‘Survivor: Kaoh Rong’ spotlight: Could Joe Del Campo win in his seventies?
First of all, can we say how cool it is that someone like Joe Del Campo is on “Survivor” this season? Rudy back in “All-Stars” was the last contestant we’ve seen on the show in their seventies, and it’s just not something you see very often. This game kicks your butt physically and mentally, and obviously producers are afraid of any liability that could come from an older person being on the season.
Here’s the thing about Joe: The guy is built like a tank. He’s probably in better shape than almost anyone on the season, and in listening to him talk in the video below, he has the skills and the smarts to play this game at a high level. As we’re going to pay out in the video below, we’re not worried about him at all when it comes to his age; there are other parts of the game that could land him in trouble.
Age – 71 (he is listed as 72 online, but saying he is 71 at the time of filming the video)
Location – Vero Beach, Florida. It’s a town on the east coast of the state, north of West Palm Beach and south of Melbourne.
Tribe – Chan Loh a.k.a. the Brains.
Occupation – Former FBI agent. Unlike The Specialist, he actually tells you what sort of federal agent he once was! He’s also continued to use some of those skills ever since leaving the bureau.
Past “Survivor” comparison – He mentions Tom Westman, and we can certainly see that. We don’t think he is as much of a curmudgeon as Rudy was, but we do think that some of his history and background could make him almost a Coach-like figure in terms of some of the stories he could tell. Also, we feel like honesty and integrity are things he values highly.
Things to know – As evidence by the guy’s muscles, physical fitness is still extremely important to him, and he’s a guy who likes a little bit of danger and getting himself in the thick of an adventure. He really seems interested in the experience part of the game, but also feels like he possesses many of the skills necessary to be an asset to the tribe.
Advantages – He’s very articulate, super-intelligent, and he has a great ability to read people and understand them. He’ll be someone nice to have around camp in the early days, and while he sounds like someone who could get a little bossy at times, he also has a pretty positive attitude. He should at least be pretty competitive in the challenges, and his story and his age will probably endear himself to others in the game.
Disadvantages – Joe is a guy who has gotten very far in life seemingly by being a great, hard-working, and caring person. We just can’t envision him being okay with going out there and playing dirty and stabbing people in the back. We’re not sure it’s in him to be cruel or hurtful, even in a game setting. More than likely, he will be loyal to a front and hope people will take him to the end of the season based primarily on merit.
Prediction – Joe’s going to be a great guy to have on this season, and we love that there’s an inspirational quality to him going out and playing this game. As we mentioned, we don’t think age is going to be his issue; instead, it could just be more that the other players don’t want an authority figure, and they may not be willing to listen to what he has to say or to play the game in the way that he wants to. We just can’t see him going too far, especially since there’s zero chance anyone lets him near the final tribal council. This guy, provided that he brings the same enthusiasm to the game that we see here, could beat almost anyone in a showdown.
What’s your early take on Joe? Share below, and head over here to get some more “Survivor” news! Also, sign up over here to get some additional TV news on all we cover, sent right over to you via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: CBS.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bQ4WnSaMYo