The Most Mistreated Contestants in Survivor History

Was last week’s episode not unpleasant enough for you? Well I’m here to make it worse! Here’s just a small sampling of other mistreated Survivor contestants, in no particular order because ranking others’ misfortunes would be icky.

Anthony Robinson – Fiji

A real man wouldn't let his torch get snuffed by another man
A real man wouldn’t let his torch get snuffed by another man

Like the majority of bullied men, Anthony was made fun of (usually by Rocky) for not fitting into their definition of masculinity. A self-described geek before that was as socially acceptable, Anthony cried in a confessional and did not fit in with the more athletic men after the tribe swap. Rocky once told him to “take the skirt off and man up,” and called him a “little girl.” Hmm, interesting how most of those insults imply that Anthony is womanly. We all know that feminine traits are negative, right?

The worst part is, when this was brought up at tribal council and Rocky insisted that he was just trying to help Anthony, Probst took Rocky’s side! I guess we know who wins the battle between alpha-loving Jeff and wannabe therapist Jeff.

Eliza Orlins – Vanuatu

Eliza, alone as usual
Eliza, alone as usual

Everyone except Ami seemed to find Eliza annoying in Vanuatu. It was never clear why everyone hated Eliza so much, but the assumption is that she was young (I hear young people are the worst) and talked too much. Twila and Scout, who were both old enough to know better, were the most rude to Eliza. At one point, Twila even refused to tell her where the tribe’s bananas were buried. Their treatment of her is especially rude when one considers they needed Eliza to help them flip the game on Ami and Leann. Scout and Twila were lucky that Eliza was desperate enough to go for it.

Christina Cha – One World

There's a more relevant gif that I just don't want on this blog, so I decided to be nice to you all instead. Here's Christina in a bikini.
There’s a more relevant gif that I just don’t want on this blog, so I decided to be nice to you all instead. Here’s Christina in a bikini.

I know I said I wouldn’t rank these, but the treatment of Christina might be the worst we’ve seen (until, if not including, last week). First she was outcast by the women for trying to organize a reasonable trade with the men (braided palm fronds for fire) and was continuously targeted and berated by Alicia. Then came the tribe swap. Christina was not only still stuck with Alicia, but also Survivor pond scum Colton. As a pair, Colton and Alicia were needlessly and constantly cruel to Christina. Colton told Christina she could “jump in the fire” because she didn’t matter to anyone, and in a scene not shown in an episode, Colton and Alicia went so far as to pull their eyes slanted and laugh at Christina, who is Asian-American. Of course, we had already learned that Colton was not adept at race relations.

Sierra Reed – Tocantins

Probably shortly after another Tyson insult
Probably shortly after another Tyson insult

Poor Sierra may have had one of the roughest starts to a Survivor season, still recovering from strep throat when the game began. Then, despite doing the “right” thing and building the tribe’s shelter instead of looking for the idol, she’s still seen as the outcast and Tyson’s favorite punching bag. I never understood just what Tyson’s problem with Sierra was, but boy did he dislike her. Nearly all of Tyson’s many, many insults in Tocantins were aimed towards Sierra, including the time he said everyone else on the show was his friend except her.

And let’s not forget how Coach and Debbie treated Sierra after she found herself on the bottom when Brendan was voted out. According to an exit interview, they made her sleep on the roof of the shelter without blankets after that tribal council. Finally, Coach and Debbie throw her under the bus by accusing her of lying, and when she calls them out in front of everyone for being the real liars, Coach claims she’s “playing without honor” and she gets voted out for causing drama. I bet Coach still thinks he played with 100% honesty.

I know there are other contestants who have been grossly mistreated or bullied, and unfortunately there will probably be more, despite the conversations Shirin’s treatment have started. However, writing this was enough of a bummer and I just can’t do something more exhaustive. As always, feel free to discuss further in the comments.

Is it time for a new episode yet?


You can bully Emma on Twitter at @emmapurplerock. Popular topics include: her small stature, her tendency to cry when angry, and her pasty, pasty white skin. (Editor’s note: I’ll be bullying Emma by assigning her column next week, entitled “Russell Hantz’s ten greatest sexual conquests.”)