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Ace Gordon

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marigold:

Ace Gorgon a bulletin from myspace:

Join me at Southstreet for survivor premier...

marigold:
 :'(  An interview with Ace:

Exclusive: Ace Gordon discusses his surprise 'Survivor: Gabon' ouster

Ace Gordon, a 27-year-old fashion photographer and Cartier jewelry salesman from Naples, FL , didn't set out to make friends on Survivor: Gabon -- even his closest ally referred to him as a "snake," but one thing was certain: Ace was truly in it to win it.

However, 21 days into the game, his perception as a threat to other castaways, combined with his closest ally's betrayal, led to Gordon becoming one of two members  -- and the seventh overall -- to be eliminated during the competition during Thursday's broadcast of Survivor: Gabon on CBS.

On Friday, Ace talked with Reality TV World about how he knew he was going to be betrayed by Jessica "Sugar" Kiper, what castaway he considers to be nothing more than a "patsy," and why his British accent is not a fake.

Reality TV World:  Why did you ask Sugar for the Immunity Idol before last night's Tribal Council -- were you worried that [Matty Whitmore] was going to flip on you or were you worried that Sugar was going to flip on you?

Ace: I actually was worried about both of them. Also I wanted to soothe Matty's worries that she had the Immunity Idol.

I sort of saw that Sugar was going crackpot so I wanted some form of protection.

Reality TV World:  Last night's broadcast only showed Sugar saying she was going to think about giving you the Idol.  Did she ever end up giving it to you?

Ace: No

Reality TV World:   So does that mean you had a feeling she was going to turn on you or did it still come as a surprise?

Ace: I knew she was turning on me.

Reality TV World:  Did she give you an explanation for not giving you the idol?

Ace: No, she just didn't say anything. She said "Give me some time to think," and I knew I was dead then.

Reality TV World:  Why were you immediately certain that it was Sugar and not Matty that had betrayed you -- was there some kind of giveaway on that part of Sugar's vote that the show blurred out?

Ace: No, just because... I don't know. At a certain point you know who... I'm a very good judge of character, let's put it that way.

Reality TV World:  Could you elaborate on how you could tell?

Ace: Well, the same way that people have "tells" when they play poker. It was obvious, she wouldn't look me in the eyes. Matty's one of the most expressive characters I know and the absolute look of fear, horror, and shock on his face when I was voted out sort of gave away the fact that he didn't vote for me. 

Reality TV World:  On Sugar's vote there was something that was written and blurred out on the broadcast. Do you know what that was?

Ace: No, I'm not sure.

Reality TV World:  You were pretty boastful and overconfident throughout the game, do you think that's what ultimately did you in?

Ace: No, not really. I mean I was confident and things like that but I mean... confidence and arrogance are akin I guess and that's why people would say that.

But on the same note, I tried to keep that purely for [my] confession[al interviews]. I tried to be quite secondary in relation to my interactions. I mean I do have a strong personality, I would never deny that and I'm not in any way in-adept. But at a certain point we can only hide so much.

Reality TV World:  This morning, [Survivor: Gabon host Jeff Probst] posted a blog entry in which he insisted you were blindsided but had been refusing to admit it.  Is that true?

Ace: Absolutely not because there's an interview -- if he really wants to argue about it -- right before me going to Tribal Council with me saying I'm about to be assassinated. He can... I don't know the most polite way to put that.

Reality TV World:  You'd convinced other people -- including Matty -- not to vote Sugar out of the game several times.  Did you plan on sticking with Sugar all the way to the end or were you planning on dumping her at some point? 

Ace: I mean I had sort of no reason to dump her she was a great person to bring to the Final 2.

Reality TV World: : How about Matty?

Ace: I made Matty a promise, I would've stayed [until the end] with him. I was very inclined to be next to him, he's a very physical competitor, which was good [because] one of us would have the personal Immunity Idol.

On the same note he could sway people, but only to a certain extent and I felt confident in my closing arguments that it would be to my benefit to have him there.

Reality TV World:  So before last night's Tribal Council session, [Ken "Kenny" Hoang] and Sugar had a conversation where Kenny told Sugar that you'd told everyone that you'd planned to get the hidden Idol from her so that you and the rest of the tribe could blindside her -- was that true or did Kenny completely make that up?

Ace: He was making it up. If I really wanted to have blindsided her I could have done it three times in a row. Why would I do it the fourth?

Reality TV World:  It it safe to say that it stung because you protected Sugar for 21 days and then she was the person who ultimately voted you out?

Ace: I mean obviously it was a stunning thing too. On the same note it wasn't the fact that I so trusted her, it was more the fact that there was no point for her to do what she did. I understand people if I suddenly became a huge threat, or if I was gonna kill her or something of that nature. But she had two Immunity Idols at that point. Why vote for the person that's been protecting you when it's obvious he's been protecting you the whole time.

If it was a strategic move I would have respected it. The fact that it was all willy-nilly "I'm just gonna choose somebody and I'm gonna choose the person who's been saving my ass" was slightly frustrating.

Reality TV World:  Were you surprised at how strong a strategic player Kenny was?

Ace: Kenny's not a strategic player.

Reality TV World:  Well obviously he was swaying Sugar. Why do you think he wasn't?

Ace: Because of the fact that he just went along and played "patsy" for everyone. He didn't make any decisions himself. He thinks he's some sort of "mystic" in that respect and the man behind the scenes, but that was really not true.

Reality TV World:  Things didn't look very good for you when you first got switched to the Fang tribe. Were you surprised were you when the Fang tribe members decided to vote out [Danny "G.C." Brown] instead of Sugar or yourself?
 
Ace: No. G.C. had become a nightmare at that point. He's a very nice person outside of the game, but he was cracking at the edges at that point.

Reality TV World:  Except for Sugar and Matty, you didn't seem to be very popular with any of your other Fang or Kota teammates -- why do you think that was the case?

Ace: Did you say either of the tribes?
 
Reality TV World:  Yeah, the Fang or Kota tribes.

Ace: Oh, I didn't realize I was that unpopular in relation to Kota. On Fang it was because I had nothing in common with these individuals. There was no common ground.

Reality TV World:  Last week when [Kelly Czarnecki] was eliminated, you two had an exchange of rude comments and she said that you were lying. Looking back now do you have any regrets about that exchange?

Ace:  No. I mean, in retrospect, other things could have been said but at the time we were in the game. I think Kelly's a nice girl outside of the game. She's a friend of mine.

But at the time we were all particularly, comparatively vindictive.
 
Reality TV World:  Lots of people -- including Jeff -- have noted how your British accent seems to come and go and questioned whether it's real.  What do you have to say to that?

Ace: (Sarcastically) It's definitely fake. I mean, yeah I just put this on all the time because I have nothing better to do!

(Pauses) I mean, people can say what they want I don't really care to tell you the truth.

(Pauses again) I'm sorry, I'm not really frustrated at you, I've just had this question asked one-hundred times today so it's the same answer regurgitated over and over again.

You know, my accent comes and goes depending on who I'm talking to or what emotional state I'm in, so on and so forth. I lived in England for eight years. Both of my parents are English. I mean what do you want me to say?

If I was bother to lie -- if you really think about it in relation to the game -- I should have faked an American accent during the game and then put an English accent back on, or just let me have my normal accent, during confessions and it would have been great TV.

But the truth is I didn't think about it. my accent actually hindered me more than anything else because it made people question the fact as if I was loyal because I sounded different than they did. I was practically a black swan with the white swans [and] ostracized because of that. Why would I bother to exile myself on purpose when I have the intellect and capacity to understand what it would do if I didn't do it.

Reality TV World:  How were you cast on Survivor?

Ace: How did I get on the show?

Reality TV World:  Yeah.

Ace: I applied.

Reality TV World:  Had you applied before?

Ace: I had applied once six years ago. I moved towns so i got called back and then I just never went to completion.

Link: http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/exclusive-ace-gordon-discusses-his-surprising-survivor-gabon-ouster-7954.php

marigold:
An interview with Ace:

Survivor: Gabon "People love me or hate me - there's no happy medium"

What was your first impression of Africa?
Ace: It's like a beautiful wildcat after it's got mange - literally deteriorating. That's Africa. It has the capacity and raw power to be unbelievable but on the same note is sort of slightly used, abused and repulsive.

Which tribe did you prefer being on Kota or Fang?
Ace: Actually, I would have preferred being on Exile Island.

Ace, you made a lot of enemies after you stepped up as a leader. Do you feel like that put a target on your back?
Ace: I think I walk around with a target on my back, generally. I had liability either way. There's something about my accent, demeanor and personality that just seems to either make people fall in love with me or hate me. There's no happy medium.

What was the hardest part of Survivor for you?
Ace: I lost 35 pounds out there and that wasn't as bad as having to interact with the people who were just so unaware.

Since you can't win, who do you think deserves to win?
Ace: I don't know, honestly. I like Matty and I like Sugar - they're good people. They're genuine in their insanity I think it's anybody's game at this point. It's got a lot to do with talent and luck.

What are you doing now?
Ace: I'm working as a photographer and finishing a screenplay for Hollywood.

Link: http://www.intouchweekly.com/2008/10/survivor_gabonpeople_love_me_o.php

puddin:
Sugar went crackpot, Kenny the patsy! I love it!! lmao!

marigold:
An interview with Ace and Dan:

Survivor: Gabon’s Ace & Dan Debate Rice Rations, Sugar’s Strategy and More



Thanks to a surprise double-ouster, both photographer Ace Gordon, 27, and attorney Dan Kay, 32, found themselves on the wrong side of Jeff Probst’s torch snuffer on this week’s episode of Survivor. They called from New York to settle debates about rice rations, Sugar’s smarts, Fang faults and what flavor of ice cream Marcus would be. –Carrie Bell

Both of you ended up on the opposite tribe at the switch. Do you think this helped you last longer in the game or contributed to your downfall?
Ace: 100 percent it contributed.
Dan: I would have ended up with the same fate. On Fang, I had a good alliance of four people but on Kota we won seven in a row so it wasn’t even an option to be sent home. Had I stayed on Fang, I would have enjoyed it more because I started to relax once I started to trust Matty, Randy and Susie.

Do you think Fang would have fared any better in its original state or are they just cursed?
Ace: I think at a certain point Kota would have kept winning and they would have focused on cutting away the fat and would have turned the tables on us.
Dan: I disagree. They had the food troubles and there are a few individuals on that tribe that are physically-challenged. And they never seem to vote to keep the team the strongest.
Ace: I was trying to be positive but it was a lost cause. The weak people were threatened by the stronger, smarter players but getting rid of them means you can’t win challenges. I was doomed from the switch. I can’t believe Crystal was an Olympic gold medal-winning runner. When I found that out, I just couldn’t believe how badly she performed. Who was she running against in Athens, disabled kids? Sugar was an idiot savant and Kenny weighed 90 pounds. That’s less than Courtney from China. And then I had Matty. ‘Dude.’ I was like, ‘Dude what?’ And he’d be like, ‘Dude, let’s vote our everyone.’ What kind of a plan is that? We could have lost even if we weren’t playing against anyone.”

Did you trust in your alliance with Sugar, and was it disappointing to have a friend stab you in the back?
Ace: Of course, I was disappointed. It didn’t make any sense for her to knock out her best ally. I would have respected it if it was a strategic move because it is a game after all. But she did it for no reason. I wasn’t out to get her. I had protected her four tribal councils in a row. Now she is unprotected and they all know she has the idol so she shouldn’t feel safe. We’re cool personally but strategically I did not think it was a good move. It would be like the US blowing up Britain. Why would you do that?
Dan: Because of their funny accents.

As we have interviewed exiting contestants each week, we get the most varied opinions about Sugar, ranging from instable and depressed to smart and cunning to ditzy and a follower. You seemed to get to know her the best so what’s your assessment?
Ace: I think she is an idiot savant. She is a brilliant numbskull. She is a lot of fun. Outside of the game she is pleasure to hang out with. But in the game, I don’t think she knew what Survivor was all about. I was trying to strategize with team members who didn’t know they were playing the game.

How was it that Sugar found the idol on Exile and you didn’t?
Dan: I do give her credit for finding the idol. I’d like to think that some of the factors that went into my inability to find it were physical. I had heatstroke. I was dry heaving. I had barely any water because we had just gotten fire the night before and hadn’t boiled any yet. I had 12 blisters on one hand. I was miserable there. But the bottom line was that I was not intelligent enough to look harder and widen my search area.

You make an interesting point about the physical toll the game takes on players. Was that the hardest part?
Dan: Watching it on TV does not do it justice. It does not capture how mentally exhausted you are and how awful your body feels or how that affects your desire to play the game. I came home from exile and I said to the one of camera crew, ‘I think I’m quitting.’ It sounds silly to say that now because I feel healthy but at the time everything was kind of green.
Ace: Dan is hitting the nail. It is debilitating. I lost 35 pounds out there. Things you find so simple in day-to-day activities became a challenge. I would sit and think of things just so I would be sound of mind. You’d see people stand up and almost fall back down because they were so lightheaded. I would see black spots when I stood up at times. When I moved to Fang, it was traumatizing. Not only was I trapped on a team that with mental midgets, I was also starving to death.
Dan: Please, mental little people. Be politically correct. I lost 10 pounds before I went and I lost about 16 or 17 pounds while I was out there. We had more food than Fang. And, if you listen to Corinne, I was eating more of it than anybody else.

Did you realize you ate as much as you did or that your big appetite irked people? Did you contribute to Fang’s low rations before the tribe swap?
Dan: I didn’t realize people were mad. No, I don’t think I contributed to Fang’s food issues. I love going through this scenario logically. We cooked a half a pot of rice at each meal, probably 10 cups. The amount you are going to get out of it extra if you are hogging is only 4 or 5 extra scoops. By no means was I eating significantly more than anyone else. It was probably magnified by the fact that Corinne’s personality feeds on attacking others and negative energy. Maybe she feels she is making up for something lacking in her personal life. I love food. I enjoy eating. But I was also very cautious about what I ate. I counted the scoops Marcus was having and I always had the same amount as him. But people can get petty after 19 days. Had they called me on it, I would have apologized and made changes. Marcus was the only one who said anything to me and I told him I was only eating as much as him.
Ace: How dare you slander the golden child?

Do you think the food issue is why you were let go or do you think people thought you had the idol or your need for acceptance rubbed people the wrong way?
Dan: I wanted to trust them but I couldn’t. I by no means wanted to be accepted by Corinne. If I am and I become her friend then I am just as bad as she is. Can you tell I still have a little bit of issues with Corinne and Marcus? Judging my conversations I have had with other cast members, everyone is going through that a little bit. Hopefully I will have the maturity to work through my issues and bury the hatchet. I don’t think she’ll be a big part of my life ever.

Ace, you always made a point of saying that you didn’t care what anyone thought of you. Is this true or did all the trash talk sting a little?
Ace: I am a little manipulative. I don’t deny that. Anyway, I’m not the easiest person to get along with. If I like you, great. If I don’t, you might as well go away. I’m not a cookie cutter. If Marcus was an ice cream, he’d be vanilla. Everyone likes it but it gets boring as sh–. I’m something weirder like pistachio where you either love it or you hate it. If you want to dish, that’s fine but you are gonna get it back. I am a very nice person in my setting but out of it, I can be a righteous a–hole.

Who has this competition in the bag in your opinion?
Ace: Obama.
Dan: It’s anyone’s game at this point regardless of how things are coming across.
Ace: I agree. I’m not trying to be obtuse, but this game has so many twists and turns that you may as well put your hand in a hat and draw a winner.

Was this a life-changing experience? Are you recognized in public and what are you up to now?
Ace: I have had a lot of people come up to me in bars and clubs. They want to take pictures. I was hanging out with Sugar a couple of days ago and she gets mad because the only time she gets recognized is when she’s with me. Work-wise, I am doing a lot of photography and am about to finish a screenplay that I think will be picked up in Hollywood.
Dan: I have been recognized, but I shaved my head so I don’t look the same. Life will go back to the way it was, but I think I will appreciate what I have in my life and the people in my life more since Survivor. I’m going back to the practice and stay a lawyer. I think I am better equipped to deal with the stress that comes with being a lawyer. If this experience doesn’t change you…
Ace: Then there is something wrong with you.

Link: http://tvwatch.people.com/2008/10/31/survivor-gabons-ace-dan-debate-rice-rations-sugars-strategy-and-more/

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