'Survivor': Shambo's poofy mullet, jogger bra, win over fans

I have a crush, and her name is Shannon "Shambo" Waters.

Of course, her hair is incredible: the puffy gray curls mopped on top of her head, all tied off by a dirty old rolled-up bandanna. 

She used to be a marine, and she's not into appearances: when the team gets a whole bag full of new skimpy bikinis (complete with animal print!), Shambo stays put in her sweaty old jogger's bra. As she goes fishing with the new snorkeling gear, she somehow manages to lose an integral mouthpiece in the murky pond and not have her tribe mates hate her for it as a result.

And when office manager Laura Morett led three tribe members through a peaceful morning yoga session, she quickly deemed their exercise frivolous.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" the mega-mulleted one said. "I'm kind of alienated from my tribe because I'm not in the '90210' clique. I'm not doing the warm and fuzzy stuff. I'm doing the Rambo Shambo provider role."

She seems a likely vote for America's Favorite, but I can already see her securing the support of other contestants as well. When she was sent over to observe the Foa Foa tribe after Galu took home its third-straight immunity win, she instantly launched into smooth-talking mode.

"We call you 'Mick-Dreamy' over at our tribe," she told Mick Trimming, grinning widely. Noted: Mick, the hunky doctor, is just as impeccable looking this week as he was last.

"Look at you, you're a real piece of meat," she said, patting Ben Browning's biceps. 

That was about all of the love ol' Benny Boy got this episode as he came under well-deserved heat from his tribe members for the racist remarks he made towards Yasmin Giles during her visit to the Foa Foa tribe last week. After Yasmin accused Ben of roughing her up during an earlier challenge, Ben flew off the handle, deriding her by calling her "ghetto trash" and announcing she should go back to eating "ketchup sandwiches and drinking Kool-Aid." 

Ben, a Missouri-raised bar manager, continued to run his mouth this week. When he tried to teach Mick how to use a flint but failed (Gasp! There's something the Adonis can't do?), his ego quickly surfaced and proved gag worthy.

"Without my help, these people will die," Ben said to camera during an interview, rolling his eyes. Ugh. Who says stuff like that? 

Such attitude did not sit well with Jaison Robinson, who wasted no time in hiding his dislike for Ben at tribal council, saying he'd opt to trade Ben for Shambo if he could. An obvious choice, clearly.

He then took Ben to task for his slur against Yasmin. Ben responded poorly, his face reddening as he tried to explain himself.

"She's from the ghetto and she's trashy," he stumbled. "She's ghetto trashy. That's not racial at all, that's how she's acting."

Riiight. 

"You should have sensitivity to history," Jaison said, shaking his head. 

Clearly, Ben had overstepped his boundaries and was sent home for it. And good riddance. He couldn't handle himself under pressure, and failed physically when trying to tackle anyone during the immunity/reward challenge -- proving he wasn't as much of a hot shot as he believed himself to be.

Meanwhile, the mischievous Russell Hantz -- that jerk who told the lie about saving his dog from Hurricane Katrina -- didn't do much this week but sit back and watch Foa Foa begin to implode.

"This might be the worst group in history and I might be the best," he said. "I'm gonna have them in control like zombies walking around."

OK. But Russell H.'s true leadership qualities have yet to be put to the test. Fearing a takeover via girl power at the next vote, he tried to convince his tribe to vote out spa saleswoman Ashley Trainer this week but failed when Jaison insisted upon axing Ben. 

Still, "this is what God made me for," he insists.

So, will Russell H. stack up to be God's gift to the game of "Survivor," or is he all talk and no game? What did you think of Ben's comments? Did he deserve to go home? And just how freaking awesome is Shambo? Duke it out in the comments.

-- Amy Kaufman (follow me on Twitter @AmyKinLA)

Photo: "Survivor" contestant Shannon "Shambo" Roberts shows off her excellent mullet and headband. Credit: CBS.

Comments

[Rich Reynolds]

Survivor is no longer about surviving in a wilderness setting, but has turned into a sado-masochistic CBS endeavor that besmirches what television should be (could be.)

The show is shameful and the persons selected for the show are, like Russell in the current batch, the dregs of American society.

[whodat]

While Ben clearly didn't handle himself well and deserved to go home, Yasmin didn't handle things well either. What is she thinking going to the other camp and talking to them they way she did. Idiot! Also Ben's comments were over the top and did stereotype poor people, but race? People of all races live in the ghetto. Russell will be exposed soon enough, but for now his plan is working.

[Susie McGreger]

I'll say one thing, when will women stop getting these awful, tacky, classless tattoos? I hate them with a passion.

[Just A Person]

Did you actually watch the show? Shambo is on the outs on her tribe. Losing the diving mask piece definitely pissed off her tribemates.

[Mary]

I don't understand people not seeing Russell for the trouble-maker that he is. Why do they continue to believe him? Hopefully, next week Russell will be exposed. His fatal error may be showing the immunity idol to two members of his tribe. I'm hoping Russell is back-doored next week because he's too cocky to think his tribe will vote to get rid of him.

[Lou]

Russel is a successful american businessman. Please don't confuse the game of Survivor with the game of life! Russel should make it to the merge but after that I would be suprised if people don't catch on to him.

Shambo will go early as she has a low level of tolerance and these people either self-destruct or alienate their teammates.

Ben has zero tact and deserved to go.

Ditto on the tattoo comment.

Good season so far!

[Tom]

my chocolate labrador's name is XAMBU and he is not pleased with this hack.....

[Happy]

Laura is HOT!

[Bob Poole]

We know that we are in deep trouble as a nation when this stupid TV show is still so damn popular.

[Carlie]

What's happened to Survivor? Thursday's episode just had me shaking my head - as they passed out skimpy bikini's to the girls before a rough & tumble challenge (cheap, sexist ......!!!!) - all I can say is: et tu, Survivor, et tu?

[MLA17]

The best thing about this Survivor episode was Jaison calling Ben out for his horrible comments and behavior. Ben was the negative energy in the tribe. Hopefully now that he's gone Foa Foa will be able to band together and win some challenges. Shambo seems cool but she needs to bond with her tribe or risk being voted out.

Russell is a good Survivor player, he's doing exactly what he should but sooner or later the tribe will catch on and hopefully send him home packing.