WEBVTT 1 00:00:11.039 --> 00:00:13.640 What's up, everybody. This is Scott Jeger here with a 2 00:00:13.839 --> 00:00:18.359 very special crossover edition of Challenge Mania and Survivor Mania 3 00:00:18.839 --> 00:00:21.760 coming to you live from our apartment. Just kidding. We 4 00:00:21.839 --> 00:00:23.960 have a very special guest here today. He is the 5 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:27.239 author of the New York Times bestseller The Tribe and 6 00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:29.640 I Have Spoken, which I was privileged to be a 7 00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:31.920 small part of. But he is a massive part of 8 00:00:31.960 --> 00:00:34.600 everything we do at Challenge Mania. He's a massive part 9 00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:37.280 of the Survivor world, the reality TV world. We're so 10 00:00:38.200 --> 00:00:40.840 glad to be joined here in person, Lindsey and myself 11 00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:42.640 with Rob Sister Nino. How are you? 12 00:00:42.679 --> 00:00:42.920 Wow? 13 00:00:43.039 --> 00:00:45.719 Thank you so much. That was very Jonathan like, be 14 00:00:45.759 --> 00:00:47.520 mister yes. 15 00:00:47.560 --> 00:00:50.359 Yes, mister Rob, Uncle Rob. 16 00:00:52.920 --> 00:00:53.240 Yes. 17 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:57.039 Scott gets a little jealous sometimes because I am probably 18 00:00:57.079 --> 00:00:59.079 a bigger fan of your podcast than I am. 19 00:00:59.119 --> 00:01:00.000 You mean you listen to him. 20 00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:03.000 He'll be like, did you hear my podcast this week? 21 00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:04.840 And I'm like, no, but let me tell you what 22 00:01:04.959 --> 00:01:08.359 Rob said this week. So it was an honor to 23 00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:10.040 be asked to be here with you today. 24 00:01:10.120 --> 00:01:12.599 Yes, well, so nice to be here. Thank you for listening. 25 00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:17.000 And if it's any consolation, my wife listens to very 26 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:18.319 few of my podcasts. 27 00:01:18.359 --> 00:01:20.280 Oh, I think she's a huge challenge mania. 28 00:01:20.799 --> 00:01:23.200 You know what she might be. She might love it. 29 00:01:23.319 --> 00:01:25.480 Can I be honest though, I'm not gonna I'm not 30 00:01:25.519 --> 00:01:27.560 gonna lie. It is a little bit more liberating that 31 00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:30.120 you don't listen as much as you used to. In fact, 32 00:01:30.120 --> 00:01:32.400 sometimes when you're home and you can hear me from 33 00:01:32.439 --> 00:01:34.159 the other room and you don't even know the other 34 00:01:34.200 --> 00:01:36.599 side of the conversation, you'll be like, can you say that? 35 00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:38.480 Or what were you saying about? What's her name? 36 00:01:38.519 --> 00:01:42.319 And I have to yeah, yeah, So I do get 37 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:46.000 busted sometimes when my wife hears me to tell a 38 00:01:46.040 --> 00:01:49.439 story on the podcast, and you know, that's fear game 39 00:01:49.480 --> 00:01:53.280 if she's listening. I don't like is when people nark 40 00:01:53.400 --> 00:01:56.680 on this, oh and tell my wife listen to an 41 00:01:56.719 --> 00:01:59.840 episode of the podcast where I tell a true story 42 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:03.840 and my wife didn't want me to tell that story. 43 00:02:03.879 --> 00:02:05.959 I'm not gonna say that. I'm like saying something out 44 00:02:05.959 --> 00:02:08.680 of school like things These things happen. 45 00:02:08.479 --> 00:02:09.639 Right who owns the story? 46 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:13.400 But apparently we have like an NDA in our marriage. 47 00:02:13.520 --> 00:02:14.879 I didn't know about that. 48 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:17.639 Do you have it with us? When we podcast together? 49 00:02:17.680 --> 00:02:20.479 I sometimes have notes after the podcast about. 50 00:02:20.280 --> 00:02:21.599 Oh does she ever give you notes? 51 00:02:21.879 --> 00:02:23.039 Do you when you two? 52 00:02:23.080 --> 00:02:25.800 Because I know you and Nicole podcast together sometimes do 53 00:02:25.879 --> 00:02:27.960 you get a little bit of feedback afterwards? 54 00:02:27.960 --> 00:02:33.960 Sometimes sometimes yes, yes, I am on the receiving end 55 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:37.639 of feedback. I'm not really supposed to give feedback. 56 00:02:38.599 --> 00:02:40.879 Oh yeah, of course. Yeah. So you know she mentioned 57 00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:43.400 you and Nicole still podcasts about Survivor quite frequently. I 58 00:02:43.400 --> 00:02:45.039 feel like I can still kind of hear the joy 59 00:02:45.080 --> 00:02:47.599 in her and her voice talking about that show that 60 00:02:47.719 --> 00:02:49.479 joy is pretty much gone when it comes to the 61 00:02:49.560 --> 00:02:51.479 challenge with you, you are like too close to it. 62 00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:53.520 These are people who take me away from you a 63 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:55.800 couple of times a month, you know, So what what's 64 00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:58.400 the key to? Obviously it's such a big part of 65 00:02:58.439 --> 00:02:59.560 your world now. 66 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:02.280 I wasn't sure if you were being sarcastic when you 67 00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:04.159 talked about how you felt like that you could hear 68 00:03:04.280 --> 00:03:08.319 the joy and a joy talking about Survivor well once 69 00:03:08.360 --> 00:03:11.919 in a while. But I find that most of our 70 00:03:11.960 --> 00:03:15.199 podcasting is about things other than like I have to 71 00:03:15.319 --> 00:03:18.800 tailor those podcasts too. What's going to be interesting for 72 00:03:18.879 --> 00:03:21.479 her to talk about more so than let me get 73 00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:23.719 your take on the most recent Survivor episode. 74 00:03:23.879 --> 00:03:26.960 Yeah, Well, speaking of the most recent Survivor season, this 75 00:03:27.039 --> 00:03:29.439 was such a huge year for you. Obviously, you get 76 00:03:29.479 --> 00:03:32.280 to be on Traders, your book just came out as 77 00:03:32.319 --> 00:03:34.960 I met here the tribe, and I've spoken to here 78 00:03:35.080 --> 00:03:37.120 live and in person. Maybe some other fun things coming 79 00:03:37.159 --> 00:03:39.319 later this year that we won't talk about quite yet, 80 00:03:39.319 --> 00:03:42.240 but very cool stuff on the horizon. And then Survivor, 81 00:03:42.360 --> 00:03:45.560 like you know, such a big year first Survivor. Let's 82 00:03:45.560 --> 00:03:47.960 start with fifty because it's top of mind all right. 83 00:03:48.400 --> 00:03:50.479 Overall thoughts on the season, I mean, couldn't have been 84 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:52.800 more hype, couldn't have been more stuff? And the company, 85 00:03:52.919 --> 00:03:55.520 you know, you did try becka film festival, you were 86 00:03:55.560 --> 00:03:57.560 on tour, You're doing the book stuff and whatnot. Now 87 00:03:57.560 --> 00:04:00.520 that we have our winner, Aubrey Broco, did the season 88 00:04:00.520 --> 00:04:01.960 live up to the hype? And what did you think 89 00:04:01.960 --> 00:04:02.360 about it? 90 00:04:02.439 --> 00:04:04.479 I think it would be hard to live up to 91 00:04:04.520 --> 00:04:06.719 the hype. I think that the good and what I 92 00:04:06.759 --> 00:04:09.599 would say is the thing that I really loved about 93 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:12.919 Smar fifty is that people were invested in, people cared, 94 00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:16.040 and so there was an excitement around Survivor that I 95 00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:19.079 have not felt in quite some time. During Smarmber forty nine. 96 00:04:19.319 --> 00:04:22.959 I felt like that the fandom, with all due respect, 97 00:04:23.079 --> 00:04:26.399 was largely dead and checked out on season forty nine. 98 00:04:26.399 --> 00:04:27.800 And it doesn't have as much to do with the 99 00:04:27.839 --> 00:04:29.839 people that were actually on the show, but there was 100 00:04:29.920 --> 00:04:32.800 just nothing to be excited about with season forty nine. 101 00:04:32.839 --> 00:04:36.480 Everybody was looking ahead to season fifty, and so while 102 00:04:36.519 --> 00:04:39.240 season fifty I feel like was imperfect in a lot 103 00:04:39.240 --> 00:04:42.759 of ways that we were excited, like there was a 104 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:47.199 reason to watch the show every Wednesday night, and so 105 00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:51.639 I think that it was kind of like a Berserko 106 00:04:51.839 --> 00:04:54.199 mode in terms of like, wait, what's happening? 107 00:04:54.519 --> 00:04:58.160 But we cared, Yeah, do you have anything on fifty? 108 00:04:58.399 --> 00:05:00.519 Yeah, I mean we were talking about this. 109 00:05:00.879 --> 00:05:04.399 I think obviously you know, you were one of the 110 00:05:04.439 --> 00:05:08.079 people that was in contention for season fifty. Selfishly, I 111 00:05:08.120 --> 00:05:09.319 would have loved it so much. 112 00:05:10.439 --> 00:05:12.160 Do you beg you yeah? 113 00:05:12.240 --> 00:05:12.560 Yes. 114 00:05:13.040 --> 00:05:15.759 Do you look back on this year and all that's 115 00:05:15.800 --> 00:05:19.759 happened and feel like things in some ways worked out 116 00:05:19.839 --> 00:05:20.399 for a reason? 117 00:05:21.319 --> 00:05:24.639 Yeah, I think things worked out really well where I 118 00:05:24.680 --> 00:05:29.680 don't think it would have gone particularly great on season fifty. 119 00:05:29.720 --> 00:05:32.199 For me, I think I would have been sort of like, oh, 120 00:05:32.279 --> 00:05:34.920 he knows, everybody. I think it would have been an 121 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:39.079 easy an easy person to agree on. So I think 122 00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:41.040 if I made it to the end of the pre merge, 123 00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:44.399 that probably would have been a pretty good showing for me. 124 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:47.199 And so it didn't work out with Survivor, I got 125 00:05:47.199 --> 00:05:51.319 to go do the Traders. Didn't know it didn't work 126 00:05:51.360 --> 00:05:57.399 out great on the Traders, but it was definitely a 127 00:05:57.480 --> 00:06:00.399 really good experience and I feel like that, even though 128 00:06:00.519 --> 00:06:03.319 my time was short, I felt like that I came 129 00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:06.319 off looking okay, yes on the Traders, and I feel 130 00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:08.279 like that that opened a lot of doors and I 131 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:11.600 got the podcast all about the Traders. And the thing is, 132 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:14.319 if I had done Survivor, they wouldn't have let me 133 00:06:14.319 --> 00:06:16.879 do the podcast about Survivors. So I feel like I 134 00:06:16.920 --> 00:06:19.079 really got to like have my cake and eat too 135 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:19.439 in a lot. 136 00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:22.000 Yeah, and from a business standpoint, you're probably introduced to 137 00:06:22.399 --> 00:06:24.759 a whole new fan base of people. 138 00:06:24.639 --> 00:06:27.439 And with everybody being so excited about Survivor fifty, I 139 00:06:27.480 --> 00:06:30.160 would have felt like that it was a missed opportunity 140 00:06:30.199 --> 00:06:32.879 to not have been able to podcast fifty. 141 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:36.480 I mean, look, that's my inside baseball question because as 142 00:06:36.519 --> 00:06:38.720 someone knew, I mean, look, I've never even been invited 143 00:06:38.720 --> 00:06:40.199 to be on any of these shows, so it doesn't matter. 144 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:43.800 But my co host very much is still on the Challenge, 145 00:06:44.079 --> 00:06:47.759 and you know, we're blessed that they let him podcast, 146 00:06:47.839 --> 00:06:50.000 not just about seasons he's not on, but seasons that 147 00:06:50.040 --> 00:06:52.680 he is on. They are fairly loosey goosey about letting 148 00:06:52.680 --> 00:06:55.720 their cast members do interviews, and we are also good 149 00:06:55.720 --> 00:06:58.120 about making sure we don't do anything that puts the 150 00:06:58.199 --> 00:07:01.120 kibosh on that. Yeah, Survive is very strict about that. 151 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:04.319 Traders obviously was so nice to let you. You know, 152 00:07:04.399 --> 00:07:07.240 the silver lining of you getting out so early was 153 00:07:07.560 --> 00:07:10.680 you got to podcast about the entire season, but with 154 00:07:10.759 --> 00:07:13.319 the added benefit of having been there playing with these 155 00:07:13.319 --> 00:07:16.040 people weeks prior. So I'd love to know that that 156 00:07:16.079 --> 00:07:18.439 conversation with the Traders, I think they are so ahead 157 00:07:18.439 --> 00:07:20.279 of the game when it comes to not taking this 158 00:07:20.279 --> 00:07:22.560 stuff as seriously. They leaked their own cast the minute 159 00:07:22.560 --> 00:07:24.279 they're on that flight to Scotland. They don't let the 160 00:07:24.279 --> 00:07:27.279 spoiler accounts have it and stuff like this, letting you 161 00:07:27.319 --> 00:07:30.560 podcast about it so openly and whatnot, letting their cast 162 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:32.879 members do longer interviews and things like that. Was it 163 00:07:32.920 --> 00:07:35.199 an easy conversation with them to let you just you know, 164 00:07:35.240 --> 00:07:36.759 pick up the podcast Mike right away. 165 00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:39.399 So the thing that I had in my favor is 166 00:07:39.480 --> 00:07:42.800 that I had already been podcasting about the show, and 167 00:07:42.839 --> 00:07:47.199 so they knew that I was a professional and that 168 00:07:47.279 --> 00:07:51.079 I wasn't going to be talking out of school and 169 00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:54.560 I was somebody who was going to like take this 170 00:07:54.680 --> 00:07:57.600 very responsibly. I think that there were other podcasts that 171 00:07:57.639 --> 00:08:01.360 were happening that they were not happy with and maybe 172 00:08:01.560 --> 00:08:05.720 might have not wanted to have happened because I had 173 00:08:06.319 --> 00:08:10.199 in my experience, I feel like that the not everybody 174 00:08:10.319 --> 00:08:14.720 understands what's the spoiler and what you're doing that is spoilery. 175 00:08:15.399 --> 00:08:18.600 And I really take a lot of pride in I 176 00:08:18.600 --> 00:08:21.920 don't think I gave anything away on podcasting about The Traders, 177 00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:26.480 and I really thought I was up for the challenge. 178 00:08:27.199 --> 00:08:29.560 And the way I think you have to do it 179 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:32.360 is you can't talk about what's going to happen. You 180 00:08:32.360 --> 00:08:34.960 could just talk about like, what did happen? And that's 181 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:39.279 really how I tried to approach talking about season four 182 00:08:39.320 --> 00:08:39.919 of The Traders. 183 00:08:40.080 --> 00:08:42.879 And they even let you do the exit interviews, yeah 184 00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:45.080 as a cast member, which to me, I thought the 185 00:08:45.159 --> 00:08:47.440 one if I was playing Devil's advocate, Well, save some 186 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:49.519 of that for the reunion. Let's hear it. Let them 187 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:51.200 talk to the Mike Blooms of the world. But you know, 188 00:08:51.279 --> 00:08:53.000 for you to be able to confront the person who 189 00:08:53.080 --> 00:08:55.159 caught you out with the Congo line or whatever it is, like, 190 00:08:55.320 --> 00:08:57.480 let's save that from mister Cohen. You know. So I 191 00:08:57.519 --> 00:08:59.039 just thought, I mean again, to be ahead of the curve. 192 00:08:59.080 --> 00:09:01.440 I thought it was great. I thought benefited them. More 193 00:09:01.480 --> 00:09:04.279 coverage is good coverage and things like that. And the 194 00:09:04.320 --> 00:09:07.159 fact that simultaneously they had started their own official I 195 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:08.879 love the I love they always have to let everyone 196 00:09:08.919 --> 00:09:11.039 know it's the official. This the official that you know, 197 00:09:11.120 --> 00:09:14.039 Jeff Probe says, the only official Survivor podcast, of course, 198 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:16.600 not the one that's been going on for fifteen years, 199 00:09:16.600 --> 00:09:18.639 and that everybody knows and loves this brand new and that. 200 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:22.399 This is the official, unofficial podcast. So I think that 201 00:09:22.440 --> 00:09:25.759 there is a freedom in being an unofficial podcast that 202 00:09:26.120 --> 00:09:29.919 is not the you know, company line of You could 203 00:09:29.919 --> 00:09:32.840 say things that, Okay, we love this, but we didn't 204 00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:34.559 love this in a way that you can't do if 205 00:09:34.559 --> 00:09:35.600 you are the official podcaste. 206 00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:37.919 That was something we talked about though, with whether if 207 00:09:37.919 --> 00:09:40.720 you had done fifty, how the press would have been handled. 208 00:09:40.840 --> 00:09:43.879 So it's we have our answer, which I would. 209 00:09:43.720 --> 00:09:49.399 Not have done my first Survivor podcast perhaps very recently. Yeah, 210 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:51.200 if that was I was on. 211 00:09:51.639 --> 00:09:53.039 Did the conver like so I know, like, you know, 212 00:09:53.159 --> 00:09:55.559 you mentioned you had gotten those initial calls and uh, 213 00:09:55.720 --> 00:09:57.360 you know, we've heard from other cast members who have 214 00:09:57.399 --> 00:09:59.320 been kind of strung along and cut last minute things 215 00:09:59.360 --> 00:10:01.480 like that, you know, and obviously I don't know if 216 00:10:01.519 --> 00:10:02.919 I speak for you, but you probably don't want to 217 00:10:02.919 --> 00:10:04.840 load your first conversation up with all these demands and 218 00:10:04.879 --> 00:10:06.480 can I do this in the podcast? But did the 219 00:10:06.519 --> 00:10:08.879 conversations get that far where you at least kick the 220 00:10:08.879 --> 00:10:09.720 tires on what you'd be. 221 00:10:09.720 --> 00:10:11.960 Able to know? It never did. And I had some 222 00:10:13.080 --> 00:10:18.080 good advice, and I had asked, like, no, no, it's 223 00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:22.159 not out of but as somebody who I you know, 224 00:10:22.440 --> 00:10:26.080 advises me on a lot of like Robinson podcast business affairs, 225 00:10:26.360 --> 00:10:28.200 and I'd asked, well, like what do I do? And 226 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:30.919 they said, you know what, let's get on the show 227 00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:34.000 and then we'll have that conversation. And so it just 228 00:10:34.360 --> 00:10:35.120 never got that. 229 00:10:35.279 --> 00:10:37.679 In their defense, like I literally like so when Derek 230 00:10:37.720 --> 00:10:40.399 got back on Challenged All Stars was the first season 231 00:10:40.440 --> 00:10:43.480 since we started Challenge Mania, and the twenty page contract 232 00:10:43.559 --> 00:10:46.799 he signed had been updated since they had last been on, 233 00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:49.440 where it said you have to get every single interview 234 00:10:49.519 --> 00:10:52.440 or podcast appearance approved, including your own right. So now 235 00:10:52.440 --> 00:10:54.080 they know cast members do their own thing, their own 236 00:10:54.120 --> 00:10:57.039 social media, and so we were again fear of God 237 00:10:57.080 --> 00:10:59.000 and us like thinking, oh my God, now they legally 238 00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:01.759 have the right to do and they never did. So, 239 00:11:02.120 --> 00:11:05.039 you know, the whole asking, you know, forgiveness, not permission 240 00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:08.360 podcast no, but had we gone out of our way 241 00:11:08.480 --> 00:11:10.799 to ask for special treatment on the front end, they 242 00:11:10.840 --> 00:11:12.440 probably would have been like, can we give this one 243 00:11:12.519 --> 00:11:14.879 cast member now? But we just did it. We did 244 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:16.879 a good job with it. We didn't spoil anything, things 245 00:11:17.000 --> 00:11:17.320 like that. 246 00:11:18.440 --> 00:11:22.240 And in defense of Survivor that they're not worried about 247 00:11:22.360 --> 00:11:24.960 the podcasting. You know, they're looking to put the best 248 00:11:25.080 --> 00:11:28.960 cast onto the show that they can and so I 249 00:11:29.360 --> 00:11:34.279 totally I don't begrudge them for not caring about what's 250 00:11:34.279 --> 00:11:36.440 going to happen with Roberts's podcast. They're looking to put 251 00:11:36.440 --> 00:11:39.639 the best Survivor season, and they're talking to me as 252 00:11:39.679 --> 00:11:43.840 a survivor player, not as a person who has a podcast, 253 00:11:43.960 --> 00:11:47.720 and so I did not have any issue with that, 254 00:11:48.120 --> 00:11:57.919 like that not being a concern for them. I think ultimately, 255 00:11:57.960 --> 00:11:59.919 in some ways, I think it kind of was that 256 00:12:00.039 --> 00:12:01.000 they were like, that's. 257 00:12:00.799 --> 00:12:04.559 Why perhaps remember Jeff and I was shocked by this, 258 00:12:04.759 --> 00:12:07.840 did not do the on Fire Podcast for this season, 259 00:12:07.879 --> 00:12:09.840 which I got to know, do you have any conspiracy 260 00:12:09.879 --> 00:12:12.559 theories for the real reason why he claims it was 261 00:12:12.600 --> 00:12:15.000 that I believe he said he wanted to save it 262 00:12:15.039 --> 00:12:17.039 all for the live reunion, which he did not save 263 00:12:17.080 --> 00:12:17.799 a single thing for. 264 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:21.000 No, we didn't really talk about it anything. Yeah, I 265 00:12:21.080 --> 00:12:24.519 think that there was some negative press that came out 266 00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:29.600 of the last season of the on Fire Podcast Australia, 267 00:12:30.759 --> 00:12:34.679 the discussion of Parverty's win is it a half season 268 00:12:34.840 --> 00:12:38.240 Australian Survivor, And so I think that for Jeff, who's 269 00:12:38.519 --> 00:12:42.440 very busy, very financially successful, what's the upside for Jeff? 270 00:12:42.559 --> 00:12:45.120 I think that he wanted to do the podcast because 271 00:12:45.120 --> 00:12:46.360 it's like, I have all these things I want to 272 00:12:46.360 --> 00:12:48.360 say about the episodes, and I want to get this 273 00:12:48.399 --> 00:12:53.039 off my chest, and really it's time commitment. I'm sure 274 00:12:53.080 --> 00:12:56.679 that there is income that comes from it. But probably 275 00:12:56.720 --> 00:12:58.480 not consequential income. 276 00:12:58.600 --> 00:13:03.639 But the game yeah right, they don't do video like 277 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:05.600 there's a you know, but yeah. 278 00:13:05.240 --> 00:13:08.759 But like I don't like if it's on his I 279 00:13:08.759 --> 00:13:11.679 would imagine that maybe the income that he could be 280 00:13:11.720 --> 00:13:15.480 making for that is maybe in a five figure income 281 00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:18.720 and so and when you have other seven figure incomes, 282 00:13:18.759 --> 00:13:22.120 like it's like, why am I doing this? Because you 283 00:13:22.120 --> 00:13:26.519 don't he doesn't have to do a podcast about Survivor. 284 00:13:26.639 --> 00:13:29.639 He could just let Survivor speak for itself as other 285 00:13:29.679 --> 00:13:32.120 people who do a podcast. So if he's not getting 286 00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:36.519 joy from it and put people and people are jumping 287 00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:40.440 on the things that he's saying, and and there's and 288 00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:44.919 there's bad press around it, Like I understand why he 289 00:13:45.080 --> 00:13:46.960 might say, like, what am I doing this for? 290 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:47.720 It? 291 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:49.120 Is it coming back? You think? 292 00:13:49.279 --> 00:13:51.840 I don't think so. I'd be surprised. And and here's 293 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:54.200 the other thing. I don't know what decision came first, 294 00:13:54.360 --> 00:13:57.759 But if we're not having the official one, are we 295 00:13:57.799 --> 00:13:59.919 really going to also cut the head off the unofficial 296 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:02.679 for our biggest season? Maybe they go, can we really 297 00:14:02.720 --> 00:14:05.440 not have Jeff out there and not have rob podcasts? 298 00:14:05.840 --> 00:14:08.240 Well, I don't think that the two things were intertwined 299 00:14:08.240 --> 00:14:10.519 because they had already not picked me for Curviber or 300 00:14:10.519 --> 00:14:13.159 fifty and they did the podcast for season forty nine, right, 301 00:14:13.320 --> 00:14:15.320 I don't think that there was any those two things 302 00:14:15.320 --> 00:14:16.200 I think were unrelated. 303 00:14:16.279 --> 00:14:18.480 So speaking of like bad press and things like that, 304 00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:20.240 and again to talk about them kind of being behind 305 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:22.960 the curve, like to say that, like that that viral 306 00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:25.279 moment where it was him or Jeremy kind of you know, 307 00:14:25.320 --> 00:14:27.240 thrown a little bit of shade apart. That's probably the 308 00:14:27.240 --> 00:14:29.759 most anybody talked about that podcast that season, and there 309 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:31.639 is I think when it comes to clicks and views, 310 00:14:31.639 --> 00:14:33.679 a little bit of an all press is good press. 311 00:14:33.720 --> 00:14:36.919 At the finale, which you were at, Jeff has the 312 00:14:36.919 --> 00:14:39.600 flub of all flubs. He spoils not like anyone really 313 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:41.559 thought Rizzo had a chance of beating Jonathan and Fire, 314 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:44.000 but his whole family has to find out via you know, 315 00:14:44.080 --> 00:14:46.919 jump in two segments ahead flub that Rizzo had lost. 316 00:14:47.360 --> 00:14:50.559 Everyone handles it really reasonably well, including Jeff, who covers 317 00:14:50.600 --> 00:14:52.639 for it nicely, starts making a bunch of jokes about it. 318 00:14:52.679 --> 00:14:54.720 Sure they for whatever reason decided to leave it in 319 00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:57.360 every subsequent so like you know, the West Coast did 320 00:14:57.440 --> 00:14:59.440 not have to have that road. Neither did the person 321 00:14:59.480 --> 00:15:01.639 who watched up Paramount Plus the next morning. But I digress. 322 00:15:01.720 --> 00:15:03.360 Yeah, we just assumed our friends didn't see it. We 323 00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:05.399 were like, oh, we won't tell them on the West Side. 324 00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:08.120 So bad. But the next day I had dozens of 325 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:10.919 people who do not even watch Survivor never mentioned Aubrey once, 326 00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:13.120 but they wanted to talk about this flub. And I 327 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:14.919 just think, you know, somebody's been covering the show for 328 00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:18.360 so long, is there something great about a viral moment 329 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:20.240 like that, something you could never script or come up 330 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:22.559 with that just you know, breaks through the zeitgeist. We've 331 00:15:22.600 --> 00:15:25.240 done fifty seasons of this show, so like Game, so 332 00:15:25.320 --> 00:15:27.120 few Game moments are ever going to do that, and 333 00:15:27.159 --> 00:15:28.000 this moment did. 334 00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:32.360 You can't plan for something like this, and so it 335 00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:37.879 was a WTF moment where that's so few things are 336 00:15:37.960 --> 00:15:40.279 live on television, and so when you have a live 337 00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:43.720 TV moment, I think that that's something that can break through. 338 00:15:44.080 --> 00:15:46.440 I think it was a good human moment for Jeff, 339 00:15:46.480 --> 00:15:49.279 who I think often is at his best when he's 340 00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:52.799 reacting to something that isn't planned. I think that where 341 00:15:53.039 --> 00:15:54.919 you sort of roll your eyes sometimes where Jeff has 342 00:15:54.960 --> 00:15:58.000 like a scripted, canned thing that he wants to hit, 343 00:15:58.320 --> 00:16:01.639 but when he's just reacting to the events that are 344 00:16:01.720 --> 00:16:05.120 occurring at that moment, that's where you know he is 345 00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:08.320 really just the best at this. And so I think 346 00:16:08.360 --> 00:16:13.440 it was ultimately a cool thing that happened, and probably 347 00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:16.360 maybe between that and the Mister Beasts coin, the most 348 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:18.679 memorable thing from season fifty. 349 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:24.559 Now we have to we have to talk about your 350 00:16:24.559 --> 00:16:29.480 book a little bit. We're really excited that Scott had 351 00:16:29.519 --> 00:16:32.480 a little appearance in it because for me, he knew 352 00:16:32.600 --> 00:16:34.600 that was how he could impress me, is be in 353 00:16:34.679 --> 00:16:36.720 your book, Yes, by name. 354 00:16:36.679 --> 00:16:38.279 And really credit Stephen Fishback. 355 00:16:38.360 --> 00:16:39.679 Yeah, well I. 356 00:16:39.559 --> 00:16:42.080 Was wondering did you even I mean, this was Stephen, 357 00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:44.440 Where did you even? Were you aware that Scott was. 358 00:16:45.039 --> 00:16:46.440 A lot of people disclosure. 359 00:16:46.480 --> 00:16:48.159 I think he reached out to like anyone he thought 360 00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:49.639 to provide a good quote. 361 00:16:49.799 --> 00:16:53.039 We had been thinking about like who could write the 362 00:16:53.080 --> 00:16:55.399 forward for the book, and very quickly arrived on like, 363 00:16:55.440 --> 00:16:59.240 the only logical person is Stephen. And so Stephen on 364 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:03.919 his own worked on this beautiful forward in the book. 365 00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:06.440 And so I was not aware of what Stephen was 366 00:17:06.440 --> 00:17:08.920 putting together for the forward of the book, had you known? 367 00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:10.559 No, just kidding? 368 00:17:10.599 --> 00:17:12.599 Well, no, he said so funny DM me and I 369 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:14.799 was and or text me whatever he did, and I 370 00:17:14.839 --> 00:17:16.440 was like on a flight. I was like two bloody 371 00:17:16.440 --> 00:17:18.400 Mary's deep. I was couldn't have been more honored. And 372 00:17:18.440 --> 00:17:21.079 I wrote him like an essay, you know, any whole 373 00:17:21.319 --> 00:17:23.599 and he and he chose I think a great sentiment, 374 00:17:23.640 --> 00:17:26.839 which is the irony of It's called Rob has a podcast, 375 00:17:26.839 --> 00:17:28.559 but it's become so much more than that, and that 376 00:17:28.680 --> 00:17:30.680 you've laid the blueprint for how to you know, create 377 00:17:30.720 --> 00:17:33.559 a reality super fandom that's more than just audio or 378 00:17:33.640 --> 00:17:35.799 video product, a community at et cetera, et cetera. So 379 00:17:36.359 --> 00:17:39.519 and speaking as somebody who stole the entire model, you know, 380 00:17:39.599 --> 00:17:41.400 I think you know, but uh but no, I was. 381 00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:43.440 And I didn't even know that he had chosen me 382 00:17:43.839 --> 00:17:45.680 until I was talking to Rob on the phone about 383 00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:48.039 something else and like off handedly mentioned it and I 384 00:17:48.079 --> 00:17:49.559 think I maybe Rob could tell I don't think he 385 00:17:49.559 --> 00:17:50.759 knows he's in it. And so then he sent me 386 00:17:50.799 --> 00:17:52.440 the advanced copy and I found out that I was 387 00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:52.680 in it. 388 00:17:52.680 --> 00:17:53.240 So it's great. 389 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:55.680 I saw your Instagram story a few days ago where 390 00:17:55.720 --> 00:17:58.519 you were Anna Barnes and Noble buying your own book 391 00:17:58.640 --> 00:18:01.119 because you didn't have one any did one for not 392 00:18:01.160 --> 00:18:02.359 for our podcast, but. 393 00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:05.920 I have many at my house. I did not have boxes. 394 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:10.119 Yeah, now I was very impressed. You said that the 395 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:13.599 cashier did not recognize you. You weren't a little See 396 00:18:13.880 --> 00:18:15.519 you're a better person than me. I would have had 397 00:18:15.559 --> 00:18:17.039 to have said something to them. 398 00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:22.519 I would never assume that anybody recognizes me from reality 399 00:18:22.599 --> 00:18:25.240 TV or the podcast. But there is a picture of 400 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:27.119 me on the front of the book, and I did 401 00:18:27.119 --> 00:18:30.799