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Osten is inducted into the Reality TV Hall of Shame
The Quitter: Osten Taylor from Survivor: Pearl Islands
by David Bloomberg -- 11/06/2003
It took seven seasons, but it finally happened somebody out and out quit on Survivor. Was it some poor thin woman whose hair was falling out due to malnutrition? No. It was a guy who showed up in peak shape, with muscles bulging out all over. Osten Taylor never should have been on the show, he was too weak-willed and scared of his own shadow. Now hes being inducted into the Hall of Shame for his actions on the show and after.
Tens of thousands of people apply to be on every edition of Survivor. Those who are eventually picked run the gamut from being strategic geniuses (at least in their own minds) to survival nuts who can tie 18 different types of knots and catch fish with their bare hands. We have seen a wide range of body types as well, from big guys to little women. Some have complained, some have just gone along with whatever the game gave them. But nobody had actually quit until Osten Taylor came along on Survivor: Pearl Islands.
Sure, B.B. asked to be voted off on the first Survivor, but he knew he was probably going anyway. Shawna whined that she wanted off in the Amazon edition. Etc. But nobody actually made the final decision and took themselves out of it until Osten decided that he just couldnt handle it anymore.
As soon as Osten left the show, the Hall of Shame was inundated with e-mails nominating him. There was never any doubt, really. Osten was complaining since the first few days. He stupidly traded away his clothing at the village where they were supposed to get supplies, and the complained about being cold. He was certain he was going to get sick, catch pneumonia, have blood in his lungs, etc. He couldnt stand the thought of actually being out in nature where there were evil creatures like bugs, crabs, snakes (or sticks that look sort of like snakes), and the worst of all pelicans! He couldnt handle being hungry or the thought that his body was disintegrating because it wasnt getting proper nutrition.
Basically, he was diametrically opposed to everything that Survivor is about.
Why the hell did Osten even audition for Survivor? That one is a mystery. What is certain is that he took away a spot from one of the many other people who knew what they would be getting into and would have done so willingly. Another thing that is certain is that six people who had been voted off were struggling mightily to get back while he was whining and complaining and leaving voluntarily.
Was Osten hungry all the time? Probably. But then so was everybody on his tribe. How pathetic was it to hear him talk about how his body couldn't handle it when he was sitting next to little Tijuana and Darrah? Little Elisabeth from the Australian Outback could handle Survivor to the point that her hair was falling out due to malnutrition but big muscular Osten couldn't? Had he not seen any episode of Survivor ever? Did he think there would be a big Panamanian buffet on the island?
Maybe things would have been different if he had been on Drake, where food was aplenty. But thats not something you can count on in Survivor. In fact, its a rarity. And frankly, I tend to think that even if he werent hungry, he still would be complaining about the weather, the boredom, the bugs, the animals, etc. Just look at how he behaved with Pelican Pete. We already knew he was afraid of his own shadow, but to stand there and sharpen his machete because of a pelican? It was a ridiculous and childish gesture on his part.
But Osten didnt even have to wish he were on Drake when it came to food. The merge is coming we may not know exactly when, but its on the way. At that point, there would likely be more food anyway, if only because the whole new tribe would have Rupert working for them. All he had to do was hang in for a couple more days, but he didnt even think about it. He just gave up.
Osten tried to make it sound like he was doing this for the tribe. If they accepted that he was going, they would be stronger. But lets face it even though players are broken into tribes, Survivor is an individual game. Tribes dont win in the end, single players do. There is no point in becoming a martyr because there is no cause to martyr yourself for.
Another point that will linger in many minds is his speech in Tribal Council, when he essentially said that he gives 110% to everything he does unless he thinks he wont succeed, in which case he gives up. He was acting as if this was something admirable and noble, but its not. Its just saying that if something is too hard, he quits.
Really, when it all comes down to it, it wasnt Ostens body that gave out on him. It was his mind. Andrew noted that its all about willpower and a strength of mind, and he was right. The first time Osten whined that he wanted to quit, Lill noted that he didnt win so he wanted out. She further noted that while he claimed his body was giving out, he was running up and down the beach, lifting logs, throwing coconuts, and playing. There was nothing wrong with his body, she said, but with his piss-poor attitude.
Osten checked out early, was brought back partially, and then was in and out from that point forward. He participated in the challenges, but when they needed him the most he often failed. While I cant fault him for losing the challenge of holding up his tribemate on the rope, in other cases he just blew it. For example, what made Osten who had admitted early on that he was not a good swimmer decide to swim out for a puzzle piece when he could have just gotten one from the sand? Of course, he needed to be rescued by his other tribe members and they blew the challenge. Later, when they needed his strength for the challenge of holding up weight, he was the first to give out while Drake tribes skinny woman, Christa, held up better than he did. Sure, Morgan won the challenge, but they did it on the back of Andrew, not muscle-man Osten.
As time went by, Osten had predetermined that he would get sick, get bitten by animals, etc. For a while, his teammates kept him in the game, thinking that he would get over it (as, for example, Shawna had in The Amazon). But he didnt.
Osten was a man at the peak of physical fitness, surrounded by physically weaker people. Sure, he was being weakened by the lack of food and other conditions, but he was also stronger to begin with. He had plenty of excuses, but none of them stand up to scrutiny, especially as he sat there next to Darrah and Tijuana, who are both shrinking away before our eyes.
But Osten wasnt content with just the Hall of Shame induction that would have been awaiting him simply from his behavior on the show. No, he had to make it worse in his media appearances after the show. He told TVGuide.com that although people say that he quit, Mark Burnett quit on us by letting the Outcasts in. So I [thought], 'You know what? I'll quit on him.'" What a whiny excuse. First of all, Osten was talking about quitting from just a few days into the show long before there was any hint about the return of the Outcasts. Second, there were nine other people who were faced with the same situation of the Outcasts returning, and none of them quit.
Ironically, Osten later added in a chat that bringing back the Outcasts destroys the credibility as well as the integrity of the game. It goes against the whole premise of the show Survivor to allow them back in. Its a complete abomination. While I personally happen to agree that allowing people to return goes against the best concepts of the game, I find it incredibly ironic that the guy who quit would complain about something else violating the integrity of the game or going against its premise. After all, the premise of the game is to try to stick around as long as possible to survive. If there was an abomination here, it was the way Osten acted.
On the Early Show and in his CBS chat, Osten made other ridiculous comments. He called host Jeff Probsts behavior juvenile and called him a coward. When asked why he called Probst a coward, he said that it was for two reasons. First, he is a coward. Ah, well, that explains everything. His second reason is, because if you have something to say, you say it to their face, not wait (sic) until theyre gone. The problem with this, of course, is that Probst made it quite clear during the Tribal Council that he was pretty disgusted with Ostens behavior. The only thing he did after Osten was gone was lay his torch down in the dirt and make an additional comment or two. Besides that, its ridiculous to call him a coward in any case. I mean, even if we go with Ostens incorrect claim that Probst didnt say things to his face, do we really think he did it because he was afraid of Osten? Hell, all Probst would have had to do is say, Look out, pelican! and Osten would have been hiding behind Tijuana. What would Osten have done to Probst? Whine at him some more? Please. On the flip side, Osten claimed in the same interviews and chats that Probsts comments didnt bother him one iota. Hmmm. Then why did you resort to namecalling?
Other things he said include that he was not portrayed accurately. Um. You quit. You were portrayed as a quitter. Seems pretty straightforward to me. When somebody in the chat asked how it feels to know that his place in Survivor history is as the first quitter ever, he sarcastically (I presume) replied, It feels great. Well, then this Hall of Shame induction ought to feel even better!
Finally, when asked if Survivor has changed his life, Osten replied, Survivor hasn't done anything for me. It was a good experience, but I didn't learn anything about myself. I think that may be the worst thing hes said overall. He didnt learn anything about himself? Well, maybe not, but the rest of us sure learned plenty about him and it wasnt good.
Host Jeff Probst was absolutely right to scorn Osten in his final tribal council. The producers were absolutely right to deny him an exit speech and instead just show his torch lying in the dirt where it belonged. Ostens spot on Survivor should have gone to somebody who would actually play the game, not simply experience a small amount of hardship much of it of his own making and give up. Osten has earned his place in the Reality TV Hall of Shame.
The Quitter: Osten Taylor from Survivor: Pearl Islands
by David Bloomberg -- 11/06/2003
It took seven seasons, but it finally happened somebody out and out quit on Survivor. Was it some poor thin woman whose hair was falling out due to malnutrition? No. It was a guy who showed up in peak shape, with muscles bulging out all over. Osten Taylor never should have been on the show, he was too weak-willed and scared of his own shadow. Now hes being inducted into the Hall of Shame for his actions on the show and after.
Tens of thousands of people apply to be on every edition of Survivor. Those who are eventually picked run the gamut from being strategic geniuses (at least in their own minds) to survival nuts who can tie 18 different types of knots and catch fish with their bare hands. We have seen a wide range of body types as well, from big guys to little women. Some have complained, some have just gone along with whatever the game gave them. But nobody had actually quit until Osten Taylor came along on Survivor: Pearl Islands.
Sure, B.B. asked to be voted off on the first Survivor, but he knew he was probably going anyway. Shawna whined that she wanted off in the Amazon edition. Etc. But nobody actually made the final decision and took themselves out of it until Osten decided that he just couldnt handle it anymore.
As soon as Osten left the show, the Hall of Shame was inundated with e-mails nominating him. There was never any doubt, really. Osten was complaining since the first few days. He stupidly traded away his clothing at the village where they were supposed to get supplies, and the complained about being cold. He was certain he was going to get sick, catch pneumonia, have blood in his lungs, etc. He couldnt stand the thought of actually being out in nature where there were evil creatures like bugs, crabs, snakes (or sticks that look sort of like snakes), and the worst of all pelicans! He couldnt handle being hungry or the thought that his body was disintegrating because it wasnt getting proper nutrition.
Basically, he was diametrically opposed to everything that Survivor is about.
Why the hell did Osten even audition for Survivor? That one is a mystery. What is certain is that he took away a spot from one of the many other people who knew what they would be getting into and would have done so willingly. Another thing that is certain is that six people who had been voted off were struggling mightily to get back while he was whining and complaining and leaving voluntarily.
Was Osten hungry all the time? Probably. But then so was everybody on his tribe. How pathetic was it to hear him talk about how his body couldn't handle it when he was sitting next to little Tijuana and Darrah? Little Elisabeth from the Australian Outback could handle Survivor to the point that her hair was falling out due to malnutrition but big muscular Osten couldn't? Had he not seen any episode of Survivor ever? Did he think there would be a big Panamanian buffet on the island?
Maybe things would have been different if he had been on Drake, where food was aplenty. But thats not something you can count on in Survivor. In fact, its a rarity. And frankly, I tend to think that even if he werent hungry, he still would be complaining about the weather, the boredom, the bugs, the animals, etc. Just look at how he behaved with Pelican Pete. We already knew he was afraid of his own shadow, but to stand there and sharpen his machete because of a pelican? It was a ridiculous and childish gesture on his part.
But Osten didnt even have to wish he were on Drake when it came to food. The merge is coming we may not know exactly when, but its on the way. At that point, there would likely be more food anyway, if only because the whole new tribe would have Rupert working for them. All he had to do was hang in for a couple more days, but he didnt even think about it. He just gave up.
Osten tried to make it sound like he was doing this for the tribe. If they accepted that he was going, they would be stronger. But lets face it even though players are broken into tribes, Survivor is an individual game. Tribes dont win in the end, single players do. There is no point in becoming a martyr because there is no cause to martyr yourself for.
Another point that will linger in many minds is his speech in Tribal Council, when he essentially said that he gives 110% to everything he does unless he thinks he wont succeed, in which case he gives up. He was acting as if this was something admirable and noble, but its not. Its just saying that if something is too hard, he quits.
Really, when it all comes down to it, it wasnt Ostens body that gave out on him. It was his mind. Andrew noted that its all about willpower and a strength of mind, and he was right. The first time Osten whined that he wanted to quit, Lill noted that he didnt win so he wanted out. She further noted that while he claimed his body was giving out, he was running up and down the beach, lifting logs, throwing coconuts, and playing. There was nothing wrong with his body, she said, but with his piss-poor attitude.
Osten checked out early, was brought back partially, and then was in and out from that point forward. He participated in the challenges, but when they needed him the most he often failed. While I cant fault him for losing the challenge of holding up his tribemate on the rope, in other cases he just blew it. For example, what made Osten who had admitted early on that he was not a good swimmer decide to swim out for a puzzle piece when he could have just gotten one from the sand? Of course, he needed to be rescued by his other tribe members and they blew the challenge. Later, when they needed his strength for the challenge of holding up weight, he was the first to give out while Drake tribes skinny woman, Christa, held up better than he did. Sure, Morgan won the challenge, but they did it on the back of Andrew, not muscle-man Osten.
As time went by, Osten had predetermined that he would get sick, get bitten by animals, etc. For a while, his teammates kept him in the game, thinking that he would get over it (as, for example, Shawna had in The Amazon). But he didnt.
Osten was a man at the peak of physical fitness, surrounded by physically weaker people. Sure, he was being weakened by the lack of food and other conditions, but he was also stronger to begin with. He had plenty of excuses, but none of them stand up to scrutiny, especially as he sat there next to Darrah and Tijuana, who are both shrinking away before our eyes.
But Osten wasnt content with just the Hall of Shame induction that would have been awaiting him simply from his behavior on the show. No, he had to make it worse in his media appearances after the show. He told TVGuide.com that although people say that he quit, Mark Burnett quit on us by letting the Outcasts in. So I [thought], 'You know what? I'll quit on him.'" What a whiny excuse. First of all, Osten was talking about quitting from just a few days into the show long before there was any hint about the return of the Outcasts. Second, there were nine other people who were faced with the same situation of the Outcasts returning, and none of them quit.
Ironically, Osten later added in a chat that bringing back the Outcasts destroys the credibility as well as the integrity of the game. It goes against the whole premise of the show Survivor to allow them back in. Its a complete abomination. While I personally happen to agree that allowing people to return goes against the best concepts of the game, I find it incredibly ironic that the guy who quit would complain about something else violating the integrity of the game or going against its premise. After all, the premise of the game is to try to stick around as long as possible to survive. If there was an abomination here, it was the way Osten acted.
On the Early Show and in his CBS chat, Osten made other ridiculous comments. He called host Jeff Probsts behavior juvenile and called him a coward. When asked why he called Probst a coward, he said that it was for two reasons. First, he is a coward. Ah, well, that explains everything. His second reason is, because if you have something to say, you say it to their face, not wait (sic) until theyre gone. The problem with this, of course, is that Probst made it quite clear during the Tribal Council that he was pretty disgusted with Ostens behavior. The only thing he did after Osten was gone was lay his torch down in the dirt and make an additional comment or two. Besides that, its ridiculous to call him a coward in any case. I mean, even if we go with Ostens incorrect claim that Probst didnt say things to his face, do we really think he did it because he was afraid of Osten? Hell, all Probst would have had to do is say, Look out, pelican! and Osten would have been hiding behind Tijuana. What would Osten have done to Probst? Whine at him some more? Please. On the flip side, Osten claimed in the same interviews and chats that Probsts comments didnt bother him one iota. Hmmm. Then why did you resort to namecalling?
Other things he said include that he was not portrayed accurately. Um. You quit. You were portrayed as a quitter. Seems pretty straightforward to me. When somebody in the chat asked how it feels to know that his place in Survivor history is as the first quitter ever, he sarcastically (I presume) replied, It feels great. Well, then this Hall of Shame induction ought to feel even better!
Finally, when asked if Survivor has changed his life, Osten replied, Survivor hasn't done anything for me. It was a good experience, but I didn't learn anything about myself. I think that may be the worst thing hes said overall. He didnt learn anything about himself? Well, maybe not, but the rest of us sure learned plenty about him and it wasnt good.
Host Jeff Probst was absolutely right to scorn Osten in his final tribal council. The producers were absolutely right to deny him an exit speech and instead just show his torch lying in the dirt where it belonged. Ostens spot on Survivor should have gone to somebody who would actually play the game, not simply experience a small amount of hardship much of it of his own making and give up. Osten has earned his place in the Reality TV Hall of Shame.
I really don'r want Lil to win.
