"Well, Ivy kids always think they're better than everyone else."
And with that, Mark, a contestant on "The Weakest Link" from the University of Georgia, justified his change of vote and casual dismissal of Princeton's Elliott Dorsch '05 from the stage of the show.
For those who were not able to tune into the 2:00 a.m. airing of last Wednesday morning's college episode, Dorsch, a sophomore living in Holder Hall, was among the eight college students chosen to field the questions and notorious sarcasm of the show's host, George Gray.
Appearing on the Los Angeles set in that all too conspicuous bright orange sweatshirt, Dorsch presented an appealing target to those of his rivals that might have found private satisfaction in taking some minor shot at the Ivy League prestige.
The show's producers had, in fact, persuaded Dorsch to purchase this one article of paraphernalia which he has not worn since that specific occasion.
Dorsch speculates that the show's executives were primarily interested in exaggerating an atmosphere of tension and intensity among the competitors for the single cash prize.
These motivations became increasingly apparent in almost every stage of the production process from the matching of "diverse" personalities to the truly shameless confessional section: "So what do you really want to say to Mark now that he's voted you off?" the crew prompted Dorsch as he exited the stage after his defeat in the second round.
Only the most potentially controversial of Dorsch's departing remarks, "Well, Mark's going to regret voting me off because 20 years down the line he's gonna be asking me for a job and he's not gonna get it," were included in the final cut of the show.
Though he did not achieve the material objective of the show, Dorsch did walk away with other compensations including a certain amount of insight into television production.
Dorsch said "The Weakest Link" is not actually programmed to the rapid-fire pace that home viewers might imagine.
Anyone who may have been impressed with host George Gray's wit and articulation will be dismayed to discover that his own part in the show is subject to frequent rehearsals, cuts and recuts, Dorsch explained.
Between rounds, Dorsch said he was amused to hear the repetitions of his own name from somewhere at the corner of the stage where Gray experimented with the various inflections and intonations of his voice. "Elliott, Elliott, Elliott, where are you from, Elliott?, where are you from, Elliott?"
Though initially isolated from executives and fellow contestants for legal reasons, Dorsch did have the opportunity to mingle once filming ended. Apart from a number of celebrity sightings, he met Jay Leno, talked with George Gray and organized a few parties with the other students.
Dorsch seemed to consider his free plane tickets, limousine rides and the other extravagances of his trip as ample reward for the relatively grueling selection process.
Once he had aced the first 20-question written test that eliminated 90 percent of his competition, he was subjected to lengthy interviews and further examinations with only the vague encouragement that he "might" be picked for a show "sometime within the year."
Despite the time and effort involved, it happens that Dorsch is something of a veteran to the whole procedure. He has appeared in several advertisements, on at least one commercial Web site, and, most recently, was among the throng of candidates who waited on line for the "American Idol" auditions.
What's next? "I don't know, maybe you'll catch me on 'Jeopardy' one of these days," he casually replied.
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