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Thursday, Sept 20, 2007, 9:16 pm
So, the Survivor China premiere just ended.
What was the overall damage? Will the show be the "feast of Dharma-Burgers" that the Horse just predicted it will be?
It may be too early to know for sure, but I'm gonna step out on a limb for the moment and say that the prediction seems sound.
Here's a run-down of the first episode -- from the pop-/sub-/Dharma perspective.
The show actually opened up actually at a "16th-century Buddhist temple" (the Mi Tuo Temple in the Huang Pu Mountains), where the survivors were welcomed by monastics in gassho, to the sound of giant ringing temple bells. Looking over the temple is an enormous and rather beautiful statue of Kuan Yin.
After participating in a "Buddhist welcoming ceremony"-- Courtney the New York waitress rolled her eyes; Leslie the Christian radio host bailed because she couldn't handle "bowing to Buddha"; Denise the lunchlady was nearly moved to tears -- the survivors were then told how the game would go. Not only would they be "living in the shadow of the temple" (which doesn't yet seem to be true), but they'd need to leave all their belongings behind because, as host Jeff Probst explained: "A big theme in Buddhism is leaving behind your worldly possessions. That includes your suitcases."
Next Probst told the assembled survivors that they should read The Art of War (which he presented in always-convenient scroll form), attributing its authorship not to Sun Tzu, but to "The Chinese."
This was all in the first less-than ten minutes.
Then, nothing.
Nothing, that is, except rain, groaning, and cleavage (hey, it's Survivor) -- 'til exactly halfway thru the show, when one tribe decided that they should unroll the scroll and read some wisdom about warriorship. I can't say for sure but it didn't look to me like anyone was particularly understanding what they were reading. (And yes, it was an English translation.) But Probst has said in the media that The Art of War will have a recurring role throughout the series's run.
Then, after that, more nothing save the usual challenge, a tribal council that took place with calligraphies and other Chinese accoutrements all around (Chicken -- yes, "Chicken" -- was sent home), and lots and lots more cleavage.
But hey. It's Survivor.
That's the rundown of episode one. Now, did you watch?
Got some insight? Did you see something we missed?
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DHARMA-BURGER ARCHIVE 
