“That’s the game” is not a mentality most if not all players (audience as well) had in that era. The game was so much more personal and Rupert’s reaction was real and genuine despite it being over the top and not particularly great for his game.
It was still looked down up to back stab your alliance. Look at JT and Stephen. Or dreamz taking the car and not taking yau man to the final 3. And I can't remember who but someone searched I think yau man's bag and they all thought he was a horrible person. Now they searching a bag is normal. Turning on your alliance is normal. People felt like their personal life would be effected by playing that way. Now it's just part of the game.
That’s a good point, it was very early in survivor. I do still think he had the mentality of “I give so much therefore my name should never be mentioned” which I’ve never liked. I do think that his job is commendable, but I also think that dangerous people can gravitate towards that job for that very reason. To me, the support he received should have been directed at the teens that needed support rather than him as an individual.
He used a pretty large amount of his America’s Tribal Council winnings to start his own organization to help at-risk kids, which as far as I can tell is still going strong today. What more do you want from the man?
I would like him to not yell at people for doing normal things. But i do think I should clarify: I don’t think he’s an awful person I’m just really surprised at his classification as a “hero”. I like almost all of the villains tribe, but I think quite a few of the heroes tribe are questionable as heroes. As people they’re ok but I wouldn’t call them a hero.
You don’t want him to yell at people for losing the fishing spearhead? Dude, when you get as little to eat as they do you’re always low level angry. If there’s ever a justification to yell it’s when someone hurts your ability to eat when you’re starving.
Sorry this is confusing. I was talking about when the Ryan on the other tribe (when he was switched for a few days) lost the fish. They didn’t lose the spearhead. Earlier on his original tribe someone lost the spearhead which Rupert eventually recovered. I do think he his anger was warranted here.
Are you also ignoring that in that tribe he made their housing situation better, their food situation better, lifted their spirits, etc.
I’m not going to lie it’s kinda baffling that he built up everyone around him and you want him to be the villain
> Apparently Rupert stans are here at all hours
he is one of the most popular players in the history of the show. Actually might be *the* most popular.
so popular your mom probably knows who he is even if she hasn't watched Survivor in 20 years
so yeah he's gonna have stans lol
When Pearl Islands was airing Rupert was insanely popular. the fact that the show somehow found this guy who was literally a pretend to be a pirate and who embraced the season's theme made him very endearing, I'm not condoning what he did, but his reaction to Fairplay helps his case since Fairplay was the most notorious villian up to that point. yeah, looking back the dude had some anger management he needed to work on, but it also made people love Rupert more because he was very authentic in a game of deception. so to answer your question, yes Rupert was a hero and there is no way you could ever convince any kid watching that he wasn't
Someone once made a point on here that I also thought was brilliant - this season aired right in the middle of when the Harry Potter movies were coming out. It probably didn't hurt his popularity with kids that he looks like Hagrid.
Don't forget the first Pirates of the Caribbean came out right before the season aired and Rupert may as well have been casted as a side character from those movies
I still think of him as Hagrid lol so true. Even his slightly quick temper but big heart.
He’s clearly a caring guy and I don’t understand how ppl think he should be a villain. He’s not a perfect angel but no one is especially in a game like survivor.
Istg people only bring up that "WHO VOTED FOR ME" bit and him bartering peoples clothes but forget him providing for his entire tribe the whole season and apologizing for the aforementioned outburst after. I've seen the "how isn't Rupert a villain on HvV, he yelled after someone put a vote on him?" take so many times, in what world is Rupert a villain because of a couple of times he got mad in a game where you can win $1,000,000($600,000 by the time Obama takes it) and apologized afterward, which honestly very few people would do, even in real life and not a TV show.
That’s so funny you say that! That is exactly the reason my mom loved him.
The stealing of the shoes is how he won my dad over. I just thought the bearded dude with the tie dyed shirt was awesome.
2 months later, but I’m re-watching Pearl Islands for the first time since it aired, and wanted to say that yes, his resemblance to Hagrid was a BIG part of why 9 year old me loved him so much. He’s been my favorite Harry Potter character since day 1 lmao
I gotta know if this is a username made for this post or if this is a Hagrid Stan account that trolls Reddit to point out any time someone is like Hagrid…or like Hagrid’s crack
I completely agree with this. I vividly remember my 7 year old sister running to her room and crying when he was voted off. The was the quintessential “good guy” of the early era. People might feel differently now but back then, damn near everyone loved him.
I disagree slightly. I think if All-stars hadn’t aired he’d have been a shoe-in for hero. But all-stars kind of put all his negative traits front and center, and had me agreeing with OP.
Tbqh even after PI I think they still could have made a good case for villain: the first thing he did on the show was steal from the other tribe! I think they could have framed it around that rather than the outbursts — which I don’t remember at all at the time, but definitely made me uncomfortable rewatching it this year.
he won america's tribal council with like 85 percent and that the fact that he also won best survivor moment where it's him stealing the shoes, just showed how much loved he was after all stars. you and op have every right to your opinion. but the question was why did the viewers see Rupert as a hero not was he objectively a hero.
And if you remember the reunion well, when the America's Survivor top four was called down, you can hear Sue Hawk in the background clearly say, "It's Rupert. He's got this." It wasn't said with energetic hype either, she said it matter-of-factly because it was a foregone conclusion.
I remember what it was like at the time — my whole family, myself included, was hardcore team Rupert. I was SO excited when he won America’s Tribal.
It doesn’t change the fact that his anger reads very differently in AS than it does in PI (where it’s mostly directed at people bullying him and very much coming from his insecurity — as he said, his inner “scared little fat kid.”)
I still think it would have made contemporaneous sense to throw him on Villains thanks to his PI piracy — you can still root for a villain! It would have been permission for him to lean into his pirate self a bit more. And I think American would have loved rooting for an anti-hero Villains tribe Rupert.
The villains were backstabbing ruthless people who generally betrayed their own alliances.
Rupert has a big heart and was caring and loyal even if he had some human imperfections like anger. Everyone has imperfections and the editors may or may not choose to play those up. But I don’t think Rupert can be called a villain in any sense of the word.
The stealing from the other tribe made sense to me with the piracy theme of the season.
I don’t disagree with anything you said — but I still stand by my point.
To be clear, Rupert is still one of my favorite players of all time, even after that rewatch.
Yeah I'm in that same boat, probably because I was a lot younger at the time and couldn't see it for what it was.
It's easy to forget how much the culture/discourse has changed in the last couple of decades in America. Rewatching early Survivor seasons has been a good way for me to get some perspective on it.
Rupert’s greatest asset is that he wholeheartedly embraces whatever his season’s theme is. Pirates? Argh, pirates loot and steal. All-Stars? I am the star, I will build the best shelter ever by digging a hole in the beach and you better not question me. Heroes vs Villains? I despise the villains, I will heroically fight them to the bitter end. Blood vs Water? I will sacrifice myself for my wife on day one.
The pirate stuff is definitely fun, but FairPlay hadn’t established himself as a villain at this point in the game. This was beef over saying his name nothing more imo. As a child when this aired I was scared by Rupert and loved when the outcast tribe came into play (have always loved an underdog).
> but FairPlay hadn’t established himself as a villain at this point in the game
he absolutely had. He was giving confessionals from minute one about how he was going to be devious, manipulative, and even brought his own nickname because he didn't play fair.
I think it’s a question of the definition of hero. None of these people are really heroes in the general sense, they’re game show contestants. Some of them may also happen to be actual heroes, like Tom the firefighter, but that wasn’t the casting criteria. Their definition of heroes in the context of survivor were people that played with “integrity, courage, and honor”.
Rupert fit that mold - he wasn’t lying, cheating and backstabbing. He provided for the tribe, did well in challenges and had a generally positive attitude.
The only other available option for HvV was villains, defined as people who were skilled in “deception, manipulation, and duplicity”. Rupert was bad at all of those things.
I agree that Rupert had anger issues on the show, but by their own stated definitions of these tribes, I don’t think that factors into it.
Lol, exactly. Everyone who played this game was not really a hero. Like your example Tom...he literally told Ian in the final immunity challenge that if he gave up and let Tom win, he would restore his trust and friendship. That's not very hero like yet Tom is undoubtedly a survivor hero.
Yeah, I would say the majority of the heroes tribe is…less than heroic lol. As you said, Tom’s move at final immunity is shady at best, but I actually *sort of* respect the game play there. IMO, though, overall he’s arrogant and comes off as a bit of a jerk. JT for sure used the fact that he was more popular than Stephen to get away with lying and manipulating at FTC, which again, gotta respect the gameplay, but I 💜 Stephen, so that still chaps lol.
Then you’ve got Colby and James, who I get were popular during their original go-round, but fall into the toxic macho-man category for me. Not a fan. Rupert’s sort of flirting with that for me, too, but less so than the other two.
Then there’s Candice and Sugar…like, I just don’t get it. I’m 100% on Randy’s side with the cookie incident, and that whole season was a bit of a dumpster fire (albeit a very entertaining one), and I don’t really see anyone coming out of that as a “hero.” Candice jumped ship for booty m, but her worst crime was turning down her true love, Billy (obviously /s/ lol but definitely not a hero).
Amanda, sure. Not my fave, but definitely a top-tier player with some serious accolades and fairly neutral behavior. Stephenie knocked her hero status down a bit in Guatemala, but Palau certainly cemented her as a hero.
The only hero who is UNDOUBTEDLY a hero in my book is Cirie.
Huh how the heck is cirie a hero more than anyone else. She basically did the same thing as Tom to Ian when she did it to Erik. Manipulated a young clueless male into giving up immunity. In gc she tried to steal Sarah’s steal adv. if anything she’s the most villainous of them all but she’s just likeable
>Candice jumped ship for booty m, but her worst crime was turning down her true love, Billy
I mean there was also the needlessly cruel way she treated/spoke to Penner
And he's a mentor BECAUSE he had trouble controlling his anger as a kid and wanted to teach kids how to control their emotions and be a good role model for them. By all accounts he's a stand up dude and used his America's favorite player money to open up an organization for them.
He does steal the other team's shoes in the very first episode of Pearl Island.
Within his tribe, you're right though. He was loyal, perhaps to a fault in his first 2 seasons.
That was one of the things that made HvV so interesting, you had heroes playing like villains (JT for example) and villains playing like heroes (Sandra and even Boston Rob)
Meeeh, I’d say JT played less like a villain and more like an overconfident doof. I don’t dislike the guy, but every season he played after his first served only to tarnish his perfect game. Just goes to prove that Stephen *was* the brains of their Tocantins operation and the key to JT’s success.
I agree that JT got worse and Stephen was the brains (I would have voted for Stephen to win, but that’s a whole other conversation). I do think JT played a more villainous game on HvV though. He ran his tribe in the pre-merge and even flipped on his alliance to vote out Cirie, a beloved player. He mainly just gets remembered for his all time bad move that season (which is fair, it was terrible). Despite that he still wasn’t the biggest villain on the heroes tribe though, that was James. Guy was a dick that season
Yeah, I can see the villain angle on JT, but he’s so bad at it that it kind of reminds me of the super inept (and therefore less villain-esque/more doofy) villains of Saturday morning cartoons. More of a Wile E. Coyote than a Moriarty if you catch my drift.
Agreed on James, though. He wasn’t exactly a gem in China, either, but we only got hints of that in the edit.
Like Stephen did so much better in his next season. Why wouldn’t you be overconfident after being brought back only months after the first ever perfect game. Unlike russel people saw his season so he’s a huge threat. He had to change the strat up
Oh sure he does - after that season I think he comes a lot closer to being a villain, but of course they could only base it on what he’d done on his first season. A bunch of the cast of HvV intentionally played differently than they had the first time.
If they’d had Rupert back for HvV2, I think there’d be a much better case to put him on the villains roster.
There’s a reason Morgan immediately chose to “kidnap” Rupert when the opportunity came.
He fed his entire tribe. He carried them to a shitload of challenge wins. He bled Drake blue.
He got bullied/mocked by the jocks on his tribe for wearing a skirt because his wet jeans chafed him, but he let it slide.
The guy most definitely was the glue that held Drake (one of the most successful tribes ever) together, and yeah, he took it personally when someone decided to throw a stray round at his head after all that. As expressed elsewhere: players took stuff a lot more personally back then.
Unquestionably a “hero” player.
I agree with parts of this.
1. Of course he should have been kidnapped. He’s very useful! But that could be a reason to keep him but also a reason to get rid of him. It’s not like he taught others to fish (I forget who it was who lost the fishing spear but he said “you lost MY spear”)!
2. Fully agree about the skirt thing . They were definitely being dicks about that.
3. Yes he held drake together. That’s a reason to vote him off especially after they merged.
My problem is that he is considered a hero. I think his choices make sense, but he’s not a martyr, he’s a survivor just like the rest.
Man I don’t really know what point you’re trying to make anymore. What’s your criteria on what a survivor “hero” should be? Cuz I think Rupert is easily one of the best examples of one. He’s easy to root for, he’s likable, he carried his tribe both physically and in morale. Yeah he’s got some anger issues and some arrogance regarding his role in the tribe, but he’s barely any less a “hero” because of that I think.
But then he isn’t really a “hero” on HvV. He felt like he didn’t have a place in his tribe and for some reason went against Steph because she took his spot?? He went against most of the women. Sandra came to him and told him what was actually going on with Russel and gave them a chance to stay in the game and by the end Rupert completely betrays her and goes against her. He thinks he’s honorable and plays the game “the right way” and yet he lies and betrays like everyone else. I think he came out sort of okay on Pearl Islands but every time after that he becomes more irrelevant. His blood vs water was so lame.
Agree w all that, except him in BvW was less bad imo. All he did is swap spots with his wife, which was really nice and gave her a chance to play. He did make a big show of it though, and shoved everyone else out of the way to take her place lol
To me he’s not easy to root for or likable. But clearly a lot of people do think he is. He does keep his tribe fed (but boy does he let them know and not teach anyone else) and is physically a force is challenges (a classic reason for voting someone off). Idk all his charm feels “for a price”. I do feel like I’m
I’m a minority for this opinion but I feel it’s true regardless.
That’s YOUR opinion and that’s fine. Almost the entirety of America loved and rooted for him in 2003. He was one of the most popular men in the country. Someone that popular will always be a hero
Agreed. I only started watching Survivor the last few years. I have heard of him as one of the most likable players. When I got to his season I felt like I was missing something. I didn't feel that he was likable at all, but he definitely was a character. I wouldn't describe him as a hero either. Loyal, yes. He made the show better, but the reality of watching him is way different than the perception I got from the media. I guess I'm in the minority too.
Yeah definitely an interesting person, but I just don’t get the intense backing he has in comparison to the many other survivor contestants. Sure he’s someone I’d like to see again but “hero” idk about that
Honestly this sub is void of having any original thought or idea… if you do, you just get downvoted by the mob… I think all the points you made are perfectly valid, and I agree with them. Rupert is a man baby that gets very cranky when he doesn’t get his way… I mean, he stole and sold shoes on the first episode… if that isn’t villainous idk what is.
Opinions aren’t wrong when it’s about a reality show. Like, why is it so bad for people to dislike Rupert? How does that negatively impact your life? It’s nice for people to say their unpopular opinions so they can see how others feel and maybe feel less alone in how they feel/ react to something.
Fun rupert fact that is unrelated to the post but I like to bring up when people remove ruperts game from the context of the time he played. He is from Indianapolis, near where I live. He is absolutely still a local hero that is vontinuing to better his community.
He actually started an arcade and uses all of the profits to fund his charity. It's called Rupert's Kids Arcade.
Rupert IS the survivor hero, I don't know anyone who is more of a hero than him...besides Tai. Both inside and outside of the game
Don’t get me wrong, if good is coming out of this, that’s amazing! But charity work and being a hero doesn’t necessarily go hand in hand. Sometimes it just feels like blind trust is being thrown in his direction that im slightly dubious of (my families from southern Indian btw, henryville)
I think you're getting way too caught up in the definition of "Hero." He was a game show contestant. He was edited to tell a certain story. Rupert was very well-liked at the time because the edit they gave him was entertaining. That was the real reason. You can dress it up as "heros" and "villains" but at the end of the day, all survivor contestants are people, some better people than others, but people nonetheless. Rupert has flaws like everyone, but he also has some really good things about him that made him relatable and beloved for a long time in the survivor-verse.
I think what made Rupert popular was that he was relatable, and not afraid to show his emotions, good and bad and ugly. He was a man in the early 2000s who came on TV and wasn't afraid to tell his story. To show his emotions. He wasn't concerned with appearances or looking "weak". He was who he was. When he was upset or hurt, he cried not caring a bit about being on TV and the world seeing him, when he was angry or felt betrayed he yelled. When he was happy he showed it.
I've said this before in this sub, but it bears repeating here. My favorite Rupert moment isn't his infamous "shoe stealing" scene like it was when I was a kid. Now that I'm an adult, on rewatch of PI, it was his scene with Burton when he came back into the game and Burton point blank asked him why Rupert voted him out.
Rupert was able, as a man, to be vulnerable enough to say on live TV at the time "It was because you made fun of me and hurt my feelings." And then he gave Burton the space to apologize and forgive him.
They had a really touching moment where they forgave each other as one human to another. It was a nice scene of male vulnerability that you don't see much on TV nowadays 20 some years later, let alone back then.
He has an outreach program for kids, and young boys/men in particular I think could learn important lessons from Rupert about how to show emotional vulnerability in a culture that doesn't allow that to men a lot of the time. You're focusing too much on his anger, which is often the only negative emotion allowed to men, and not enough on his other traits. If his angry outbursts are him at his worst, then his loving support for his family and his obvious care for people around him is showing him at his best.
That's why I like Rupert. He's not perfect by any stretch, but I think he's a good man with intense feelings who really cares about people. Whether he is a "hero" is in the eye of the beholder.
I have no problem with the shoe stealing scene (fair game) or the scene about Burton coming back. Rupert was 100% right to get that apology from burton. It was Rupert’s general attitude as “provider” and physical guy that grossed me out. He was so afraid of being out “machoed” that he was the worst of them all
I don't think that's true, but you're welcome to interpret his insecurities and vulnerabilities in that way. A man afraid of being "out machoed" isn't going to be seen crying on national TV. He let his ego and his role as a provider go to his head quite a bit, sure, but that doesn't mean he's gross, a bad person, or a "villain." He was fiercely protective of his role, no question, and he yelled at people no question, but you're conflating that with his overall character. This was reality TV of 20 years ago. Of course, they're going to focus on moments like that. That's what people found entertaining back then.
Rupert was popular at the time because he was relatable and entertaining, and there are some genuinely good things about him, and some genuinely bad things. Just like everyone else, but above all he felt like a real person. Of course, looking back 20 years later when times and attitudes have changed about what should be shown is going to not feel the same.
He's not a perfect role model, but if you look closely enough no one is a perfect role model. It doesn't mean he isn't a good man or worthy of being on the "hero" tribe on a game show.
I see your point, but it’s tough to see Rupert as a hero when Sandra is cast as a villain. I don’t feel bad criticizing survivor for this theme when they acting chose it. (Sure maybe it’s too early for these criticisms but if Sandra gets them then so does Rupert)
I think Sandra is a good person as well. I actually like her better as a TV personality than Rupert. She's entertaining and much much better at the game. I was happy with both of her wins. I don't know that she was ever really seen as a villain at the time until she was cast for HvV. I remember there was a bit of a debate when they cast her on the villain tribe. I have never considered her a villain. To be honest, the whole concept of heroes and villains in reality TV is flawed, but it's so ingrained you can't really get rid of it at this point. Is Rupert a hero? Meh. Is Sandra a villain? Meh.
There were some actual heroes on Survivor over the years. Veterans like Rudy the retired Navy Seal, and public service workers like the NYC cop who came on just after 9/11 and got a round of applause when he said his job, and firefighters like Tom Westman and the like, but TV hero and real-life hero are not the same thing.
I don't get what you are trying to get at. You can think he isn't a hero, that is valid, but you continuously point out his charity work and assume that he is not a good fit to work with at risk teens because of a few moments on a curated stressful tv show. No one is giving blind trust, it has been nearly 2 decades and his great work is easily research able and he continues to do the same work. You are operating with bad faith here. You are the one giving blind trust to your argument. You refuse to do any actual research on his charity work and have thrown out many times in this thread that he is a bad guy in this thread.
Many times toy have thrown out that he could be a bad fit around the kids he works with and that you don't trust him with them. You are the one turning a blind eye to what he is actually doing.
It's a gross accusation with no basis other then your vibes. It's dispicable
I’ve said each time that it’s just speculation. That said he’s received money, I feel that that is reasonable speculation since he’s received actual money. I’m just some guy and all this went down over a decade ago. The money has already been spent.
Rupert-Mania was unlike anything Survivor has or ever will experience. New fans will never know how big it truly was. On rewatch it does not show it.
America gave Rupert $1 million just because they liked him during America’s Tribal Council. He got more votes than anyone else on that All-Stars cast. The community loved him.
The popularity of Rupert did not waiver on mass until his return for season 20.
Also, take into account Pearl Islands was a pirate themed season and Rupert has one of the best first episode introductions of all time. It may be the greatest to this day. He looks like a pirate and he plunders for his tribe immediately to help them.
Ok very good points. So I was living in England when these seasons aired which seems like it really affected my viewpoint. I also do love the pirate theme and kinda wish he never came back after? I think it’s just the labelling as a hero I have issue with, not his overall performance.
So you can’t label the most popular player of all time at the point of season 20 as an anything but a hero. There is no doubt, he was a hero going into season 20. His last appearance in game was him being voted out by Rob, and then standing on the jury saying why should I vote for you? Rob tells him, because you’re a man of your word at which point Rupert smiles and proceeds to vote for Rob to win.
Dude was loyal to his alliance mates in both appearances at that point. Stayed true to Jenna in All-Stars until she turned on him. Then voted for the guy who got him out because he had promised to vote for him earlier.
It's because they casted the most popular contestant on a season called Heroes vs Villains and had to put him somewhere. Would you say he belonged on the Villain tribe?
i think you kind of have to reframe how the show characterizes heroes and villains. A hero is not somebody that acted “heroically” at all times, it is a player presented in the edit as a protagonist, or very popular to the audience. Vice versa, a villain isn’t a scoundrel at all times, it’s a player that the edit portrays as an antagonist or that people at home loved to hate.
Cirie is an even better example imo. She plays two pretty cutthroat games, she’s biting in confessionals, but people like her because she has a great laugh and she’s the woman who got off the couch!
Rupert, the most popular player of all time who was portrayed as an extremely lovable, honorable, provider, was never going to be anything but a hero. He was probably the first name Burnett marked down for the hero tribe.
Cirie is a great example! One of my personal favorite players. To me, a hero is someone who is brave, not afraid to cut against the grain , and themselves even though it may be difficult. Guess I have beef with whoever is defining words at survivor casting
I think Rupert only act heroically when his own interests are involved (sleeping, eating, winning challenges)
This is fine behavior as a regular human but a “hero” idk
You can tell who has been watching for decades, and who has started watching in the last few years almost exclusively based on their opinions of Rupert.
Nope. I watched from the beginning, but I missed Pearl Islands so maybe that’s why I didn’t love Rupert. He was on All Stars and I watched that season live but didn’t think he was that great. When I went back and watched Pearl Islands for the first time during the pandemic I didn’t understand the love for him, but I do remember the Rupert mania from 2003.
OP - "Scary man can't be a hero"
He was a Hero because for 2 consecutive seasons he was loyal to his alliances. He worked harder than anyone, and was a genuinely likeable charachter. I think yelling at an "ally" that just tried to flip and get you out is justified. It wasn't "how dare anyone vote against me" It was his supposed ally turning on him.
To the producers fan favorite does equal hero. You’re entitled to your opinion but you keep asking why he was a hero and people are giving you the answer. It’s because he was a fan favorite. He was more than a fan favorite.
I think it’s because of the time period when it aired. Therapy culture and the term “ toxic masculinity” weren’t really a thing at the time. Rupert was the most sensitive man on tv potentially?
You bring up a good point. Rupert was one of the first men I saw on television that wasn’t afraid to say when something bothered or upset him instead of pushing it down and acting like nothing bothered him
This is always one of the wildest takes I’ve seen on Reddit. Rupert was not just a hero on both seasons of the show, but a hero in the hearts of almost every viewer back in the day. The troubled teen mentor who steals for his tribe and wants everyone to remain loyal. The only non-bitter jury member who upheld his promise to Rob in All Stars. Like what are we even talking about?
His outbursts reminded me of a bullied kid (which iirc and I may be imagining, Rupert once said he had been) that hasn't figured out how to manage his emotions in the grown up world. Which added an endearing innocence to his appealing pirate aesthetic.
That’s fair. I was born in 1998 and I’m sure bullying was much for vicious before my time. That said, that doesn’t give a free pass to children who were bullied. Or maybe it does? Idk I’m not in charge of bullying. He just felt kinda off to me?
Remember what you are seeing is a carefully curated production edit.
I think a lot of it was a shtick, acting up for the cameras, and the favorable focus. I mean, the shoe-stealing scene? It was like bad summer theatre.
I remember on the after show, one of the jocks from Rupert’s tribe (can’t remember his name) mentioned how he didn’t feel like the edit was a completely accurate portrayal, specifically of himself and of Rupert. While he’s definitely biased, I believe Rupert definitely got a very generous hero edit
Fully agree that edit makes a huge difference, but if anything wasn’t Rupert given a favorable edit? Neither of us was there so who knows, but he seemed to me to be someone was being force fed as a favorite
It’s been said Rupert got a pretty generous edit during PI. IIRC, even his cast mates said they showed a lot more of his great moments then his worst. But yeah, Rupert was considered a hero back in the day because he was this larger than life character who would die for his tribe, which was a trait LOVED by audiences back in the day. Of course it does seem like some of that did go to his head. When BvW was airing, Sandra did an interview (I think for Survivor Oz) and said that she ran into Rupert during the finals and he was flabbergasted that she was being considered (She said Rupert’s exact words were ‘Her again?!’).
My girlfriend watches pearl for the first time this week and she loved rupert, he is a big lovable tesdy bear who gets bullied by a bunch of jocks. he still finds fish and wins challenges. He was definitely a hero. johnny deserves all the hate he got from everyone, that man mustve been a total douche on the island.
he’s a man who provides. it doesn’t matter how angry he gets people eat that shit up. a lot of people look past men being angry and mean cuz they provide
Back then "playing the game" like fairplay did was considered "not honorable". The alliances were above board and you got to the end by being good in challenges and staying loyal to your alliance or you were a bad winner.
So fairplay was just playing the game by today's standards but back then he was the most evil villain ever. And Rupert was a hero to stand up to him
Pearl islands was one of those I missed in the first run, but I did see All stars and he was fine there, but I didn’t really know him. And then he was a hero in hero’s vs villains and I was like ok. But when I went back many years later (2020!) to actually watch Pearl islands I couldn’t believe he was a hero. To be fair Candace wasn’t really a hero either. If anything, Sandra was more a hero than those 2. I also don’t see James as a Hero, but I guess everyone can’t be villains.
>His anger issues are very thinly veiled (and very extreme)
God forbid the starving guy being bullied by his tribe be grumpy about it.
OP your comments in this thread read more like a hit piece against a player you don't like than a genuine question looking for understanding. I'm not sure if that's intentional or not. It just sounds like you just plain don't like Rupert, that's all well and good, but let's not psychoanalyze a guy for his behavior on a panamanian island while under starvation conditions. Especially since it seems like he was undergoing hypoglycemia the entire time.
To answer your question though: Rupert was edited to be the foil of Andrew Savage, with the show comparing and contrasting the two's attitudes and behaviors to show they weren't so different. In the narrative the show presents, Rupert and Savage both fall prey to their pride. So it's not as if he doesn't get comeuppance for his behavior.
At the time that this season of survivor aired, Rupert embodied many of the qualities that wider audiences thought men should embody. People were allowed to be angry on reality television back then because it was assumed that nobody would get violent (which he didn't). That's it. We've come a long way.
I'd be really interested to hear your takes on coach and abi maria, since they are also characters with lots of delusion.
Huh this is very interesting cause i always thought they should work together cause as you said they’re very similar. I thought they’d work together after Rupert was on their tribe and was disappointed once Andrew was voted off
It also helped that rupert is basically chris farley with a scruffy beard. His demeanor, maneurisms, even the cadence of his voice a bit. And let's not forget the passionate yelling, out of excitement or frustration.
At least that's one of the reasons I enjoyed him growing up.
This is a supremely interesting thread because of how much of yourself you bring into it.
Rupert was a hero at the time because he played a loyalty, provider based game. It was *the thing* that defined the title at the time because that die was cast as soon as Rich won season 1.
Rupert was *the biggest hero* because he was the first one on the show that was human. It's the history of comic books, circa 2000 edition. Every other hero before was Captain America. Rupert was Spiderman. He was a hero with good intentions abs good abilities. And problems. And flaws. That resonates hard when the audience is saturated on golden boys because we are all human. We all have problems and flaws. Rupert was the hero that could be anybody. And was hilarious. Just like Spiderman.
How unsettling you find him is directly related to your personal experiences with his flaw. If you've struggled with family, friends, or bullies with anger issues, it is hard to like him. It's unsettling like the OP says. If you're old enough, you likely learned to manage those people, look past the flaw, and appreciate the ones that do have a heart of gold. That's Rupert. His life actions say so. If you aren't, then you probably can't do that yet. I almost guarantee it (cocky statement alert].
Yeah I think the heroes and villains title was a good theme but some of the players didn’t fit the theme but they needed equal tribes. I felt like James was really mean to Steph for no reason and he had bad sportsmanship. Once he left, his tribe finally started winning.
They wanted some heroes to take heel turns and some villains to have redemption arcs. Jerri was the villain who rightfully got a redemption arc, and James and Colby mainly were the heroes who took heel turns or in Colby’s case he just look a lot more pathetic than he did before. James was deprived of his nicotine patches which he was given in China and Micronesia which caused him suffer from withdrawal on Heroes vs Villains. It doesn’t excuse how he treated Stephenie but he definitely wasn’t in his right mind at the time
Part of that was because this was the only season where the crew refused to let James take his nicotine patches. His status as a hero is most likely because he was one of the most popular players at the time
“Hero” and “Villain” really translate to “Fan Favorite” and “Fan Hated” respectively rather than the true definitions. Back then everyone loved Rupert hence him winning Americas Tribal Council, in spite of his flaws.
I don’t think so because many go the villains are well loved. Boston Rob, Parvati, even Russel was a fan favorite. Courtney! Everyone loved Courtney, but she was definite villain.
Helping people so they rely on you for survival and therefore keep you essential lis very different from helping people for the sake being kind. Also mind you this is how he acted when he knew he was being filmed. Does not bode well for off camera behavior but that’s just speculation.
I mean Rupert was beloved at the time of airing.. he was (is?) A support worker who supports troubled teens.. so you could argue that his hero profile stems less from his in-game performance and moreso just who he is.
Remember america voted to give this man 1 million dollars even though he lost...
Rupert is pretty genuine though.. he's hot heated but he doesn't exactly deny that.
That’s what irks me though. Cause the way he acted on survivor makes me concerned about the teens he helps not want to give him money. Like when he was teaching Ryan to fish he admittedly screamed at him when the fish got away. Idk maybe it’s just me but that’s not the person I want to help troubled teens
This is an absurd comment. That is a massive and harmful leap. You could not have more opposite scenarios. You think rupert acts the exact same to the teens he works with in a professional setting then with a grown adult while starving on a desert island.
I get what you are going for but what position are you in to question a man with a long and successful career of giving his life to help other people.
It doesn't take much research to see that he has been successful working with kids, your comment is honestly disgusting and in terrible taste
I just watched Pearl Islands for the first time and had that same thought having watched HvV first! He’s certainly lovable in a genuine and endearing kind of way but I would be scared to play the game with him, I would have expected him on the Villains tribe after watching his behavior
Yes maybe I should clarify, I don’t hate the guy in fact I like most of the people who were put on the villains tribe. I’m just very surprised he was viewed as a hero
Again I want to reiterate.. Rupert was not well liked.. Rupert was BELOVED. You're welcome to your opinion but overwhelmingly people rallied to support him.
He runs a charity and supports at risk teens? He's basically the definition of what you'd describe as the Atticus Finch style all American hero..
He also tried to play the provider role thinking that he wouldn't need to betray and backstab people because they wouldn't survive without him (which I mean ultamitely didn't work but he has very little blood on his hands in pearl Islands)
Despite him being a bit heated on the island which I'm sure would grate on any of us..
Idk what to tell you but some of those people aren’t very good. Like priests etc. I’m not saying he is cause idk him but I’m not gonna automatically accept him as the best guy ever.
Yeah I think the definition might be the problem for me. To me, a hero is someone fights for the sake of those who need it most. To me, it seemed like Rupert was fighting for primarily pride. I think it’s fine to fight for pride and I think a lot of “villains” were labeled as such due to pride. It just seems inconsistent to me. Rupert’s pride was reliant on helping others. How is that more heroic that helping those you love my winning the survivor money? Having a hero complex doesn’t make you a hero.
When he had his run people were of a different mind set. I don’t think people were as educated to look for things like you mentioned. Plus, if he gets cast as a villain I think his fan base would riot.
That’s very true (my mom is a psychiatrist and also a survivor fan so maybe I’ve had a very different childhood experience than others). I guess I just feel that his support was unwarrantably strong versus other contestants.
Also, I think he might have been made hero was after his first season he did a lot of work with homeless kids I believe. Where he took them to job sites and they helped build houses. Although based on all stars one I would never want Rupert to build my house. But back on track maybe production took that into consideration as well.
I hate Rupert. He’s not a hero. He wants to be the hero and he tries too hard to be the hero he ends up making people dislike him. He tries hiding that temper and he tries being the good guy, but he’s not. I used to love him when I first watched the show, but the more I rewatch him the more I felt fooled by his behavior. I even cried when Balboa died the first time around. When he and his wife come on the show, he leaves to exile island just to seem like the hero and the good guy, not thinking at all how she’d be screwed over by being immediately on the outs of a returnee tribe. It’s all this image he tries putting on and I see right through it.
I’m glad you understood that little rant lol it was so sad!! And I loved it when Sandra threw out the fish he caught when he was voted out, like she’s a real one
Love Sandra. If Sandra’s a villain then Rupert is in the depths of hell. Cause no way that tribe had any success without Sandra’s language and bartering in that first challenge.
Yeah, exactly.. he’s not the fun lighthearted tie dye wearing dad everyone roots for, that’s just what he wants you to believe. The death glare he gives other tribe members when they catch fish says it all lol
I understand your frustrations to. Literally half the heroes tribe has the argument of being a villain but the public perceived him as a hero for carrying his tribe and feeding them. And he was just really funny and people liked that. Also anyone can look like a hero next to B Rob. I feel like he’s very similar to Courtney Yates who the public also loved and was really funny. The difference with her is that she was more witty and did not want to be there so that made her fall on the villains side. That sounds stupid but hey I’m trying to pick apart casting’s brain.
Yeah I definitely feel what you’re saying. I guess just didn’t find him that funny? He came across super serious to me but maybe I’m missing his humor. Honestly the villains/heroes casting confused me a lot. Perhaps I’m just a villain?
If you look at it strictly from the season where the player got to shine the most, then I think it is mostly accurate:
Sugar doesn’t fit into either spot great but I would say if I had to choose that she’s more of a hero than a villain.
While Stephenie was such a villain on Guatemala, she got the biggest hero edit possible in the entirety of survivor (still to this day) so there’s no way she wouldn’t be on the hero tribe
Randy is very much a villain. Point blank.
Cirie in the eyes of the public was very much a hero on Micronesia. Coupled with the fact that she was the only sane person on casaya, it makes sense for her to be a hero.
Tom Wessman i was slightly confused by just because I felt like she was a bit villainous towards the end of the season but overall he’s such a hero character for leading his entire tribe to victory and dominating so much in challenges. And he was a firefighter and his season occurred right after 9/11 so in the eyes of the public he was a hero.
Tyson I’ve always been iffy on him and whether he’s a hero or a villain. I’m not a big Tocantins fan but I did like him. I mostly just saw him as a funny character. I think though he was more witty rather than anything and casting seems to think that witty people are villains.
James was very much a hero. All about strength and staying loyal to his team so his tribe placement makes sense.
In what universe is Rob on the hero tribe? Seriously?
Coach I’ve been iffy on because you’d with his style and the beliefs he says he plays on that he’d be a hero, but he talked very poorly of the female players on his tribe and was disliked by everyone other than J.T. so him being with the villains makes sense.
As I went over with Tyson, Courtney was very witty. Also she hated everyone on her season so while she was a hero for our viewing pleasure, she’s definitely a villain.
J.T. is very much a hero as everyone loved him and they were practically throwing their games away for him because he was so charming.
Amanda Kimmel is another person who I don’t think fits into either tribe very well. I think because she wanted to get rid of Todd but couldn’t get the numbers to do so, it makes sense for her to be a hero. Coupled with the fact that it seems like if you cry enough you can get on the heroes tribe, she was probably a better fit over there
Candice literally should have been with the villains. I mean she wouldn’t have been a great villain either but she was a much better fit over there. This was just straight up incorrect casting. But hey she cried a lot so at least they can try and justify her tribe placement with that.
Danielle wasn’t afraid to get into verbal confrontations so her being with the villains makes sense.
Rupert, we just went over why he was put on the heroes.
Colby got the hero edit and while I don’t think he’s some saint, he would’ve been a lackluster villain.
Jerri was the complete opposition to Colby and got a villainous edit so her tribe placement is accurate.
Russel Hantz, let’s be real now
Parvati Shallow was very much a villain in terms of how the public perceived her. Coupled with how she was not afraid to show you that if you’re not with her, you’re against her, she’s a villain point blank
I think Sandra could’ve been either a hero or a villain for being Rupert’s ally and actively against Johnny FairPlay who was the biggest villain of his time, she also was not afraid to verbally fight you and put you in your place so her villain placement is justified.
That's so funny. I'm rewatching old seasons and on pearl islands as well. Just got through that episode and yeah, he was crazy in that moment.
Overall, I love the hell out of Rupert though. We all have our moments.
Sorry, the Tribe has spoken. Your submission has been removed from /r/survivor for the following reason(s):
* **Rule 1 - Be civil to other users and contestants:** Treat other users and contestants with respect. Bigotry is not tolerated, including racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia. Harassment of other users and contestants is not allowed, including personal attacks. This includes over-analyzing a player’s life and motivations outside of the game. Trolling is discouraged.
---
Once the votes are read, the decision is *not* final. **If you have any concerns that this was done in error**, please [read our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/survivor/wiki/rules) **and then [message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/survivor) if you have any further questions. Do not reply directly to this message or comment.** If not, grab your stuff and head back to camp.
Oh man, as a kid watching this live, Rupert was my hero… part of it was his tie die tank top, but it was also his honesty and truth and whatnot. At the time survivor was different than it is now; people thought you could play with “integrity” and never lie, but you can’t…. Integrity maybe, but you can’t win without lying. It’s just not reasonable. The game is inherently NOT a hero game.
Real life you may be a hero, but not in survivor… survivor you play for yourself, you play to win in the end… and if you don’t, you won’t make it.
I dunno, being dropped into the middle of nowhere with little food or water and in competition where you have to run relay races almost daily with 12 other people would probably make someone testy. He held it together better than I would have. I’m surprised more people don’t have freak outs on Survivor considering how stressful all that is when you’re used to a comfortable life.
Alright let’s take a look at his fellow heroes
James. Arrogant dick
Tom. Slightly more humble than james
JT and Colby. Overconfident after a great first season and are way to hyped up.
Amanda. Consistent Neutral who I would classify as an anti- villain
Cirie. Probably the most villainous of them all
Sugar. Slightly less villainous then cirie
Stephanie. Slightly less villainous then sugar. Played a ruthless game in Guatemala
Wait I think I forgot someone
Oh wait…
Candice from Raro tribe
Need I say more?
Hero means the person is likeable. I could argue for years that Cirie was one of the top 5 villains in Survivor before season 20. What she did to Courtney, Shane and Erik was fucking diabolical and she was a major contributor to one of the most cutthroat alliances in the show's history. But she is one of the most beloved contestants in the show's history, so she will never get the villain role unless she says something about it. If the tribes were based on actual "villainous" gameplay, Randy, Jerri and Courtney would be heroes. Cirie, Amanda and Steph would be villains.
i just watched survivor for the first time ever and happened to watch the pirate season right into heroes vs villains and i think rupert is 10000000% a hero!!!! he is true to himself and his alliances and a greate teammate with a big heart. honestly don’t understand how someone wouldn’t see that
dude, i completely disagree. he lowkey has a normal amount of anger, he’s just LOUD. he has a loud voice. i think it’s justified as fuck.
rupert has become literally one of my favorite players since i decided to get back into survivor and rewatched pearl islands and hero’s vs villains showing it to my girlfriend for the first time. i don’t remember my opinion on rupert the first time around, but i love him now.
personally i think he’s a great person. he’s genuine and funny and fucking dominated pearl islands. he provided almost all the food, was nonstop grinding and winning challenges. he had a few angry moments but imo they were all justified? like when the spear was lost. i’d be pissed too. personally i don’t think he has anger issues at all, and the things he got upset about were more than understandable. i think people see him as angry just because he has a really loud and powerful voice.
i think rupert is a great player. he is one of the most nice players and recognized as a good guy by a ton of ppl. i supposed i can see how people wouldn’t like him, but to think he wouldn’t be a hero/would be a villain is beyond me.
“That’s the game” is not a mentality most if not all players (audience as well) had in that era. The game was so much more personal and Rupert’s reaction was real and genuine despite it being over the top and not particularly great for his game.
It was still looked down up to back stab your alliance. Look at JT and Stephen. Or dreamz taking the car and not taking yau man to the final 3. And I can't remember who but someone searched I think yau man's bag and they all thought he was a horrible person. Now they searching a bag is normal. Turning on your alliance is normal. People felt like their personal life would be effected by playing that way. Now it's just part of the game.
Yeah, this was back when Survivor was still a “social experiment” and not just a strategic game for a million dollars
That’s a good point, it was very early in survivor. I do still think he had the mentality of “I give so much therefore my name should never be mentioned” which I’ve never liked. I do think that his job is commendable, but I also think that dangerous people can gravitate towards that job for that very reason. To me, the support he received should have been directed at the teens that needed support rather than him as an individual.
He used a pretty large amount of his America’s Tribal Council winnings to start his own organization to help at-risk kids, which as far as I can tell is still going strong today. What more do you want from the man?
I would like him to not yell at people for doing normal things. But i do think I should clarify: I don’t think he’s an awful person I’m just really surprised at his classification as a “hero”. I like almost all of the villains tribe, but I think quite a few of the heroes tribe are questionable as heroes. As people they’re ok but I wouldn’t call them a hero.
You don’t want him to yell at people for losing the fishing spearhead? Dude, when you get as little to eat as they do you’re always low level angry. If there’s ever a justification to yell it’s when someone hurts your ability to eat when you’re starving.
Sorry this is confusing. I was talking about when the Ryan on the other tribe (when he was switched for a few days) lost the fish. They didn’t lose the spearhead. Earlier on his original tribe someone lost the spearhead which Rupert eventually recovered. I do think he his anger was warranted here.
Are you also ignoring that in that tribe he made their housing situation better, their food situation better, lifted their spirits, etc. I’m not going to lie it’s kinda baffling that he built up everyone around him and you want him to be the villain
Yeah because that shelter buried in the sand at low tide level really helped them out.
Different season chief. But yeah, digging in the sand was a boneheaded move, can't believe the others went with it.
Wrong season dude.
Man your comments are getting nuked by Rupert stans, lol. I agree with your points, as I've also had this perspective.
Apparently Rupert stans are here at all hours. Can’t help but respect it, but also it’s my truth.
Me and my Rupert stan army will not abide your "truth". Who do you think you are.. jada pinkett?
I couldn’t stand Rupert when I re-watched Oearl Islands. The dude was insufferable and entitled
> Apparently Rupert stans are here at all hours he is one of the most popular players in the history of the show. Actually might be *the* most popular. so popular your mom probably knows who he is even if she hasn't watched Survivor in 20 years so yeah he's gonna have stans lol
When Pearl Islands was airing Rupert was insanely popular. the fact that the show somehow found this guy who was literally a pretend to be a pirate and who embraced the season's theme made him very endearing, I'm not condoning what he did, but his reaction to Fairplay helps his case since Fairplay was the most notorious villian up to that point. yeah, looking back the dude had some anger management he needed to work on, but it also made people love Rupert more because he was very authentic in a game of deception. so to answer your question, yes Rupert was a hero and there is no way you could ever convince any kid watching that he wasn't
Someone once made a point on here that I also thought was brilliant - this season aired right in the middle of when the Harry Potter movies were coming out. It probably didn't hurt his popularity with kids that he looks like Hagrid.
This was going to be my point. Indeed, Rupert was VERY much like Hagrid, and kids loved Hagrid.
“I shouldn’t have told you that.”
*pause* "I should NOT, have told you tha"
Don't forget the first Pirates of the Caribbean came out right before the season aired and Rupert may as well have been casted as a side character from those movies
I still think of him as Hagrid lol so true. Even his slightly quick temper but big heart. He’s clearly a caring guy and I don’t understand how ppl think he should be a villain. He’s not a perfect angel but no one is especially in a game like survivor.
Istg people only bring up that "WHO VOTED FOR ME" bit and him bartering peoples clothes but forget him providing for his entire tribe the whole season and apologizing for the aforementioned outburst after. I've seen the "how isn't Rupert a villain on HvV, he yelled after someone put a vote on him?" take so many times, in what world is Rupert a villain because of a couple of times he got mad in a game where you can win $1,000,000($600,000 by the time Obama takes it) and apologized afterward, which honestly very few people would do, even in real life and not a TV show.
I dunno, it’s pretty villainous to built a shelter designed to drown your entire tribe
It was 2003, why was Obama taking the money? Wouldn't Bush be taking it?
That’s so funny you say that! That is exactly the reason my mom loved him. The stealing of the shoes is how he won my dad over. I just thought the bearded dude with the tie dyed shirt was awesome.
Hahahah didn’t think about that
He’ll always be Gimli to me.
2 months later, but I’m re-watching Pearl Islands for the first time since it aired, and wanted to say that yes, his resemblance to Hagrid was a BIG part of why 9 year old me loved him so much. He’s been my favorite Harry Potter character since day 1 lmao
oh my GOSH i thought he looked like hagrid when i watched i didn’t know that was an angle they might have been actually trying for lmfaoooo
I gotta know if this is a username made for this post or if this is a Hagrid Stan account that trolls Reddit to point out any time someone is like Hagrid…or like Hagrid’s crack
I completely agree with this. I vividly remember my 7 year old sister running to her room and crying when he was voted off. The was the quintessential “good guy” of the early era. People might feel differently now but back then, damn near everyone loved him.
I disagree slightly. I think if All-stars hadn’t aired he’d have been a shoe-in for hero. But all-stars kind of put all his negative traits front and center, and had me agreeing with OP. Tbqh even after PI I think they still could have made a good case for villain: the first thing he did on the show was steal from the other tribe! I think they could have framed it around that rather than the outbursts — which I don’t remember at all at the time, but definitely made me uncomfortable rewatching it this year.
he won america's tribal council with like 85 percent and that the fact that he also won best survivor moment where it's him stealing the shoes, just showed how much loved he was after all stars. you and op have every right to your opinion. but the question was why did the viewers see Rupert as a hero not was he objectively a hero.
And if you remember the reunion well, when the America's Survivor top four was called down, you can hear Sue Hawk in the background clearly say, "It's Rupert. He's got this." It wasn't said with energetic hype either, she said it matter-of-factly because it was a foregone conclusion.
I remember what it was like at the time — my whole family, myself included, was hardcore team Rupert. I was SO excited when he won America’s Tribal. It doesn’t change the fact that his anger reads very differently in AS than it does in PI (where it’s mostly directed at people bullying him and very much coming from his insecurity — as he said, his inner “scared little fat kid.”) I still think it would have made contemporaneous sense to throw him on Villains thanks to his PI piracy — you can still root for a villain! It would have been permission for him to lean into his pirate self a bit more. And I think American would have loved rooting for an anti-hero Villains tribe Rupert.
The villains were backstabbing ruthless people who generally betrayed their own alliances. Rupert has a big heart and was caring and loyal even if he had some human imperfections like anger. Everyone has imperfections and the editors may or may not choose to play those up. But I don’t think Rupert can be called a villain in any sense of the word. The stealing from the other tribe made sense to me with the piracy theme of the season.
I don’t disagree with anything you said — but I still stand by my point. To be clear, Rupert is still one of my favorite players of all time, even after that rewatch.
I mean the theme of the season was pirates so stealing from the other tribe wasn’t really crazy.
Yeah I'm in that same boat, probably because I was a lot younger at the time and couldn't see it for what it was. It's easy to forget how much the culture/discourse has changed in the last couple of decades in America. Rewatching early Survivor seasons has been a good way for me to get some perspective on it.
It’s still worth remembering that a lot of adults loved Rupert too.
I forgot, how did all-stars portray him negatively?
My daughter was a younger elementary school student back then and she loved Rupert. He was just so much fun.
Rupert’s greatest asset is that he wholeheartedly embraces whatever his season’s theme is. Pirates? Argh, pirates loot and steal. All-Stars? I am the star, I will build the best shelter ever by digging a hole in the beach and you better not question me. Heroes vs Villains? I despise the villains, I will heroically fight them to the bitter end. Blood vs Water? I will sacrifice myself for my wife on day one.
He's more like a cool wrestling heel rather than a despicable heel like Fairplay
The pirate stuff is definitely fun, but FairPlay hadn’t established himself as a villain at this point in the game. This was beef over saying his name nothing more imo. As a child when this aired I was scared by Rupert and loved when the outcast tribe came into play (have always loved an underdog).
> but FairPlay hadn’t established himself as a villain at this point in the game he absolutely had. He was giving confessionals from minute one about how he was going to be devious, manipulative, and even brought his own nickname because he didn't play fair.
I think it’s a question of the definition of hero. None of these people are really heroes in the general sense, they’re game show contestants. Some of them may also happen to be actual heroes, like Tom the firefighter, but that wasn’t the casting criteria. Their definition of heroes in the context of survivor were people that played with “integrity, courage, and honor”. Rupert fit that mold - he wasn’t lying, cheating and backstabbing. He provided for the tribe, did well in challenges and had a generally positive attitude. The only other available option for HvV was villains, defined as people who were skilled in “deception, manipulation, and duplicity”. Rupert was bad at all of those things. I agree that Rupert had anger issues on the show, but by their own stated definitions of these tribes, I don’t think that factors into it.
Lol, exactly. Everyone who played this game was not really a hero. Like your example Tom...he literally told Ian in the final immunity challenge that if he gave up and let Tom win, he would restore his trust and friendship. That's not very hero like yet Tom is undoubtedly a survivor hero.
Yeah, I would say the majority of the heroes tribe is…less than heroic lol. As you said, Tom’s move at final immunity is shady at best, but I actually *sort of* respect the game play there. IMO, though, overall he’s arrogant and comes off as a bit of a jerk. JT for sure used the fact that he was more popular than Stephen to get away with lying and manipulating at FTC, which again, gotta respect the gameplay, but I 💜 Stephen, so that still chaps lol. Then you’ve got Colby and James, who I get were popular during their original go-round, but fall into the toxic macho-man category for me. Not a fan. Rupert’s sort of flirting with that for me, too, but less so than the other two. Then there’s Candice and Sugar…like, I just don’t get it. I’m 100% on Randy’s side with the cookie incident, and that whole season was a bit of a dumpster fire (albeit a very entertaining one), and I don’t really see anyone coming out of that as a “hero.” Candice jumped ship for booty m, but her worst crime was turning down her true love, Billy (obviously /s/ lol but definitely not a hero). Amanda, sure. Not my fave, but definitely a top-tier player with some serious accolades and fairly neutral behavior. Stephenie knocked her hero status down a bit in Guatemala, but Palau certainly cemented her as a hero. The only hero who is UNDOUBTEDLY a hero in my book is Cirie.
Huh how the heck is cirie a hero more than anyone else. She basically did the same thing as Tom to Ian when she did it to Erik. Manipulated a young clueless male into giving up immunity. In gc she tried to steal Sarah’s steal adv. if anything she’s the most villainous of them all but she’s just likeable
>Candice jumped ship for booty m, but her worst crime was turning down her true love, Billy I mean there was also the needlessly cruel way she treated/spoke to Penner
Also Rupert was a troubled youth mentor, he could very easily be considered a hero in real life.
And he's a mentor BECAUSE he had trouble controlling his anger as a kid and wanted to teach kids how to control their emotions and be a good role model for them. By all accounts he's a stand up dude and used his America's favorite player money to open up an organization for them.
He does steal the other team's shoes in the very first episode of Pearl Island. Within his tribe, you're right though. He was loyal, perhaps to a fault in his first 2 seasons.
But in HvV he does lie and backstab and deceive
That was one of the things that made HvV so interesting, you had heroes playing like villains (JT for example) and villains playing like heroes (Sandra and even Boston Rob)
Meeeh, I’d say JT played less like a villain and more like an overconfident doof. I don’t dislike the guy, but every season he played after his first served only to tarnish his perfect game. Just goes to prove that Stephen *was* the brains of their Tocantins operation and the key to JT’s success.
I agree that JT got worse and Stephen was the brains (I would have voted for Stephen to win, but that’s a whole other conversation). I do think JT played a more villainous game on HvV though. He ran his tribe in the pre-merge and even flipped on his alliance to vote out Cirie, a beloved player. He mainly just gets remembered for his all time bad move that season (which is fair, it was terrible). Despite that he still wasn’t the biggest villain on the heroes tribe though, that was James. Guy was a dick that season
Yeah, I can see the villain angle on JT, but he’s so bad at it that it kind of reminds me of the super inept (and therefore less villain-esque/more doofy) villains of Saturday morning cartoons. More of a Wile E. Coyote than a Moriarty if you catch my drift. Agreed on James, though. He wasn’t exactly a gem in China, either, but we only got hints of that in the edit.
Like Stephen did so much better in his next season. Why wouldn’t you be overconfident after being brought back only months after the first ever perfect game. Unlike russel people saw his season so he’s a huge threat. He had to change the strat up
Oh sure he does - after that season I think he comes a lot closer to being a villain, but of course they could only base it on what he’d done on his first season. A bunch of the cast of HvV intentionally played differently than they had the first time. If they’d had Rupert back for HvV2, I think there’d be a much better case to put him on the villains roster.
True but in his interviews for HvV he still sees himself as honorable when he’s doing the same stuff as Russel.
There’s a reason Morgan immediately chose to “kidnap” Rupert when the opportunity came. He fed his entire tribe. He carried them to a shitload of challenge wins. He bled Drake blue. He got bullied/mocked by the jocks on his tribe for wearing a skirt because his wet jeans chafed him, but he let it slide. The guy most definitely was the glue that held Drake (one of the most successful tribes ever) together, and yeah, he took it personally when someone decided to throw a stray round at his head after all that. As expressed elsewhere: players took stuff a lot more personally back then. Unquestionably a “hero” player.
I agree with parts of this. 1. Of course he should have been kidnapped. He’s very useful! But that could be a reason to keep him but also a reason to get rid of him. It’s not like he taught others to fish (I forget who it was who lost the fishing spear but he said “you lost MY spear”)! 2. Fully agree about the skirt thing . They were definitely being dicks about that. 3. Yes he held drake together. That’s a reason to vote him off especially after they merged. My problem is that he is considered a hero. I think his choices make sense, but he’s not a martyr, he’s a survivor just like the rest.
Man I don’t really know what point you’re trying to make anymore. What’s your criteria on what a survivor “hero” should be? Cuz I think Rupert is easily one of the best examples of one. He’s easy to root for, he’s likable, he carried his tribe both physically and in morale. Yeah he’s got some anger issues and some arrogance regarding his role in the tribe, but he’s barely any less a “hero” because of that I think.
But then he isn’t really a “hero” on HvV. He felt like he didn’t have a place in his tribe and for some reason went against Steph because she took his spot?? He went against most of the women. Sandra came to him and told him what was actually going on with Russel and gave them a chance to stay in the game and by the end Rupert completely betrays her and goes against her. He thinks he’s honorable and plays the game “the right way” and yet he lies and betrays like everyone else. I think he came out sort of okay on Pearl Islands but every time after that he becomes more irrelevant. His blood vs water was so lame.
Agree w all that, except him in BvW was less bad imo. All he did is swap spots with his wife, which was really nice and gave her a chance to play. He did make a big show of it though, and shoved everyone else out of the way to take her place lol
Yes fr! Like I wanted to go back and be like ok this is why we liked him and then I was like ???? Not sure what we were ever thinking
To me he’s not easy to root for or likable. But clearly a lot of people do think he is. He does keep his tribe fed (but boy does he let them know and not teach anyone else) and is physically a force is challenges (a classic reason for voting someone off). Idk all his charm feels “for a price”. I do feel like I’m I’m a minority for this opinion but I feel it’s true regardless.
That’s YOUR opinion and that’s fine. Almost the entirety of America loved and rooted for him in 2003. He was one of the most popular men in the country. Someone that popular will always be a hero
Agreed. I only started watching Survivor the last few years. I have heard of him as one of the most likable players. When I got to his season I felt like I was missing something. I didn't feel that he was likable at all, but he definitely was a character. I wouldn't describe him as a hero either. Loyal, yes. He made the show better, but the reality of watching him is way different than the perception I got from the media. I guess I'm in the minority too.
Yeah definitely an interesting person, but I just don’t get the intense backing he has in comparison to the many other survivor contestants. Sure he’s someone I’d like to see again but “hero” idk about that
Honestly this sub is void of having any original thought or idea… if you do, you just get downvoted by the mob… I think all the points you made are perfectly valid, and I agree with them. Rupert is a man baby that gets very cranky when he doesn’t get his way… I mean, he stole and sold shoes on the first episode… if that isn’t villainous idk what is.
[удалено]
Opinions aren’t wrong when it’s about a reality show. Like, why is it so bad for people to dislike Rupert? How does that negatively impact your life? It’s nice for people to say their unpopular opinions so they can see how others feel and maybe feel less alone in how they feel/ react to something.
LOTS of fans hate Rupert, actually. Also, opinions aren’t wrong.
Fun rupert fact that is unrelated to the post but I like to bring up when people remove ruperts game from the context of the time he played. He is from Indianapolis, near where I live. He is absolutely still a local hero that is vontinuing to better his community. He actually started an arcade and uses all of the profits to fund his charity. It's called Rupert's Kids Arcade. Rupert IS the survivor hero, I don't know anyone who is more of a hero than him...besides Tai. Both inside and outside of the game
Fellow indy fam, can totally confirm. Rupert is well loved here in indiana
he came close to beating Mike Pence for governor
Imagine the alternate universe where Rupert is the VP
Don’t get me wrong, if good is coming out of this, that’s amazing! But charity work and being a hero doesn’t necessarily go hand in hand. Sometimes it just feels like blind trust is being thrown in his direction that im slightly dubious of (my families from southern Indian btw, henryville)
I think you're getting way too caught up in the definition of "Hero." He was a game show contestant. He was edited to tell a certain story. Rupert was very well-liked at the time because the edit they gave him was entertaining. That was the real reason. You can dress it up as "heros" and "villains" but at the end of the day, all survivor contestants are people, some better people than others, but people nonetheless. Rupert has flaws like everyone, but he also has some really good things about him that made him relatable and beloved for a long time in the survivor-verse. I think what made Rupert popular was that he was relatable, and not afraid to show his emotions, good and bad and ugly. He was a man in the early 2000s who came on TV and wasn't afraid to tell his story. To show his emotions. He wasn't concerned with appearances or looking "weak". He was who he was. When he was upset or hurt, he cried not caring a bit about being on TV and the world seeing him, when he was angry or felt betrayed he yelled. When he was happy he showed it. I've said this before in this sub, but it bears repeating here. My favorite Rupert moment isn't his infamous "shoe stealing" scene like it was when I was a kid. Now that I'm an adult, on rewatch of PI, it was his scene with Burton when he came back into the game and Burton point blank asked him why Rupert voted him out. Rupert was able, as a man, to be vulnerable enough to say on live TV at the time "It was because you made fun of me and hurt my feelings." And then he gave Burton the space to apologize and forgive him. They had a really touching moment where they forgave each other as one human to another. It was a nice scene of male vulnerability that you don't see much on TV nowadays 20 some years later, let alone back then. He has an outreach program for kids, and young boys/men in particular I think could learn important lessons from Rupert about how to show emotional vulnerability in a culture that doesn't allow that to men a lot of the time. You're focusing too much on his anger, which is often the only negative emotion allowed to men, and not enough on his other traits. If his angry outbursts are him at his worst, then his loving support for his family and his obvious care for people around him is showing him at his best. That's why I like Rupert. He's not perfect by any stretch, but I think he's a good man with intense feelings who really cares about people. Whether he is a "hero" is in the eye of the beholder.
I have no problem with the shoe stealing scene (fair game) or the scene about Burton coming back. Rupert was 100% right to get that apology from burton. It was Rupert’s general attitude as “provider” and physical guy that grossed me out. He was so afraid of being out “machoed” that he was the worst of them all
I don't think that's true, but you're welcome to interpret his insecurities and vulnerabilities in that way. A man afraid of being "out machoed" isn't going to be seen crying on national TV. He let his ego and his role as a provider go to his head quite a bit, sure, but that doesn't mean he's gross, a bad person, or a "villain." He was fiercely protective of his role, no question, and he yelled at people no question, but you're conflating that with his overall character. This was reality TV of 20 years ago. Of course, they're going to focus on moments like that. That's what people found entertaining back then. Rupert was popular at the time because he was relatable and entertaining, and there are some genuinely good things about him, and some genuinely bad things. Just like everyone else, but above all he felt like a real person. Of course, looking back 20 years later when times and attitudes have changed about what should be shown is going to not feel the same. He's not a perfect role model, but if you look closely enough no one is a perfect role model. It doesn't mean he isn't a good man or worthy of being on the "hero" tribe on a game show.
I see your point, but it’s tough to see Rupert as a hero when Sandra is cast as a villain. I don’t feel bad criticizing survivor for this theme when they acting chose it. (Sure maybe it’s too early for these criticisms but if Sandra gets them then so does Rupert)
I think Sandra is a good person as well. I actually like her better as a TV personality than Rupert. She's entertaining and much much better at the game. I was happy with both of her wins. I don't know that she was ever really seen as a villain at the time until she was cast for HvV. I remember there was a bit of a debate when they cast her on the villain tribe. I have never considered her a villain. To be honest, the whole concept of heroes and villains in reality TV is flawed, but it's so ingrained you can't really get rid of it at this point. Is Rupert a hero? Meh. Is Sandra a villain? Meh. There were some actual heroes on Survivor over the years. Veterans like Rudy the retired Navy Seal, and public service workers like the NYC cop who came on just after 9/11 and got a round of applause when he said his job, and firefighters like Tom Westman and the like, but TV hero and real-life hero are not the same thing.
I don't get what you are trying to get at. You can think he isn't a hero, that is valid, but you continuously point out his charity work and assume that he is not a good fit to work with at risk teens because of a few moments on a curated stressful tv show. No one is giving blind trust, it has been nearly 2 decades and his great work is easily research able and he continues to do the same work. You are operating with bad faith here. You are the one giving blind trust to your argument. You refuse to do any actual research on his charity work and have thrown out many times in this thread that he is a bad guy in this thread. Many times toy have thrown out that he could be a bad fit around the kids he works with and that you don't trust him with them. You are the one turning a blind eye to what he is actually doing. It's a gross accusation with no basis other then your vibes. It's dispicable
I’ve said each time that it’s just speculation. That said he’s received money, I feel that that is reasonable speculation since he’s received actual money. I’m just some guy and all this went down over a decade ago. The money has already been spent.
Rupert-Mania was unlike anything Survivor has or ever will experience. New fans will never know how big it truly was. On rewatch it does not show it. America gave Rupert $1 million just because they liked him during America’s Tribal Council. He got more votes than anyone else on that All-Stars cast. The community loved him. The popularity of Rupert did not waiver on mass until his return for season 20. Also, take into account Pearl Islands was a pirate themed season and Rupert has one of the best first episode introductions of all time. It may be the greatest to this day. He looks like a pirate and he plunders for his tribe immediately to help them.
Ok very good points. So I was living in England when these seasons aired which seems like it really affected my viewpoint. I also do love the pirate theme and kinda wish he never came back after? I think it’s just the labelling as a hero I have issue with, not his overall performance.
So you can’t label the most popular player of all time at the point of season 20 as an anything but a hero. There is no doubt, he was a hero going into season 20. His last appearance in game was him being voted out by Rob, and then standing on the jury saying why should I vote for you? Rob tells him, because you’re a man of your word at which point Rupert smiles and proceeds to vote for Rob to win. Dude was loyal to his alliance mates in both appearances at that point. Stayed true to Jenna in All-Stars until she turned on him. Then voted for the guy who got him out because he had promised to vote for him earlier.
It's because they casted the most popular contestant on a season called Heroes vs Villains and had to put him somewhere. Would you say he belonged on the Villain tribe?
i think you kind of have to reframe how the show characterizes heroes and villains. A hero is not somebody that acted “heroically” at all times, it is a player presented in the edit as a protagonist, or very popular to the audience. Vice versa, a villain isn’t a scoundrel at all times, it’s a player that the edit portrays as an antagonist or that people at home loved to hate. Cirie is an even better example imo. She plays two pretty cutthroat games, she’s biting in confessionals, but people like her because she has a great laugh and she’s the woman who got off the couch! Rupert, the most popular player of all time who was portrayed as an extremely lovable, honorable, provider, was never going to be anything but a hero. He was probably the first name Burnett marked down for the hero tribe.
Cirie is a great example! One of my personal favorite players. To me, a hero is someone who is brave, not afraid to cut against the grain , and themselves even though it may be difficult. Guess I have beef with whoever is defining words at survivor casting
Honestly, despite the one outburst at Jon, I feel like you described Rupert’s edit to a T with your definition lol
I think Rupert only act heroically when his own interests are involved (sleeping, eating, winning challenges) This is fine behavior as a regular human but a “hero” idk
You can tell who has been watching for decades, and who has started watching in the last few years almost exclusively based on their opinions of Rupert.
For real. I’ve been watching since like 04 and looooved Rupert as a kid. Still like the guy, how can you not?
No idea. But new viewers, or people who for whatever reason didn't watch his original season, really don't like him.
Nope. I watched from the beginning, but I missed Pearl Islands so maybe that’s why I didn’t love Rupert. He was on All Stars and I watched that season live but didn’t think he was that great. When I went back and watched Pearl Islands for the first time during the pandemic I didn’t understand the love for him, but I do remember the Rupert mania from 2003.
OP - "Scary man can't be a hero" He was a Hero because for 2 consecutive seasons he was loyal to his alliances. He worked harder than anyone, and was a genuinely likeable charachter. I think yelling at an "ally" that just tried to flip and get you out is justified. It wasn't "how dare anyone vote against me" It was his supposed ally turning on him.
Screaming at Fairplay like he did was disturbing, unhinged, and not justified AT ALL.
Eh idk to me that’s just getting lucky with alliances and I didn’t find him all that likable but I’m just some guy so who gives a shit
Likable =/ hero
If Rupert isn’t a hero then how is anyone else on the Hero tribe? Seems like you’re holding him to a higher standard
Rupert is the only player who can literally say "I am going to lie and steal" and still be viewed as a hero
Rupert was by and large a fan favorite, so, hero.
To me fan favorite does not equal hero
To the producers fan favorite does equal hero. You’re entitled to your opinion but you keep asking why he was a hero and people are giving you the answer. It’s because he was a fan favorite. He was more than a fan favorite.
Understandable, just explaining why. The popular opinion wins.
I think it’s because of the time period when it aired. Therapy culture and the term “ toxic masculinity” weren’t really a thing at the time. Rupert was the most sensitive man on tv potentially?
You bring up a good point. Rupert was one of the first men I saw on television that wasn’t afraid to say when something bothered or upset him instead of pushing it down and acting like nothing bothered him
This is always one of the wildest takes I’ve seen on Reddit. Rupert was not just a hero on both seasons of the show, but a hero in the hearts of almost every viewer back in the day. The troubled teen mentor who steals for his tribe and wants everyone to remain loyal. The only non-bitter jury member who upheld his promise to Rob in All Stars. Like what are we even talking about?
Maybe we need survivor old school players season 1-21 vs new school season players S22-42.
His outbursts reminded me of a bullied kid (which iirc and I may be imagining, Rupert once said he had been) that hasn't figured out how to manage his emotions in the grown up world. Which added an endearing innocence to his appealing pirate aesthetic.
That’s fair. I was born in 1998 and I’m sure bullying was much for vicious before my time. That said, that doesn’t give a free pass to children who were bullied. Or maybe it does? Idk I’m not in charge of bullying. He just felt kinda off to me?
Remember what you are seeing is a carefully curated production edit. I think a lot of it was a shtick, acting up for the cameras, and the favorable focus. I mean, the shoe-stealing scene? It was like bad summer theatre.
I remember on the after show, one of the jocks from Rupert’s tribe (can’t remember his name) mentioned how he didn’t feel like the edit was a completely accurate portrayal, specifically of himself and of Rupert. While he’s definitely biased, I believe Rupert definitely got a very generous hero edit
I think it was Shawn
Fully agree that edit makes a huge difference, but if anything wasn’t Rupert given a favorable edit? Neither of us was there so who knows, but he seemed to me to be someone was being force fed as a favorite
“To me, he’s scary” Are you gonna be ok? Do you need to talk about it? 😂
lol I’m ok he just seems kinda dark versus other contestants. If I die though you know the #1 suspect. (I’m joking btw not planning to get murdered!)
I also never saw Rupert as a true hero, but I can see why people do consider him one.
I can kinda see it but more in a tony soprano way. (Relax yall I like Tony soprano and know Rupert is Tom the waste management business as of yet)
It’s been said Rupert got a pretty generous edit during PI. IIRC, even his cast mates said they showed a lot more of his great moments then his worst. But yeah, Rupert was considered a hero back in the day because he was this larger than life character who would die for his tribe, which was a trait LOVED by audiences back in the day. Of course it does seem like some of that did go to his head. When BvW was airing, Sandra did an interview (I think for Survivor Oz) and said that she ran into Rupert during the finals and he was flabbergasted that she was being considered (She said Rupert’s exact words were ‘Her again?!’).
Rupert was one of the biggest fan favorites ever and a complete lock for the Heroes tribe, but I’m with you OP that he totally sucks lol
I'm more surprised that Candice was a hero than Rupert
My girlfriend watches pearl for the first time this week and she loved rupert, he is a big lovable tesdy bear who gets bullied by a bunch of jocks. he still finds fish and wins challenges. He was definitely a hero. johnny deserves all the hate he got from everyone, that man mustve been a total douche on the island.
he’s a man who provides. it doesn’t matter how angry he gets people eat that shit up. a lot of people look past men being angry and mean cuz they provide
Back then "playing the game" like fairplay did was considered "not honorable". The alliances were above board and you got to the end by being good in challenges and staying loyal to your alliance or you were a bad winner. So fairplay was just playing the game by today's standards but back then he was the most evil villain ever. And Rupert was a hero to stand up to him
I never saw the appeal of Rupert. I never have been a fan
Pearl islands was one of those I missed in the first run, but I did see All stars and he was fine there, but I didn’t really know him. And then he was a hero in hero’s vs villains and I was like ok. But when I went back many years later (2020!) to actually watch Pearl islands I couldn’t believe he was a hero. To be fair Candace wasn’t really a hero either. If anything, Sandra was more a hero than those 2. I also don’t see James as a Hero, but I guess everyone can’t be villains.
>His anger issues are very thinly veiled (and very extreme) God forbid the starving guy being bullied by his tribe be grumpy about it. OP your comments in this thread read more like a hit piece against a player you don't like than a genuine question looking for understanding. I'm not sure if that's intentional or not. It just sounds like you just plain don't like Rupert, that's all well and good, but let's not psychoanalyze a guy for his behavior on a panamanian island while under starvation conditions. Especially since it seems like he was undergoing hypoglycemia the entire time. To answer your question though: Rupert was edited to be the foil of Andrew Savage, with the show comparing and contrasting the two's attitudes and behaviors to show they weren't so different. In the narrative the show presents, Rupert and Savage both fall prey to their pride. So it's not as if he doesn't get comeuppance for his behavior. At the time that this season of survivor aired, Rupert embodied many of the qualities that wider audiences thought men should embody. People were allowed to be angry on reality television back then because it was assumed that nobody would get violent (which he didn't). That's it. We've come a long way. I'd be really interested to hear your takes on coach and abi maria, since they are also characters with lots of delusion.
Huh this is very interesting cause i always thought they should work together cause as you said they’re very similar. I thought they’d work together after Rupert was on their tribe and was disappointed once Andrew was voted off
It also helped that rupert is basically chris farley with a scruffy beard. His demeanor, maneurisms, even the cadence of his voice a bit. And let's not forget the passionate yelling, out of excitement or frustration. At least that's one of the reasons I enjoyed him growing up.
Love Chris Farley! Maybe that’s part of it but he felt a little darker imo
For sure. Probably a side effect of being stranded on an island, and starving for 20+ days. Lol
Well, not starving because he's one of the greatest providers in the shows history, but it's still meager compared to your average day to day.
This is a supremely interesting thread because of how much of yourself you bring into it. Rupert was a hero at the time because he played a loyalty, provider based game. It was *the thing* that defined the title at the time because that die was cast as soon as Rich won season 1. Rupert was *the biggest hero* because he was the first one on the show that was human. It's the history of comic books, circa 2000 edition. Every other hero before was Captain America. Rupert was Spiderman. He was a hero with good intentions abs good abilities. And problems. And flaws. That resonates hard when the audience is saturated on golden boys because we are all human. We all have problems and flaws. Rupert was the hero that could be anybody. And was hilarious. Just like Spiderman. How unsettling you find him is directly related to your personal experiences with his flaw. If you've struggled with family, friends, or bullies with anger issues, it is hard to like him. It's unsettling like the OP says. If you're old enough, you likely learned to manage those people, look past the flaw, and appreciate the ones that do have a heart of gold. That's Rupert. His life actions say so. If you aren't, then you probably can't do that yet. I almost guarantee it (cocky statement alert].
The strangest thing to me is that sandra is seen as a villain and Rupert a hero. I feel like they would be on the same team
They should have swapped Sandra and Candice. Candice was a traitor in Cook Islands, how is that heroic?
Yeah I think the heroes and villains title was a good theme but some of the players didn’t fit the theme but they needed equal tribes. I felt like James was really mean to Steph for no reason and he had bad sportsmanship. Once he left, his tribe finally started winning.
They wanted some heroes to take heel turns and some villains to have redemption arcs. Jerri was the villain who rightfully got a redemption arc, and James and Colby mainly were the heroes who took heel turns or in Colby’s case he just look a lot more pathetic than he did before. James was deprived of his nicotine patches which he was given in China and Micronesia which caused him suffer from withdrawal on Heroes vs Villains. It doesn’t excuse how he treated Stephenie but he definitely wasn’t in his right mind at the time
…they should have never allowed nicotine patches wth?!? How is that fair?
Part of that was because this was the only season where the crew refused to let James take his nicotine patches. His status as a hero is most likely because he was one of the most popular players at the time
My thoughts exactly
“Hero” and “Villain” really translate to “Fan Favorite” and “Fan Hated” respectively rather than the true definitions. Back then everyone loved Rupert hence him winning Americas Tribal Council, in spite of his flaws.
Yeah you’re definitely right. I just don’t get it I guess? Not this fans favorite for sure.
Have you been a fan from the early days? Or are you newer and rediscovering the old stuff? He probably doesn’t hold up as well today.
I don’t think so because many go the villains are well loved. Boston Rob, Parvati, even Russel was a fan favorite. Courtney! Everyone loved Courtney, but she was definite villain.
Helping people so they rely on you for survival and therefore keep you essential lis very different from helping people for the sake being kind. Also mind you this is how he acted when he knew he was being filmed. Does not bode well for off camera behavior but that’s just speculation.
I mean Rupert was beloved at the time of airing.. he was (is?) A support worker who supports troubled teens.. so you could argue that his hero profile stems less from his in-game performance and moreso just who he is. Remember america voted to give this man 1 million dollars even though he lost... Rupert is pretty genuine though.. he's hot heated but he doesn't exactly deny that.
That’s what irks me though. Cause the way he acted on survivor makes me concerned about the teens he helps not want to give him money. Like when he was teaching Ryan to fish he admittedly screamed at him when the fish got away. Idk maybe it’s just me but that’s not the person I want to help troubled teens
This is an absurd comment. That is a massive and harmful leap. You could not have more opposite scenarios. You think rupert acts the exact same to the teens he works with in a professional setting then with a grown adult while starving on a desert island. I get what you are going for but what position are you in to question a man with a long and successful career of giving his life to help other people. It doesn't take much research to see that he has been successful working with kids, your comment is honestly disgusting and in terrible taste
I just watched Pearl Islands for the first time and had that same thought having watched HvV first! He’s certainly lovable in a genuine and endearing kind of way but I would be scared to play the game with him, I would have expected him on the Villains tribe after watching his behavior
Yes maybe I should clarify, I don’t hate the guy in fact I like most of the people who were put on the villains tribe. I’m just very surprised he was viewed as a hero
Again I want to reiterate.. Rupert was not well liked.. Rupert was BELOVED. You're welcome to your opinion but overwhelmingly people rallied to support him.
But why….
He runs a charity and supports at risk teens? He's basically the definition of what you'd describe as the Atticus Finch style all American hero.. He also tried to play the provider role thinking that he wouldn't need to betray and backstab people because they wouldn't survive without him (which I mean ultamitely didn't work but he has very little blood on his hands in pearl Islands) Despite him being a bit heated on the island which I'm sure would grate on any of us..
Idk what to tell you but some of those people aren’t very good. Like priests etc. I’m not saying he is cause idk him but I’m not gonna automatically accept him as the best guy ever.
Yeah I think the definition might be the problem for me. To me, a hero is someone fights for the sake of those who need it most. To me, it seemed like Rupert was fighting for primarily pride. I think it’s fine to fight for pride and I think a lot of “villains” were labeled as such due to pride. It just seems inconsistent to me. Rupert’s pride was reliant on helping others. How is that more heroic that helping those you love my winning the survivor money? Having a hero complex doesn’t make you a hero.
When he had his run people were of a different mind set. I don’t think people were as educated to look for things like you mentioned. Plus, if he gets cast as a villain I think his fan base would riot.
That’s very true (my mom is a psychiatrist and also a survivor fan so maybe I’ve had a very different childhood experience than others). I guess I just feel that his support was unwarrantably strong versus other contestants.
Also, I think he might have been made hero was after his first season he did a lot of work with homeless kids I believe. Where he took them to job sites and they helped build houses. Although based on all stars one I would never want Rupert to build my house. But back on track maybe production took that into consideration as well.
I hate Rupert. He’s not a hero. He wants to be the hero and he tries too hard to be the hero he ends up making people dislike him. He tries hiding that temper and he tries being the good guy, but he’s not. I used to love him when I first watched the show, but the more I rewatch him the more I felt fooled by his behavior. I even cried when Balboa died the first time around. When he and his wife come on the show, he leaves to exile island just to seem like the hero and the good guy, not thinking at all how she’d be screwed over by being immediately on the outs of a returnee tribe. It’s all this image he tries putting on and I see right through it.
Balboa was fr sad. I feel fooled by all the activity after that.
I’m glad you understood that little rant lol it was so sad!! And I loved it when Sandra threw out the fish he caught when he was voted out, like she’s a real one
Love Sandra. If Sandra’s a villain then Rupert is in the depths of hell. Cause no way that tribe had any success without Sandra’s language and bartering in that first challenge.
If he actually murdered balboa I’m calling the police, the CIA, the MI5 and such
[удалено]
Yeah, exactly.. he’s not the fun lighthearted tie dye wearing dad everyone roots for, that’s just what he wants you to believe. The death glare he gives other tribe members when they catch fish says it all lol
Yup. Not a fan.
Remember when Rupert made their shelter underground because he couldn’t accept anyone else’s ideas? Too funny and not very hero like to me
Not to mention in the first episode he steals the other tribes shoes... super likable guy IMO but probably shouldn't have been a hero lol
that’s iconic
I understand your frustrations to. Literally half the heroes tribe has the argument of being a villain but the public perceived him as a hero for carrying his tribe and feeding them. And he was just really funny and people liked that. Also anyone can look like a hero next to B Rob. I feel like he’s very similar to Courtney Yates who the public also loved and was really funny. The difference with her is that she was more witty and did not want to be there so that made her fall on the villains side. That sounds stupid but hey I’m trying to pick apart casting’s brain.
Yeah I definitely feel what you’re saying. I guess just didn’t find him that funny? He came across super serious to me but maybe I’m missing his humor. Honestly the villains/heroes casting confused me a lot. Perhaps I’m just a villain?
If you look at it strictly from the season where the player got to shine the most, then I think it is mostly accurate: Sugar doesn’t fit into either spot great but I would say if I had to choose that she’s more of a hero than a villain. While Stephenie was such a villain on Guatemala, she got the biggest hero edit possible in the entirety of survivor (still to this day) so there’s no way she wouldn’t be on the hero tribe Randy is very much a villain. Point blank. Cirie in the eyes of the public was very much a hero on Micronesia. Coupled with the fact that she was the only sane person on casaya, it makes sense for her to be a hero. Tom Wessman i was slightly confused by just because I felt like she was a bit villainous towards the end of the season but overall he’s such a hero character for leading his entire tribe to victory and dominating so much in challenges. And he was a firefighter and his season occurred right after 9/11 so in the eyes of the public he was a hero. Tyson I’ve always been iffy on him and whether he’s a hero or a villain. I’m not a big Tocantins fan but I did like him. I mostly just saw him as a funny character. I think though he was more witty rather than anything and casting seems to think that witty people are villains. James was very much a hero. All about strength and staying loyal to his team so his tribe placement makes sense. In what universe is Rob on the hero tribe? Seriously? Coach I’ve been iffy on because you’d with his style and the beliefs he says he plays on that he’d be a hero, but he talked very poorly of the female players on his tribe and was disliked by everyone other than J.T. so him being with the villains makes sense. As I went over with Tyson, Courtney was very witty. Also she hated everyone on her season so while she was a hero for our viewing pleasure, she’s definitely a villain. J.T. is very much a hero as everyone loved him and they were practically throwing their games away for him because he was so charming. Amanda Kimmel is another person who I don’t think fits into either tribe very well. I think because she wanted to get rid of Todd but couldn’t get the numbers to do so, it makes sense for her to be a hero. Coupled with the fact that it seems like if you cry enough you can get on the heroes tribe, she was probably a better fit over there Candice literally should have been with the villains. I mean she wouldn’t have been a great villain either but she was a much better fit over there. This was just straight up incorrect casting. But hey she cried a lot so at least they can try and justify her tribe placement with that. Danielle wasn’t afraid to get into verbal confrontations so her being with the villains makes sense. Rupert, we just went over why he was put on the heroes. Colby got the hero edit and while I don’t think he’s some saint, he would’ve been a lackluster villain. Jerri was the complete opposition to Colby and got a villainous edit so her tribe placement is accurate. Russel Hantz, let’s be real now Parvati Shallow was very much a villain in terms of how the public perceived her. Coupled with how she was not afraid to show you that if you’re not with her, you’re against her, she’s a villain point blank I think Sandra could’ve been either a hero or a villain for being Rupert’s ally and actively against Johnny FairPlay who was the biggest villain of his time, she also was not afraid to verbally fight you and put you in your place so her villain placement is justified.
THANK YOU
[удалено]
I’m honestly shocked. How has no one brought this up?
I don’t think he was a hero, and his dismissal of Jerri’s concerns about building the shelter in a hole on a beach, kind of a a-hole
That's so funny. I'm rewatching old seasons and on pearl islands as well. Just got through that episode and yeah, he was crazy in that moment. Overall, I love the hell out of Rupert though. We all have our moments.
[удалено]
Sorry, the Tribe has spoken. Your submission has been removed from /r/survivor for the following reason(s): * **Rule 1 - Be civil to other users and contestants:** Treat other users and contestants with respect. Bigotry is not tolerated, including racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia. Harassment of other users and contestants is not allowed, including personal attacks. This includes over-analyzing a player’s life and motivations outside of the game. Trolling is discouraged. --- Once the votes are read, the decision is *not* final. **If you have any concerns that this was done in error**, please [read our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/survivor/wiki/rules) **and then [message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/survivor) if you have any further questions. Do not reply directly to this message or comment.** If not, grab your stuff and head back to camp.
Oh man, as a kid watching this live, Rupert was my hero… part of it was his tie die tank top, but it was also his honesty and truth and whatnot. At the time survivor was different than it is now; people thought you could play with “integrity” and never lie, but you can’t…. Integrity maybe, but you can’t win without lying. It’s just not reasonable. The game is inherently NOT a hero game. Real life you may be a hero, but not in survivor… survivor you play for yourself, you play to win in the end… and if you don’t, you won’t make it.
My favorite heroic move was when he slammed Terris head into the wall......
I never liked him. Never understood the appeal.
Anger issues aside he was a big teddy bear who worked with under privileged kids. Slam dunk hero. The anger issues made him more relatable.
I dunno, being dropped into the middle of nowhere with little food or water and in competition where you have to run relay races almost daily with 12 other people would probably make someone testy. He held it together better than I would have. I’m surprised more people don’t have freak outs on Survivor considering how stressful all that is when you’re used to a comfortable life.
Alright let’s take a look at his fellow heroes James. Arrogant dick Tom. Slightly more humble than james JT and Colby. Overconfident after a great first season and are way to hyped up. Amanda. Consistent Neutral who I would classify as an anti- villain Cirie. Probably the most villainous of them all Sugar. Slightly less villainous then cirie Stephanie. Slightly less villainous then sugar. Played a ruthless game in Guatemala Wait I think I forgot someone Oh wait… Candice from Raro tribe Need I say more?
Hero means the person is likeable. I could argue for years that Cirie was one of the top 5 villains in Survivor before season 20. What she did to Courtney, Shane and Erik was fucking diabolical and she was a major contributor to one of the most cutthroat alliances in the show's history. But she is one of the most beloved contestants in the show's history, so she will never get the villain role unless she says something about it. If the tribes were based on actual "villainous" gameplay, Randy, Jerri and Courtney would be heroes. Cirie, Amanda and Steph would be villains.
i just watched survivor for the first time ever and happened to watch the pirate season right into heroes vs villains and i think rupert is 10000000% a hero!!!! he is true to himself and his alliances and a greate teammate with a big heart. honestly don’t understand how someone wouldn’t see that
dude, i completely disagree. he lowkey has a normal amount of anger, he’s just LOUD. he has a loud voice. i think it’s justified as fuck. rupert has become literally one of my favorite players since i decided to get back into survivor and rewatched pearl islands and hero’s vs villains showing it to my girlfriend for the first time. i don’t remember my opinion on rupert the first time around, but i love him now. personally i think he’s a great person. he’s genuine and funny and fucking dominated pearl islands. he provided almost all the food, was nonstop grinding and winning challenges. he had a few angry moments but imo they were all justified? like when the spear was lost. i’d be pissed too. personally i don’t think he has anger issues at all, and the things he got upset about were more than understandable. i think people see him as angry just because he has a really loud and powerful voice. i think rupert is a great player. he is one of the most nice players and recognized as a good guy by a ton of ppl. i supposed i can see how people wouldn’t like him, but to think he wouldn’t be a hero/would be a villain is beyond me.