The approach of Survivor has lead my train of thought on a quiet day at work to this conclusion: Survivor is a game played in offices around the world every day.

The rage these days is for everyone to work in teams. Usually these teams are set impossible challenges by their boss. And usually these tasks are given to at least two teams (within the one company). The winners get "immunity" i.e. they are not next month's downsizing fodder. The losers then spend the next few weeks quietly trying to assissinate every other team member's character in the eyes of the jury. Slowly but surely this process continues until there's only one person left. That person becomes the new boss and the game begins again.

There are differences too where this allegory falls down. For example usually in Office Survivor the tasks set are vague, immeasurable, purposeless and often indefinable. The rules change mid-game but the contestants aren't told the new ones. Indeed the challenges change mid-game too. The winners are not necessarily the best players or even the best at the game. And once you've won you get to play the whole game again anyway.

There's probably a lot more to this idea but I can't be bothered thinking it through any further. Nevertheless you get the drift.