Survivor: Micronesia - Fans vs. Favorites
Survivor: Micronesia - Fans vs. Favorites
Ami
Biography
Ami Cusack was born and raised in Golden, Colorado, to Richard, a top gun pilot and explosives engineer, and Virginia, a former substitute English teacher and homemaker. After graduating Golden High School, she attended Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Denver. In 1992, while attending RMCAD, Cusack became one of the original six employees of a Golden-based nutritional company called Experiment and Applied Sciences. She started out by answering phones and by 1996 she became the company's charitable director. In 1998, (with over 350 employees), the company was sold and Cusack decided to travel for the next four years. Her travels led her to Australia, Thailand, Tahiti, Iceland, Japan and Africa.
Upon returning to the U.S., she took a job at a coffee shop, which she now considers "the greatest job in the world." She looks forward to being a mom and taking care of her family. She also is a nanny for a six-year-old. She is still very active in charities and has been named an Ambassador for the Colorado Chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
In 1996, she lost her 18-year-old younger brother, Kyle, to a drunk driver. Her mother now conducts motivational speaking to high school students about the consequences of drinking and driving.
Cusack is currently single. Her birth date is January 25, 1973.
Watch Videos from Survivor: Micronesia
Cast Interviews
Survivor: Fans Vs Favorites - Parvati
2:34
Survivor: Fans Vs Favorites - Mikey B
2:47
Survivor: Fans Vs Favorites - Erik
2:31
Survivor: Fans Vs Favorites - Yauman
2:23
Survivor: Fans Vs Favorites - Tracy
3:02
Survivor: Fans Vs Favorites - Ozzy
3:38
What Fans Are Saying About Ami
SurvivinLife
Is there a podcast with Joann and Stacey with Ami? I can't seem to find it, nor do I see any video of her for "the day after". Was she SO upset with being voted out that she didn't do any interviews afterwards?
Train2A
Given all the hull-balloo about trust, back-stabbing, betrayal etc. at Ami's TC, I found it amusing to watch (a week later - so .... what 3 - 5 days later for THEM) a preview wherein Cirie says: "Now is the prime opportunity to get rid of Ozzy." No doubt because of another amusing item: whereas the Malakal (previous old and new) trio seemed to think that "obviously Ami should have known she was a "part" of us, yada yada yada" presumably on the assumption that the faves will OF COURSE stick together? now, when Cirie gets over to the merged tribe, it has to be patently clear that "going beyond fans vs faves" are not just words. And she MUST know exactly what that means for HER. I expect all of the above ... because it's Survivor. What irks me is any of the "moral" or "self-righteous" judgments.Like: for example - Amanda and Ozzy around the campfire right after Ami's boot about her digging her own grave, lying etc. etc. BUT did anyone notice that when they were talking Cirie only piped up to say : "Ami?" lol, Yeah, I can see why you were confused, Cirie. They could just as easily have been talking about YOU, or maybe Amanda, or maybe Parvati? I agree with your doubt, Cirie, lol, it could be ANYBODY, they were talking about. Like maybe YOU, in NEXT week's episode. I found this rather funny.
j-a-hhhh
Train2A said... j-a-hh said... Wow Train, great analysis as usual. -----------------------+1 -->-->Where have YOU been? Glad to cross paths with you again. Maybe you've been posting elsewhere other than my usual abode: the episode threads. My memory isn't good enough for me to post on too many threads, lol, so I just tend to stick with that one and then these individual player threads. Yeah, I had to do my Ami rant before she becomes (sadly) old news .... which will happen in less than 12 hours, lol. Hope to run into you more from here on. Decided voter for an Ami - Obama ticket -->-->I've been around. But I was barely on the board for a few days and the episode threads had like 600+ posts in them.....I just gave up :-PI'll try harder next week LOLBut I like that you gave Ami a proper send off, since people tend to get so wrapped up in these "characters"
Train2A
j-a-hh said... Wow Train, great analysis as usual. -----------------------+1 -->-->Where have YOU been? Glad to cross paths with you again. Maybe you've been posting elsewhere other than my usual abode: the episode threads. My memory isn't good enough for me to post on too many threads, lol, so I just tend to stick with that one and then these individual player threads. Yeah, I had to do my Ami rant before she becomes (sadly) old news .... which will happen in less than 12 hours, lol. Hope to run into you more from here on.
Train2A
j-a-hh said... Wow Train, great analysis as usual. -----------------------+1 -->-->Where have YOU been? Glad to cross paths with you again. Maybe you've been posting elsewhere other than my usual abode: the episode threads. My memory isn't good enough for me to post on too many threads, lol, so I just tend to stick with that one and then these individual player threads. Yeah, I had to do my Ami rant before she becomes (sadly) old news .... which will happen in less than 12 hours, lol. Hope to run into you more from here on.
j-a-hh
Wow Train, great analysis as usual.
pigeonlady
Train2A said... actually, Ami's boot did not catch her by surprise at all. It was Leeann's boot that caught her by surprise since THAT was the first blindside (from Ami's perspective) that happened It was because so many people spoke of "Queen Ami" and her "falling off her high horse" that I watched Vanuatu again to see just how much of an inflated ego came through there. And after watching it again, my opinion was that these perceptions were somewhat exagerated. -->-->Hi Train, :)Thanks for refreshing my memory. From what I can recall (which I admit is fuzzy at best), Ami still didn't have any idea she was a target until shortly before her elimination... (and I had forgotten about Leeann, to be honest). But up until then, and for the better part of her game, Ami was confident that her alliance was safe, so she had no need to backstab and 'trouble the waters'. It's easy to be open with your opponents when you think you have it in the bag. She pretty much let Chris know where he stood all along, good or bad .... ( From what I can remember, that is...lol). What I remember most is when the women were primping and painting themselves while the guys looked on.... she was lounging there while her maids-in-waiting were applying the paint. I'm sure it had a lot to do with CBS editing, and it worked on me, because out of the entire season I remember that scene the most.... "Queen Ami"... lol.I don't deny it.... I liked her better this season.... She just seemed a bit more down to earth. PL :)
Train2A
pigeonlady said...Her boot caught her completely by surprise. -->-->Hi Pigeon, actually, Ami's boot did not catch her by surprise at all. It was Leeann's boot that caught her by surprise since THAT was the first blindside (from Ami's perspective) that happened and it was one that told her that her head would probably be on the chopping block next. And she was indeed booted next as she more or less expected. However, maybe you were thinking of the Leeann blindside and perhaps the difference is not that great although I kind of thought that Leeann's alliance with Julie was tighter at that point, so I'm not sure that Ami would have made it to the F2 anyway.It was because so many people spoke of "Queen Ami" and her "falling off her high horse" that I watched Vanuatu again to see just how much of an inflated ego came through there. And after watching it again, my opinion was that these perceptions were somewhat exagerated. BTW, I too do NOT care for over-inflated egos, lol.
pigeonlady
Train2A said... I have noticed that a lot of people seem to have liked Ami better this season than they did in VanuatuAnd then people (including Probst) go on about Ami being a lying back-stabbing untrustworthy contestant. -->-->Hi Train, :)I didn't like Ami in Vanuatu and I don't remember her backstabbing anyone back then (I didn't go back and watch it, so my memory is kinda fuzzy.. ;). On Vanuatu, she saw herself in such a good position that she didn't feel the need to go behind anyone's back (On Survivor, you only backstab when you have to). Her boot caught her completely by surprise. This season she didn't have the same control so she attempted some backstabbing out of necessity..... And I actually liked her better this time..... So no, it wasn't backstabbing in Vanuatu that made [me, at least] dislike her then, because she didn't do any that I can recall..... .....It was her inflated ego that rubbed me the wrong way on Vanuatu ..... And it is Ozzy's inflated ego in Micronesia that makes me dislike him this time, whereas I liked him on Cook Islands. I've never been particularly fond of over-inflated egos. Some people see it as self-confidence, but I just see a big, fat head ....lol. ;)
Train2A
ncmtncats said... I really hated to see Ami get voted off. She was definitely my favorite but I was afraid that that this would happen. Ami is a strong, powerful woman....she voiced her opinions but didn't stab her alliances in the back like others have done. Comparisons to JP are ridiculous. I really didn't see her as the villain at Vanuatu. She could have been the hero had the women listened to her. She tried to get them to vote together as a pact and instead of doing that, they were eliminated one by one until a guy won the game. I would likeo see one season where the women stick together intead of being all sugary and gooey over the guys...... -->-->ITA with everything you say here. I've been meaning to write about Ami in both Vanuatu and Micronesia this week, since we sadly bid her good-bye too soon and no doubt, for the final time. So, always having a lot to say about EVERY aspect of this game (as some of you know) I definitely have a lot to say about MY favorite Survivor player: Ami. I have noticed that a lot of people seem to have liked Ami better this season than they did in Vanuatu so I recently went back to view the Vanuatu season and came away with exactly the same impression that I did the first time I watched that season. Which is exactly the same impression that I got from Micronesia. I don't agree with those that say "Ami was soooooo different this time." even though, in interviews, she has been agreeing somewhat with this by saying that she has gotten more sensitive, is more of a "delicate flower" etc. So, I've been wanting to explain why I not only disagree with all those who think she was different and even will have the nerve to disagree with Ami herself, lol. I NEVER understood why Ami was seen as a villain in Vanuatu. IMO, she did nothing to deserve that title. Sure she got a bit snarky or sarcastic when it became clear to her, after Leeann was voted out, that she was being targeted next, but I don't fault her for that. (although, that was SUCH a dumb move for Leeann to tell Scout that she would take Julie to the final 4 instead - by that stupid remark, Leeann took both herself AND Ami out of the game, BTW)First, about the "man-hating" thing. By dividing the camps according to sex AND by beginning that season with an incredibly long and boring sexist ceremony, the producers clearly set the stage for this man vs woman thing which now people blame Ami for. Because of this male-vs-female format CHOSEN by the producers, and because Ami was one of two women who self-identified as lesbians, AND because Ami soon began to be viewed as the leader of her original tribe (which, yes, was an all-female tribe) AND finally because there is sufficient homophobia and sexism still decking the halls of the land, everyone moved on to the "Ami - the man-hater" slogan and became known as the "vilain" of Vanuatu. What about Scout, who was also a lesbian? And who openly said "it's now time to steal, cheat and lie"? Did Scout escape all these accusations because she plotted in such a way as to maneuver the only remaining male into the sole survivor position? Anyway, I don't want to get lost in a tangent about Scout but I don't quite get why Ami got all that bad press and not Scout. And then people (including Probst) go on about Ami being a lying back-stabbing untrustworthy contestant. Again, it was primarily Scout, Twila and Eliza that deserved those qualifiers, not Ami. Even when it came to the famous decision of turning on Eliza (famous because that (in addition to Leeann's stupid comment to Scout) is what made Eliza turn on Ami) if you watch that episode again, you will notice that Ami did NOT want to do that but rather stick with the female alliance plan and turf Chris, but she decided to go along with the others, perhaps fearing that she would be seen as forcing her will on the tribe. So, the only "back-stabbing" move here which never materialized was not even her decision and was not the way she wanted things to go. In Ami, what THIS viewer saw was a strong smart woman who, perhaps to the discomfort of many (both male and female) was intent on sticking with her original alliance (which WAS female). Does anyone hold it against Ozzy and Amanda to want to stick with their original alliance this time around? Since when did sticking with your original alliance becamse a vehicle through which one can justifiably be accused of being a back-stabbing, vicious liar and villain? The othe discomfort that Ami probably caused (though don't ask me why) was due to her mistake? of not feeling that just because her original tribe and alliances were all female, that they were somehow incapable of making it to the end without the help of members of the original opposite tribe. I didn't see Ami being ANYWHERE as nasty, difficult, unpleasant, aggressive and deceitful as Twila, Scout and Eliza. Nowhere near. She did express her views and most of the time these appeared to have been adopted by her tribe. She proved herself to be a great strategizer (until Leeann decided to totally disrupt it all by her stupid exchange with Scout - did Leeann really expect Scout to say "okay" and lay down and lie - honestly - if that wasn't the dumbest move ever, I don't know what is - I'd stop all these digressions into Leeann if I thought to devote a thread to her, but it's out of scope of episode 8 and it wouldn't be worth it). Anyway, I did NOT see in Vanuatu an Ami that was any less sensitive than the one we saw in Micronesia. Nor did I see in Micronesia and Ami that was any less strong than the one we saw in her first season. I further think that Ami tends to incite many "I love Ami" cheerleading type of comments because as a player who was excellent at physical and mental challenges, work ethic, strategy, social skills and possessed clear leadership qualities, she was, in a sense the female all-star equivalent to Ozzy. While this title could be disputed by Stephenie (Guatemala? and forget the other season) in physical challenges and staying power, Stephenie's second appearance was not viewed as positively by many viewers because she lacked many of the other above-mentioned characteristics that Ami. Finally, I DO think it's important to mention that although there have been quite a few gay contestants (most of whom have been male) I think that Ami provided an excellent refreshing change to most people's notions of a lesbian (or even bisexual woman as some might interpret her these days, though I was glad to hear that ...[Message truncated]
