Early Show Transcript
May 5, 2004
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JONI: First off: Thanks for having me! I'm glad to be here.
QUESTION: Joni, compare your choice in episode 10 (Hogan) with the one Amy made in episode 6 (Chris) and
the one Michelle made in ep 12 (you). Do you consider there to be any difference between the three choices and
what are they, if any?
JONI: They are all similar decisions, and easy to compare. The differences would rest in the people who
made the decisions, and the circumstances under which they were made. Amy made her move out of defense for herself.
I made my move for lack of options, and Michelle made her move because she was forced into it. Each person felt
the consequences of it, some differently than others. We all learned that Survivor is not designed to be a game
of friendship. It was a hard lesson. I don't blame anyone for their choice, people do what they have to do.
QUESTION: How did you feel when Henry wrote you the kiss-off letter? What did you think of him during your
time on Sato? Why did the rest of the tribe seem to dislike him so much?
JONI: I'll start at the beginning. Henry was, initially, very nice. Under any other circumstance, I may
not have found him so annoying. However, I had just left friends, and a place where I was fairly comfortable. Going
to Sato was awful, they had no water, they had no food, and *nothing* got done. When Henry started dictating what
would happen, it got all the more annoying. To top it off, I was told by Amy about the dismissal of my friend,
Liz, and was put off by the whole thing.
Why the rest of the tribe disliked him...well...it varied. Some people disliked him for strategic reasons. (Blurting
out alliance plans...etc.) Some didn't like him for personality conflicts (Murtz), etc. Some were a combination.
Getting the "Henry Letter" had two reactions for me. My first was: 'Holy crap, I'm in trouble.' Then
I thought for a split second about who had sent it, and pushed that thought aside. Then I laughed. He had sent
the letter to everyone in the tribe, so I was bombarded by emails from everyone in the tribe saying that Henry
was full of it, and that he was leaving.
QUESTION: Do you think your game would have ended differently had you chosen Hogan over Michelle?
JONI: You know, I don't think so. I mulled it over in my mind for quite some time. At that point, I didn't
have the complete trust of Amy, who I knew was in charge. I didn't have a relationship established with Lance (a
mistake on my part), nor did I think he was strategic enough to hook up with. On Kamiya, I had Michelle, and felt
that Mike was annoyed enough with Isabella to boot her before me. Sure, it didn't turn out that way, but I don't
think that I would have gone much farther if I had voted out Michelle.
QUESTION: What would have happened had you and Elisabeth (who knew each other) ended up on the same tribe
at some point?
JONI: She'll hate me for it, but it would have been horrible for me, strategically. If Liz had been around
when the tribes switched, she would have expected me to jump the Kamiya train and hook up with Lance (assuming
that Henry had left in her place). Amy didn't trust her, and it was easy to see that Amy was the leader of Sato,
and a good person to ally with at that point. Amy is a very hard person not to like! In any case, it would have
made for a very different game outcome, Amy would probably not be in the final four (assuming that Lance, Liz,
Chris and I aligned, Amy would probably have been top on the list to
boot), and it wouldn't have been fair. Part of me wishes that we had been able to play together again, and part
of me is very glad that I could pave my own way without prior alliances.
QUESTION: Is it frustrating to sit back and watch people post about you and be unable to respond? Do you
think a lot of the cast had problems with that?
JONI: It's horrible! It's been hard for me, as well as other cast members, to see what we have to say about
each other. **laughs** Grudges go a lot farther in an internet game than I would ever have expected them to. It's
hard, because many times part of the story, or only one side of the story is shown for weeks or even months until
someone like myself, and the remaining castaways even have a chance at defending themselves. But that's just another
part of the game.
I won't say, however, that certain comments didn't sting. I would never claim to have played a perfect game, and
I definitely wasn't a saint in this whole business, but it is hard to see people let a little game take hold of
so much anger. For me, it was only ever a game. The game is over now, I'm ready to move on.
QUESTION: Out of the three Kamiyans you didn't seem to get along with at the time (Mike, Murtz, Ryan), has
any of that changed since the game ended?
JONI: 2 for 3. I don't think Murtz will ever speak to me again. I should have been nicer to him in the game,
sure, but there are always going to be people you just don't mix with. Oh well...
Mike and Ryan are great though, I've had a chance to talk to both of them and they are really nice. A severe oversight
and flaw in my part of the game.
QUESTION: Mario has often said you were his favorite player during the game. Did you ever find that designation
to be hard to live down? Did it ever cause problems among the cast?
JONI: **laughs** I keep asking him why that is... I honestly had no idea. It *was* hard to live down...
I kept searching the episodes, trying to remind myself of what happened, trying to see if I had forgotten anything
amazingly strategic that I had done, and I couldn't find it. I had a bit of strategy here and there, and I managed
to survive... yikes. I don't know that I would say that is the *only* reason for problems among the cast towards
me, but it could be a part of it. No one has complained about it to my face, but it could have something to do
with the bitterness.
QUESTION: How do you and Amy get along now that the game has ended? And did you two really have issues during
the game, or were you closer than you appeared? Did the religion bond ever stay there at all?
JONI: Amy and I have had a few chances to talk, and we've worked things out. What happened in the game can
be put behind us. It was fun while it lasted, and now it's over, and we can be friends for the sake of being friends,
without some underlying strategy. We were pretty close
in the game... I wouldn't go so far as to say that I was closer to her than I was to Chris and Michelle, but we
were definitely good friends. What you read in the episodes is just a tiny part of the conversations we had with
each other, there were many, and most of them had very little strategic talk involved. We had lots of fun discussing
religion, and books, her kids and my sister...etc. I'm glad that we have been able to work out our differences.
There is still some more to talk about, but we're getting there.
QUESTION: Isabella won every immunity between the time she voted for Ryan and the time you were out. At
any point would Kamiya have ever backstabbed her in return, had she been vulnerable for the vote?
JONI: Oh my goodness yes. Michelle and I had conversation upon conversation about voting her out as soon
as she lost immunity. (Stupid wheel!) Whether or not that would have actually fallen through, I don't know. Lets
just say that she was *extremely* lucky with challenges.
QUESTION: What do you have to say to Michelle now that you read the episode? Do you still hold any resentment
towards her? And how hard was that to take at the time?
JONI: I talked with Michelle about my boot long ago, and I don't hold any resentment towards her. Sure,
I don't really get how she would let "Emma" tell her what to do, but she was in a horrible position that
I understand. It was horrible to take at the time. I was incredibly bitter about it, I felt that I had been lied
to, that our friendship had all been for nothing, that she had used me to do her dirty work, etc. I suppose that
is partially true, but, like with Amy, you saw only a fraction of what went on in the game. Mario let me see a
confessional of hers after I left to calm me down, and that certainly helped. Michelle and I are still very good
friends. Remember that people take the game differently as far as emotion goes. Some have a complete lack of emotion,
others have good and bad days, some, like Michelle, feel each emotion to the extreme. It's hard to take under pressure.
We all did things we later regretted.
QUESTION: You were never a major player in the whole Danigate situation. You were more or less left on the
sidelines for all that. So how did YOU view it, as more or less an outsider? How did it look from your perspective?
JONI: I felt *horrible* for her, but didn't feel that I could do much for her. She was rarely online when
I was, so we didn't get much of a chance to talk, and I knew that I was on the chopping block if she wasn't. It
was a tough situation, but I wasn't about to sever trust with my alliance. I wish that she would have had a chance
to play a bit longer, and to see what she is *really* made of.
QUESTION: Harry Potter #1 or Harry Potter #2?
JONI: Movies? The second. Though that looks as if it will change soon, because Harry 3 is my favorite book
of them all. I like the internal conflict that Harry feels in it, and my two favorite characters are introduced
in this one: Sirius and Lupin.
QUESTION: As you look back on it now, what do you feel caused the rift between you and Mike, and could it
have been reconciled? How about Murtz?
JONI: It was twofold. Mike (to my understanding) felt awkward talking with me because of the age difference,
and I took Chris' word for it that the boys all had it out for me... which was true, though Mike hardly deserved
all the horrible words I said about him. He's a great guy, though I doubt we'll ever be able to really connect
on a personal level. I have respect for him though. He's playing a good game. As for Murtz...well...I don't know
that we'll ever be able to fix what happened. Eek! It was... well... it was, and is... chaotic.
QUESTION: How have your relationships with other players changed since the game ended? Is there anyone from
the cast who you feel you will never be able to have a relationship with?
JONI: Relationships haven't really changed much. I talk with Michelle and Chris almost daily, Amy every
so often, Bella every once in a while... Mike occasionally... the only real change is Hogan, who won't talk to
me.
QUESTION: In the game, who did you have in your mind as your #1 ally: Chris or Michelle?
JONI: Pre-switch: Michelle. Post-switch: Chris. Definitely, Chris. I kept him sane, he kept me entertained.
(Love ya Chris!)
QUESTION: In the last episode, we see a couple of other players call you a pawn. What do you think of that
perception?
JONI: Well, I was a pawn for a few reasons. Partly because I set myself up to be a pawn. Having previous
online game experience in the Survivor world, I learned that people underestimated the character I presented.
I didn't want to mess with it, so I expanded on it. People like to pity the poor puppy who needs a home. Once I
had a home with my alliance, it was hard for me to gain leverage on decisions made (throwing the challenge and
voting out Hogan, for instance). There wasn't a great deal I could do to change minds. I could have tried harder,
but I didn't. Ah well.
QUESTION: If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is he A) homeless B) naked or C) Eaten by Murtz?
JONI: It depends. If it is homeless, than it is probably naked. If it is naked, then chances are it will
be eaten by Murtz.
QUESTION: Hogan talked about you lying to him about the vote where he left post-game, what's your side of
the story?
JONI: That I told the truth. The minute I was voted out, Lance and Hogan cornered me about my horrible game
strategy. They told me multiple times that I deserved what I got and that I had it coming... trusting Michelle
and what not. I was later able to pull Hogan aside and tell him why I voted for him. I told him that I was pushed
into it because of prior alliance. In further conversations I told him that Michelle made me do it, and that Isabella
made me do it. Both of these were true. I didn't want to vote him out, but I was pushed to it. I still made the
choice to write his name down, and for that I take blame, but I still find his argument a bit weak. I told the
truth. I don't think there is anything I can do to convince him, but I did tell the truth.
QUESTION: Who has surprised you the most (both positively and negatively) from reading the episodes?
JONI: Mike's strategy has surprised me when reading it. He's very good at working with people, and though
many things he did in the game were a blatant attempt at sucking up, I like to think that he meant well either
way. *laughs* Negatively, probably Beth. Just because I never met her in game, and she always seemed so nice. Yikes!
She's got fangs. Not that I don't like Beth, it was just a shock to the system to see that adorable photo coupled
with such anger. *laughs*
QUESTION: What was your favorite thing about this experience and who do you still talk to today?
JONI: The entire experience in and of itself was great. I love watching people and seeing how they work
under different circumstances. I learned a lot about myself, and others in this game. And I told you who I talk
to... mostly Chris and Michelle with a bit of Isabella, Amy, and Mike on the side. And Mario! Can't forget Mario.
QUESTION: How shocking was this vote to you?
JONI: I had started getting a bit nervous earlier in the day, because Michelle seemed a bit ... distant.
Unfortunately for me, I didn't have a good relationship with Amy or Mike, and knew that "Emma" was stupid
to trust anymore. Either way, the vote was a pretty big shock to the system, especially coming from Michelle, and
the fact that I hadn't been warned. It was frustrating to be dismissed like that when I had been through so much.
In the end, I was disappointed. I knew that my time was running out, but I felt that I deserved at least the respect
of a warning.
QUESTION: What was your reaction to the fact that one of the Angels was actually far from loyal, and in
fact, Isabella playing under an alias?
JONI: First it was anger, than frustration because she was so good at winning challenges. The fact that
she had played the game before didn't bother me all that much, because it was with new people. I'd played a game
before, most people had. The thing that was frustrating was that she knew how the point system worked. It took
me *forever* to figure out when my will points worked, and when they didn't. A huge advantage.
QUESTION: What kind of reception did you receive from the jury after you were voted off?
JONI: Ooooh boy. It was interesting. Like I said before, Lance and Hogan spent a while insulting both me
and my strategy until I eventually left. Ryan and I had a chance to talk, which was good. But... the jury was not
a happy place for the likes of me. I was able to get a letter from Chris, which was great. (Jury wasn't allowed
to talk to the Lodge people. They knew too much, Mario kept feeding them info to keep them happy. *laughs*)
QUESTION: Joni, we really didn't see you make meaningful relationships with anyone but Chris and Michelle
out in Okinawa, and that seems to be why you were voted out. Want to set the record straight, or is there something
about that you wish you had done differently?
JONI: I wouldn't have done it differently. I knew that if/when I went down it would be because of my trust
in people. Read my pre-show interview... I told myself not to do it, and I did it anyway. Do I regret it? Nope.
I made friends, and that means more than a fake prize and bragging rights to me in the end.
QUESTION: So, were you saving up energy for the challenges as accused?
JONI: Nope. I didn't have energy to give! I had something like... 20 will points I was saving for the end.
Some of the challenges (the Tomato Challenge and the Food Auction) were simply mistakes on my part...I forgot to
send in stats for the Tomato Challenge (it was during finals week, I was stressed), and the Food Auction deadline
was in the middle of a dance class, so I didn't make it in time for the ending.
QUESTION: And what's your real relationship with Hogan, hmm?
JONI: What you have to understand about me is that I don't have ANY interest whatsoever in dating. Sure, I
enjoy a good chick flick every once in a while, I swoon as much as any teenaged girl, but I don't have the time,
or desire to do it at this point in my life. I saw Hogan simply as a friend. Further more, a friend from Sato.
I liked him, but I didn't see him as anything more than a friend. He didn't seem like a strong ally, or a likely
final two partner. I didn't realize my "power" over him, because I don't look for that sort of thing.
It was a big oversight of mine in the game, but I'm glad I didn't realize it. I would have exploited him more than
I already unintentionally did. He wouldn't have deserved that.
QUESTION: So, Joni, WTH is your problem with Matt?
JONI: You know, I have no good answer for you. I have no idea! My voting comments surprised even me. If
I remember right, I felt so worried about being voted out that I wanted to leave with a bang, so I decided to go
through all that. I don't have a good answer for you.
QUESTION: How harsh was the realization that you would have to vote out Hogan?
JONI: It was horrible. I hated every minute of it.
QUESTION: Do you think if you did not vote out Hogan, how would it affect the game?
JONI: Like I said earlier, I don't think that I would have finished much differently, though the outcome
would have been much different. An equally angry jury, but filled with different people. Either way I was going
to make people mad at me, I decided to stick with people who held a bit more power.
QUESTION: And finally, you made it to fifth place despite being the underdog on many occasions... if you
had to attribute your success to only one thing, what would it be?
JONI: Luck. Definitely luck. If I had been under any other circumstance, things would have changed around
completely. Exchange one Sato for one Kamiya at the beginning of the game, and things would have ended differently.
Lucky that Michelle and I became friends, lucky that I wasn't as big of a threat to boot in a hurry, lucky that
people trusted me... it could go on.
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