Watching Survivor

Throughout the season of Survivor: China, I had a soft spot for the Lunch Lady. I’ve known several people like her, and hey, part of me resonated with her feelings of being the outsider, and left out of the group of ‘cool kids’. Who hasn’t felt that way? (The cool kids, of course. ha!) I’ve been that girl more then once in my lifetime.

As she was picked last for challenges, left out of challenges, brought on some rewards then bombarded by petty bitterness when she didn’t return the ‘favor’ at a later date - we all could empathize, could sympathize, and really pulled for her. She was the ultimate underdog, the one we loved to love, the one we wanted to pull through, even though she lacked strategy and really never played the Survivor Game.

As such, around the nation last night, there was a collective “Awwww!” as she spoke of losing her job and having to clean toilets now because she was too recognizable, and a collective cheer when Mark Burnett had Jeff make the announcement that he was going to give her $50k to help get her life back on track once again for her and her kids.

And now, this morning? There’s a completely different reaction. According to the article posted at EW.com’s Hollywood Insider, Denise’s boss, School Superintendent Nancy T. Lane, claims that Denise outright lied during the reunion show. According to Lane, the promotion to custodian was worked for, asked for, and gained by work performance by Denise before she took her leave for the show, and they’ve issued a press release stating this as fact:

Press Release: Mrs. Denise Martin
December 17, 2007
Douglas Public Schools

On the “Survivor China” television program that aired on December 16, 2007, Mrs. Denise Martin, an employee of the Douglas Public Schools, stated that she was demoted from her position as a cafeteria worker upon her return from taping the show. This statement is false. In fact, Mrs. Martin held a full-time position as a custodian prior to her participation in the series, and she returned to this same position upon her return from China. Mrs. Martin was granted - at her request - an unpaid leave of absence so that she could participate in the “Survivor” program. We were pleased and excited to support Denise, and have enthusiastically cheered her on throughout the duration of the show.

Although Mrs. Martin was a cafeteria employee prior to her selection as a contestant, she asked to be considered for a promotion to full-time custodian, and was promoted to this position on March 30, 2007. This promotion came with additional benefits and a higher salary. Following her leave, she then returned to this same position.

Regretfully, the Douglas Public School District was inaccurately portrayed as failing to be accommodating to an employee during what the District viewed as a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity. This is far from the case. On the contrary, we granted all requests made by Mrs. Martin so that she could participate in the “Survivor” series. Since Mrs. Martin was on an approved leave, her position was held open for her, and she returned to this same position upon her return from China. As a District, we make every effort to support our employees, and will continue to do so.

Nancy T. Lane
Superintendent of Schools

She added to EW:

“I can empathize, having been a working mother,” Lane said. “It’s tough to work those night shifts. But she took the job; that’s the job she took leave from [to do Survivor]. If she wants to go back to the day shift, she should apply when one comes open.”

Lane says she spoke with Martin on the telephone on Monday afternoon and that the show’s fourth-place finisher was apologetic, but that “she did not explain why she said that to my satisfaction,” Lane explained. “It’s difficult to grasp. We did nothing but encourage her. She took leave for almost three months, she was given additional times off when ever she needed it. Now she says this on national TV…. Douglas is a nice little town. Everybody was rooting for her, the local paper was bending over backwards with positive articles. Then to have it end this way. Talk about a letdown.”

Martin was still in California on Monday, but Lane says her job is waiting for her when she comes back home on Friday. “I told her, ‘I think we have a few things to go over,’” Lane says. “I might have a few things I’d like to talk about.”

CBS only had this to say for now:

“The comments made by Ms. Martin on the program were compelling and sympathetic. If these statements were misleading or false, we hope that she will take immediate and public steps to clarify her remarks.”

So - this begs the question…. what do YOU think of these developments?