Why I am Rooting for Eliza
Oh, Eliza, as much as you make me shake my head with knowing exasperation, I am hoping that you will take the Survivor crown this molten-lava-spewing season! She's annoying, she talks too much, she's useless around camp, she really likes being considered a smart little girl and she is disappearing before our very own eyes. But damn, do I ever want her to win it.
Let us all preface any discussion of how annoying Eliza can sometimes be with the simple disclaimer: she's only 21! TWENTY-ONE folks! That's all!
And guess what, she knows she can be annoying. That little exchange with her mother a few weeks back basically told us so. You remember - it's the one where Eliza tells her mom that she was going to get voted off in the first week because everyone on her tribe thought she talked too much, and then her mother said "Because you're so annoying!" and audiences gasped and thought "Wow! Eliza's mom is mean!" I assure you, Eliza's mom is not mean. She just knows her daughter very well. This is probably an exchange they have had all throughout Eliza's youth. Eliza's high energy levels and her natural inclination to show off her book smarts probably got her into some nasty situations when she was growing up. And it's my guess that Eliza's mom has never encouraged her daughter to be bratty, but also told her daughter never to apologize for being smart. The kid is pre-law. And Scout has even said she thinks Eliza's got brains. (Maybe not street smarts, for she still seems a wee-bit emotional for those yet. Give her time! And a million dollars wouldn't hurt, either.)
Yes, the tears shed at the last tribal council as she prepared to write Ami-with-the-secret-homocidal-tendencies' name on the parchment were really really really hard to stomach. But I have a theory on this one too. Eliza is catering to the jury vote! That jury is going to be at least four women, maybe more. And given that the "women's alliance" was the way everybody was supposed to get to the end, those women on the jury are going to be a little miffed at the final two for "breaking their word" to get to the end. And Eliza really had no choice but to go against that alliance in order to stick around. The kid is scrappy - she'll do what she has to to stay in the game! But winning the game requires the finalist to win over the jury. And that's exactly what Eliza is doing. She's spending her time and her tears with bullies while she keeps her vote and her mind focused on her own survival. Brilliant!
Essentially, Eliza is acting exactly how I would have acted in the same situation at the same age. She runs at the mouth and she's not much help with the lifting or the cooking or the cleaning or the gathering. But don't let that fool you into thinking she's not in her own head about her own game. I'm sure she is always thinking.
Hang on tight kid - immunity is all you need to think about now! The bullies are all gone now! Eat Ami's fresh supplies of manioc and don't give up!
Let us all preface any discussion of how annoying Eliza can sometimes be with the simple disclaimer: she's only 21! TWENTY-ONE folks! That's all!
And guess what, she knows she can be annoying. That little exchange with her mother a few weeks back basically told us so. You remember - it's the one where Eliza tells her mom that she was going to get voted off in the first week because everyone on her tribe thought she talked too much, and then her mother said "Because you're so annoying!" and audiences gasped and thought "Wow! Eliza's mom is mean!" I assure you, Eliza's mom is not mean. She just knows her daughter very well. This is probably an exchange they have had all throughout Eliza's youth. Eliza's high energy levels and her natural inclination to show off her book smarts probably got her into some nasty situations when she was growing up. And it's my guess that Eliza's mom has never encouraged her daughter to be bratty, but also told her daughter never to apologize for being smart. The kid is pre-law. And Scout has even said she thinks Eliza's got brains. (Maybe not street smarts, for she still seems a wee-bit emotional for those yet. Give her time! And a million dollars wouldn't hurt, either.)
Yes, the tears shed at the last tribal council as she prepared to write Ami-with-the-secret-homocidal-tendencies' name on the parchment were really really really hard to stomach. But I have a theory on this one too. Eliza is catering to the jury vote! That jury is going to be at least four women, maybe more. And given that the "women's alliance" was the way everybody was supposed to get to the end, those women on the jury are going to be a little miffed at the final two for "breaking their word" to get to the end. And Eliza really had no choice but to go against that alliance in order to stick around. The kid is scrappy - she'll do what she has to to stay in the game! But winning the game requires the finalist to win over the jury. And that's exactly what Eliza is doing. She's spending her time and her tears with bullies while she keeps her vote and her mind focused on her own survival. Brilliant!
Essentially, Eliza is acting exactly how I would have acted in the same situation at the same age. She runs at the mouth and she's not much help with the lifting or the cooking or the cleaning or the gathering. But don't let that fool you into thinking she's not in her own head about her own game. I'm sure she is always thinking.
Hang on tight kid - immunity is all you need to think about now! The bullies are all gone now! Eat Ami's fresh supplies of manioc and don't give up!
posted by nerdifer at 10:27 a.m.
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