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The Survivor Consultant, Part 2

Rob Walker
Posted Thursday, July 6, 2000, at 12:24 PM ET

Several weeks back, when the hit show Survivor premiered, this column paused to mull the presence of a consultant among the island contestants. Some members of the consulting community seemed annoyed with the results, and in one case even challenged me to a contest of strength and skill (a challenge that, of course, I ignored).

Well, with last night's episode, the "team"-focused part of the show seems to be over (the two "tribes" will no longer compete with each other but will merge into one group and presumably commence the all-against-all chapter of this contrived drama), and I think it's worth reviewing the performance of the Survivor consultant to date.

Obviously this fellow, Richard, has survived. He has also emerged as one of the most dominant personalities on the show, and not just because he apparently hangs around naked sometimes. As you may know if you pay any attention to management literature, the glories of team building remain quite the vogue in New Economy corporate America; a healthy part of the consulting business is all about helping achieve true team-ness. And in fact, Richard introduced himself by delivering a lecture to his teammates on this very subject. It's a little curious, then, that our consultant friend now stands out because he is the most conniving, backstabbing, and dishonest person in the cast. Or maybe that's not surprising at all.

Watching this play out has actually been sort of enlightening. While he's with the larger group, Richard goes on and on about his contributions to the team. But the only thing he talks about in the private interviews sprinkled through the show (aside from defending his occasional nudity) is his scheme to "form alliances," balkanize his group, and make sure his faction gangs up on some hapless demonized teammate. And when the show's host raised the subject of "alliances" with Richard in one of the group chats at the end of an episode before someone is voted off, Richard simply lied, mouthing a bunch of banalities about the team above all. In the end, the consultant-less squad seemed far more cohesive--and far less bitter--and, if anything, performed slightly better in team-centric activities.

Then again, Richard himself is still going strong, blithely explaining the machinations of his next plot in a manner that is almost impressive. He doesn't have much to teach us about team building, but maybe he does have an insight or two on cutthroat competition. Back in the real world after the completion of filming, Richard was reportedly accused of child abuse for allegedly making his adopted son run six miles a day and hitting him if he didn't. (He's denied this, filed a couple of lawsuits in retaliation, and has been quoted referring to the boy as "manipulative.") Anyway, whether or not he wins the million bucks, maybe he'll at least be able to raise his consulting fee.

Related on MSN

Click here to read about the best Survivor commercials and spoofs; click here to read about how Richard is suing to save his post-Survivor reputation

Photograph of Richard Hatch on the Slate Table of Contents by Monty Brinton/CBS/Reuters.

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Rob Walker writes the Ad Report Card for Slate.

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Reader Response from The Fray:

Assuming that the goal of a Survivor contestant was to be an ethical person and to build a strong, cohesive team, Rob Walker would be absolutely correct in his assessment of Richard. But given that the goal is, in fact, to outlast everyone else on the island, backstabbing, lying, and conspiracy-fomenting are perfectly appropriate to the situation. Which is perhaps why I find myself rooting for this perfectly Shakespearean Richard (but which one, II or III?) every week.

--Eric Fredericksen

(To reply, click here.)

Rob: Are you sure that you're not a Consultant in disguise? I mean, think about it: the Consultant searches for the tender spot in an organization and then exploits it to the hilt. You've obviously hit a raw nerve with this very topic and seem to be exploiting it to no end. Instead of billable hours, you're rewarded with higher click-through rates. Hmmm?

--Pete Middlemass

(To reply, click here.)

[Note from the Fray Editor: If you're interested in endless arguments as to who is the most annoying person on the island then do go and visit The Fray. As one of the posters says, the arguments there are as bad as on the TV programme, but without the chance to win the money.]

(7/6)