Here's Rafe's first set of replies. He'll be answering questions through tomorrow, so if you have anything last minute, be sure to post your comments on the Ask a Survivor page.

April 19, 2007

Question:

(From Stimpy 150) Was your vote for Stephenie really a vote for who you felt played the better game, or was it more out of sympathy, because you had the feeling she was about to get creamed in the worst way?

And I guess that leads to a bit of a follow-up question: do you really think that Steph played the 'better' game of the two? 'Cause honestly I think Danni gave a great template performance of what to do when you're down 6-1 (well, yeah, Chris did too, but that's another conversation altogether ;) )

Anyhoo, interested in hearing what you have to say.

Cheers!

Answer:

Hey Stimpy! My dad’s name is Ren, so I feel we have a bond. My vote for Stephenie was basically a given before Tribal Council. There was definitely a chance that if Danni had really made a case for herself that I would have voted for her, but she didn’t. I think the result was such a forgone conclusion before Tribal Council even happened that Steph, Danni, and even most of the jurors didn’t really give it their all during the question/answer portion. We all knew Danni would win, it was just a question of whether it would be a 5-2 vote or 6-1 vote (I wasn’t really sure who Cindy might vote for). I actually thought that Steph argued for herself a bit better during the Final TC, and that she might have won over Judd’s vote as well, but she was basically fighting a losing battle before it even began simply because she had played the game before and most of the people on our season didn’t want to see someone who had played before win. I didn’t think that should be a factor in how we voted, so I gave my vote to Steph in defiance of that kind of attitude :)

Question:

(from Heiko101) During the double tribal council episode in Guatemala when you gave immunity to Gary, had Brian asked for the immunity or given you inclinations that he was in danger, would you have a given him immunity? What was your status with Brian as far as strategy goes? Would you have joined forces with him at the merge?

Answer:

Ahhhh, Brian Brian Brian. He does seem to have a lot of fans in these parts, how does he get them? How could I get them instead? ;) Going into that Tribal, I knew there was a good chance I would be able to give someone immunity, and I was 100% positive that I would either give the necklace to Amy or Gary, depending on who I could ascertain was in more danger. They were both parts of my long-term plan at the time, and they were also two of the people I was closest with in the game. So, Brian actually helped me out by NOT requesting the immunity, because I wouldn’t have given it to him if he did :) From the beginning of the game, I saw him as a threat mostly because I thought he was the only person who might see ME as a threat. Everyone else was like, "Awww, sweet little Rafe just likes to make board games out of leaves and sing Backstreet Boys songs. He would never vote for me!" But I could sense Brian was evil (mostly because I couldn’t see a strong reason for him to be on the show if he WASN’T evil. Everyone else had a clear "character" that made them believable choices for the show, Brian didn’t. So I assumed his "character" must be one that only appeared during confessionals. I.E. Evil.) So, I had been working on a subtle anti-Brian propaganda campaign from Day 1, making sure that the other members of my tribe were verrrrry wary of him. I wanted to be sure he was gone before the merge, and by the time the tribes divided, so did Amy, Gary, and Stephenie. I think that’s what ultimately did him in. He put all his eggs in the Jamie and Lydia baskets, while the other members of Yaxha had broad alliance bases that served us well through the twist. And also, that cheering thing. "GO YAXHA!!!! AHAHAHAHHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" :)

Question:

(from StokedIslandDude) Here goes my question (it's a two-parter):
1. Just based off your initial first impressions of your season's cast, before you got the chance to even speak with anyone, if you had the power at the beginning to divide the teams, who would you have selected on YOUR team?
I would have picked:

Answer 1:

Morgan, Cindy, Danni, Lydia, Gary, Blake, and Jim

2. And, as a follow up, based on what you know now, throughout getting to know each person's personalities, if you were flown out back to Guatemala, at this right moment, now who would you choose for your team?

Answer 2:

Cindy, Steph, Amy, Brooke, Brandon, Bobby Jon, and Gary

Question:

(xlawlor) I remember reading your bio on Guetamala and you had down Sydney Swans as one of your fav sports teams, what is your connection to Australia? also would you support international contestants on the show, say a USA vs The World? I'm Aussie and would love to be on the show myself, what are your thoughts?

Answer:

Hey, xlawlor! How are ya going, mate? ;) I lived in Sydney (Coogee, really) for almost a year when I was a junior in college and attended UNSW. I absolutely loved it, and really really hope to move back there again some day. I think it would be tough to put Aussies on Survivor because they’d kick the yanks’ butts, but a few well-placed international contestants could definitely add some color to the show.

Question:

(from IronCity) What do you think was your lowest moment in Guatemala (not including the rope ladder or telling Danni she could take Stef to the final 2)? Was it televised?

Answer:

To be honest, my lowest moment wasn’t really either of those. It was when we got back from my very first Tribal Council, where Morgan was voted out. It was Day 6, I was horribly sick and dehydrated (as evidenced during Judkins vs. Rope Ladder), and I had to vote out my Final 2 partner at the very first tribal council. It was insane to be less than a week into the game and feel like I’d failed on every front possible. But, it was also incredibly freeing, because at that point, I did an interview at like 2 in the morning where I was like, "Screw it. I’m going to win anyway. Watch me." Which would have totally been on TV if I’d actually won ;) But, it basically freed me up to really sink my teeth into the game and feel like I had nothing to lose because I’d already hit my lowest low. I made a plan to basically climb up the metaphorical ladder one rung at a time until I had the power to make decisions about who goes home in the game, and just focused on each strategic move and each Tribal Council, putting myself in a slightly better position until it came down to the Final 8 and I basically could control what happened from there on out.

Question:

(from Spyne) Hey Rafe, it was interesting to watch you play the game in Guatemala and the bonds you made with both Stephenie and Danni.

But I have a couple questions for you. First, which Survivors from your season do you still keep in contact with? Second, was it really difficult at the time of the Final Immunity Challenge where you "released" Danni from her promise to you to bring you to the final two?

Answer:

Hey Spyne. I love the nicknames everyone chooses for themselves. I still keep in touch with quite a few people from my season. I’m super-close with Cindy and Steph still, my heart yearns for Amy on a daily basis yet refuses to call me since I lost her number, and I talk to Danni, Brian, Brooke, and Lydia whenever I can. But I really love everyone, and whenever I see them, it’s like seeing family in a lot of ways. Some good, some bad, but you love them regardless ;)

Question:

(from Geekman67) who would be your perfect list of people to compete in the second addition of all-stars (have the list include 20 people since that seems to be the new amount of people competing in survivor these days)

Oooo, good question! Here’s my list, based on trying to put together a cast that fits the demographic niches that CBS always fills, while also putting together some of the most entertaining/best players of the game:
MEN
Tom
Ian
Coby
Me
Shane
Terry
Yul
Ozzy
Jonathan
Yau-Man

WOMEN
Ami
Twila
Jenn
Stephenie
Danni
Lydia
Cirie
Candice
Parvati
Michelle
People I took off after I made the list for demo reasons: Aras, Gary, Sarge, Chris D., Scout, Katie, Eliza
Also, I didn’t use people from before the last All-Stars, but obviously someone like Sandra would be an amazing addition.

Question:

(from mhg10908) Hey Rafe,
I know you guys won the boulder challenge, but how come you never participated in the challenge; did you think it was fair to Judd and Jamie pair up twice and score 2 out of 3 points for Nakum while Yaxha used every surivor at least once in the challenge?

Answer:

Mhg! (That sounds like some kind of weird exclamation, that you might make if you were being struck in the throat repeatedly: "Mhhggghhghhggg!") I’m so glad you asked this question, because YES, I think it’s absolutely fair. There’s a strategic component to EVERY SINGLE challenge you do on Survivor, be it something super-physical, super-mental, or even seemingly luck based. Especially in the team challenges, it’s more often than not the team that has the best strategy that wins the challenge, not the team with a better skill set for it. So for this challenge, we were given the rules that you had to send up 2 sets of 2 females, 2 sets of 2 males, and 1 female-male team. The Nakum team was WAY physically stronger than our team overall (Bobby Jon, Brandon, Gary, Amy, Danni, Brian vs. Me, Judd, Jamie, Lydia, Margaret, Cindy and Steph), so I asked Jeff if we all had to go once. He said no, so I immediately developed the strategy of maximizing our team on three rounds to go for the win. Everyone else on my team thought that we should all go in once, but I convinced them (with Margaret’s help!) to follow my strategy and it paid off with a win! Nakum SHOULD have put Bobby Jon and Brandon in every turn, but they mixed Gary and Brian in instead and lost both of those rounds. We used Judd every opportunity we got, and that strategy earned us the most incredible tasting burgers I’ve had (or ever will have) in my life. Also, figuring out the strategy part of challenges helped me hugely in the physical challenges I won individually later in the game. I was never faster or stronger than anyone, I just figured out strategies that let me get ahead.

Question:

(from Andr193) Hey Rafe-
Describe all the Guatemala survivors (including yourself) in one word:

Answer:

Gary: Leader
Brianna: Tired
Rafe: Underestimated
Amy: wickedfeahce (i.e. "very fierce")
Jamie: Searching
Morgan: Potential
Stephanie: Stephenie
Lydia: Mother
Brian: Cubic Zirconia
Brandon: Good
Danni: Confused
Blake: Well-meaning
Brooke: Contender (of the coulda-been variety)
Judd: Jolly
Margaret: Dominant
Jim: Kind
Cindy: Ocelot
Bobby Jon: Genuine

Question:

(from Sawadee) What was it like working with all the TV crew? When you did your long trek the first day, did the same people stay with you, or did they trade out crew? Where they as exausted as y'all were? I'm obsessed by all we don't see on TV. It feels on as if there are two shows--one that's really happening and one that's cleaned up and dramatized for TV. Also, before tribal, do producers ask, "if you weren't voting for X, who might you vote for?"

Answer:

Sawadee, thanks so much for your kind words. The Survivor Crew is absolutely awesome to work with, they are the most professional people I’ve been lucky enough to come into contact with in the TV industry. That first day on the jungle trek, they were smashing through tree branches right along side us, stepping over logs without checking for snakes so that they could get just the right shot. (I can’t tell you how many cameramen took tumbles or blows to the head that day. Everytime I thought "This is the worst thing I have ever done," I looked at the guy next to me carrying a thirty pound camera and though, "Okay, so maybe not that bad." Although, they did get to switch out every few hours ;D) My favorite camera guy moment was while I was walking along the beach shore one night looking for these fat little melons that tasted like rat poison but made great bacci balls once I painted them. The Brazilian crew was with me (they were all from different countries, and the Brazilians were shazawesome) and their five-foot-four camera guy had to walk through the quicksand alongside me to get the shot he wanted. So, as I was just casually strolling along, he was literally in a fight for survival three feet away from me, full on sweating, diving, sloshing, barely keeping alive but never letting the camera lose focus. I wish there had been another cameraman filming that, I had to finally give up my melon search because I felt too guilty.

Question:

(aim2457) List three survivors from cook island, that you would like to play the game with??

Answer:

I would love to play the game with Jonathan since he’s so PREDICTABLE!! Just kidding, Jonathan :) I would most love to play the game with Becky, because I think she’s a brilliant strategist and she’s my good friend from high school’s sister, Yul, because I think that we could have a strong alliance together, and Candice, because I think she’s freaking awesome.

Question/Answer:

(BillyKam) Hey there, Rafe, nice to meet you. I am so happy to know you, hope you don't let me down to answer all of my question, if not, you also can point where your been answer of my question of the answer, so hope you don't make me disappointed, ok.
1) After 'Survivor : Guatemala', did anything change in your life?
Rafe says: More people started screaming, "YOU GAVE IT ALL UP FOR NOTHING!!! YOU FOOOOOOOL!!" to me than ever before.

2) Which is your favourite castaways at Guatemala, Exile Island, Cook Islands & Fiji.
Rafe says: Everyone is special.

3) At 'Survivor : Guatemala', why did you excuses Danni? Is this you want to tested Danni, or what else. Sorry again, hope you will forget me, cause I really want to make it short, but there something I don't feel satisfy, so let continue.
Rafe says: Okay, let’s :)

4) In 'Survivor : Fiji', who do you think will make to final three, or who do you think will win the game, and why.
Rafe says: I think that Yau-Man and Mookie both have a great shot to make it to the end with their possession of the Immunity Idols. I also think Cassandra is enough of a non-threat/non-entity that she could make it far as well.

5) Between Rupert and Stephenie, which is your favourite, and why is they and why isn't them.
Rafe says:Stephenie, because she is the spokesmodel for Hochunk Nation Bottled Water. (Don’t worry if it’s not at a store near you, they only sell it at two convenience stores in rural Wisconsin. I (and Stephenie) wish I was joking :D)

6) Which season is your favourite, add something interesting in that season.
Rafe says: I loved Australia, and if I were to add something interesting to it, it would be periwinkle.

7) Did you want to play All-Stars edition? If did, how did you plan it nice.
Rafe says: I don’t know if that question means, "How did you plan it? NICE (think Borat accent)" Or, "How did you plan it nice?" To either, I would say, I might not be so nice next time. :-D

I think that is, hope everything came well in your' life, and good luck ^ ^. *You too!

Question:

(from Rooster14) Hi Rafe! Congrats on playing great in Guatemala! How surprised were you when Danni took Stephenie to the finals instead of you??

Answer:

Hey Rooster, I was actually VERY surprised when Danni took Stephenie to the finals instead of me for one reason only: I had asked her to tell me if she was going to vote me out. She didn’t, and there was no reason for her to hide it from me (I couldn’t have done anything to change the vote up shorting of killing her), so I was pretty surprised by it and that was the reason I was upset with her afterward. Not because she had voted me out, I knew the reason behind that, I just thought it was poor form to not give me a chance to fight for it in my final TC.

Question:

(SurvDinger) Hiya Rafe, great work on Guatemala, congrats and hats off to ya! I was just wondering IF you could only play Survivor by proxy, which Survivor [from ANY season] would you choose to play for you and why?

Answer:

Hey Dinger, great question. I would actually have Neleh from Marquesas play for me. I think we filled very similar roles in the game of being underestimated by all the other players because we were "sweet". I think she was a great strategist, and one person who was truly robbed of victory in the game, she’s the only "America’s Sweetheart" who’s had the wear-with-all to actually make it to the Final 2, and I think with the added maturity she’s gained since her season, she could make it there again and convince any jury to give her the win.

Question:

(from Legend-41) Hello Rafe, Congrats on your effort and length of your stay!...You had created a board game that you and Jamie would play, but he would use that time to ask you of how your alliance was with him,who was going next, what is everyone thinking of him...etc (he even threatened to "kill you" if you were lying). Can you tell us more on that and was his increasing paranoia interfering with your game?

Answer:

I really liked Jamie a lot out there. He was one of my closest friends at the beginning of the game, but things just continued to get to him to the point that it drove him to the brink of insanity. It interfered with my game because if you’re a planner like I am, having someone who’s such a loose cannon around is disastrous. It was hard to predict what he’d do and say, what he’d tell other people you were saying, etc. He also had a pretty good position in the game, with Judd and Lydia firmly behind him. I tried to always get rid of people two steps ahead of where they’d have the power to get rid of me. Jamie would’ve been a threat at Final 6, so I tried to neutralize it a little early. So, it was much less a personality thing than they made it out to be on TV. Yes, he was driving me crazy, but the more important issue was that he was driving himself crazy, and I didn’t know what that would mean for my game.

Question:

(from CoolKid20) Hey Rafe, how excited were you when you saw Stephenie and Bobby Jon were returning?

Answer:

I was actually a little disappointed, because I really thought there were going to be just 16 of us, kind of get back to the "roots" of Survivor and play a straight-up no-twist seasons (which I thought was needed). But, it wasn’t too many days before I realized that Steph or Bobby Jon would be the perfect person to go to the Final 2 with: it would be impossible for either of them to win! Almost like an Outcast in Pearl Islands or a Winner on All-Stars. So, I started to develop a bond with Stephenie that turned out to be one of my best friendships in the game and life :)

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