Survivor: Micronesia - Fans vs. Favorites
Survivor: Micronesia - Fans vs. Favorites
Joel
Biography
Joel Anderson, never a FAN of the players but a true FAN of SURVIVOR, considers himself a big target in this game. Based on his appearance and size, Anderson, a firefighter for the city of Phoenix, Arizona, will not be mistaken as weak.
As a firefighter, Anderson assists in the treatment and transport of patients with medical emergencies and also helps fight fires. He has previously worked for a private ambulance company and has also taught. Anderson received a BA in human communications from Arizona State University.
Anderson's hobbies include training for his job, swimming and motorcycles. He runs and lifts weights regularly. His favorite sport is Olympic-style wrestling. He describes himself as driven, loyal and caring. He thinks his perseverance, self-confidence, heart, power, strength, endurance, work-ethic, intelligence, resourcefulness, EMS skills and positive attitude are all skills he possesses to do well on SURVIVOR.
Anderson has previously lived in Tempe, Arizona and Waukesha, Wisconsin. He is a member of the International Association of Firefighters, Local 493 and the United Phoenix Firefighters Association.
He and his wife, Jasmyn, currently reside in Avondale, Arizona, with their two sons, Kaden and Gavin. The have two Labrador retrievers, Turbo and Thunder. His birth date is June 1, 1975.
Watch Videos from Survivor: Micronesia
Cast Interviews
Survivor: Fans Vs Favorites - Parvati
2:34
Survivor: Fans Vs Favorites - Mikey B
2:47
Survivor: Fans Vs Favorites - Erik
2:31
Survivor: Fans Vs Favorites - Yauman
2:23
Survivor: Fans Vs Favorites - Tracy
3:02
Survivor: Fans Vs Favorites - Ozzy
3:38
What Fans Are Saying About Joel
Exigeus
I think you hit it on the head, this was about a sissy being beaten up by a bully. So the bullies, and people who like bullies, are in favor or it, the people who have been victims of bullies are against it. If you ask who likes bullies, there was actually a study that showed High school girls were much more attracted to bullies than to average boys. I hate it, but that's what it showed. This may explain the above post.
cher73
CBS did not set up this challenge thinking anyone would not get hurt. No one would have been hurt if they would have keep up and not make the first person do all of the work. It is not Joel's fault that Chet would keep up. I could have done better than him and I am girl who weighs 120 lbs. Joel was trying to help his team and I think he did great. I think I am ready for a new topic.......
Agirl4
I agree with what you say. And yes, we all know that this is a game. I enjoy seeing the challenges and watching the people, although this season has quite a few bores.But beyond that, I still feel this was a cheap play upon stereotypes. Again, whether Chet was a lousy, lazy player or an outright jerk is not at issue here. What's cheesy is how many people got off on seeing a "sissy" dragged through the mud. This doesn't even get to legality. it gets to pandering to hatreds and polarities so rampant in America today. I'll say it once more--I can't believe what some elements of our popular national character have come to in the 21st century. And as "advanced" as Americans like to think they are, so many of them are unbelievably ignorant and "primitive" in the worst sense of the word. I lived in Micronesia. People there were generally more tolerant and civilized than many in this country. Don't get me wrong--I like living here. But I hate the dumbing down and the glamour attached to violence that has developed over the past decade. It's infantile and plays to stupidity.
Exigeus
First, Joel's actions did not increase his chances of winning. In fact, this was a teamwork challenge, in which the team that cooperates best wins. Joel (and Chet) did not win. Second, Joel has made no secret, before or after the incident, of the fact that he hates Chet. In interviews, he still belittles him and chuckles whenever the subject is brought up. So what was his real goal, you tell me. I'm not sure I agree with your scenario, but you could argue that the producers are at fault for setting up a challenge in which it pays to injure people. Possibly true. That doesn't apply here, because Joel did not win by doing what he did, but you could make that general argument. But then you have to ask, what if beheading someone would win you the challenge? You have to draw a line somewhere, right? I think breaking the laws of the USA is probably a good place th draw the line. If you can't do this in a public park in the USA in front of the police, then you can't do in to win a challenge.
cher73
This is a game!!!! If someone isn't pulling his weight literally, then he deserves what he got. I realize they edit shows but you have to adit that Chet was a lazy butt!!!
cher73
This is a game!!!! If someone isn't pulling his weight literally, then he deserves what he got. I realize they edit shows but you have to adit that Chet was a lazy butt!!!
Agirl4
Ever occur to you that much of this show is edited to make characters look certain ways to the audience--usually very exaggerated? Your "loved how he dragged him around part" says more about you than the value of the episode. It also enlightens me as to the level of some of the people who watch the show and get off on such trashy behavior. I get it.
Agirl4
You do make a good point. My disgust with the episode I mention, nonetheless, had to do with the prolonged and contemplated meanness of Joel's behavior, even after he injured someone. This was not a fast, football game, heat of the moment (however vicious) type of incident. There have been many challenges where people could have been seriously hurt and where players fight extremely aggressively. That has been part of this game and players and viewers accept it. As another person commented in this forum, it is amazing that there have been no serious injuries (or perhaps even deaths) so far. This same person also brought up the important issue of how specific characters are edited and constructed on this show. But putting that aside and in an attempt to sharpen my argument, the incident with Joel and Chet stands apart as a drawn out episode demonstrating one player's absolute contempt for another. Further, this was loaded symbolically to American viewers in times of national polarity--with the big tough guy dragging an unpopular gay guy through the mud, causing injury in the process. In this way, it came across as exploitative of popular stereotypes and hatreds. Perhaps the entire show does that, and thus IS so popular.I still feel that this was a low point in Survivor and cannot be excused by comparing it to any other aggressive games or episodes. That's apples and oranges. And this issue goes beyond the skills and personalities of the 2 players involved or whether either were "likeable" or not, or who "deserved" what. We all know the show is about aggression, chicanery, meanness, greed, arrogance, vulnerability, wit, strength, and characters we come to like or dislike. My comments were to ask whether there's a bottom line or limit to players' behavior--involving basic human decency (and I'm talking about willfully causing physical harm to another) as conceived by the producers of the show. The incident we're talking about crossed the line for me. If it's all the same to you, then nothing I can say will change your thinking.
kansas_kidd
Anthrogirl said... I've watched every Survivor episode since the beginning, from all over the world. I have NEVER witnessed such disgusting behavior as Joel's dragging Chet by a rope. So just out of curiosity, let me just ask you this without sounding confrontational: during the beach-bash challenge when Mr. Probst clearly made it sound like it was going to be a football game the way he called each end of the challenge area an end zone, would it have been disgusting behavior if someone like me ran around reliving my strong-safety days by visciously colliding with players on the other team (even the women and even head-to-head collisions) in hopes of knocking them down for several seconds and thus improving my team's chances of winning the challenge? Because that action, which I would gladly take, seems more harmful than what Joel did.
cher73
I liked Joel, although he kicked off the wrong guy in the end and he got bit himself. I loved how he dragged Chet around. That guy should have got off his lazy butt and helped out!!!! I have never seen a person as lazy and worthless as Chet on this show. How did he ever think he could survive out there? I would have dragged him around also!
