'Survivor' shows reality bites

Gervase, Colleen, Rich, Sue, Jenna, the Tagi alliance, the tribal council

If none of the above rings a bell, then you haven't seen one of the most popular summer series in TV history -- "Survivor."
 
The "reality" TV show pits castaways on a remote island against each other for a $1 million grand prize.  Unlike its CBS cousin, "Big Brother," "Survivor" has captured the imagination of viewers nationwide, even edging out ABC's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" for the top ratings this summer, according to news reports.

Is the show's popularity (some might say obsession) with many viewers simply a result of summer TV boredom, or is there something more here than meets the eye?

Two Cal State Long Beach professors from different disciplines, Robin Markowitz of the sociology department and Amy Bippus of the communications studies department, recently offered their academic insights regarding the show's popularity.

Markowitz said she believes the show's producers have created a replica of the American workplace.

"People noticed immediately this was office politics," Markowitz said.  "It's the first TV program to show the psychological brutality of the workplace."

"It's not a frivolous show in that respect," Markowitz said.  "It validates what many sociologists have said about our work life for years."

Markowitz said the castaways' inability to cooperate with each other, the formation of coalitions for self-preservation, and the alienation that many on the island appear to experience are also commonplace in the workplace.

While the $1 million prize is not the workplace norm, Markowitz said it replicates the salary raises and bonuses American worker strive to attain.  In the real world, a person's salary is likely more important than a large cash prize, Markowitz added.

When the women castaways formed a coalition to vote castaway Joel off the island for his perceived sexism, it echoed the strides women have made in society, the CSULB sociologist said.

"It demonstrated women have learned how to defend themselves against male abuses of power," Markowitz said.

The sociologist also noted that two of the early castaways to be voted off the island were seniors, who are often unappreciated in the workplace as well, she said.

The one castaway whom many viewers seem to despise, Rich, a corporate trainer in real life, has "survived" by forming a coalition with his Tagi tribe members to vote off members of the Pulua tribe after the two tribes joined.

"The question people will ask is 'Am I as vile as some of these people?'" Markowitz said.  "Once you realize we work on 'Survivor' island, then you have to decide what to do about it."

Bippus, who teaches a "Communication in Conflict Resolution" course on campus, believes the show's attraction is its difference from regular TV fare.

"People on regular TV shows do not act like people in real life do," Bippus said. "Everything they say and do is scripted to make a point or get a laugh."

"People on these 'reality' shows say stupid things, use the wrong words, make inappropriate comments and generally are just real people with whom we can identify and even feel superior to," Bippus said.

Bippus said there are lessons to be learned from watching the show on how to interact in a group. Referring to Joel's ouster by the women on the island, Bippus said, "Looking at some of the interactions he had with other people, he could have conveyed the same message content about how to do or not do certain things in a lot less threatening manner."

"For example, he could have used self-deprecating humor to put himself down and make himself seem less arrogant and offensive, so that other people wouldn't see him as trying to demonstrate his superiority with his comments," Bippus said.

Bippus had praise for the way castaway Gretchen refused to join a voting alliance.

She refused in a way that wasn't threatening to anyone else," Bippus said.  "It is important to be friendly and cooperative with others and not align yourself with troublemakers or even 'leaders' who may be resented by some members of the group."

The communications professor said it's important not to become too much of a "clown" in a group, which was demonstrated by the young castaway Greg who was later voted off the island.

"Trying to be too much of a clown and down-playing your own skills and contributions can make people start to see you as just that ­ a joker who doesn't
contribute much," she said.

Bippus said she believes "Survivor" is more popular than "Big Brother" because it is set on an island, capturing our imaginations more than "Big Brother's"
house setting. However, she said, both shows can be instructive in understanding human communications.

"These shows give people a chance to watch how other people fare in trying to get along under trying circumstances," Bippus said.  "They even allow people to come up with their own strategies for how they would handle these situations."