Exclusive interview with "Survivor: Gabon"'s Marcus Lehman

What a wonderful interview. I love the sincerity of Marcus' words, and I don't understand why so many Survivor fans have been so quick to jump on him and label him as 'arrogant.' It was very refreshing to see this kind of dynamic on TV, unlike so many homophobic shows. While I'm sure many viewers were hoping for a 'hook up' induced by merge wine, its so nice to see that they're such close friends outside of the show. I wonder what he thought of the editing job if he didn't believe Charlie had a crush on him. Nonetheless I am PSYCHED if they make it onto the Amazing Race, which I happen to love significantly more than Survivor. I think we need to start a petition from CBS now!

Michael, you are so busted! "Many of our readers, including myself..." I agree with you of course, although I am not a fan of the word "role model," but it's just semantics.

If anyone has any doubt how much Marcus likes/respects Charlie, also check out this interview that he gave to reality blurred:

http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/survivor_gabon/2008_Nov_07_marcus_eliminated_interview

Here are a couple of nuggets from the linked interview:

On Charlie: “Charlie and I had a fantastic friendship. He arguably will be one of my best friends for a very, very long time. He’s an amazing, special guy. … He said he’s not sure why a million girls aren’t after [me, but] I’m not sure why a million guys aren’t after him. I’m sure they probably are. So you can see and appreciate all that stuff, but it was really cool to have the friendship, and it was so appreciated in a place that can be as lonely as the Survivor situation, where everyone can be your enemy.” Marcus insisted that Charlie would have gone to the end with him. “I would never sell him out because we really just had so much in common and such great, great interaction together. So grateful for that.”

On the editing of his relationship with Charlie: “I was glad that CBS kind of gave us a little bit of a nod in that they acknowledged that we were having a friendship, although they spent a lot of time trying to make it like Charlie was in love with me while I depended upon Charlie as much as he depended upon me..."

Talk about a mutual admiration society! I am bummed that Marcus and Charlie got separated and that Marcus got side-blinded. But my boy Charlie is still in and starting to show some major gamesmanship of his own. Go Charlie!!!!  

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What a humble, genuine and sweet guy Marcus is! I definitely wish the other straight guys would think like he does. I'm really sad that he got voted off like that. I was really hoping for him to win! :(

Anyways, I hope at least that Charlie wins for us now.

What a wonderful attitude. With guys like Marcus out there it kinda dulls the pain slightly of Prop 8 etc.

I guess I also cringe a bit at the assumption that Charlie must have a crush on Marcus, which Marcus actually denies. Just as it's possible for a gay man and a str8 man to be friends - it is also possible for a gay man to be friends with another man - gay or str8 - without having a 'crush' on him.

After watching the new clip of Marcus, Charlie, and Corinne giving Crystal the silent treatment at Ponderosa, I'm just disgusted. Where does _this_ enlightened attitude come from? Kindergarten?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3l_6j0tOLo

Thank you, Marlie, for showing us that a straight man and a gay man can be friends as long as they're both petty douchebags. Or as long as one of them is too spineless to call out his "friends" on their bad behavior. A gay-straight buddy team would be great on The Amazing Race, but if it's these two clowns, I'm changing the channel.

Marcus has every reason to never speaking to Crystal again after the way she behaved towards him in the competition. She played the game, she got caught out there and now she's paying the price for her choices.

If Marcus doesn't want to speak to her again, that's his right. It's not like he's throwing pineapples at her head or putting snakes in her bed.

It would be completely fake for him to act like "all is forgiven".

Better he should ignore her than cuss her out on a daily basis (because that's what I'd want to do)

He doesn't like her. He's not required to speak to her. He's a grown man. Period.

Charlie has every right to decide to speak to Crystal or not depending upon what works for him. If he wants to support Marcus as his friend, that's his choice. No one is obligated to be nice to someone who isn't nice to them.

Crystal has no redeeming features what-so-ever and her whole "I'm above all of this" attitude is something she adopted upon arriving at the Ponderosa so as not to appear that her feelings are hurt. Fine, let her. The proof is in the pudding and the way she behaved during the competition doesn't just dissappear just because she's no longer in the game.

I also DO NOT think that Charlie and Marcus are responsible for what Corinne says and does. She is a horror. She is an idiot. She is a snob. She is completely without use. She is also an individual who is responsible for her own behavior (despite her constantly prattling on like she and Charlie and Marcus are some bizarre three-some set).  They've known each other for what, a month?  It's not like CHARM are her parents.

If Crystal doesn't like how Corrine  is treating her then she needs to be a woman and step to her and tell her so or ignore her.   

I don't know if Charlie and Marcus have had the opportunity to see and hear everything that Corinne does when they aren't around but I imagine it would be enlightening to them because I think she sings a very different song when they are around (she's a lot more "real" when she's alone with Randy even).

"Heterosexuality is not normal, it's just common." (Dorothy Parker)

I'm with Ana on this one -- this is a challenge that REQUIRES that you outwit and deceive the others to get to the end and hopefully win. To be upset that you were sidelined before you had the opportunity to throw one of the others under the bus is just absurd. I can understand feeling unhappy or disappointed, but to shun a fellow contestant who's been through all the same deprivations and hardships is childish and uncivilized.

There's probably little doubt that Corinne poisoned the well at Ponderosa and turned the others into 13-year-old 7th graders who won't let the uncool kids sit at their table in the lunchroom.

From an article discussing this very issue (and states it better than I can):

However, I am disgusted by Charlie! He is an openly gay man in a society that does not normally welcome that lifestyle. He has the courage to take that stance and deal with the ramifications of it. He can deal with the public distrust, the intra-family issues, the ignorant jokes from stupid recappers like me, and those who would like to cause him bodily harm because of the lifestyle he leads, but he can’t even stand up to three people who he has known for one short month and who he never has to see again if he so chooses! On top of that, he admits it’s wrong, says it makes him feel bad. Yet he still does it!

Full article: 

http://www.realitynewsonline.com/cgi-bin/ae.pl?mode=1&article=article8580.art&page=1 

Outside the context of the game, Crystal would probably be 50 times the friend the ghastly, judgemental Corinne could ever be. Grow a pair, Charlie!

Link to videos below:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor/video/ponderosa.php 

i was really hoping for a Charlie Marcus team-up for TAR but from the interview that  the casting director gave its not looking good for the boys at all :(

These tv people would not know a good entertaining team if it hit them in the face.

Is that how it works because I'm a dyke and am NOT always nice.

See that's what I'm getting at. There is a "special" expectation of Charlie because he's gay. Oh, he should be grateful for not being judged. Oh, he should be grateful that Marcus befriended him. Oh he should know better because he has suffered prejudice.

Piffle!

It seems like Charlie and Marcus became friends because they have stuff in common and they get along. Just, the same way most people because friends. We can't say for sure but that's what it seems like. It also seems like they tolerate Corinne because she was part of their alliance.

I Don't Actually Know why because I can't imagine any circumstance under which anyone would want to spend a single second with her unless they were being paid to do so. But that's just me.

No one watching this show actually knows, personally, any of these people so folks are just projecting what they would do or think they would do in this situation onto complete strangers.

We have NO IDEA how Crystal would or wouldn't act outside of this show. We KNOW how she behaved during the competition. If Charlie and Marcus want to hold it against her, it's is their right and I think completely justified.

Yes you have to lie and scheme and doubletalk in order to win the game. Unavoidable. But there are consequences for every kind of behavior and that's what folks are feeling at Ponderosa. Human nature.

Grown people get to chose who they hang with, with whom they associate, who they chose to call their friends.

We as the viewers really are not in a place to judge them at that level because we don't know what happened, we don't actually know why certain folks become friends and others don't.

We're not watching every single player 24/7.

Being gay does not deny you of your individuality. If Charlie wasnts to give Crystal shade (even if it is just out of loyalty to Marcus) that is his choice.

What does his being gay have to do with anything?

Gay and lesbian people do not OWE it to society to be nice just because someone isn't trying to burn us at the stake.

People should be nice to someone because they are inclined to do so. Period.

I as a black dyke I can tell you that no one is going to make me bow and scrape and walk holding my tongue and being "fake nice' because I am SOOOOO grateful the folks aren't discrimnating against me.

If Charlie genuinely likes Crystal and has chosen to ignore her anyway, well he has just as much right as anyone ask to act like a horses behind.

Heterosexuality is not normal, it's just common." (Dorothy Parker)