If you didn’t tune into “Survivor 50” last night (Wednesday, March 11) you missed out on witnessing one of the franchise’s strangest moments to date as longtime host Jeff Probst revealed that, after just two episodes, the remaining 21 castaways would be undergoing a tribe swap.
While the swap itself was nothing out of the ordinary, despite its early arrival, it was how Probst chose to announce the twist that had fans and former players alike scratching their heads.
Instead of delivering his iconic “Drop your buffs” line straight, the 64-year-old host instead asked the gathered castaways to start snapping their fingers in rhythm to create a beat. After a few rounds of snapping, Probst launched into a full-blown rap.
Yes, you read that right. Jeff Probst started rapping, right there on the beach, to the shock, awe, amazement (and cringe) of the players before him.
Watch Jeff Probst Perform His ‘Tribe Swap’ Rap on ‘Survivor 50’
Here’s how Probst’s little ditty went:
“Now this season’s in the hands of the fans
They’re calling the shots, it’s out of our hands
They picked the buffs you’re wearing today
And the rice and supplies, well, they said ‘Now way’
And now it’s time to drop another fan vote
The dangerous kind, this one will cut your throat
So are you ready to drop your plans?
Are you ready to drop your hands?
Are you ready to drop your buffs?
Because the fans have spoken, it’s time to… Drop your buffs”
‘Survivor’ Alumni Share Mixed Reactions to Probst’s Rapping Skills
CBSThe wonderfully weird moment received mixed reactions from fans online, including former castaways and current Season 50 players who were present for Probst’s rap.
“Thought he was gonna do some slam poetry for a sec,” reported Ozzy Lusth on Instagram, while Savannah Louie added “How long do we think Jeff practiced this for?” on ChatBCC.
While some players, like Rizo Velovic, loved the moment, writing, “Hot take – I thought Jeff was spitting – it was kind of fire,” other alumni, like Kelley Wentworth, hated it, calling the rap, “Jeff’s midlife crisis in the spotlight.”
“WAIT it’s so much more Dr. Seuss than I thought it would be,” added “Survivor: David vs. Goliath” alum Gabby Pascuzzi.
Meanwhile, “Survivor 47” alum Sam Phalen added, “Anyone else in the mood for fried chicken and waffles all of a sudden?” referring to Probst’s launching into an impromptu chant/song with the cast of Season 48 last year ahead of a reward challenge where the castaways were competing for, you guessed it, fried chicken and waffles.
Probst Reveals Why He Chose to Rap on ‘Survivor 50’
As to why Probst felt the need to start rapping on the latest episode of “Survivor 50,” the host told Entertainment Weekly, “Me rapping is really just me having skin in the game. I asked the players to bring it, and I want them to know I’ll bring it too.”
While Jeff is far from becoming the next MC Hammer, he explained that he wanted the moment to show the players that he was dedicated to making Season 50 as fun as possible.
“You can criticize the rap. I’m not a rapper. But my moment with them was to say, ‘Let’s play. Let’s have some fun this season.’ And they did, and we do,” he added.
Not Everyone on Set Thought the Rap was a Good Idea
CBSAll things considered, the rap wasn’t that bad, especially after Probst revealed that the inspiration only came to him “early in the morning of that day.”
“I debated it,” he continued, revealing that he wasn’t sure if he should debut the rap on such short notice. But after running the idea by fellow executive producer Matt Van Wagenen and workshopping the lyrics with long-time challenge producer John Kirhoffer – who told Probst in no uncertain words: “I don’t think you should do it” – the host had to commit to the bit “100%,” because, on “Survivor,” there are no do-overs or re-shoots.
“I said, ‘If we do it, we’re doing it,’” Probst revealed. “Because I can’t say, ‘Well, that was kind of fun. Now let’s just do a normal one.’ And we did it!”
As to how he kept a straight face in spite of the 21 stunned castaways standing and snapping before him as he rapped, Probst told EW, “I concentrated as hard as I could to not mess it up. And the finger snaps were a little off and that was throwing me off. And then when I saw it in the edit, I laughed out loud and said, ‘That’s what I want! I wanna be held accountable in the same way the players are.’ But I’m telling you, it was a last-minute thing.”
Love it or hate it, Probst’s “Tribe Swap” rap will go down as one of the most unpredictable moments in “Survivor” history.
Be sure to tune into a brand new episode of “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” next Wednesday, March 18 at 8:00pm ET, exclusively on CBS.
