IGN.com - 11.20.06


It was a doozy of a Survivor episode on Thursday for the Raro tribe, when they had to vote off not one, but two tribe members, in a surprise twist. The first casualty of the tribe was Rebecca, the make-up artist who works for The View. Even though she had a five-person alliance, her alliance turned on her, seeing her as a weak link.

We talked to Rebecca about her experiences playing the ultimate game of survival. She told us about the highs and lows and how she got on the show in the first place.

IGN TV: How did you come to be on the show?

Rebecca: I went to the open call for it. I've been a fan of Survivor since season one. And I thought that I would definitely be a good candidate to possibly win the million. So much for that, right?

IGN TV: I take it you were a fan?

Rebecca: Oh absolutely. From season one. I love it.

IGN TV: When you got there, was it what you expected?

Rebecca: It was. I knew that it was going to be one of the most difficult and rewarding things that I've ever done in my entire life. I just didn't anticipate my body having such a hard time with the amount of food intake that I was getting. And that's what was my downfall in the game was that I got weak. Once my tribemates saw that, it was pretty much a wrap for me.

IGN TV: What was your initial reaction when you found out about the division along racial lines?

Rebecca: Initially, I was upset about it. I just felt uncomfortable being a part of any type of segregation whatsoever. But then, going forward, I thought, you know what, this is one of the most racially diverse shows on television looking at everyone who was participating in the game and that maybe it would alleviate a lot of the stereotypes I think exist. I feel like a lot of people tend to not look outside their comfort zone and just don't get a chance to look at other cultures and other nationalities. Maybe if the tribes had stayed separated longer, it kind of could have opened up that conversation. But it only lasted a week, so in the end, it was like nothing to me.


IGN TV: Were you surprised about the public reaction when the twist was announced?

Rebecca: No. I knew that some people would find it offensive and other people would find it interesting. There's a lot of conservative people in the world and there's a lot of liberal people that think that it's a great conversational piece.

IGN TV: Were you worried about being stereotyped?

Rebecca: No, I really wasn't worried about being stereotyped. I was just worried that, overall, if my tribe did not do well, people might look at it and feel that we didn't do well because of our nationality. I didn't want that to happen. I think that everyone kind of felt that way. So you just felt the pressure of just wanting to succeed and to represent. Because now, not only are you playing an individual game, but you feel like you kind of have the weight of your culture and nationality on your shoulders. I just wanted to do a good job and just play the game being myself and hope that that comes across on television accurately.

IGN TV: How do you think the show represented you and your personality?

Rebecca: Overall, I think the show was pretty accurate in representing my personality. I just felt like I had a lot more to say. There were a lot of the confessionals that I remember giving weren't shown on some of the episodes. I talked about what I felt and why it happened and I just went into depth on a lot of issues that I thought played a factor on the show. I wish that had happened. Otherwise, you can pretty much see my personality and that I have a strong personality and I'm a survivor regardless of what happened in the end.

IGN TV: Were you surprised when Jonathan and Candice mutinied?

Rebecca: Ummm. A little bit surprised. I thought it was a gutsy move knowing that their original tribe would then have it out for both of them. I thought that if we would continue to lose more challenges, those two would be the next on the chopping block. But once they came over to our camp, I realized that Candice would be totally safe, because I know that her and Adam had formed an emotional bond along with the original alliance they had when they were on their tribe, and then realizing that, with Jonathan and Candice coming over to my tribe, that their original tribe was back together again minus Flica, and that they can easily form an inner alliance outside of the alliance that we originally had. So I know that now I'm on the chopping block.

IGN TV: Did you expect to be voted off?

Rebecca: No. I knew that I was on their radar because of the challenge where I collapsed and I showed that I was weak. But I also thought that I showed that I was loyal and I also showed the day that I was voted off that I can still compete. I wasn't the weak link in that immunity challenge. It was actually Nate who had a hard time swimming that day. I had thought they would have voted off Jonathan instead of me and they knew that I would not betray them going into a final merge. So I was disappointed.


IGN TV: What was the hardest thing for you?

Rebecca: The hardest thing was for my body to adjust to that amount of food intake. I lost a lot of weight out there and losing that amount of weight means losing a lot of muscle. And not winning any reward challenges except for one my whole entire 25 day stay out there was tough on my morale. And I tried to stay as positive as I could. But if I had won at least a food challenge where I would have been able to get at least some carbohydrates into my body, I think that I could have been a lot stronger out there. And the other tribe that continues to beat us, what people are forgetting, is that they are winning food rewards and they are eating. And they are rejuvenating their bodies, so they are stronger when they get the opportunity to compete against us the next day. And I'm still stuck on fish and octopus and it just wasn't enough for me.

IGN TV: Why did it seem, at least to us, that Raro could not form any strong alliances?

Rebecca: I was the one who actually tried to get the girls to stay in an alliance, knowing that we had the numbers. But Parvati wasn't interested in it. Part of Parvati's strategy was to flirt her way through the game and it worked well for her. So there was no way she was going to vote off Adam or Nate because she had both of them in her back pocket and she knew that. Cristina and Jenny didn't get along very well out there, so it was hard for them to remain in an alliance. And once we had established the alliance of five, which was Parvati, me, Nate, Adam and Jenny, I thought that that was going to remain true. And if it wasn't for that mutiny, it still would have. Jenny and I were going to remain true to that alliance. It was Adam and Parvati and Nate who pretty much decided it was time to send us home.

IGN TV: What did you enjoy the most?

Rebecca: I enjoyed being away from New York City, being totally outside of my element. I really enjoyed competing when I was strong. The times that we did win, it felt fabulous. And when we did the reward challenge, knowing I was competing and doing something well out there, it was a great feeling. I have to say even experiencing the highs and the lows of that adventure humbled me. I'll probably never have an experience like that ever again in my life. It will be something that I'll definitely never forget.

IGN TV: What was the first thing you ate after you were voted off?

Rebecca: Peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You know why? That's what they give you. It wasn't a choice.

IGN TV: What are you up to now?

Rebecca: Well, I'm going to be co-hosting with the ladies. Which is going to be a lot of fun. They are going to turn the tables on me. I'm going to continue working over there at The View. I'll see what happens going forward. I would love to do Dancing with the Stars but I'm not really a star so I need to find a way to become one just so I can dance. I happen to be in love with that reality show and I am a reality junkie.

IGN TV: Any last words?

Rebecca: Just that I enjoyed my stay and even though I was voted off and it was tough, I would do it all again.

We talked to Jenny about the game. She spoke to us about how she got on the show, what she thought about the major twist the season held in store and Candice and Jonathan's mutiny.

IGN TV: How did you come to be on the show?

Jenny: The casting director found me on Realtor.com. I'm a real estate agent and I got this random phone call one day from Lynne Spillman, the casting director of Survivor, saying that 'I found you on Realtor.com and I read your bio and I think you'd be great for Survivor, do you want to do it?' First of all, that's a testament in itself to stand out among thousands of real estate agents in the Chicago area. So I said 'yeah.' I'd be dumb not to take advantage of this.


IGN TV: Had you seen the show before?

Jenny: Yeah, I have. I haven't seen every single episode, but I have caught it every once in a while and I did watch Exile Island. I was fresh off of that and then I get this phone call, I'm like 'what?' It was just kind of ironic.

IGN TV: When you got there, was it what you expected?

Jenny: It was what I expected. Almost a little bit better, because the Cook Islands are really beautiful. You've got white sand beaches and palm trees and turquoise blue waters and all you needed was that 5-star hotel and food. It would have been luxurious. We heard plenty of times from producers 'you guys really got the best location.' It was what I expected. I mean, you are still going to have the same dynamics of the game and how it is played, the physical, the social part of it, being deprived of normal food, etc. So that part wasn't surprising to me, but the location was. It was really very nice.

IGN TV: What was your initial reaction when you found out about the division along racial lines?

Jenny: It's very hard in itself to play this game the way it's played. It's a difficult game. It's not easy, there's no Hollywood glamour. And then you have to represent yourself, your family, then they threw in the mix that you got to represent Asian-Americans and more importantly for me, Filipino-Americans. So, at first I thought 'wow, ok, nice publicity stunt.' But I really wasn't too concerned. I knew it was going to be tougher to play it that way because we're going to be noticed as racially divided, it would be a lot more noticed that way, but I was not afraid to undertake that because back in Chicago, I have done a lot for my Filipino community and represented my Filipino community for many, many years, as a reporter and various things I have done for my community. It was kind of like a bigger forum. Now I'm representing Filipino-Americans not only from Filipinos in America but for Filipinos in the Philippines. I had such an outpouring of support from so many Filipinos from here to the Philippines and everywhere in between. It's incredible. I looked at it saying 'I'm going to do it. No problem. I got it.'

IGN TV: Were you surprised about the public reaction when the twist was announced?

Jenny: No, because I had the same reaction. But I was really surprised that no one really saw the upside of it. Everyone saw the downside of it and they really didn't see the upside of it and saying that, you know, this is people's opportunity to really banish all stereotypes that each race has. Everyone went in saying 'well, we want to get rid of the Asian stereotypes' and 'we want to get rid of the Hispanic stereotypes and the Black Stereotypes.' I don't see color. I never saw color. I grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood, went to a predominantly white school, so I never saw colors. I never thought myself to be different.

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IGN TV: Were you worried about being stereotyped?

Jenny: Not me, personally. I think, in our tribe, yeah, they voiced it. Yul was worried; Becky was worried about being stereotyped. But me, personally, no. Because I'm just out there to represent me, myself, and it just so happens that I'm Filipino.

IGN TV: How do you think the show represented you and your personality?

Jenny: It's true to form. I'm not ashamed to say that. I am a competitor. I'm feisty. The only thing is, I really am outspoken, and there were some moments where they did show I had some things to say about certain people. That's just how I am, so you take it or leave it. I have plenty of family and friends that love me and know me, that I can be a feisty competitor. You've got to respect that. It didn't really hurt me too much. Looking back on the game, even those people that were in my alliance, they really didn't say anything bad about me. They just knew I was playing the game.

IGN TV: Were you surprised when Jonathan and Candice mutinied?

Jenny: Oh yeah. Jonathan more surprised than Candice. Candice, you can kind of tell there was something going on with Adam and Candice. Plus, some things that Parvati shared when they were in their original Raro. When that happened, it was really disappointing because we just came back from an immunity challenge where we evened up our numbers. And so we were 6 and 6. We were on a high. We were thinking 'now we go it. We got our mojo together, we're going to go in and now we're going to start winning. We figured it out. We're going to do it.' Then we go to the next challenge and Jeff offers a mutiny and two people jump ship and come over to our side and threw a wrench into the whole plan. And it messed things up. Obviously, it messed things up. Since that mutiny, three Raro people are gone and those two are still there.

IGN TV: That worked for them because Raro never seemed to form strong alliances?

Jenny: It's actually untrue and that's only based on what you see. I wish it was shown more, we did have alliances. I think why they didn't show our alliances is because on the Aitu side, they strategize a lot better. Their alliances were shown better, where ours, we had it, but a little bit flaky. t we were also losing, so we had to dig into our own alliances. It's either you or me, that's how it was. We started out with Adam, Parvati, Nate, Rebecca, myself and Brad. Then we were worried about Brad's true alliance. Where was he really? Is he really with us or if we merge, is he really with Yul and Becky? So that was the reason why he had to go. And when it came back to Rebecca, it was really about productivity. And she really was starting to weaken. And I felt bad about having to vote her off, because she and I got really close. We're still friends to this day. It was really hard to let her go. I knew mentally she was there, it was just physically, she wasn't there. And it's part of the whole deprivation of the game. You can mentally still be there and know that you want to get far in this game, but if you're not eating, you don't have it, you just lose it, you deplete. It's tough, you have to start eating your own in order to get farther in the game. we did have an alliance. But I think that out of that number, my strongest was with Nate and Parvati. I don't know why Parvati didn't get the message. She missed the memo.


IGN TV: Why didn't the women's alliance stick?

Jenny: I didn't see that as a women's alliance. You just had to do what you had to do to get rid of… I knew Stephannie wasn't prepared to go. She felt bad that she kind of put herself out there like that. And you had J.P. on the other side kind of frustrating some of the women by being a little too demanding. That's why, when I was talking to Rebecca and you saw that, I was like 'why are we just following whatever they say? Give Stephannie that chance and let's change this game up. We have the numbers, we're more women, let's take advantage of it.' That's how the game is played. You got to see what's going to get you farther in this game. And if we left J.P. in control, then he would do something with the guys and he also had Cristina with him, so if he wanted to do a male/female thing, he had Cristina in that kind of alliance he was trying to build with the other guys. So either me or Rebecca would be next. So we were just kind of saving our own butt. That's what you do. That's what you've got to do. Find ways to just get farther in the game. That's why you can't really say that you play this game with a lot of integrity and honesty, because it is very difficult to do so. Eventually down the line, you have to lie, you have to deceive, in order to get farther in the game.

IGN TV: What was the hardest thing for you?

Jenny: First of all, it was hard to lose. It really was hard to lose. And to lose so many. Each one of the challenges I went into, I felt I went into it with 110%. I wanted to win. I'm competitive. I'm going out there to win. And we just couldn't get it together. It was hard and it was frustrating. And second to that, would be, along with the losing, we didn't win any rewards. No food. We just wanted a piece of bread, begging, just bread. That's all you need, a little carb, to give you that pick-me-up. Fuel, to do better, to think better. Overall, to get food in your body helps you out not just physically, but mentally. It was really hard not to win anything and not to eat anything, to keep you mentally and physically going.

IGN TV: What did you enjoy the most?

Jenny: Just the whole learning experience. Doing things that I never thought that I could do. I live in Lake Forest, Illinois, which is a pretty posh suburb in Chicago. I've never gone camping in my life and here I was, just with the clothes on my body, sleeping on the ground, relieving myself in the sand, wiping my butt with leaves and skinning chickens. I've never done things like that in my life. It was just cool! It was nice to do that. I'm not very princess-like. I can get all dolled up and look great, but I'm still a little of rough around the edges. It was kind of nice to be able to just really rough it.

IGN TV: What are you up to now?

Jenny: I'm back to being mom and in my real estate business. My whole thing is if you cant survivor another day where you are living, then go to my website jguzonbae.com and I can help you buy or sell a home.

IGN TV: Any last words?

Jenny: I'm so grateful. Thank you to Lynne Spillman for that phone call and for finding me. Thank you to Mark Burnett for believing in me. This experience has been the most rewarding, the most humbling and the most challenging thing that I have ever done in my life and I'm glad that I survived it. I know that I can do anything at this point. I'm proud of what I've done and I'm grateful for the opportunity to rediscover myself.