What's Your Sign?

I recently received some interesting info via Greg (bio below) about the relationship between Survivors and their astrological signs. He says:

"I did a statistical analysis of Survivor for the Edmonton Journal according to the zodiac signs of contestants. With the exception of All-Stars, the only sign that has ever won twice is Capricorn. Capricorn is also the sign that has been cast on the show the most, with nineteen contestants. Until Tom won the last series, no sign had ever won twice.

Cancer, one of four signs that has never won at all, leads the stats race. Without winning, they've still placed higher than any sign. They've also been in the top three through nine installments of the show. Aquarius, despite having a winner once, is the last place sign, and has been in the bottom three since the beginning. Your odds of getting cast on the show are far greater if you're a Capricorn or an Aquarius, and freakishly low if you're a Libra -- four times less, in fact. Traditionally aggressive, overbearing signs (Aries, Cancer, Capricorn) routinely do better than supposedly gregarious, peace-loving signs (Aquarius, Leo, Libra)."

More info on all the signs:

Aries: Aggressive, overbearing, rash, with an overwhelming desire to be first. Typically cast off for being threatening, like Burton. Richard Hatch was the Aries winner. 11 cast so far. Tied for 2nd place with Pisces.

Taurus: Down-to-earth, easygoing, yet menacing when angered. Often ditched after stress reveals their tenacity and stubborn streak. No Taurus winner so far. Bobby-Jon was the last memorable Taurus. 14 cast so far. 11th place overall.

Gemini: Shifty, able to play both sides of the fence, and always thinking too far ahead. Cast off for scheming more often than not. Katie is the highest placing Gemini, and tattooed Lex is also a Gemini. 9 cast so far. 5th place overall.

Cancer: Generally able to cultivate strong alliances, playing the sappy, emotional part of the game well. No Cancer has won, but several have come close. Usually cast off for being recognized as a threat, but only after getting into the dominant group. Kelly and Sue Hawk from the first Survivor are both Cancers. 12 cast so far. 1st place overall and holding strong.

Leo: The best Leo players have typically made everyone like them too much to vote them off. Leos thrive on admiration. Although I haven't included All-Stars in these stats, Amber is a Leo. Sandra was the only Leo winner. 13 cast so far. 8th place overall.

Virgo: Cunning, often able to zip it while everyone else eats each other alive. Prone to losing when the inherent bitchiness of the sign is revealed (Jerri). Chris is the only Virgo winner, but Kim Johnson who was second to Ethan is also a Virgo. 13 cast so far. 7th place overall.

Libra: Regarded as the "peacemaker" of the zodiac, the passive Libras always go home early. The shifty ones who pretend to sit on the fence do well. Evil Rob and Twyla are the Libras who have gone the farthest. Only 5 cast so far. 4th place overall.

Scorpio: Secretive scorpios have done well when they've shut their mouths and when they've used sex appeal to get further in the game. They've done poorly when they've been pouty outsiders. Ethan is the only Scorpio winner. 14 cast so far. 9th place overall.

Sagittarius: Energetic, gregarious Sagittarians should be doing well, but there have been a couple who have thrown in the towel way too early. Vecepia, who made it to the end by being nice to everyone, is the only Sagittarian winner. Stephenie is also a Sagittarius. 13 cast so far. 10th place overall.

Capricorn: Capricorn is typically the "old" sign; the mature player who takes on a leadership role. Attempting to control the camp usually gets a Capricorn cast off. Tina and Tom are the two Capricorn winners. 6th place overall.

Aquarius: Friendly and popular, but with a million quirks to inevitably annoy their fellow castaways (take Rupert, for example), Aquarians have been in the stats basement since the beginning of the show. Jenna was the only Aquarian winner. 16 cast so far. 12th place overall.

Pisces: The Pisces contestants who have done well have done it by pairing up with Capricorns. Brian, the Pisces who won, had Capricorn Clay by his side. Neleh and Pascal, both Pisces, had Kathy, another Capricorn. Jen had Greg. Pisces should be a typically non-aggressive sign, but they've done incredibly well while allowing others to do their dirty work for them. 11 cast so far. Tied for 2nd place overall.

Greg Polkosnikbeen has been the astrology columnist for Teen Vogue, Harper's Bazaar Online and Nylon magazine, as well as the author of "Cosmically Chic: Discovering Your Fashion Style through Astrology". He lives in Edmonton where he spends the cold winters at the gym so he can be ready to don a Speedo when Canadians are finally allowed onto Survivor.

New Cast Revealed

Hi all, seeing as today they revealed the new cast, I thought I'd post a link up. It appears they decided to stick with only 16 this time around, perhaps because it dragged a little long last time. But as noted by Andy at Reality Blurred, this could just be a tactic to set up a twist further into the game. Who knows? Guess we'll find out Sept 15, 2005.