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I googled and found this article. I don't think it's the same one but it had the 16 types. LP, I don't know if this is somewhere else on the site, if it is you can link it up or whatever. Interesting anyway.



A Look at Burnett's 16 Survivor Strategies

by Susan Schechter -- 07/10/2002

In his Survivor 2 Field Guide, Mark Burnett discussed 16 strategies for playing Survivor. With the new crop of contestants, it seems like a good time to review these and see how they can (or can't) work.

While getting ready for the new Survivor, I started thinking about who would win, the discipline I have seen only in football prognosticators like Jimmy the Greek or Danny Sheridan. And I started studying Survivor 2:The Field Guide, by Mark Burnett (click here for our full review). I came across some interesting thoughts from Burnett that might add to our Survivor: Africa viewing and prognostications.

Burnett listed 16 strategies for winning Survivor. Each of them are food for thought.

1. The Entertainer. This is the person who is the life of the party, or the class clown. The positive thing about this personality is everyone likes them, as Burnett pointed out with Sonja. The bad thing is that unless they are necessary, a bad entertainer is among the first to leave. The more I think about this, the more it rings true - how many times have you walked out on a bad movie or a bad comedy club act?
2. The Leader. Even though every group needs a leader, as it has been said over and over again in Survivor, by both groups of contestants, a leader could be the first one off as well. Being a leader makes you vulnerable. B.B. tried to be a leader and it backfired. Debb tried to do the same thing, and it backfired. A leader should be a leader, but do it quietly, without ruffling too many feathers and giving too many orders.
3. The Flirt. I cannot see too many positive things with this strategy. Burnett says the "flirt must be cute and attractive, if ugly they have to be confident." Burnett says the bad thing about the flirt strategy is "it can wear quickly." I agree. Besides, who wants to flirt with your fellow contestants after you have missed a few meals and a few showers, not to mention have not brushed your teeth or your hair?
4. The Determined Victim (aka the Underdog). Great cartoon! Americans like the Underdog, and will always root for him/her. Anyone remember watching the movie Rocky, among another underdogs? The bad thing about the victim role - and if you do not believe me on this, read my article on Lisa from Love Cruise, the bad thing about this role is, according to Burnett, "no one likes a victim."
5. The Professor. Just like the professor on Gilligan's Island, the Professor role is the smart one to help build shelter and figure out how to gather food. The bad thing about the Professor role is that often these people are the least fit, and since it makes sense in Survivor to boot off the weaker members who can hurt you in challenges first, the Professor could be eliminated before the merge. And, after all, the Professor never got them off the Island, despite having some really great inventions.
6. The Zealot. I am not going to comment on this one. Any Zealot on any subject is a turn off and annoying to other people. Annoying people get booted early, unless they are in top physical shape. Not a good strategy.
7. The Mom. Well, it worked for Tina. It almost worked for Gretchen. What makes it work is the Mom character is one of the most liked ones on the show. Besides, how can you backstab your mother? (Even Clarence had to specify that Diane was "nothing like" his mother as he voted for her in the first S3 episode.) So without getting an Oedipus complex, a mom role is fairly safe - unless you are Norman Bates.
8. The Athlete. Gee, this is the one role everyone has written about. Suffice to say, the Athlete is important until the merge. Then after the merge the athlete is a threat, and can be quickly booted unless he/she wins challenges. If you do not believe me, look at what happened to Alicia in S2.
9. The Wild and Crazy Guy (or Girl). This one is easy. Think John Belushi from Animal House. Nuff said. Might be great to look at and funny to watch, but these people do not last on these game shows. What works in a college frat house does not work in a work environment - or the harsh environment of Africa.
10. The Quiet One. According to Burnett, this strategy can make the contestant win. If this personality can make it to the final four, or the final two they can pull it out. Think Colleen from S1 or Rodger from S2.
11. Everybody's Friend. Again like the above, but the downside according to Burnett is that the "Machiavellian sensibilities needed to win are not found in a single bone of Everybody's Friend."
12. The Feral Child. I have problems with this one. The definition given is someone who has overcome adversity throughout their entire life, but has not become a victim. They trust no one. Excuse me? Isn't that one of the things they tell you to do in Survivor? Trust no one? So it describes all of them!
13. The Introvert. This is almost like The Quiet One, but this person tends to be away from the group. For example, during S1, many nights the contestants would sit by the campfire and talk and schmooze about sex. Rudy tended to walk away from these talks. If Rudy was not in the alliance with Richard, he could have been seen as standoffish, and made him an outcast. And an outcast can be, well, cast out.
14. The Redneck. Burnett stresses you do not have to be from the South to use this strategy! He says "they are people who inherently know how to play the game." Think Susan Hawk. Everyone downplayed her because she fit in this role and thought she was not as clever as she really was. And I would assume this strategy can work - it worked pretty well for Susan.
15. The Slacker. According to Burnett, "Someday a slacker will win Survivor." That might be true. And if it is, I have a bridge in Brooklyn for sale. Lazy is not good, until you get too fatigued from the elements. People get upset by the slacker - look how Gervase and Nick were perceived by their peers. According to the "rules" of Survivor, if you contribute nothing to your tribe, then you will probably be eliminated quickly. If you make it to the merge, you better win every immunity challenge. And that is a difficult thing.
16. The Snake. Well it worked for Richard. I don't believe it can work again though. There are simply too many people on the lookout for this personality. Then again, it did work for Will on Big Brother 2. So you never know.

I hope this gives the viewer some more things to ponder while watching S3 and looking at each of the current crop of players.