From Fiji to the Survivor finale stage, Kellee Kim impacted countless lives by standing up against injustice. As the Island of the Idols contestant eloquently explained to her audience, it’s difficult for women to speak up when they are being harassed or abused. Her bravery in doing so has led to positive changes in Survivor, and the reach of her words extends far beyond future seasons of the show.
Kellee is not the only one to experience inappropriate touching on Survivor. She is the first to vocalize her discomfort in such a way that provoked a response, albeit one that ultimately arrived too late. She was also the first survivor in the show’s history to be provided the platform to call out injustice, educate those in power and demand new guidelines be put in place. While Kellee’s initial rebuke of her harasser’s behavior fell on deaf ears, Jeff Probst learned from his mistake and allowed Kellee the space she needed the 39th season’s final hour to be a light at the end of a dark tunnel.
The strength Kellee displayed both during and after the filming of her season delivered inspiration to those who have been through something similar, valuable lessons to hesitant bystanders and a severe wake-up call to anyone who has behaved in such a manner as her harasser on the island. As we saw with the perpetrator on Island of the Idols, the offense may be a subconscious routine. It takes collective cognizance to stop it. Absent this support - Janet Carbin was the only one who went to bat for Kellee when the discussion about unwanted touching emerged again at the merge - it becomes even harder for a survivor to address these issues and expect appropriate measures to be taken to ensure everyone’s safety.
This topic is uncomfortable and the backlash victims receive for articulating their truth is often deemed to come at too much of a cost. This must, therefore, be a concerted effort from all parties to be more aware of words and actions from persecutors who discomfit and dehumanize others. It behooves us all to listen to Kellee’s message and think about the people we interact with in our daily lives - our family, our colleagues, our circle of friends - and ask ourselves if we’re doing enough to hold those in power accountable for conduct that seeks to abash and unsettle their victims. It has been normalized to accept silence and avoid allyship in instances like these. Kellee’s admonishment of the show’s ramshackle rules ill-fitted to protect victims of harassment is a positive step toward shifting that norm.
At its very worst, Survivor has been a painful reflection of our world. Thanks to Kellee’s cogent conversation with Jeff, Survivor can also be a tool for healing, and for greater understanding. Here are some resources for anyone who has gone through something similar, or feels compelled to donate to help those who feel silenced or unsafe: RAINN, PCAR, Relief Fund for Sexual Assault Victims.