Jessica deBen was the first contestant booted off Survivor: Fiji -- but she's not bitter. (Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS)

It would be like -- if we may be so bold -- a solid year of Tantric love-making and then, on the day of anticipated payoff, getting your goolies sheared off in an industrial accident. Or something like that.

Anyway, that's how we view the plight of Jessica DeBen, who realized her dream of making it onto Survivor: Fiji only to be the first one punted from the island mere days into the adventure and one show worth of face-time into the North American collective consciousness.

Isn't that worse than having never been picked at all?

"Well, I know nothing else," says the 27-year-old fashion stylist and makeup artist says with a laugh.

"But it wasn't too bad when you think about, 'What if I would have made it all the way to the end and someone would have backstabbed me then?' That would have been really ugly."

As deBen alludes, her death in the game came from the blindside.

Six other members of the Ravu Tribe cast a vote her way -- predominantly because deBen screwed up her task of puzzle-solving during the immunity challenge -- despite her understanding they would be sending home Rita Verreos.

DeBen's shock at the result led to her famous quip after tribal council, "I guess if you're going to get back-stabbed it's good to get it done in the beginning when you don't know people that well."

She elaborates on her famous last words trying to find some positives.

"You don't get too attached to the outcome," says the Louisiana native and L.A. transplant. "You can't because you're out.

"And when I go to the reunion show I'm not going to be wanting to claw anybody's eyes out."

And, besides -- keeping the positive spin going -- at least she got off the plane.

Everyone involved with Survivor: Fiji was shocked when one of the contestants dropped out at the 11th hour leaving only 19 Survivors.

"We didn't really know what happened because you can't talk to each other," deBen says.

"And then when we made it to the boat to get shoved out onto the island she wasn't there. Nobody tells you where she went or if, in fact, she was supposed to go on the show.

"So we're all formulating these ideas: 'Who was this woman, did she get sick, did they cut her at the last moment?' Luckily I got to know what happened (early)."

DeBen learned the full story when she appeared on the Survivor Live internet show.

"When I was on it a girl named Melissa called in and said, 'Hey, I'm Survivor No. 20. I had three panic attacks in one day and that's the real story of what happened to me.' I feel bad for her -- I can't even imagine."

Well, that's not entirely true. DeBen herself backed out of appearing CBS' Big Brother, although for decidedly different reasons.

She found out her ex-boyfriend was also going to be in the house with her.

"I thought, 'Oh my God -- if they lock me in the house with this wacko, I'm never going to make it," she says.

"So I called CBS and said, I can't do it.' "

Lest you begin to feel sorry for deBen and are baffled by her decidedly upbeat attitude towards her premature ouster, worry not and wonder no longer. She's doing OK.

In fact, possibly you and millions of others will see her next Sunday on TV, as she was hired to do makeup touch-ups on the red carpet at the Oscars, which allows her indulge in a new dream.

"I'm just hoping to be able to chase George Clooney with a makeup brush," she laughs.