This past week, we spoke with Bill Posley, the most recent castoff of Survivor One World. Bill is a 28 year old stand-up comic from Venice, Ca. He’s an Iraq war veteran, a college graduate and enjoys pushing his limits. Bill had quite a bit to say after the events that unfolded leading up to his fire being snuffed after his tribe actually won immuity. Read on below and see what Bill had to say regarding Colton, Tribal Council and more!
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The Yak: Bill were you a fan of Survivor prior to being cast?
Bill: Season 20 Heroes vs. Villains is the season that made me fall in love with the show. I mean Black Hawk helicopters? The first episode Sugar gets her top ripped off during the challenge and continues. It was amazing. Everyone was a character. It was the most fun I’ve had watching television. I applied after that season and luckily i got on and it was worth every minute.
The Yak: Jumping right in… our readers want to know did you agree to go to tribal council instead of the women because you believed Leif would be going home instead of you? Why were you willing to take that risk?
Bill: No, I was working to gain alliances and friends as well and I thought by being there I could convince my people to blindside Colton and get him sent home with the idol, but it just didn’t pan out. I thought I had guys like Jonas, Troy, Jay and Big Mike in my corner on this and they would back me when the chips were down and they didn’t. I was already on the chopping block. I was already in their sights. I thought it was a risk worth taking. Why not take a chance and try to blindside Colton? Had my plan worked to show them that Colton was bad for our tribe and needed to go, what turned out to be the dumbest move in Survivor history would have been the best move ever made. There’s a fine line between stupidity and genius and I just fell on the wrong side of that.
The Yak: What could you have done to get the other guys to flush out Colton’s idol and get him out of the game?
Bill: I don’t know what I could have done. I mean I exposed him as a very selfish, self-centered, self-seeking person who has no integrity and no loyalty and doesn’t care about anyone but himself and I thought by doing that when it came time for my alliance to back me at tribal council, they would and they didn’t.
The Yak: Considering everything that happened how did you keep your composure in the midst of Colton going off left and right about you?
Bill: (laughs) If Colton’s perception of a ghetto black person is me, then he’s in for a rude awakening when he ventures out into the real world. I actually was very grateful that he said it because him calling me ghetto trash or ghetto at all, gave me a lot of street cred in the black community! (laughs)
It wasn’t too hard and the reason it wasn’t too hard is, my whole life .. I was the fat kid in class. I was 250 pounds until I was 17 years old. I went into the army and lost all the weight so I’ve been picked on my whole life. I’ve dealt with racism before as an African American person and with my mom being half white and my dad being half black and me being in the military you get picked on by drill sargents all the time. Ya know I’ve been picked on my whole life so to sit in the face of that and keep my cool wasn’t that hard for me and I know that Colton comes from a place of ignorance and from a place of being spoiled and sheltered not from a place of hatred and racism, I don’t think.
The Yak: How did Colton go from begging to be over with the women to being in this position of power?
Bill: The one thing that you know I want to make clear is that because I wasn’t in that alliance and was on the outskirts, I didn’t know the amount of power he had. When Leif sits down and tells me that morning that Colton had the idol, that’s the first I hear of it. So I didn’t know and when I went to tribal council I thought I had friends. I didn’t know all this, I just got blindsided but I didn’t know the power he had and then I’m sitting here watching it and he’s commanding Mike to pull Leif over and I’m like what? That’s why I felt like I was the only person who’d say anything and stand up to him. When we were under that tent I said you just can’t talk to people like that or treat them like that you spoiled brat you know, am I the only one that feels these things need to be said?? I wasn’t aware of the idol and I wasn’t aware of the alliance that he had made so it was as shocking to you as it was to me, this arc that had happened.
They need to stop following orders and flush the idol. I don’t get it. I thought that, here we are in season 24, not letting history repeat itself. If anything, I would assume about an immunity idol is this; it cannot be used as a thing of power but would paint a target on someones back. It has to be flushed out. You always have to be playing with a level playing field, no loose ends. If they want to be successful, they need to get rid of that idol.
The Yak: Tell us a little more about Jeff’s reaction at tribal council.
Bill: I think Jeffs job is to be as neutral as possible and be the audiences’ orator. He has to remain objective and make sure that everyone is being heard and fairly treated and has an opportunity to speak their mind. I think Jeff did a great job of allowing us to speak our minds and be heard out there. I’m sure it was hard for Jeff to sit there and not try to jump on everything everyone was saying. I think he just has to be the audiences’ voice in that moment and help drive the conversation to a place where everyone gets their opinion out.
The Yak: Are you worried that in 24 seasons this is the first time a tribe has chosen to go to tribal? Is it bothersome that this is going to stick with you?
Bill: No, no. I know this sounds weird but I would rather make history and try and risk making a big move than have just have gone off quietly and have no effect on this game. I want a stamp on this game. There’s only been 400 people or so that have played it. I want to be one of the memorable ones and going to tribal council, here’s the truth. If they were willing to give up immunity to get rid of me than they would have been willing to throw the next challenge too. The way I felt was, trying to line up people, I felt like I had a strong alliance and could get my team mates to blindside Colton. Now had I waited and Colton and I don’t go to tribal council, I don’t get to speak my mind and the things that I say don’t get heard. I would have rather had what happened at tribal happen and me being seen with the eyes of integrity and class, be shown and maybe have Colton learn that what he says affects people.
The Yak: Tarzan comes off as loud and all over the place, is that what he was really like?
Bill: Tarzan is what you call a smart dumb person. (laughs) He’s literally like one of the most intelligent people you will ever meet. We all know that if you’re a plastic surgeon your probably really intelligent, you have to be however, I don’t think the guy could find his way out of a paper bag if he had to, just the street smarts aren’t there! Whenever he said something it comes from a place…. like last night at tribal council he starts going on about this post racist America and I don’t even think that the conversation was even going near either one of those two things which is why I didn’t respond cuz I don’t know where that came from; it came out of left field and he’s kind of aloof, doesn’t really know what’s going on and is maybe too smart for I think….himself. (laughs)
The Yak: Is there anyone that you want to stay in contact with?
Bill: Of course, we shared a special bond. This is something we will always take with us. I keep friendships and bonds close to my chest in fact some of my army buddies called me last night to tell me they were proud of me.
The Yak: Do you have any regrets?
Bill: I don’t have regrets. Me exiting the way I exited makes me proud of the way I played the game. If I had gone quietly I would have been upset. I’m happy that I went being true to myself and for standing up for myself and doing something no one else would do which was stand up to Colton.
I’ve had so many touching things written to me. It has been so positive. People have thanked me for reminding them why they follow their dreams and for having integrity. Being a good guy you may not win survivor but you have a better life.
The Yak: What was difficult about being on Survivor?
Bill: None of it, it was incredible! There wasn’t one thing. I had so much fun that I can’t even say that one thing was hard. Being on a remote island, no car payments, phones, or responsibilities, that’s incredible! To get to play the most amazing game in the world and be a part of that history is phenomenal.
The Yak: So you’re saying you would do it again?
Bill: (laughing) Of course! 100 percent I would, every year, I think you should do it every year!
The Yak: There has been some hate comments regarding Colton on the internet and social networking sites. What is your reaction to that?
Bill: I would say that if I was capable of keeping my cool and I was the subject of Colton’s malicious intent then I ask everyone to do the same. Know that this is a part of him learning and a part of him growing and this lesson is something that a guy like him needs in order for him to really change.
Thanks for talking to us here at the Yak Bill. You are a class act!