Why Survivor: Palau’s Janu Is Not in the Hall of Shame
by David Bloomberg
-- 04/14/2005
Janu did something on Survivor that has earned several other reality show contestants spots in the Reality TV Hall of Shame in the past – she quit. But after much debate and consideration, she will not be getting her own spot here. Why not? Read on to find out.
Generally, articles here in the Reality TV Hall of Shame are either inductions into the Hall or Hall of Shame Moments. Occasionally there are updates and the like, too. But sometimes we get questions about why certain people are not in the Hall of Shame. Considering that in my recap and again in Why Janu Lost I asked for reader opinions on whether Janu should be in the Hall of Shame, this seems to be a good time for a new kind of article – an article explaining why somebody has not been inducted.
Obviously, from the title of this article, the Reality TV Hall of Shame staff have decided against inducting Janu. There are good points both pro and con, and we appreciate the many people who wrote in to share their thoughts (unfortunately, because there were so many there was no way we could reply to them individually). But we felt the arguments against induction were strong enough to carry the day. Let’s look at both sides:
Arguments For Induction:
Janu quit – she took a spot that tens of thousands of people were trying out for, and she threw it away. The only acceptable reasons to quit Survivor are true medical problems (like Mike Skupin) or special family circumstances (like Jenna Morasca). Otherwise, it’s just making excuses (like Osten).
Saying that she quit because she had no chance of winning is not a valid reason. Just last season we saw Chris Daugherty in a situation where he was obviously doomed. But he came back and won. Janu could have turned her “weak link” status to her advantage by trying to play off one suballiance against another and selling her vote. But she wasn’t even interested in trying.
She was vindictive towards her tribe and fundamentally changed – or even contaminated – the game by quitting when she knew her tribemates had other plans. Some call it a power play, but a power play is only useful in Survivor if it helps you to win – obviously, this didn’t accomplish that goal.
While some people have said she wanted to play the game from another angle – that of a juror instead of a participant – that is not the point of Survivor. The point of Survivor is to win a million dollars, not play the game from the jury box. People have received Hall of Shame Moments for poor strategy, and quitting is about the worst strategy possible.
Arguments Against Induction:
Janu was being used as a pawn. This was her opportunity to turn the tables on those who would have used her up and thrown her away. Was it “fair” to do that? Did she contaminate the game? Every legal move in Survivor is fair, and every move affects the game in some way. This was no different.
Janu had been sick since a few days into the game. The only reason she made it as long as she did was that Koror never lost immunity. Even at her reward meal, she couldn’t keep the food down. Unlike Osten, who just was afraid he might get ill but certainly looked health enough, Janu pretty much just laid around all day and could barely do anything much of the time. Even so, she lasted fairly long into the game – it’s not like she quit on Day 3.
Janu’s tribe had ostracized her so badly that she knew she had no chance in the game. She could have tried, but if nobody liked her, who would align themselves with her or even trust her?
Janu had gotten what she wanted out of the Survivor experience. She had no reason to continue.
Janu had no reason to be loyal to her tribemates. They wanted to get rid of Stephenie – so what? They hadn’t done anything for her, so why should she help them? Screwing with their plans was a great bonus.
Janu chose to leave on her own terms rather than hang around and wait for somebody else to decide when she was disposable.
Even with all these arguments pro and con, many of the Hall of Shame staff, myself included, were torn. I leaned one way and then the other. But in the end, we came down against – even if just barely.
Janu is not in the same class as quitters like Osten or Verna from The Apprentice 3. She did have legitimate reasons to quit, including her physical illness. Furthermore, she did not feel she was in a position where she reasonably had a chance to win. While we say that she could have sold her vote, she could have played one suballiance against another, she could have come back, the fact remains that she was not in a position where she could really see this as a possibility.
Let me be clear – I still believe Janu made the wrong choice. But many people make bad decisions in reality TV shows. I do not laud Janu’s move as a clever way to strike back at her scheming tribemates. But considering what Janu went through, both physically and mentally, this bad decision does not belong in the Reality TV Hall of Shame.
David Bloomberg is the Editor of the Reality TV Hall of Shame, and can be reached at RNO@pobox.com.
