Escaping Reality

The Escaping Reality team wanted to celebrate making it officially three-quarters of the way through all 40 seasons of Survivor. So, we decided to give our "hot takes" on Survivor after watching 30 seasons and debate them with favorite friend of the pod Tom from Dumpster Dive! 

Taking a nod from the "Unpopular Opinions" subreddit on Survivor Reddit, we decided to figure out what our unpopular opinion or hot take was and share it with our friends. And then we mercilessly pick apart each other's arguments (but, like, in a fun way). From themes to players to production/editing, we tackle it all. Let us know what your Survivor hot take is, we want to debate with you!

Be sure to check out Dumpster Dive wherever pods are heard, and follow on Instagram @dumpsterdivepod - you can also find Tom @thetomhamlett. Be sure to leave them a review saying Escaping Reality sent you.

Be sure to subscribe to Escaping Reality & leave us a rating & review if you liked this episode. You can always follow for more @escapingrealitypod on Instagram & @EscRealityPod on Twitter! 

Thanks for listening & thanks for Escaping Realty with us! 

Next up on the pod, we're discussing Season 30: Worlds Apart, or White Collar vs. Blue Collar vs. No Collar if you like to run out of breath when naming a season. We, as a collective, had a hard time nailing down our feelings about this season so get ready for a nice, healthy debate. It's a wild ride across the entire season, but we're here to break it down with you. 

We bring out the big guns to discuss not only the strength of Worlds Apart as a theme, but also touch on the idea of problematic men mistreating women. Shout out to Jeff Probst for trying to hold them accountable, we see you Jeffrey. The biggest debate is between Agie and Nick about our winner: Mike. Take a listen and let us know: are you #TeamAgie or #Team Nick? Let's just say, this one gets a little ~spicy~. As always, you're in for some Rapid Fire and #Jeffneedsavibecheck (but this time it's for a good reason). Let's get into it.  

Be sure to give us a follow as well on Instagram @EscapingRealityPod and on Twitter @EscRealityPod --  If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating/review on Apple Podcasts and/or follow us on Spotify! 

As always, thanks for listening & thanks for Escaping Reality with us! 

Welcome back to another episode of Escaping Reality, where we're diving into our impressions of Survivor Season 29: San Juan del Sur aka Blood vs Water II. This episode we're joined by fellow podcaster and pal, Cix Hamlett from Dumpster Dive: a reality tv trash recap. 

We're chatting all about Blood v Water as a returning theme (and arguing over which iteration is superior), the return and revamp of Exile Island, and, as always, our wonderful (and not so wonderful) castaways. 

Plus: Survivor is making history with the first ever FEET ONLY challenge, and obviously we have to talk about it; Kindness is the 19th castaway and we're annoyed; and, of course, Jeff needs a vibe check. 

Be sure to check out Dumpster Dive wherever pods are heard, and follow on Instagram @dumpsterdivepod - you can also find Cix @cixhamlett. Be sure to leave them a review saying Escaping Reality sent you.

Be sure to subscribe to Escaping Reality & leave us a rating & review if you liked this episode. You can always follow for more @escapingrealitypod on Instagram & @EscRealityPod on Twitter! 

It's an extra special interview episode with Survivor alum & all around wonderful human: Brice Izyah ! 

Brice was a castaway on Survivor S28: Cagayan and made a splash as a member of the Beauty tribe. In his time since being on the show, Brice has continued to make an impact as an advocate & catalyst for increased diversity in the show's production, and as the outspoken host of the Purple Pants Podcast, where he dives into a multitude of topics like reality tv, pop culture, mental health, and much more.  

We sat down with Brice to chat all about his experience before, during, and after Survivor & his hopes for the show's future. Plus, he's sharing how he's been Escaping Reality, taking us behind the curtain of the Zaddy calendar, and answering our most pressing question: What does Jeff Probst smell like? 

You can find Brice on instagram @briceizyah and @purplepantspodcast & on Twitter @BriceIzyah and @PurplePantsPod

Be sure to Subscribe to Escaping Reality & leave us a rating/review letting us know if you found us through Brice! You can always follow for more at @EscapingRealityPod on Instagram and @EscRealityPod on Twitter. 

Thanks for listening & Thanks for Escaping Realty with us! 

Today, we're talking Season 28: Cagayan, a season that we believe anyone can enjoy, even a Survivor newbie. So, grab your bestie who refuses to watch and bring them on this journey that is currently available on Netflix. We're talking about what made this season so enjoyable: from terrific all-around casting to one of the strongest wins (and winners) we've encountered thus far. 

We also discuss the strength of Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty as a theme (and how it could maybe be improved) along with the enigma that is Kass and our collective OBSESSION with Woo. We're bringing you Rapid Fire, honorable mention, and a breakdown of Tony's high-risk, high-reward strategy (and who we want to see him play with in the future).

Be sure to give us a follow as well on Instagram @EscapingRealityPod and on Twitter @EscRealityPod --  If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating/review on Apple Podcasts and/or follow us on Spotify! 

As always, thanks for listening & thanks for Escaping Reality with us! 

Today, we're talking Season 27: Blood vs. Water - or maybe more appropriately, Season 27: Tyson Finally Wins. FAIR WARNING: This episode is a long one because we had some differing opinions and we had to figure it out on air. We debate the difference between 'old school' and 'new school' Survivor (and where we think that distinction comes from) AND the overarching pros and cons of our illustrious winner Tyson. Dive in with us because we're not sure where we stand at the end of this. 

We also discuss how we think production decided on the returning players (and their loved ones) when conceptualizing the season, the strength of Blood vs. Water as a theme, and the continuous use of Redemption Island (for good or bad). We're bringing you Rapid Fire, honorable mention (with a shoutout to Big Brother), and a twist on our favorite segment: #Jeffneedsavibecheck (except this week it's about Tyson). It's a wild ride, so buckle up cause you're in for a roller coaster of emotions.  

Be sure to give us a follow as well on Instagram @EscapingRealityPod and on Twitter @EscRealityPod --  If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating/review on Apple Podcasts and/or follow us on Spotify! 

As always, thanks for listening & thanks for Escaping Reality with us! 

Welcome back to Escaping Reality -- in this episode, we're diving into Survivor Season 26: Caramoan aka Fans Vs Favorites the sequel! Would we call these castaways 'favorites'? listen to find out! 

This season had so much to unpack. We spend equal parts getting silly talking about the returning players & more seriously analyzing the places where casting (once again) fell short -- the negative impacts of the lack of representation & the exploitative nature of calling back Brandon Hantz. Plus we get into the very different styles of gameplay seen in our final 3. 

It's not all so deep though -- we’re pulling no punches in rapid fire where we’re sharing our favorite Cochran moments, best quotes of the season, whether we want to see a single one of the fans play again, and which of Dawn's many, many cries made us say: that’s enough. 

Be sure to subscribe to Escaping Reality & leave us a review/rating is you liked this episode. You can always follow for more content @EscapingRealityPod on Instagram & @EscRealityPod on Twitter. 

Thanks for listening & Thanks for Escaping Reality with us. 

We're so excited to be back with another episode! We hope you enjoyed our interview with Missy last episode, we can't wait to have more Survivor alums join us! 

Today, though, we're talking Season 25: Philippines. There's a lot going on in a season where one tribe gets annihilated (much like Anna's favorite season, Palau). We discuss bringing back returning players with purpose, i.e. because they were medically evacuated in a previous season, and also the reappearance of religion as a driving force behind your game play. 

We spent most of our time talking about the final 4 and the general 'silliness' of Mike Skupin and his return; but we spend plenty of time talking about our collective love for Malcolm and Denise. In the words of Nick, "I would step in front of a bus for either one of them." We're bringing you Rapid Fire and the return of our favorite segment: #Jeffneedsavibecheck. It's a wild ride and we're excited for you to join us.  

Be sure to give us a follow as well on Instagram @EscapingRealityPod and on Twitter @EscRealityPod --  If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating/review on Apple Podcasts and/or follow us on Spotify! 

As always, thanks for listening & thanks for Escaping Reality with us! 

We're so excited to welcome our first Survivor Alumni to Escaping Reality! 

Season 39's Missy Byrd joined us to talk through Season 24 (because it's incredible, and she had great taste) - plus, she's shared all about her experiences before, on, and since the show, as well as a peek behind the production curtain. 

We spent most of our time talking about this season's players in our deep dive, since this is one of the best casts we've seen in a while, but we're also unpacking the controversial Colton story arc, the Men vs Women divide (...again...), and our favorite Tarzan AND Troyzan moments. Don't get it twisted.  

Missy joins us for the first 30 minutes of our season 24 discussion, and pops back at the end to answer some of our rapid fire questions and spill even more Survivor tea. 

Thanks again to Missy for coming on this episode! You can follow Missy on Instagram @themissybyrd on Twitter @themissybyrd and on YouTube to keep up with all her adventures.

Be sure to give us a follow as well on Instagram @EscapingRealityPod and on Twitter @EscRealityPod --  If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating/review on Apple Podcasts (and make sure to let us know if you came because of Missy, and want us to do more interviews with former players!) 

Thanks for listening & Thanks for Escaping Reality with us! 

Happy New Year Escaping Reality Fam! We have a special surprise for you on this lovely first day of 2021! We have our first crossover season episode with our friend Tom (@thetomhamlett) from Dumpster Dive with Tom Hamlett (@dumpsterdivepod). He comes to us with a ton of reality competition love and an allegiance to Dawn! 

We're unpacking Survivor Season 23: South Pacific.  Honestly, it's less of an unpack and more of an accidental predictions for Season 26 (even though we haven’t seen it yet). 

We’re talking about the role of religion on the players and the game as well as how deserving Sophie was of her win. 

We also discuss the value add of redemption island on a second round and Coach’s evolution over 3 seasons. We also start our stan of the one and only John Cochran - a love affair that will continue in season 26. With that and rapid fire, we are truly just having a party with our podcast friend Tom! Enjoy!

You can always follow for more content @EscapingRealityPod on Instagram and @EscRealityPod on Twitter. Be sure to rate/review/subscribe & tell all your Survivor-loving friends to listen! 

Thanks for Escaping Reality with us!