May 13, 2007
"Survivor" finale!
Talk in the comments.
ADDED #1, spoiler: Ah, didn't you know as soon as you saw the challenge that Yau-Man would win? But it was impressive of Boo and Dreamz to keep up, and bizarrely embarrassing for Earl and Cassandra to get left back where they were. Now, what's to stop Yau-Man from winning? Can you imagine Dreamz double-crossing him on the deal about the truck from last week? I can't. I'm picturing Dreamz getting voted out at this point, just as a deal to try to stop Yau-Man.
ADDED #2: Oh, no! They voted out Boo. Doesn't this mean Yau-Man will win?
ADDED #3: The final immunity challenge requires you to just hang on while lying on a plank that is moved to a more and more difficult angle. How long will Cassandra even bother to hold on? She doesn't even try to win. That is a strategy. Dreamz really should try to win, even though he'll have to give his immunity to Yau-Man. It makes him more sympathetic.
ADDED: #4: Earl has the best strategy, getting over to the side and out of the water flow. But it gets harder and harder. Cassandra goes. Earl goes. Yau-Man goes! So it's Dreamz! Perfect! Does he renege? No, he can't.
ADDED #5: Oh, no! Dreamz! [Dreamz reneges on his deal with Yau-Man and keeps the immunity.]
ADDED #6: Ohhh! Yau-Man. [Yau-Man is voted out.] Poor Dreamz! What a bad decision. Yau-Man says, "Enjoy the truck." The deal was not enforceable, so Dreamz, apparently, will keep it. But I don't see how he can possibly win the vote, having reneged in front of the jury and doomed the most brilliant player. It's quite obvious now that Earl will win. Who would vote for Dreamz? (Which is why, even out of pure self-interest, he should have given the immunity necklace to Yau.) And who would vote for Cassandra? What has she ever done? But Earl was a good player. It's all downhill from here. I think we know Earl will win, right?
ADDED #7: "It's a game and everybody else played it and slithered through this game," says Dreamz, who's blustering, trying to convince himself that what he did was okay. Hmmm, mmm-mmmm, Cassandra looks happy. I think maybe she knows she's the only one no one has anything against. At breakfast, food has been delivered, and Dreamz is drinking syrup out of a champagne glass. He's so happy, he says: "I feel like I'm standing next to... Oprah."
ADDED #8: The questioning by the jury was intense. Most amazing was Eduardo Boo, who repeatedly challenged Dreamz for his failure to be a good Christian. I can't think of any time I've ever seen a reality show contestant talk not just about his own religion, but actively challenge another contestant to live up to his religion. Extraordinary. [MORE: There must have been a lot of discussion of religion, especially between Boo and Dreamz, that was edited out of the show all season. Now, it seems very weird to have Boo go all religious, but I assume it was a natural part of the interaction, a theme that the editors rejected as a story line. In the end when Boo was entitled to his turn as a juror, we saw there was dimension to this enigma, but because it suddenly burst out at the very end, it made him seem nutty. Religion: too nutty to show consistently, and because it's not shown consistently, it's really nutty.]
ADDED #9: Back in NY, announcing the vote. Oh! All three of them got so chubby! And Earl wins! Unanimously, as far as we can see. Oh, poor tragic Dreamz! Jeff tells us that all 9 votes went to Earl, and that this was the first time ever on the show that the $1 million was won by unanimous vote.
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I'm devastated, but respect Dreamz' choice. It is $1M we are talking about. Do you think Yauman lost it when he said to Dreamz after the challenge, "If you choose..." questioning Dreams' promised word?
I don't think it will hurt Dreamz with the jury either.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Dumbest jury ever. Stupid petty questions of no added value re who deserves to win. And Alex? Harvard-trained mind? Attorney? I find that hard to believe. and his hostility to Cassie is more interesting when you consider his assault charges. He's got issues with women.
Dreamz: "It's a game and everybody else played it and slithered through this game,"
Except Yau, the one you betrayed. No worries though Dreamz - I really didn't expect more of you.
The car curse still rules.
Hehe. Some ad exec is going to get fired tomorrow. How much more would it have cost to have Survivor say "Ford Truck", before it became such a hot topic?
Hope you had a good Mother's Day! And have a great week!
Burkean Reflections
Which is why, even out of pure self-interest, he should have given the immunity necklace to Yau.
Suppose he had. He would have put himself at risk for immediate expulsion (he's a known Yau lackey and he'll be popular with the judges for his honesty).
The judges would be talking about what a smart player Yau was, not what a good boy Dreamz was.
The question is, which gives Dreamz more celebrity value? Being the good little supporting cast member, or the star villain opposite the tragic hero?
Daryl, if Dreamz had lived up to his end of the bargain there would have been many oppurtunities opened to him. Speaking at schools about doing the best you can when you have nothing for instance. Breaking his word, especially after his whole wanting to show his son how a man acts, makes that much harder. He stopped being inspirational when he became a snake.
Did Lisi remind anyone else of Exidor?
I also was flabbergasted when Dreamz kept immunity. I guess it shows our lack of imagination, Ann. An inability to imaginae unethical behavior. How could he do that? Wasn't he listening to himself when he said he wanted to set an example for his son?
But it also doesn't make strategic sense, either. There was no way Dreamz gets the $1M after backstabbing the most popular player in the game. His only choice was to do the right thing, look good doing it, and be happy with his $60k truck.
If I was him, I couldn't drive that truck after what I did.
and be happy with his $60k truck.
Sidebets that Dreamz loses the truck anyway? Poverty has as much to do with bad habits as with bad luck. Look at Earl, who comes from a similar background, but climbed his way out with a good work ethic.
I predict that within six months, we'll hear that Dreamz lost the truck to a loanshark, bartered it away in a poker game, let a friend use it in commission of a crime, etc.
Fen,
I wouldn't take that bet. I hope he knows he owes taxes on that truck.
If Dreamz were to lose the truck, the person I'd feel sorry for is Yau-Man.
Sidebets that Dreamz loses the truck anyway?
First Season winner Richard Hatch will tell you (now) that Dreamz will owe taxes on the truck -- probably way more than he can afford out-of-pocket, unless he also received some unannounced prize/appearance money. Moreover, the cost of collision and theft insurance for an expensive truck like that will be out of his range as well.
It profits a man nothing to gain the whole world and yet lose his soul. And it would not be surprising if Dreamz ended up with nothing at all -- no honor, no good reputation, no million dollars, and no truck.
I'm confused about the tax issues. I know that the winner has to pay, what, 40%? So the 1 mil becomes 600k? But I thought the lesser gifts had some loophole. Anyone know for sure?
And what about the 100k for 2nd place? Do they still do that? Even with the final three? If so, what happens if no one gets votes for 2nd, as per last night?
On second thought, if Dreamz is in the tax bracket I imagine he is, he won't owe that much.
I think you're right Fen. $1M is really $600k. And that's before the state gets it's cut (depending on what state you live in). And do you have to pay 15% FICA? Is being a Survivor self-employment?
Maybe Yau-man won afterall. Ah, the disinsentiveness of a punitive tax system.
if Dreamz is in the tax bracket I imagine he is, he won't owe that much.
If the fair market value of the truck is $60,000, then that puts him in at least the $60,000 tax bracket, where the marginal rate is what, about 38 percent? Plus, in addition to the income tax, he might owe personal property tax on the vehicle.
From IRS Publication 525 --
"Prizes and awards. If you win a prize in a lucky number drawing, television or radio quiz program, beauty contest, or other event, you must include it in your income. For example, if you win a $50 prize in a photography contest, you must report this income on Form 1040, line 21. If you refuse to accept a prize, do not include its value in your income.
Prizes and awards in goods or services must be included in your income at their fair market value."
http://www.irs.gov/publications/p525/ar02.html#d0e7770
Well, he gets the personal exemption. And if his son is a dependent, he gets that, too, plus maybe the Earned Income Tax Credit (hmmmm, was the truck earned income?)
Sounds like Dreamz will be hiring a tax accountant.
Is income averaging still in the tax code? $60k averaged over 5 years with an income approaching $0 will save Dreamz.
Also, Yau-Man better file a gift tax return! I don't think he'll actually owe any gift tax, but the gift could increase his eventual estate tax liability.
Also, Yau-Man better file a gift tax return!
OK, I was having fun, but now I'm just depressed. You can't even give stuff away without paying taxes? Doesn't the recipient pay the resulting tax? ( I never have understood the gift tax, never having had much to give away).
Christy, I think they phased out income averaging, though I'm not certain.
I guess I don't understand why Dreamz got to keep the car. Wasn't the deal that Dreamz gets it if he does A and B. He did A but not B. Why is the rest of the deal still good?
I guess I don't understand why Dreamz got to keep the car.
Basically, because he's bigger than Yau-Man.
I don't see why Dreamz would necessarily be legally be entitled to keep the truck. It wasn't a gift; it was an oral contract. There's a statute of frauds problem because of the truck's value, but that might just be grounds for rescinding the deal, though if Dreamz had fulfilled his end, then I couldn't see a court taking away the truck on SOF grounds.
This seems like a species of unilateral contract: Dreamz made a promise to perform if the truck was tendered. Dreamz' failure to live up to his end was a breach, and consideration should be returned either on the theory or breach or unjust enrichment. Sure, the contract wasn't enforceable in the game--meaning Yau couldn't force Dreamz into specific performance, for a variety of reasons, but the truck wasn't a gift either and now that the game is over I really think Yau could sue him.
JBC,
Not being schooled in the law, I agree with your assessment. Seems like Yau-man could sue, but it appears that he doesn't want to. I think I'd do the same (i.e. not sue) if I were in his position. Too big a hassle. And he seems to think that he has helped out someone in need. That's why I think it will suck when and if, as Fen predicts, Dreamz loses the truck.
At the final jury session, Yau-Man explicitly said that Dreamz could keep the truck, so I think he will not bring a law suit and, if he did, Dreamz could argue that even if there was a contract which he breached by failing to hand over the immunity, Yau-Man subsequently made a gift of the truck.
Also, at the point when you'd have to say the contract was made, Jeff demanded of Yau-Man that he concede that the deal is not enforceable. And you haven't seen what went on off camera. I think the show probably dealt with it so that it was clear that they did not owe the truck to Yau-Man.
By the way, did you catch that Earl gave half of his money to his mother? It was at the very end of the reunion.
I think the show probably dealt with it so that it was clear that they did not owe the truck to Yau-Man.
I think Dreamz owes Yau-Man the truck, not the show. Maybe not legally, but ethically.
1) Interesting jury comments. I like the "Eenie meenie, minie moe, catch a liar by the toe". I've heard less pleasant variations of that little phrase.
And the references to "boys and girls," as opposed to the three adults sitting there.
Perhaps not the best winner(s), but still bitter, bitter words from some of the losers.
2) One also wonders if Dre Herd could take cash in lieu of the stated prize, and thus solve the tax problem so many seem intent on him having.
3)It's rather silly to critique a player about not being a good Christian on a show, that, given the rules and nature of how it should be played, could not be won on Christian principle.
One cannot look at a game and then come to any hard conclusions about someone in real life, aside from an actual cheater (or poor loser). In a game based on cunning and manipulation, anything you say is irrelevant to real life.
The whole point of Survivor is to win via any means, any method, which is kind of not the point of Christianity.
4)Why do players always make comments like "Oh, so and so is a strong physical player, we can't vote him off".
The challenges are rigged for balance, so it really makes no difference what the strength quotient on a team is. So should a team end up mostly female, or with old people, the producers are not going to go forward with physical constests that make for an obvious stomping.
Dre will owe taxes on the fair market value of the truck. I won a sweepstakes for an upscale gas grill and got a 1099 from the company that gave me the grill.
Note: IANAL, IANATAOA (I Am Not A Tax Attorney Or Accountant)
However, there is one thing he can do to help with tax - the truck may have a MSRP of $60k, but they typically sell for quite a bit below that. If he can get a dealer to give him a letter that states that they sold an identical truck for $40k, he can pay taxes on $40k. In addition, he did get some cash for placing tied for second, somewhere between $50k to $100k.
Some other tax notes: income averaging has been dead for quite a while and gift tax is paid by the giver, not the recipient. You can give $10k away per year to non-dependents without having to file a gift tax return. The rules for dependents are more complicated, but boil down to stuff needed for living is not taxable (i.e. food, clothing, housing, cars, car insurance, college tuition, etc.) no matter how expensive it its.
I don't care what he said at the Reuinion, I think Dreamz did intend to give up immunity at the time he made the deal, but talked himself out of it. Hence, the tears at tribal council. My guess is that there is a big jump from 4th to 2nd/3rd money in the payout structure, and that is what tempted him. He had to know that stabbing Yau-Man, combined with his betrayal of the 4 Horseman alliance would kill his chances of winning - that's 4 votes against you, plus others like Rocky, Boo, and Lisi that had reasons to dislike him. (Remember his nominating Cassandra and Lisi as the most useless members of the tribe? He and Rocky going against each other in the shoving challenge? And Boo was really, really POed about the truck - any construction worker would kill to have a sweet ride like that.)
Dreamz personality and demeanor is identical to some of my family that hustle overpriced products door-to-door. Their charm and fast talk works wonders on some people. That is how he lasted so long.
Boo did show some signs of being religious - after one of the challenges he did the "point to the sky" move that athletes do.
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