Torontoist columnist Christopher Bird put it so eloquently when he wrote this morning:

Russell, … is actually the guy that Survivor fans are all now rooting for because A) he is actually pretty clever and B) he backs up his lip with good challenge performance, gameplay, and work ethic. See, this is what CBS doesn’t get: Survivor villains aren’t guys like Russell. They’re guys like Coach from last season, who was the most useless bag of flesh ever invented and who never, ever shut up about how awesome he was.

In fact, I don’t think he’s been that “villainous” at all. Sure he talks smack and spouts out shockingly great soundbites for Global to text splash across their bumpers, but really, he’s done nothing except try to align with everyone who crosses his path. Of course he then goes in front of the camera and badmouths his alliances so in that regard, he’s a bastard. I guess in the first couple of weeks this is a good strategy but can bite you in the ass if said same people talk to each other. Luckily for him, the rest of the Survivors are just preening idiots and don’t know enough to talk to each other.

I don’t profess to being a Survivor professional. I couldn’t tell you all the paces they’ve held this show, or what season we’re in, or who ate what bug in some desperate attempt for ratings protein – I just like the social strategy of the whole thing. And Russel is playing the game well.

Plus he’s a stocky, arrogant, hairy fucker that I’d shag in a second.

Nice Pork Pie Hat, dude.