The way he parlayed his knowledge about showmanship and the fake spectacle of pro-wresting and synthesized that with the reality show Survivor is nothing short of astonishing. This guy is so smart it's scary.

This special edition of the Torch Newsletter features part one of our "Torch Talk" with the no. 1 heel in the country, Jonny Fairplay, who has already received an offer from TNA to negotiate for a deal and may receive interest from WWE. Fairplay, a longtime wrestling fan, indy manager, indy promoter, and former personal assistant to Roddy Piper talks about everything in this exclusive in-depth multi-part 90 minute "Torch Talk." He will not be giving any other in-depth "shoot" (out-of-character) interviews to any other mainstream or wrestling media outlets covering these subjects:

Find out what it was like for him to be Roddy Piper's personal paid assistant for eight months last year and the knife-pulling drunken bar incident and subsequent near fatal car wreck that ended their relationship. He will talk in-depth about the reaction of the Survivor producers to his fanatical addiction to pro wrestling. He will reveal how reality TV's no. 1 show is similar to pro wrestling and different in terms of behind the scenes manipulations. He will reveal behind the scenes details of being on the show on how he believes his close studying of and participation in the wrestling industry helped him in the Survivor game.

If he was a genius, he would have deferred when Burton choose him to go along on the reward challenge, and given it to one of the girls, preferably, Sandra.
I don't know if Jeff would have let him, but he didn't even try. Might of cost him a million bucks.

That was Burton's blunder more than anything else.

Fairplay's only blunder was prematurely going after Rupert.  The only thing that kept him from winning $1m was that bitch Lill who (corerectly) feared going against Jon because she was afraid he could persuade the jury. She knew he was way smarter than she was and would get her somehow, so she put the Sandra woman in there to ensure someone like Jon wouldn't get the money. Spite, and a loser's mentality on Lill's behalff was what thwarted Fairplay from winning.  Plus Lill's completely surprising endurance on the last immunity challenge.  She earned that one..

But Fairplay was playing a game over the heads of most everyone in America. I hated him too, until I realized what he was doing. He's a goddamn certifiable genius.

Raven, I didn't start watching Survivor until partway through Africa.
I was able to get the first 2 series off of eBay, recently. I won an auction for Survivor: Pulau Tiga, and had already paid the seller, when eBay send me a notification, saying that the results of the auction were null and void, and I was under no obligation to pay (copyright violation). I emailed the seller with my concerns, and he got back to me, saying that he was going to send me what I paid for, and would be happy to include any other of the Survivor series for an extra $20.
Took a chance and sent him the extra $20 for The Outback.
Anyway I have Survivor: Palau Tiga, and Survivor: The Outback. I don't know when you got hooked on the series, but if you missed Palau Tiga or The Outback, let me know, and I'll be happy to dupe either or both, and send them to you. The quality isn't great, but it's better than nothing.

the guy was obnoxious but it was funny to see him turn the woman against each other..when he was the most obvious target.

he definately made the show more interesting.

lil was a tool.    

I missed the first one, because it seemed like the stupidest tv show ever made when I heard about it.

I saw it for the first time with Australia, and realized that it wasn't about actual physical survival, but social and political survival. Half the amusement was watching these morons flail around, yell at each other, and fuck up.
Fairplay seems like the only one I've seen who actually thought about what the whole nature of the game was, understood it, then played according to a strategy; but he did so while playing the part of a wrestling bad guy and being a completely useless asshole. He nearly won playing this way. Rupert approached it from a different, flawed analysis of what this stupid game is about, was a complete mensch and good guy, and got killed off early. It's part of what makes this game so fascinating.


I've only seen Australia, Thailand, and Pearl Islands the whole way though.  The other ones I was working or in school when they aired.

i think i've only missed a few episodes since it started.  my gf in way into it so i watch em all.  good show IMO.

don't ask me about the first few seasons..i don't remember.

I watched about 15 minutes of the whole show. Just don't like the Survivor series. Watching some old chick in a Brownies uniform losing the team's fishing hooks was about as exciting as it got.