‘Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X’ spotlight: Why Michaela Bradshaw is a possible contender
The word “Millennial” has obviously developed its own sort of stigma the past couple of years, one associated with free-wheeling hipsters who love artisan foods and have very little desire to work hard. Maybe pop culture plays into that.
The reality, though, is that there are plenty of people 35 and under who are workhorses, hustlers, and people trying to scrap for whatever they can in life. That’s why we like Michaela Bradshaw as one of the possible contenders for “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X,” based on much of what we’ve seen and read about her through CBS so far. One of the most impressive things she says is how she’s better equipped for life because of the struggles she’s had; while they are probably very different than the struggles she’ll face on a reality TV show, we do think knowing and understanding adversity goes a long way in a game that could put you through hell.
For more, take a look at our full spotlight below.
Tribe – Vanua (Millennial)
Bio – She’s a 25-year old working in vacation club sales out of Fort Worth, Texas. She’s originally from California, but moved to the state at an early age.
Positive attributes – Without getting into our personal philosophy on religion or its use within what is effectively a game show, we really like what she has to say on her Christian faith and its role in her life: “God can have a lot for you, but you have to put in work to get it.” There seems to be several contestants with religious backgrounds this season, and it feels like she could bond with them while also being affable enough to get along with everyone else. She says that she often acts older than she is, and in some ways we see her as a Gen X-er on the Millennial tribe just as we said yesterday that Rachel Ako could be the Millennial stuck on the Gen X tribe. She’ll be a hard worker, an asset in challenges, and she seems to understand that if you want to win this game, you have to work for it.
Potential negatives – She is going to have to be careful on how hard she works in the early going, since if there are some Millennial stereotypes on this season (and we do think there are), they may be put off by someone who is really pushing to get stuff done. Also, she’ll also have to be careful with how often she discusses her background growing up without money or paying off her student loans at such a young age. If you’re perceived as an inspiration in this game, you get punished for it. It’s almost the adverse of real life. She’s best off having larger physical and social targets around her for as long as possible, and then using the final tribal council to stress her narrative in a way similar to Jeremy Collins in Cambodia.
“Survivor” comparisons – She cites Tasha Fox, Kelley Wentworth, and Natalie Anderson, and while this may be an indication that she’s only seen recent seasons, we do like where her head is at here and we do see the similarities in that she wants to be a proactive player rather than someone who is carried to the end. She’s a few years younger than Sandra Diaz-Twine was the first time she played, but we could see a little of that mentality (albeit on a slightly muted level).
Early assessment – On paper, Michaela’s the sort of contestant we could see winning since she really makes us think that she’s going to go out there and play, and isn’t just giving us lip-service about it. We gotta analyze everyone else before we name our winner pick, but if she’s there at the end, don’t you think she has a good shot? Her biggest trouble spots could be early in the game if she’s viewed as an outsider on a relatively-lazy tribe, or around final six if her story makes her a perceived threat.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwfr7xUPvo4