‘Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X’ spotlight: Is snowboard instructor Taylor Lee Stocker the new Woo?
It’s funny that on “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X,” there are wide degrees of what can effectively fit into that “Millennial” box. We’ve got a few people on this tribe such as Zeke who don’t seem to be interested in such a label, but then you’ve got Taylor Lee Stocker, a guy who screams “millennial” from the moment you learn that he is a snowboard instructor and listen to him speak for about five seconds. This guy is a little more out-there when it comes to personality, but who knows? This is a character type that has done well in this game before.
Below, we’re going to do our part to figure out what makes Taylor special, and what could get him in trouble this season.
Tribe – Vanua (Millennial Tribe).
Bio – He’s a 24-year old from Postfalls, Idaho, and we do have to say it’s pretty sweet that he’s from somewhere other than typical casting locations (see: Anywhere within a ten-mile radius of Santa Monica). We’ve already mentioned his job, and this is a guy who loves to travel around and do new things. He comments that he’d likely be fishing in Alaska if he wasn’t taking part in this show.
Positive attributes – If he’s really as carefree as he comes across in his video and his bio, he may not be perceived as an altogether threatening strategic force in the game. If he can convince other players that he’s just there to perform well in competitions and contribute, he’ll be good for a little while. He’s not someone who will struggle with the conditions, and who knows? We could actually see him getting along with some Gen X people. We don’t find his attitude particularly grating in a way that would frustrate them.
Potential negatives – After the merge, this guy has a target the size of Texas on his back. We don’t get the sense that he’s all that focused on strategy, and he could end up being that sort of guy who just thinks that winning challenges is what he needs to do in order to make it to the end and win. We’re not sure what his knowledge base is with the show, and when you’re an athletic guy we think it is more imperative than ever to study up. Otherwise, you run the risk of being an easy blindside.
“Survivor” comparisons – Taylor compares himself to Woo, and in all honest it’s easy to see it here — even if Taylor claims he wouldn’t give away the money. Both do have a similar outlook on the game and seemingly life, and probably are relatively similar in terms of physical gifts. We’d also throw a little Joe Anglim in there, mostly because Taylor is probably going to be aggressive on his level when it comes to trying to immunity.
Early assessment – We already said in spotlighting fellow Millennial Jay that these two are going to have a quick alliance, and we stand by that as they work their way easily to the merge. Unfortunately for them, they’ll work their way out the door not too long after that. This is a cutthroat game, and we’re not sure either guy is thinking about it in those terms.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLbfiJ6Kln4