, that one view that he may hold doesn't mean that he isn't anything but a stand up guy. From what I've seen of him, that's what he is. I hope he walks away with the million, and if not, that he gets fan favorite. That's where my votes will go.

[Duff]

Actors are often accused of acting in real life but it doesn't work that way. They play a role with a defined personality.

Lisa reads genuine, to me.

I plan to vote for Penner as favorite. I adore his personality, humor, honesty and sensibilities. Malcome is hot and a good guy but cannot hold a candle to Penner, for me. He is a shining star in Ponderosa too! He is the bar tender, mediator, chef at times and soul of that place.

I agree that actors can't be acting all the time in the real world, that would be too tiring. But this is reality TV, not the actual real life.

And things that have put me off Lisa are not just the fact that she is an actress, but more her actions as well. Conveniently stumbling upon Malcolm's HI in his belongings under the pretext of "cleaning up", rattailing on his HI almost immediately after promising to be in Malcolm's alliance, acting innocent one moment and planning to oust the stronger players next moment as if with the greatest inner conflict are traits that make me loathe her, I would much rather she come clean about everything or shut up. I respect that others find her to be genuine and endearing, but I call it like I see it. And to me Lisa spells the complete opposite. Period.

[PWS]

Wait, voting for fan favourite is open already?

Hmm, I think for this season it's going to be a tossup between Malcolm, Penner, Lisa, Denise and maybe Skupin (?)

No, no voting yet, so far as I know. I expect it wil begin Weds., but we'll see.

I agree, if Jeff ever decides he's had enough of this (e.g., if his talk show took off), Penner would be a great replacement. Maybe that's Penner's long view, too!