Parvati Shallow, one of the most strategic players to come out of Survivor in its 21-year history, is speaking out on all of the changes taking place on season 41, which she largely credits to host Jeff Probst's possible "identity crisis." Since Parvati first appeared on Survivor: Cook Islands in 2006 and was voted the winner of Survivor: Micronesia - Fans vs. Favorites in 2008, a lot has shifted in the reality TV space. There has been a call for more diversity, which Survivor has answered. While Parvati applauds this effort, she feels Jeff may be trying too hard in other areas.
The premiere on Sept. 22 of Survivor season 41 was one of the most highly-anticipated. After over a year of production delays due to the pandemic, fans, contestants and Jeff were eager to for the show's return. From the first episode, it was evident that steps were taken behind-the-scenes to revamp Survivor. There's less food, more plot twists and the most diverse group of players ever casted. It was also evident that Jeff wanted to make everyone feel welcome. He asked whether or not his famous line, "Come on in guys," which he uses to welcome the tribes before each challenge, should be altered. When LGBTQ+ contestant Ricard Foyé said it should, Jeff dropped the "guys" portion with no hesitation. This decision was met with split reactions from viewers.
Recently, Parvati shared her thoughts on the matter with former contestant Rob Cesternino, who welcomed the 39-year-old as a guest on Rob Has A Podcast. Parvati described Jeff's line change as "interesting" and admitted that her opinion can be seen as controversial. "I think Jeff might be having a bit of an identity crisis," she shared. "I think he's just coming in and he's like, 'I got to be super woke. I got to say all the right things to make sure all the different groups of people are feeling heard and seen.'" She went on to say that this is an admirable quality of Jeff. "He's someone who really wants to touch the heart of someone. He wants to know a person and now he's really infusing a lot of that into this season ... Jeff is really embracing this version of host."
Parvati is one of the fan favorites, and she always has an interesting perspective as someone who has played the game four times. Wendell Holland, winner of Survivor: Ghost Island in 2018 and Parvati's castmate on Winners at War, called out critics of recent changes. He said, "To all the people calling 'Survivor' 41 'woke Survivor' because they are intentionally using more inclusive language and casting more diverse castaways - who hurt you?"
Regardless of what people think, Jeff can't be blamed for wanting to be as inclusive as possible. It was only a few months ago that Chris Harrison, longtime host of The Bachelor franchise, was forced to step down after downplaying contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's racially-insensitive actions. During an interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay on Extra, Chris went on a tangent about cancel culture and being "woke." After nearly two decades, he was replaced. While a small minority remains angry about the direction of the show, many understand that Survivor must adapt to its ever-growing, ever-diverse fan base.
Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8pm EST on CBS.
Source: Rob Has A Podcast, Wendell Holland/Instagram