Ethan on Soap Talk
While Survivor All-Stars was still airing, Ethan filmed an appearance on the SOAPnet show Soap Talk. Thanks to angelgirl sending me a tape and my new video card’s ability to make transcripts of the closed captioning, here’s a transcript of the interview.
ty: Although our next guest outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted his way to $1 million on survivor africa, he wasn’t so lucky during survivor all-stars. But that hasn’t stopped america from loving him. Please welcome everyone’s favorite survivor ethan zohn.
Lisa: Hello.
Ethan: How are you?
ty: Ethan. Welcome to the show, man.
Ethan: Thanks for having me.
Lisa: Ok. Can I just touch it? Ethan. Ok.
Lisa: Ok. I just get to touch it. Ok. That–you’re–
Ethan: That’s what happens when you go on survivor. Your hair
goes like that. It curls.
Lisa: It’s cute, though. It works for you. It works well.
ty: So survivor… you win survivor. You go on eco-challenge. You come back
and do survivor all-stars. What is it that’s driving you to do all these intense competitions?
Ethan: I think it’s mark burnett.
Lisa: Those are all his shows.
Ethan: All his shows. I’m sucked into–no. I don’t know. I like pushing my body to the max, you know. Survivor, you’re tested. Every part of you is tested. Emotionally, physically,
socially, everything. I kind of like pushing my body to that point.
Lisa: Now, which was harder– survivor or eco-challenge?
Ethan: Probably eco-challenge. Eco-challenge made survivor look like a day at the spa.
Lisa: Really?
Ethan: Yeah.
ty: How long has eco-challenge over?
Ethan: It’s only 10 days, but they pack it in those 10 days. You’re pretty miserable the
whole time there.
ty: Now, with survivor all-stars, being a former winner, did you really think you had a chance coming back? I mean, you had to know you had a target on your back.
Ethan: I had a little bit of a target on my back, but you always think that you’re going to be able to make it, or like–
Lisa: Of course. You have hope.
Ethan: Make alliances or do something, but the first tribal counsel tina was a former. She got smoked and, like, voted off just like that. I was going, “oh, my god. I got my work cut out for me. It’s gonna be tough.” Tough time.
Lisa: Who do you think’s going to win?
Ethan: I don’t know.
Lisa: How has winning survivor changed your life?
Ethan: Well, it just opens doors for you. I mean, I’m in circles that I never thought I’d be in before. You sit in the green room with all these famous people. I still get star struck when I meet these people, but then, on the other side, it allows me to do things I’ve always wanted to do.
ty: You’ve met some famous people like muhammad ali. That must’ve been a thrill.
Ethan: That was unbelievable. I mean, just his aura. You go in the room, and he’s just, I don’t know. I’ve always looked up to him.
ty: The ultimate champion, man.
Ethan: Ultimate champion.
ty: Will smith you got to meet. And yet, here you are. Your life hasn’t changed all that much. You’re still living in the same apartment that you were before you were a millionaire.
Ethan: Yeah. I don’t know. I mean, it’s–it’s–I liked my life before the show, and now, you know, I like my life after the show, but–
ty: Now, you have a couple of roommates that you live with as well still?
Ethan: I live in a nice 2-bedroom converted into a 3-bedroom. I got 2 roommates. Nothing’s really changed in that side of my life, but with the money that I got from survivor africa, I started a charity called grass roots soccer. And we do aids education through soccer in africa. And so that’s kind of been–
Lisa: And you gave most of your money to that.
Ethan: Yeah. I did.
Lisa: Wow.
ty: Most of your million dollars went to grass roots?
Ethan: Yeah. It’s just fabulous.
ty: Was there one defining moment that made you want to
start this charity?
Ethan: Yeah. In africa, in survivor africa, I had this experience where I went to this little village of wamba, and i won this challenge. They gave me 2 goats, which I wasn’t too excited about. So that was my prize–2 goats. Not a big fan of that, but I got to go to this little town.
ty: $1 million, 2 goats, I’m not sure.
Ethan: You know, not–so, I go to this little village and I’m playing hacky sack with these little kids, because my luxury item was a hacky sack. All these little kids came up, they’re touching my skin, my curly– never seen anyone like me before, and i found out later that all these kids were hiv positive.
Lisa and ty: Oh.
Ethan: So, at that point, at that moment, I’m like, “I got to do something. I got to–”
Lisa: It’s such an epidemic.
ty: So, let’s talk about grass roots. What exactly is grass roots soccer?
Ethan: What we do is take professional soccer players in africa. We train them about hiv and aids. Then they go into the schools and teach the youth about aids prevention. And it’s, you know, the concept of using a positive role model to make a difference. Imagine michael jordan going into harlem and giving kids a message on drugs. Same concept.
ty: Right. And this is the second time that you’ve been to africa, because you played pro soccer in africa.
Ethan: Yeah. I played pro soccer with a friend of yours. Andrew shue.
Lisa: Oh. Of course.
Ethan: He was there. We played for the same team in zimbabwe.
ty: In zimbabwe.
Ethan: In zimbabwe. He’s actually on the board of directors for grass roots soccer.
Lisa: Is he really?
Ethan: Yeah.
Lisa: Oh. Say hello for me.
Ethan: I definitely will.
Lisa: He’s a good guy.
Ethan: He’s a great guy.
ty: So, a lot of people are making a big thing about your love life now.
Ethan: Yep.
ty: Because I know you know you guys. Survivors meet survivors. You’re dating a survivor right now, aren’t you?
Ethan: I am.
Lisa: Makes perfect sense to me. Makes perfect sense. You’re going to meet the people you’re around.
Ethan: Exactly, you know. Jenna. Jenna morasca. Yeah. Um, she was on survivor amazon. She won survivor amazon, so, you know, we have common interests, you know.
ty: Yeah. Like $2 million. No. I’m only kidding.
Ethan: Well, 2 million is better than one, right?
ty: Exactly. Is it tough to be dating in the spotlight? Because now you have 2 winners also, as well.
Ethan: I mean, a lot of the attention is drawn to us just because we are 2 winners, but, you know, we’ve gone through the same experiences. We have a lot to relate to, so, you know, it’s pretty fun. I’m having a great time.
Lisa: Good. As you should. You should enjoy every moment of it.
Ethan: Thank you.
ty: You know what, I also wanted to talk to you about–you had a very memorable birth–30th
birthday party in survivor all-stars.
Ethan: Yes, I did. There was a really terrible storm, and what happened was we had made a shelter, basically. This guy rupert. The guy with the big beard. He dug basically a bomb shelter in the middle of the beach, which was not a good idea. Filled with water in this giant rain storm. The shelter falls apart. We’re outside. We’re all huddling together. And it’s my 30th birthday.
ty: Yeah. Happy birthday to me.
Ethan: Yeah. Happy birthday.
ty: You guys were freezing. I saw that.
Ethan: That was probably the worst night of my life. I’ll never forget my 30th birthday.
ty: Yeah. Kind of memorable.
Lisa: So your 40th will be great.
Ethan: Exactly. I’ll go back.
ty: Yeah. I remember because then I watched the next day because jeri–I remember watching where jeri wasn’t helping you guys rebuild, and at the last second, she gave you all these ideas, and I’m like, “I’m going to jump through that tv and choke her.”
Ethan: Yeah.
ty: Because it’s tough to get–i imagine you guys get on each other’s nerves.
Ethan: Yeah. You’re not eating. You’re not sleeping. You’re cursing. You’re on edge.
Lisa: Cranky.
Ethan: Very cranky, cold, smelly.
Lisa: Miserable.
ty: Smelly. I didn’t even think about that.
Lisa: Does everybody really stink?
Ethan: Everyone stinks. I was looking at the travel segment. You got to bring toilet paper, bug–you don’t need that stuff.
ty: No!
Ethan: No. You don’t need that stuff.
ty: Just a couple of leaves. You’re fine. You’re also an inventor.
Ethan: Yes. A little bit.
ty: Yeah? You brought something with you today?
Ethan: I did. I invented this incredible bowl. This bowl will revolutionize the cereal eating experience.
Lisa: Is that right?
ty: I need something to revolutionize, because I tell–
Lisa: I love my cereal.
ty: I am a cereal freak.
Lisa: Me, too.
ty: You know what happens? I had golden grahams last night. They get soggy like that.
Ethan: There you go.
Lisa: Oh. I love golden grahams.
ty: Drives me nuts.
Ethan: Are you sick and tired of soggy cereal?
Lisa: Yes!
ty: It drives me nuts. I want a crunch in my cereal.
Ethan: I have invented a split-level cereal bowl. We have a shallow end, and we have a deep end. So what you do is you take your cereal–
ty: Let me see how this works.
Lisa: Funny.
Ethan: You pour your cereal on the shallow end.
ty: I like it.
Ethan: You take your milk…
ty: Ahh.
Ethan: And you pour it in the deep end.
ty: And you even have ridges on the shallow end.
Ethan: So it won’t slip off, you know.
ty: I like it. I’m going in.
Ethan: You want to put the crunch back in brunch.
ty: That’s good stuff.
Ethan: There you go. See? And then when you’re ready, you just go already. Little extra.
ty: That’s crunchy.
Ethan: A little extra crunch.
Lisa: That’s great.
ty: That’s good stuff. Where can I get one of these? I want one of these.
Lisa: I think he’ll have to make you one.
Ethan: I’ll get you as many as you want.
Lisa: That is–well, big things are ahead for you. Right here, man. Big things. Ethan, thank you so much. So nice to meet you.
Ethan: Nice meeting you, too.
ty: For more information on grass roots soccer, check the web site. Don’t go away. We’ll be right back.