Murtzcellanious: Murtz Jaffer Interviews Survivor: China's Jaime Dugan

Interviews, Shows

When I interviewed Michelle from Survivor Fiji, I said that it was the best interview that I had ever done. I can say that my chat with Jaime Dugan was just as good. Everyone who knows me, knows that I was a HUGE Jaime Dugan fan and while I really wanted to get the chance to interview her, I was willing to wait because I hoped it would be after she won Survivor China. Instead, I talked to her after she was voted off and I had so many questions for her that I wasn’t even sure how I was going to get them all in. When I watched the show, I was sure that she didn’t think the idol was real, so I wanted to ask her why she still ended up playing it. I also wanted to ask her about all of the ludicrous criticism she took for throwing the challenge a couple of episodes ago (which made no sense considering how she managed to eliminate the enemy’s leader in Aaron). Finally, I wanted to win her over with my charm, personality and good looks. This interview is the result. If there is only one Survivor interview that you read this season, make it this one.


Murtz Jaffer: Hey Jaime, are you ready to rock?

Jaime Dugan: If it is THE Murtz Jaffer, then I am definitely ready to rock!

MJ: Haha, well you know you were my favorite player and I am so heartbroken right now that I might not even be able to ask you any questions. I might have to mime them out to you.

JD: Oh, well thanks Murtz! I thought you would like Courtney…the sassy blonde.

MJ: No way dude. You were totally totally my favorite. Let’s start at the beginning. You were clearly there to play. So tell me about your first alliance?

JD: Well right off the bat, I knew I wanted to hold back but about 10 minutes into the game, Peih Gee and Sherea pulled me aside and wanted to form an alliance. I agreed but knew I would need a few more players that I could count on.

MJ: Why was Chicken voted off first?

JD: Chicken was hiding in the bushes and overheard Sherea, Peih Gee and I having the conversation. The girls mentioned that we should get Chicken in the alliance because nobody would suspect it. But I told them I did not know if I trusted Chicken. We realized he was listening in and asked him if he wanted in the alliance. He told us that we should not form an alliance so early in the game and that he would think about it. He was so vague we knew we had to get rid of him.

MJ: In the second episode, you were kidnapped by Fei Long. Why do you think they picked you (because I could argue that your game was transparent and they knew that you were the biggest threat)?

JD: I definitely don’t think Fei Long saw me as a threat initially. I think at first they knew I got along with pretty much my whole tribe so they thought it would hurt Zhan Hu by taking me away. I also believe they felt I was a little naïve and would share information about my tribe to them.

MJ: Everybody else who was kidnapped was voted off immediately after they were sent to the other tribe. How did you manage to stay? Is it just because you were a hot girl or because you stole limes and fish hooks and took them back to Zhan Hu?

JD: I don’t think Fei Long ever saw the southern belle as a viable threat which allowed me to take their items right out from under them. When I brought them back to Zhan Hu, I proved my loyalty to my tribemates and they kept me in the game because of it. That was why I was the only contestant that was not voted off after they were kidnapped.

MJ: Why is it that Survivor has never had a blonde winner? What are the guys thinking? Haha… no love for the blondes!

JD: I think they find blonde women to be threatening. I mean blondes do have more fun and I guess producers need to cast 15 Murtz’s so a blonde girl can finally be the sole Survivor!

MJ: (Laughs). I think that Zhan Hu was destined to lose from the beginning. What did you think about the fact that tribes were pre-selected and were they fair?

JD: I was pretty crushed when I found out the teams were pre-selected. I thought it gave an unfair advantage to Fei Long because they had all of the big men. I feel like it was a low blow to Zhan Hu because we did not have a chance in physical challenges.

MJ: Somehow Frosti and Erik do not equal Aaron and James to me.

JD: Haha yeah, I mean they are about half the size. They could have at least had physical challenge with an obstacle course or something so the Frost-Man could show us his moves.

MJ: While Sherea seemed to get a lot of credit for the physical immunities, you were right there with her and nobody realized this. Why are people so unwilling to give you the respect that you deserve?

JD: I guess it goes back to the same reason that Fei Long did not think I was a threat when they kidnapped me. Not only did they not see me as a strategic player but they also missed the fact that I was a physical one as well. Hey, I was the only player that knocked down two vases at the same time…even James did not do that but I would definitely never want to go against James in any other type of competition.

MJ: I loved when you threw the challenge. I thought it was brilliant, the smartest on-paper move that you could make and yet there are many idiot experts that say it was stupid. Explain how people can think that, when you managed to get rid of the head of the opposing alliance?

JD: I knew that people would not understand why throwing the challenge was a good move. Especially after seeing the way it was portrayed on television. That was definitely not the way it went down. First of all, James and Aaron had no idea that we were throwing it. Even after Jeff handed me the piece they still did not know. I have not talked about what really happened yet, so I will go into detail. We were not laughing or mocking the Fei Long members. We were laughing because they could not figure out what we were doing… not because we were throwing the challenge. It was not in good sportsmanship to laugh, but at the time we could not help laughing at James being the Survivor version of Alicia Silverstone in Clueless. I mean how could you not figure out what was going down when it was so clear? You would have laughed too Murtz! You would not believe the things he was saying to us. Calling us dumb and stupid, it was just insulting. This is not football, it is Survivor. Getting rid of the strongest player is the name of the game…even if you have to throw a challenge to do so.

MJ: I think that you laughing about it was awesome. If you are playing so well and have such a great plan, why not laugh about it? Do you find that you have to keep defending the way that you were acting?

JD: So many critics do not know what happened out there but they think they do. People have to understand that this is a television show and editing is involved. Murtz, you have got to learn you cannot take things personally, I don’t.

MJ: People blame you and PG for Aaron’s exit, but you’re not the ones who came up with the idea for two people to be traded. You just did the best thing you could to protect your allies and get rid of the other team’s strongest players. Shouldn’t people be applauding you for playing Survivor, the way that it is meant to be played?

JD: Yep, people are quick to blame Peih Gee and I for knocking out Aaron. But we could not have done that if we were not given a twist to play with and to try to even things out. You can’t blame the people that are playing monopoly. Instead blame the guys that wrote the chance card.

MJ: Speaking of monopoly, that is probably my favorite game, what is yours? Is it Survivor or something else?

JD: Well obviously it is not poker, because if you listen to the critics, I have a horrible poker face. Maybe I should get lessons from Jean Robert.

MJ: Yeah. I guess you could. Maybe in return you can teach him how to pick up a girl?

JD: (Laughs). I don’t know Murtz, shouldn’t you be the one giving the lessons on how to pick up girls? I hear you roll with Brooke and Michelle.

MJ: Yeah I do! Haha. They like you too. They like you too. You’re hilarious! This episode was called “I’m Not As Dumb As I Look.” This was clearly meant to make you look stupid for playing the idol when you did. Tell me the real story about what happened because while there are many things that I do not know, I definitely do know that you are not dumb.

JD: Well, Jean-Robert clued me in that I was probably the next to go. So in my confessional, I was asked why I was being voted off. I explained that Fei Long finally realized that I am not as dumb as I look.

MJ: Yeah at the end of the confessional you said, “they finally figured me out” or something like that.

JD: Yup and that is proof that the whole line was taken out of context. That statement had nothing to do with the idol. It was about the reason that I felt that I was getting voted off.

MJ: I was absolutely repulsed when Jean-Robert and James laughed at you for playing it. Even though I fully believe that you knew that it was fake, this doesn’t even matter because by playing it, you were at least trying to stay in the game. Isn’t that the very definition of Survivor? And these guys were laughing? How upset did that make you?

JD: Yeah, here is another question about laughter. What I find funny is that when I laughed I was ridiculed, but when they laughed they were praised. And that was not very sportsman like either, now was it? But honestly, I do not think they were laughing at me. We had a good chuckle at Jean Robert’s reaction because he looked like he was about to faint… he thought he was goner. Remember Murtz, I was the first person to bring attention to him that there was an idol, he had no idea.

MJ: What was your relationship with him like?

JD: You know I really got along with Jean Robert. My relationship with him was a good one. I kind of got to see a softer side of him that hasn’t really been shown on television. He actually made fire for us every night if we were cold and one night he even put it right underneath our butts and underneath the shelter. He almost put our butts on fire because we fell asleep and the next thing you know, we felt this heat and the fire sprayed right underneath us so we had to put it out really fast. I think a lot of people haven’t seen the other side of Jean Robert.

MJ: I think that many Survivor fans will not remember you as being the only competitor that could rival Todd in terms of strategy. Instead they will focus on the way that Jeff kind of made fun of you by throwing the idol in the fire. Does this upset you?

JD: People that know the game like you do Murtz will respect my bold moves. I am not really worried about what other’s think.

MJ: So tell me about the idol. Did you think that it was real?

JD: Well I never really knew if it was real. When I got to Fei Long, Erik and I knew we had to compare it to the one that was still hanging on the trelace. When it matched the one that was still hanging, we knew we had a fake idol. I knew it was fake because it matched the one that was still hanging at Fei Long, meaning that the real idol was pulled off.

MJ: So why did you play it?

JD: Well, I also thought that the Chinese writing on it was a legitimate point. So there was a small chance that it was real, even though I knew it wasn’t. Listen I love Survivor and so do the producers…and playing the idol at Tribal would be memorable, regardless of the outcome. There was still a 1 percent chance it could have been real, so why not play it? If I did not play it and it ended up being real it would have been the worst move in Survivor history. Not to mention the fact that I got a great reaction out of Jean Robert and announced to the rest of the cast that there were idols in play and put a target on James’ back.

MJ: Let’s switch gears a little. You and Erik obviously had a thing going on. Tell me what went through your head when he dropped the Donna Martin V-bomb on you. Did you think it was true or was it just a smooth suave line that he stole from the handbook of Murtz?

JD: I think Erik is a genuine guy with a strong Christian faith so I definitely believe him. But that is definitely a good line to win the ladies over! (Laughs). Honestly? With his good looks and charm he probably doesn’t need to use lines.

MJ: Jaime he is not around, you are supposed to be impressing me! Like seriously, how can this guy be a virgin if he looks like Ethan Version 3.0, is a musician and a Hanes underwear model? Come on, he is totally busting out his A-material I think.

JD: Well you know Murtz, Erik definitely has his A-game out there on Survivor but I think you have you’re on your A-game all the time.

MJ: You’re too kind, you’re too kind. Jaime, I am going to present you with a hypothetical situation. Erik is a virgin. Murtz like the Buffalo Bills like you do. Erik is an Ethan wannabe, Murtz is the greatest Survivor analyst in the world. Murtz lives in Toronto and you have ties here right? On Survivor China, you were the best on-paper player. So on paper, aren’t I the better match for you Shouldn’t we get married?

JD: Murtz, I was totally ready to say I do to your marriage proposal… I mean how can I not love you, but when I went to get the marriage certificate signed, they told me you were already married to Survivor Fiji‘s Michelle.

MJ: Haha. You have obviously done your homework! I actually proposed to her when I interviewed her.

JD: (Laughs).

MJ: Hilarious! So you’re Canadian eh? What ties do you have in Canada and what’s better Canadian maple syrup, Canadian moose, or Canadian Murtz?

JD: Sure am, my mother was born and raised right outside of Toronto and most of my aunts, uncles and cousins still live in Ontario. I guess for the answer, I am going with all of the above and can I add in Wayne Gretzky?

MJ: That works. Alright, it’s about that time. My last question is why should I keep watching now that you are gone? And when can I stop wearing black?

JD: Well Murtz, I am sure that you look good in black but you are going to have to watch even if I am not there. My fellow Zhan Hu members need all the support they can get.

MJ: I will try and pull for PG but it is going to be hard to root for Erik.. I think he has already won with you.

JD: You’re too cute! Well, you never know. We’ll have to see what happens.

MJ: Alright Jaime, thanks a lot for your time. You were totally my favorite.

JD: Thank you so much Murtz. I hope you have a great one!


Born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and raised in Sunrise, Florida, Jaime Dugan and her family moved to South Carolina when she was 14 years old. She graduated from Spartanburg High School, where she played varsity softball and was the editor of photography for the school yearbook. She is currently a senior at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, on an academic scholarship (she has Dean’s List honors), in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications. She is majoring in Public Relations with a minor in Business. Dugan supplements her school schedule working as a waitress.

Dugan’s hobbies include cooking, kickboxing and photography. She enjoys wakeboarding, softball, golf and fishing. She favors country and rock music. Her favorite sport is football. She describes herself as friendly, energetic and candid. Her heroes are her mom and dad, who have been together since they were 16 years old. She is a huge University of South Carolina Gamecocks fan (she attends every game) and also a Buffalo Bills fan.

Dugan currently resides in Columbia South Carolina. She has one sister, Jenna Evon Fay Dugan. Her family has three dogs, Princess Pippi, Oscar Capone and Ottis. They also have three cats, Milo, Jagger and Spitz. Her birth date is June 30, 1985.


Survivor: China airs on CBS on Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Survivor: China airs on the Global network in Canada on Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Sir Linksalot: Survivor: China

Please credit Murtz Jaffer & RealityDish.com when using this interview. If reposting, please post just an excerpt and link back to the rest of the piece.

Murtz Jaffer is the world's foremost reality television expert and was the host of Reality Obsessed which aired on the TVTropolis and Global Reality Channels in Canada. He has professional writing experience at the Toronto Sun, National Post, TV Guide Canada, TOROMagazine.com and was a former producer at Entertainment Tonight Canada. He was also the editor at Weekendtrips.com.