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BB Lane - Interview with Billy Garcia
Peb: I've heard you were a Survivor fan before going on the show. What was your strategy going in? What would be your advice for future contestants? Billy: I was and still am a huge Survivor fan. My strategy was to unite all of the average Joes and Janes and take out the gym rats. That idea ended the night before the game started when the race thing was announced. My advice to Future contestants is firstly, if you're a fan keep it to yourself. If you read all of Ozzy's and Jp's post-game interviews they both say that because I was such a big fan and knew the game so well is why they threw the challenge and got me booted. Secondly, Don't have a strategy set in stone. There is a lot more to the game than what is shown. Many factors in eliminations that are not included in the final edit. Be flexible. Peb: What was the impact of being divided by race? Do you think it made a big difference in the way people played the game? Billy: The biggest impact for me was that it killed my strategy going in. It made race such an issue it really hurt my ability to mesh with my tribe. I think the Race thing changed how my tribe played the game and because of it all but Ozzy went down one after the other. I love Survivor so I'm happy for the show that it came up with a concept that gained some new fans. But like Cao Boi, I knew it would play a role in my undoing and it did. It wasn't the main factor but it was a factor. Peb: What were you thinking when your tribe threw the competition so they could vote you off? Did you realize that was what was going on? How do you feel about it now? Billy: I was very hurt by it. I'm human. I have feelings. I figured it out as it was happening. I had my suspicions before the challenge but I thought I was being paranoid. As the challenge was happening, It became very obvious. It still hurts. I don't think I'll ever be completely over it. I feel like I was short changed of my Survivor experience. It feels like I was pick pocketed and was robbed of something irreplaceable. Peb: I have to ask about Candice. Did you really think there was something real between the two of you? Billy: Ha ha ha. It's part of the Rock & Roll culture to meet someone, an hour later be in love, a day later be married and a week later be divorced. I'm sure there are some that don't get it. Some that say Rock & Roll is not a culture. Tell a Hell's Angel that his motorcycle is not his culture and You won't survive that conversation. Rock & Roll is my culture and the whole Candice thing fits right in to it. But I admit that I would have kept it to myself. But when I was getting ganged up on at tribal council I took the attitude of "I don't need any of you" and proclaimed that I was a rock & roll rebel and just kept going from there.I don't regret it. I get lots of emails from women saying that if Candice doesn't want me, they'll take me. Some of them send naked pictures. I started a scrapbook so I hope the pictures keep coming. Ha ha ha. Women seem to love thinking of me as a hopeless romantic. That's cool. Keep the emails coming. Peb: How hard was the physical aspect of Survivor? Did it take more or less of a toll on you than you expected? Billy: The water situation is what took a toll on me. I drank water that was not boiled properly which to me, is questionable as to whether it was an accident or a dirty trick. That water wrecked me physically. If not for that factor, I think I could have done enough during the thrown challenge to still finish ahead of the Hiki tribe. The food was not an issue for me. Granted that the fish was like so thin that it was about one Mcnugget's worth of meat per fish. But I was counting on even less food. Peb: The season finale ended up being a choice between a highly strategic player and a highly competitive player. Which do you think is more important in the game? Do you think the right person won? Billy: The logo says Outwit Outlast Outplay, Not Out fish Out swim, Out-coconut tree climb. I believe Sundra when she made the point that the Alliance helped Ozzy win many of those challenges. She implied that they kamikazed themselves at times because it was Ozzy's role to wear the immunity necklace. I very much agree with the outcome. The only thing I don't agree with is Becky not getting any votes. She should have gotten more credit. Peb: What do you think of the Haves vs. Have Nots twist for the new season? Do you think a sense of luxury takes a layer away from the game? Billy: I think the new twist is something I have to see before I can judge it. If one tribe goes undefeated then the twist is not a good one. But if they trade victories and Tribes go from the penthouse to the outhouse and back then it will be a fun twist. It's too early to say if it takes away from the game at all. Peb: You are a wrestler as well. Both professional wrestling and reality TV have been accused of being largely staged. Is there any truth to that? Which do you find more challenging? Billy: Even though you can't fake gravity, Pro-wrestling is staged. It's show business. But No one reads from a script. The Wrestlers are given a basic story and then they have to make that story happen in interviews and in the ring. I can't speak for all of Reality TV but from my experience, Survivor has so much footage to work with that they pick one aspect, probably the most entertaining aspect of what's a very complex round of elimination with tons of factors and show a simplistic and shorten version of what happened. In Survivor's case it's three days per one hour episode. But I do think that they make some look nicer than they are and others look meaner or sillier than they are. Some look like they never said a word when the opposite is true and others look like they never tried when they gave it their all. I think because of all of that and more, Survivor is harder. Not only is the game all day everyday but most players only get one shot at it and never get the credit they deserve, especially those who fall victim to the luck of the draw. Peb: What are your plans for the near future? Will we be seeing you on television again? Billy: I'm recording my band's debut album. My band is Forsakken and our website is www.forsakken.com. I've been throwing around an Idea of an MXC style Realty show/competition between cast members of certain seasons of our favorite reality shows. Like Survivor Cook Island vs. The Amazing Race family addition. It would be a real completion but campy and comical. We'll see if anyone goes for it. If so, of course I'll want to compete on that show. I'm also looking into hosting a Rock/Metal Music Video show. Thanks for having me. Billy Garcia |
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