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Immunity Idol.net NT: Hi Ian, thanks for doing this interview with us! We're excited to have you! IM: Thanks Noah, I’m glad you’ve chosen to interview me. NT: Okay, so, first of all, tell all of our readers about exactly what your purpose is in creating this site? IM: Well, the website is my bid to be on Survivor. Ever since the first season I’ve wanted to be on the show, and I think many people feel the same way. They see the Survivors on TV and they think to themselves, “I could do that!” I am no exception. The only difference between Americans and Canadians in this case is that CBS so far has restricted contestants to their own citizens. I think this is a little hypocritical considering Survivor is broadcast throughout Canada. It’s a little like dangling an unreachable carrot in front of us North of the border. And so I created the website, not so much to advertise my own case, but to let others know that Canadians are just as knowledgeable about the game as their American counterparts. I’m not saying that I deserve speical treatment, but simply that Canadians shouldn’t be barred just because they don’t have American passports. I felt the only way to get this point across was to champion the cause myself. NT: Right now your online petition has about [800] signatures. How many are you looking for before you take any real action in moving toward CBS studios with your protest? IM: If you consider the audience Survivor commands in the US, you’re looking at around 20 million. Add another 5 million or so Canadians and that’s a pretty big audience. 800 signatures seems pretty pitiful when compared to the bigger picture, but then again, so does 10,000. But if I look at the comments from the people who have signed the petition, I think it reflects a larger feeling among Survivor fans – that allowing Canadians on the show would provide some much needed excitement and sporting competition. And so 10,000 signatures would be nice, but I haven’t decided on an exact milestone yet. Most likely I’ll wait until the end of Survivor Palau and see how many I’ve collected. NT: Speaking of heading to CBS with your protest, how exactly do you plan on going about presenting this to Mark Burnett? It won't be easy to get a meeting with him, you know. IM: Quite true. Mark Burnett probably wouldn’t take kindly to odd Canadians presenting petitions to him in the street. Then again, he happens to be visiting Vancouver, British Columbia in March, as part of a motivational conference (other guests on the list include Dr. Phil). Tickets are around a hefty $250, so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to afford to get in legitimately. Perhaps instead I’ll pose as an unassuming caterer, sneak my way into the conference, and gain a meeting with Mark Burnett backstage. Then again, I could just dash into the main room yelling and waving a giant sign with the words, “Let Me On Survivor!” NT: How do your family and friends respond to your devotion to this project? IM: My parents are generally supportive, though they probably think I’m a little “out-there.” But they’re also big fans of the show, and I’m sure they’d enjoy watching their son starve and get kicked off an island. (They know I could handle it). My friends have been great as well, helping me with my e-campaign and passing along the word. NT: So what are you really in it for? The money or the fame? IM: I’d have to say neither. To be honest, I want to be on Survivor because of the experience. Now before everyone rolls their eyes and calls me a liar, consider this: I think most people don’t actually need a million dollars. Certainly, most people want more money than they currently possess, but they don’t need it. In my life, I’m able to live fairly comfortably with my income, probably because I keep things simple. I try to purchase only what I really need, and then usually I reconsider. It’s rare that I find myself unable to purchase anything really necessary. And so money would not be my prime motivation for being on the show. Instead, I’m after the experience of living in a deserted location with other people, stranded with only ourselves and our wits, (if you don’t count Jeff Probst and the camera-persons). The Survivors are basically cut off from the outside world. Everything they’ve ever learned then become their tools. Their willingness and cunning is the only way for this pseudo-utopia to work. Now I don’t kid myself into believing that the contestants will actually face death out there, but for the trials, the emotions, the starvation, the scenery, and the heartbreak, it’s worth it. NT: By making this stand, are you doing this to prove yourself to the producers, or are you more inspired by simply wanting to gain acceptance for Canadians in general? IM: Well I won’t lie. Certainly my uppermost intention for starting the website is to get myself on Survivor, (after all, it IS called “Let Me On Survivor.com”), yet I think it would be beneficial for our populations on both sides of the border to see us interacting and relying on eachother for survival. Perhaps stereotypes will be abolished. Perhaps cross-border camaraderie will be the outcome. Or perhaps the editors of the show will paste together a persona of myself that resembles the evil of Johnny Fairplay and Jerry Manthey combined. Who knows? When all is said and done, if I’m able to place myself on the show, while simultaneously paving the way for other Canadians, then my efforts will have succeeded. Only time will tell if you Yanks are up for the sporting challenge. All I can promise is that it will certainly be interesting. (And if I was to win the million dollars, I would graciously accept it.) NT: Any shout outs or other information you'd like to share with us? IM: I would just like to thank everyone that has signed my petition so far, and has passed along my website to others. And if you get a chance, feel free to check out the other websites that are linked from my site, most notably Make Trade Fair and the World Wildlife Federation. Remember, Survivor is great and all, but there are many important issues happening in the world today that you can get involved with and help out. NT: Well thanks for spending time with us Ian! We all hope you make it onto Survivor one day! |
