Upon considering this seemingly insane desire, a couple of reasons that a person would want to be a Survivor cast member come to mind. First, we are a culture of people who love being watched and each of us loves being the center of attention. On any of these “reality-based” shows, the participants can be sure that they have an audience of millions eagerly awaiting their next move. Another appealing thing about being a Survivor cast member is the opportunity to have an adventure. In a time when it seems that everything has been seen, done, and conquered, there is a constant search for novelty and excitement. There are few opportunities more exciting than venturing into the wilderness and taking a crack at surviving without the creature comforts we value so highly.

Deep inside most Americans is a born performer, a daring, kooky alter­-ego who wants to be watched. This stems from the fact that we are ever in awe of the great and powerful celebrity. We long to be known, talked about, admired, worshipped. There are very few people who realize their dreams of living in the limelight; however, a show like Survivor will give anyone a chance to be on television, a chance to be adored by the masses. In order to be on Survivor, you don’t have to be rich, cool, beautiful, or even talented. None of the Survivor cast members had a star quality, yet the American public was there, every week, watching them with fascination. Though there have been many celebrities in history who have become famous despite a complete lack of talent, Survivor has brought the talentless to a new height. There is a guarantee for the cast of Survivor that the American public will always be interested in them. A cast member of Survivor is perpetually being observed and, for many, that is the ultimate flattery. They understand the extent to which they themselves worship celebrities and the fact that the public now adores them is the ego-booster of all time.

Still, not all Americans spend their days dreaming about becoming a celebrity. Another appeal of being on Survivor is the search for a novel experience or achievement. At this point, it feels as if everything has been done. Your neighbors traveled to New Guinea, the Great American Novel has been written ten times over, and scientists have even made progress on cracking the DNA code. “What,” the average American may ask, “is there left to do now?” Survivor offers the ultimate new experience, not to mention a chance at a million bucks.

Survivor is the opportunity to do just what the title suggests: live from day to day. Middle-class America can be a pretty comfortable place and comfort can be stifling. Survivor is a challenge and, some might say, an opportunity to really live, to break the confines of monotonous daily existence.

Finally, Survivor gives people a chance to do, publicly, the one thing that people like to do best: whine. What could be more ideal? Every week, you get to whine, complain and whimper and not only will millions of people lend you a sympathetic ear but they will love every minute of it. Many people spend a lifetime looking for that one person with whom they believe they can spend the rest of their lives. Some people believe that we are searching for a soul-mate, and others for a life-long companion, but what many people really want is someone who will listen to them complain, day in and day out, for the rest of their lives. When that person stops listening, it usually results in divorce. Many middle-class Americans have everything they always believed they wanted but are still not satisfied. They crave being listened to because they really have nothing to complain about, yet there is still a nagging inside of them that drives them to self-pity. We are a selfish bunch who not only love to be watched and adored but also enjoy having others listen to our petty problems. The most appealing part of Survivor is the encouragement of whining. Without the whining of the cast members, the show could not go on. The residents of the Survivor island are given license to be catty, insulting, and just plain annoying. That is the very basis of the show and America eats it up.