Jeff Probst has been hosting Survivor since season 1, and has become as representative of the show as an individual. In fact, he is so synonymous with Survivor that many other versions of the game in other countries do their best to mimic his style within their own hosts, while still establishing their own brand and delivery as well.
It is no surprise, then, that Jeff has had an impact on the language and terminology used by players and fans. There are of course the ones he uses all the time, such as "The tribe has spoken", "Fire represents your life, once your fire is out, so are you", "Wanna know what your playing for?", and "Got nothing for ya, grab your stuff head back to camp."
A far more obscur reference, though, is "Club Condo". For fans of Survivor podcasts, you may recognize the phrase Club Condo from segments of Rob Has a Podcast, or on Tyson Apostol's podcast, The Pod Has Spoken. However, it was Jeff who originally coined the term. But what does it even mean? He tries his best to break it down.
Jeff loves when players reference Club Condo
On Survivor 48 episode 8, the players were asked to split themselves into duos in a treemail before the upcoming challenge, so that they would arrive already paired up. One pair, Kamilla Karthigesu and Shauhin Davari, decided to nickname themselves Club Condo, which they told Jeff at the challenge. While Jeff got a chuckle, many viewers were wondering what that even meant.
On that episode's edition of the On Fire with Jeff Probst, the official Survivor Podcast, Jeff did his best to explain the reference.
"Yeah, it really is funny and fun to me that Club Condo is in the vernacular of Survivor. Now, Club Condo isn't an actual place. There's not an address that you can go pull up to Club Condo."
So what is it then? Jeff breaks it down for listeners.
"Club Condo is a state of mind. And I said it at Tribal Council one night, when I was merely trying to convey the idea of a vibe within a group. And every so often now, it finds its way back into the show. There's really nothing more behind it. It's just a way to say something without saying anything at all, which is something I'm really good at."
Rachel Lamont, winner of Survivor 47 and one of the podcast cohosts for season 48, chimed in.
"I don't know. I think I'd like to see a reward at Club Condo at some point in the game, though."
Jay Wolff, the final co-host and producer for the podcast, agreed with Rachel.
"Yeah, it would be a great reward, where really good things happen."
So, that is the answer. Or at least, it is an answer. Basically, Jeff made it up on the fly, and people ran with it. Given Survivor's popularity, die-hard fan base, and quirky community, that happens quite a bit. It is cool to see these easter egg references show up on the show, though, especially when you are now part of a smaller population that actually understands it, almost like an inside joke. Welcome to the exclusive Club Condo!
While Club Condo may not mean much, it is a cool little tidbit of Survivor trivia and lore. And wouldn't that be cool if on Survivor 50, there really was a Club Condo like Rachel suggests? I am picturing the Sugar Shack mixed with the Spa day rewards of old. We need that happy, blissful vibe back a little. Either way, Club Condo is here to stay.
More from Surviving Tribal: