The Quitter: Osten Taylor from ‘Survivor: Pearl Islands’

Tens of thousands of people apply to be on every edition of Survivor. Those who are eventually picked run the gamut from being strategic geniuses (at least in their own minds) to survival nuts who can tie 18 different types of knots and catch fish with their bare hands. We have seen a wide range of body types as well, from big guys to little women. Some have complained, some have just gone along with whatever the game gave them. But nobody had actually quit – until Osten Taylor came along on Survivor: Pearl Islands.

Sure, B.B. asked to be voted off on the first Survivor, but he knew he was probably going anyway. Shawna whined that she wanted off in the Amazon edition. Etc. But nobody actually made the final decision and took themselves out of it until Osten decided that he just couldn’t handle it anymore.

As soon as Osten left the show, the Hall of Shame was inundated with e-mails nominating him. There was never any doubt, really. Osten was complaining since the first few days. He stupidly traded away his clothing at the village where they were supposed to get supplies, and the complained about being cold. He was certain he was going to get sick, catch pneumonia, have blood in his lungs, etc. He couldn’t stand the thought of actually being out in nature where there were evil creatures like bugs, crabs, snakes (or sticks that look sort of like snakes), and the worst of all – pelicans! He couldn’t handle being hungry or the thought that his body was disintegrating because it wasn’t getting proper nutrition.

Basically, he was diametrically opposed to everything that Survivor is about.

Why the hell did Osten even audition for Survivor? That one is a mystery. What is certain is that he took away a spot from one of the many other people who knew what they would be getting into and would have done so willingly. Another thing that is certain is that six people who had been voted off were struggling mightily to get back while he was whining and complaining and leaving voluntarily.

Was Osten hungry all the time? Probably. But then so was everybody on his tribe. How pathetic was it to hear him talk about how his body couldn't handle it when he was sitting next to little Tijuana and Darrah? Little Elisabeth from the Australian Outback could handle Survivor – to the point that her hair was falling out due to malnutrition – but big muscular Osten couldn't? Had he not seen any episode of Survivor ever? Did he think there would be a big Panamanian buffet on the island?

Maybe things would have been different if he had been on Drake, where food was aplenty. But that’s not something you can count on in Survivor. In fact, it’s a rarity. And frankly, I tend to think that even if he weren’t hungry, he still would be complaining about the weather, the boredom, the bugs, the animals, etc. Just look at how he behaved with Pelican Pete. We already knew he was afraid of his own shadow, but to stand there and sharpen his machete because of a pelican? It was a ridiculous and childish gesture on his part.

But Osten didn’t even have to wish he were on Drake when it came to food. The merge is coming – we may not know exactly when, but it’s on the way. At that point, there would likely be more food anyway, if only because the whole new tribe would have Rupert working for them. All he had to do was hang in for a couple more days, but he didn’t even think about it. He just gave up.

Osten tried to make it sound like he was doing this for the tribe. If they accepted that he was going, they would be stronger. But let’s face it – even though players are broken into tribes, Survivor is an individual game. Tribes don’t win in the end, single players do. There is no point in becoming a “martyr” because there is no cause to martyr yourself for.

Another point that will linger in many minds is his speech in Tribal Council, when he essentially said that he gives 110% to everything he does – unless he thinks he won’t succeed, in which case he gives up. He was acting as if this was something admirable and noble, but it’s not. It’s just saying that if something is too hard, he quits.

Really, when it all comes down to it, it wasn’t Osten’s body that gave out on him. It was his mind. Andrew noted that it’s all about willpower and a strength of mind, and he was right. The first time Osten whined that he wanted to quit, Lill noted that he didn’t win so he wanted out. She further noted that while he claimed his body was giving out, he was running up and down the beach, lifting logs, throwing coconuts, and playing. There was nothing wrong with his body, she said, but with his “piss-poor attitude.”

Osten checked out early, was brought back partially, and then was in and out from that point forward. He participated in the challenges, but when they needed him the most he often failed. While I can’t fault him for losing the challenge of holding up his tribemate on the rope, in other cases he just blew it. For example, what made Osten – who had admitted early on that he was not a good swimmer – decide to swim out for a puzzle piece when he could have just gotten one from the sand? Of course, he needed to be rescued by his other tribe members and they blew the challenge. Later, when they needed his strength for the challenge of holding up weight, he was the first to give out while Drake tribe’s skinny woman, Christa, held up better than he did. Sure, Morgan won the challenge, but they did it on the back of Andrew, not muscle-man Osten.