Survivor Samoa: Why Is Brett Clouser Invisible?

I was several weeks into Survivor Samoa when I realized the two guys in the photo were not the same person

The guy on the left is named Brett Clouser. He makes t-shirts. The guy on the right is John Fincher. He's a rocket scientist.

It only became obvious to me that Brett and John were two different people when John started to have a beard while Brett's face remained bald.

I supposed if I watched the opening credits I would have noticed both Brett and John. Maybe.

One of the reasons it was easy not to notice Brett is that in the history of Survivor no cast member has ever been given less face time. The minimalist appearance of Brett, at the point where we are down to only 8 left on the island, has sparked all sorts of debate in various spots on the Internet.

One theory is that Brett is so boring he gives the editors no material to work with. The few times we've heard Brett speak he does sound a bit morose and monotone. I believe his longest screen time came when Shambo told him she was voting off Laura. Brett just seemed sort of resigned. Strange mournful music was the soundtrack for that scene.

Brett's facial expressions are a bit one note too. As others sit at Tribal Council all a-twitter over another blindside, Brett just sits there like a Zombie about to fall asleep.

The dumbest theory, one with an entire thread on Survivor Sucks, with the title "Brett--Gay Bashing Homophobe," has someone claiming a Survivor insider informer told them that an editor or producer or someone high up on the Survivor production chain overheard Brett making some sort of rude anti-gay remark and so edited Brett into virtual non-existence as revenge.

Like I said. Dumb.

Early on there was quite a lot of speculation that Brett wins this edition of Survivor. That would seem highly unlikely at this point in time, since we have had no Brett storyline, no Brett strategy, hardly any Brett anything. He'd be the most under the radar winner ever.

Then again, a Brett win would not be the first time Survivor didn't make a lot of sense.