Survivor: Surviving the Minor Works

[littlemanpoet]

In return for the favor from yesterday, I join Estelyn today.

++ Giant from the Wild Hills

He's a stupid oaf anyway that can't be harmed with a mere blunderbuss! Away with him!

[Anguirel]

I sense Phantomesque machinations! I will not lower myself to them.

But look at it this way and you'll see who's persecuting who.

Nell is a human woman.

The Giant is, naturally, a Giant.

There are no Giants around today.

But there are three billion women.

Slay these specieist murderesses before they get the chance to procreate! Down with Nell!

[Tuor in Gondolin]

+ + Herbert Dorkins

Putting him out of his misery. He obviously
had sadistic parents, saddling him with a
name like Herbert Dork...ah, Dorkins.

[The Saucepan Man]

I see that, not content with voting of the - er - portly contestants, people are now victimising any of the contestants who don't quite fit in, in the form of the Mewlips, the Girabbit and, now, unforgiveably, the friendly neighbourhood Giant.

This cannot be tolerated. I call upon all those who have ever felt misunderstood or mistreated by society's "norms", those who have been labelled misfits or troublemakers or wierd or geeky by those who simply don't understand them, to resist this senseless victimisation of the underdogs.

(Yes, it's the " proud geeks unite" defence again. )

My own preference is to vote again for ...

+ + SMITH OF WOOTON MAJOR

... who spent far too much time off on a frivolous frolic, when he should have been tending to the "real life" concerns of his job and his family.

But I will change my vote to protect, if I can, the poor, misunderstood Giant, who was only taking a refreshing stroll when he was rudely interrupted by an overly aggressive farmer with a dangerous (and most likely unlicenced) blunderbuss.

[Formendacil]

Although this forum has generally seen or discussed this horrid beast very little, I can assure you that his presence is felt elsewhere, and even on the 'Downs his shadow occasionally looms...

++ Troll

Offtopic and spiteful. Enough said.

[The Only Real Estel]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

++ Troll

Offtopic and spiteful. Enough said.

Indeed.

++Troll

[The 1,000 Reader]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

Although this forum has generally seen or discussed this horrid beast very little, I can assure you that his presence is felt elsewhere, and even on the 'Downs his shadow occasionally looms...

++ Troll

Offtopic and spiteful. Enough said.

++Troll.

My job is being stolen by the dang guy.

[Alcarillo]

++The Giant from the Wild Hills

For stomping noisily all over the island, eating half of what his tribe catches, and complaining about not being able to fit in the shelter.

[Celuien]

Originally Posted by Anguirel

I sense Phantomesque machinations! I will not lower myself to them.

If you're referring to my appearance, Ang, I assure you, LMP is blameless of such accusations. While we may share a past association with the famed League of Extraordinary Barrow-Downers, our current alliance is purely coincidental. And not related to any PMs of any kind.

I will, however, be lurking in the shadows to come to the defense of my fellow Faerie-visiting dreamer(s), should my aid be needed.

[The Saucepan Man]

Ai! I have to vote for a Troll to save a Giant? But that's no choice.

C'mon folks, given me some options here.

[The Only Real Estel]

Come on now Saucie, it’s a win-win. Troll is blindingly slow, a major liability in the challenges. He also got out-thought by a rock more than once – another strike against him in challenges that happen to not require quickness. Now sure, he’s got the strength for the strength-related challenges (which are few) but Old Man Willow is a decent substitute there.

He’s stupid and ugly, kinda like the Giant only less loveable.

Besides, here’s our chance to make a statement to these Downer Trolls that Form spoke of – we can put our foot down and show them that Trolling isn’t tolerated, not even for those that have a ‘sufficient excuse.’

[Celuien]

Originally Posted by SPM

Ai! I have to vote for a Troll to save a Giant? But that's no choice.

C'mon folks, given me some options here.

Would you consider a Badger?

Then all the Badger-folk said: 'We beg your pardon!'

Horribly anti-climactic.

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by TORE

He’s stupid and ugly, kinda like the Giant only less loveable.

So now we're picking on those who are aesthetically and intellectually challenegd are we? The Troll we are faced with here exemplifies the misunderstood of whom I spoke earlier. He was lonely, an outcast from society, simply because he was a Troll, albeit a kindly and culinary gifted one (what is it with Tolkien and Troll chefs?).

'I steal no gold, I drink no beer,
I eat no kind of meat;
but People slam their doors in fear,
whenever they hear my feet.
O how I wish that they were neat,
and my hands were not so rough!
Yet my heart is soft, my smile is sweet,
and my cooking good enough.'

When he sets out to find a friend, he is harshly rejected by all, save for the kindly Perry-the-Winkle (who was, incidentally, cold-heartedly voted off earlier). Perry saw past the Trollish exterior to the kind heart within and took him home for tea.

No. Having revisited the poem, I cannot find it within myself to vote off the poor Troll. This is no cyberspace nuisance, but simply a gentle, kindly but misunderstood soul.

I would repeat my entreaty. Stop voting for all the misunderstood misfits and target those, such as Smith and Niggle, who are (in Tolkien's terms) the jocks of the island.

[The Only Real Estel]

But what about these “jocks” you speak of, SpM?

Sure, sometimes you run across the stereotypical jock – arrogant, aloof, and abysmal. But often ones are termed “jocks” out of a feeling of inferiority or even envy. Targeting the Island Jocks for being jocks (the non-arrogant ones) is no better than Targeting the Island Misunderstooders for being misunderstood...er ().

And as for considering the feelings of the contestants - I feel their pain (yes, even Troll's now that you put it the way you do), but they signed up for the competition. Those who don't want to be laughed at shouldn't sign up to be clowns, you shouldn't audition for American Idol if you can’t bear the scathing criticism of Simon (or Sleepy ) Cowell. You don’t sign up for Survivor without the understanding that it’s survival of the fittest.

Troll is the kind of guy that is often eliminated in Survivor – a nice guy, but in the end he just doesn’t have what it takes.

Of course we all feel sorry for him, but that there’s not much you can do about it...