One of Survivor's greatest strengths is its ability to bring together castaways from all walks of life. Of course, the show's diversity of thought can also produce some less than savory characters. This dynamic became especially apparent during the show's 30th season, in which three tribes were divided according to their lines of work. The tribal divisions led to some intense animosity amongst the cast, and now it seems Rodney Lavoie Jr., one of Worlds Apart's most controversial figures, may be continuing to sow division five years later with his latest Instagram post.
Rodney was a polarizing figure when his season aired back in 2015. On one hand, his intensity made him hilariously entertaining. He remains iconic for complaining about washing dishes on his birthday, and for paying tribute to the city of Boston even more than Boston Rob himself ever could. He did a perfect impression of eventual winner Mike Holloway, and garnered plenty of sympathy after missing out on every possible reward. Rodney made several degrading comments towards women during his time on Survivor. Since leaving Survivor, Rodney has made a positive impact by speaking publicly about mental health.
Unfortunately, Rodney is not using his social media platforms solely for a good cause. Several Worlds Apart castmates recently spoke out against Rodney after a seemingly anti-Semitic post to his Instagram story. The post can be found on Reddit, where s are also accusing Rodney of being an anti-masker. Max Dawson, who is Jewish and competed alongside Rodney on Survivor: Worlds Apart, took to Twitter to disavow Rodney's post and disassociate himself from him altogether.
Since wrapping up its 40th season, Survivor has remained in the headlines for a wide range of reasons, even with a continue to be wonderful additions to the Survivor community, others, such as Rodney, have only stained their reputations. With a pandemic continuing to take lives across the country, and a monumental election looming, Rodney's posts could prove dangerously influential. Fortunately, former players like Max have taken it upon themselves to call out injustices as they see them.
Survivor has had an uncanny ability to unpack significant social issues in recent years. While Rodney's actions on social media may cast a dark cloud over the Survivor community for some, it is clear that no show is better equipped to overcome and engage with these bouts of controversy.
Source: Reddit