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Survivor: Those Who Silence vs Those Who Are Silenced
Trigger Warning: This article touches on subjects that may be difficult to read for people who have experienced any form of unwanted physical contact or harassment. If this applies to you, I understand if you do not wish to read or at the very least only do so in a calming setting.
Disclaimer: I am writing from the perspective of someone with a background in Communication Studies and as a male identifying person who has not been the target of unwanted physical contact. I cannot speak for anyone nor do I try not, and I am not speaking from any point of authority on this subject matter. I only offer my interpretation of these events as I’ve seen them on TV in the spirit of advocacy and using my voice and platform to aid in providing visibility for survivors of these incidents.
The last few episodes of the 39th season of Survivor, Survivor: Island of the Idols, have touched on social issues such as microaggressions (focusing on race) and assumptions about gender norms and roles. Both discussions included some powerful moments and resolutions achieved at the end of the episode. However, last night’s two episodes as part of a 2-hour block of Survivor programming had no such luxury as the social situation took a dark turn.
It all starts with Dan Spilo, and it started well before this episode. From the get…
