Survivor Zeke Outed as Transgender

[TotallyOz]

I love Survivor and never miss an episode in all the years it started.  I wait for it each week.  This week's episode was the hardest to watch ever.  It was rattling. I was in tears for part of it.

One gay man outs another for being transgendered.  What do you think?

 

[Suckrates]

Of course it was despicable, but not unlike what happens in Real life...  And on the other hand it is a competition with the goal to

rid your opponents.  The sad part is that some people think it means actting without "morality"....  Somehow I am questioning the "producers" of the show more, who undoubtedly knew what was going to happen.  I dont believe it was spontaneous without their awareness. 

[BigK]

7 hours ago, Suckrates said:

Of course it was despicable, but not unlike what happens in Real life...  And on the other hand it is a competition with the goal to

rid your opponents.  The sad part is that some people think it means actting without "morality"....  Somehow I am questioning the "producers" of the show more, who undoubtedly knew what was going to happen.  I dont believe it was spontaneous without their awareness. 

I suspect the producers even instigate and encourage things like this.  I think Zeke handled it very well.

[OneFinger]

^{Just read that they guy man that outed Zeke lost his job. He worked in real estate and his company let him go saying they didn't want to be part of the negative controversy. Can't say I blame them.}

[TotallyOz]

It was a mistake and you can't blame the company for doing this as I wouldn't want to get involved in such an event. However, I don't think his job should have been taken from him.  This happened 10 months ago. I am sure lots of therapy since then.

I don't think this was a staged event.  If it was, I'd never watch the show again. However, we don't know of Jeff had mentioned in private conversations with the camera crew that he might expose the guy.  Then, the word metamorphosis was used in the episode for the word to solve on the puzzle.  Or, if Zeke was just able to make the comparison.  The full tribal was over 2 hours.  We only saw 10 minutes.

[Suckrates]

25 minutes ago, TotallyOz said:

It was a mistake and you can't blame the company for doing this as I wouldn't want to get involved in such an event. However, I don't think his job should have been taken from him.  This happened 10 months ago. I am sure lots of therapy since then.

I don't think this was a staged event.  If it was, I'd never watch the show again. However, we don't know of Jeff had mentioned in private conversations with the camera crew that he might expose the guy.  Then, the word metamorphosis was used in the episode for the word to solve on the puzzle.  Or, if Zeke was just able to make the comparison.  The full tribal was over 2 hours.  We only saw 10 minutes.

 

Sorry I am the pessimist.  TV shows like this LIVE for jaw-dropping moments. Great for word of mouth and RATINGS.  i find it rather hard to believe that noone knew about it or that it was coming, which for me makes the event more despicable. IF it was a "known" event it would be a case whereby the network USED the LGBTQ community and they MUST apologize.  (but I doubt they would ever own up to it ?)  

[TotallyOz]

Zeke played previously and no one exposed him.  This season, they just happened to have 3 gay men on one tribe.  One saw the marks and took advantage of it.  Zeke knew this was a possibility.   While this was good for ratings and buzz, I do not think the producers caused this or knew about it.  I do think they often put people in place to see what happens but that is part of the game.

[MsGuy]

OZ, I bet back in the day, when you and yours were still living in your ancestral Ferret's Hole, Alabama, I bet you were a big fan of TV Wrassling.

Fess up, you were glued to the set, weren't you.

Are you old enough to remember Gorgeous George? Or maybe Coco Brazil and his patented "Coconut Butt" move? Nobody got back up if he got them square on with a coconut butt.

[unicorn]

Zeke must have known that there was a real possibility that he could be outed one of these days, on national TV no less. I'm sure he was "reminded" of this fact when he auditioned. Now I want to know what the plumbing's like down there. I wonder if we'll ever find out...

[TotallyOz]

3 minutes ago, MsGuy said:

OZ, I bet back in the day, when you and yours were still living in your ancestral Ferret's Hole, Alabama, I bet you were a big fan of TV Wrassling.

Fess up, you were glued to the set, weren't you.

Are you old enough to remember Gorgeous George? Or maybe Coco Brazil and his patented "Coconut Butt" move? Nobody got back up if he got them square on with a coconut butt.

My aunt dated Big Bob Amstrong.  He was a wrestling family legend.  I went to many WWF fights over the years.  It was all show.  We would go out with everyone after a fight for drinking and laughs.  So, I did know it was not real. 

However, Survivor is real! Do not pull the Santa Claus card and destroy my fantasy!

[Suckrates]

4 hours ago, TotallyOz said:

My aunt dated Big Bob Amstrong.  He was a wrestling family legend.  I went to many WWF fights over the years.  It was all show.  We would go out with everyone after a fight for drinking and laughs.  So, I did know it was not real. 

However, Survivor is real! Do not pull the Santa Claus card and destroy my fantasy!

OK, OK Ozzy,  ALL Reality TV is REAL... it says so !  ..  Now go lie down. 

[unicorn]

Zeke being outed, while perhaps embarrassing for Zeke (assuming this wasn't staged), is probably a good thing for trans-gendered people in general, as it puts a human face to the trans-gendered and their struggles. Those who watch Survivor have grown to like and respect him, and having him outed makes the viewer feel as if he knows a trans-gendered person--that it's not just some theoretical "one of those people." It also showed the tribe rally behind him, and normalized acceptance of trans-gendered. 

[Suckrates]

15 minutes ago, unicorn said:

Zeke being outed, while perhaps embarrassing for Zeke (assuming this wasn't staged), is probably a good thing for trans-gendered people in general, as it puts a human face to the trans-gendered and their struggles. Those who watch Survivor have grown to like and respect him, and having him outed makes the viewer feel as if he knows a trans-gendered person--that it's not just some theoretical "one of those people." It also showed the tribe rally behind him, and normalized acceptance of trans-gendered. 

I honestly dont know if the general public makes any distinction between Trans and Gay.  To THEM, its all the same shit, and as much as we would like to believe the general public is more accepting,  I am not so sure. 

[OneFinger]

One of articles I read, based on an interview with Zeke, said that he disclosed to the producers / crew that he was trans before the season started. They also went over how to handle things if he were outed during the season.

I really don't think the producers / crew had anything to do with what happened. But, they did have a plan in place in case it became an issue. I think everyone went into the season fully aware that outing was a possibility.