Survivor tv show will divide teams strictly by race-what do you think of this idea? See cnn link or details?

Question

NEW YORK (AP) -- The new season of "Survivor" will be a race among races.

At the start of the reality show's 13th edition, "Survivor: Cook Islands," 20 contestants will be organized into four tribes divided along ethnic lines -- black, white, Hispanic and Asian, CBS announced Wednesday.

The tribes, as usual, will merge later in the season, which debuts September 14, the network said.

Jeff Probst, host of the show, said the network was worried the racial divide might offend viewers.

"It's very risky because you're bringing up a topic that is a hot button," Probst told asap, The Associated Press service for younger readers. "There's a history of segregation you can't ignore. It is part of our history."

"For that, it's much safer to say, 'No, let's just stick with things the way they are. Let's don't be the network to rock the boat. Let's not have "Survivor" try something new,"' he said. "But the biases from home can't affect you. This is an equal opportunity game."

Probst said he and the "Survivor" producers wanted to bring more ethnic diversity to the competition.

"The truth is 80 percent of the people that apply are white," he said. "And television, in general, is white. So all these criticisms were valid."

On each episode of "Survivor: Cook Islands," at least one cast member will be sent to a separate island miles away from camp, where an immunity idol will be hidden. If found, this immunity idol could save a contestant from being voted off the show.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/08/23/tv.survivor.ap/index.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/eo/20060823/en_tv_eo/19833

Answer 1

wow.... I cannot believe they are doing this....the whole idea of it sounds like they are going backwards in time to a scary place where people divided their friends/ allies.. etc... by such ridiculous outer things... whats next teams divided by skinny people... heavy people... short people... and tall people??.. its like reinforcing segregation and prejudice. and pitting people against each other based on outer differences not on who they are on the inside, the heart, mind and soul of the people...... its disgusting and doing it - is using these people in this way to generate attention / ratings/ etc...I'm really disappointed in this show... and I hope the people playing the game feel just as insulted...and voice it...

Answer 2

This is an awful idea. i am a white girl who would WALK OFF THE SHOW if i was a contestant. think about what you would go through. first of all, every kid who has a prejudice bent in elementary, jr. high or high school is going to use this as an excuse to talk about the "dumb black team" or whatever other race. I am from a very white region and we don't have enough variety at ALL. the prejudiced people in my area are just going to FEED off of this! i am extremely upset about this and have already written in to CBS. first of all, CBS better not have a martin luther king, jr. celebration this january, because his dream to see black, white, all colors holding hands is completely SHOT with this ridiculous attention getting stint. to honor him after dividing people of his country would be a crying shame. Second, if i were a white contestant on this show, when i got back to the real world, i'd be known as the white girl and how i treated other races, not that i was forced to compete like this, but that i was prejudiced just for competing. there is no way to be viewed or remembered other than in the controversial moments. if I were the contestant, i'd refuse to participate in anything, and on the first night of voting, i would vote Mark Burnett off the island. third, CBS is the jerk kid who taps the bully on the shoulder and gets someone else in a fight, never caring that he's the one who started it, only laughing because he didn't get punched the way the innocent other kid did. CBS is not taking responsibility for the fights, misunderstanding, and division they will be sowing in the schools, by the watercooler, and more. you couldn't pay me a million of Survivor's own dollars to watch this season. I do NOT think this is a good idea at all, i think it is TOTALLY IRRESPONSIBLE.

Answer 3

It will only be "reality TV" if they give the black tribe food stamps that are paid for by the other tribes. Then they have to set up some kind of system in the challenges where the black tribe gets "affirmative" preferences. There will have to be some kind of system to allow them to not perform as well but still win. Then the ACLU and Jesse Jackson can come in and demand that the black tribe should get fire without really having to make it, to make up for past injustices.

The hispanic tribe can sneak across the river and take things that aren't theirs from the other tribes and then make unreasonable demands of their host tribe. Of course if there is a graffitti challenge they will be a favorite to win.

The white tribe will be forced to throw in the towel from the very beginning even though they are the best tribe, because the deck will be so stacked against them they can't win.

Oh, I forgot the Asians.......but doesn't everyone?

Answer 4

What is with everyone? I think it would be so interesting to see how things work out. To see how whites, black, Hispanics and Asians all do things differently. And they won't be separated for long, After about 3 or 4 eps there probably going t merge.

I think it's going to be great, a fair chance finally for everyone.
I was done with survivor last season, I wasn't going to watch because they weren't doing anything interesting. Now I'm definitely going to watch.

P.S. I asked First, lol

Answer 5

I don't really like that they are dividing them by race but it will be good to have a variety of people...usually about 2 black, 1 asian the rest white...

Answer 6

ow I dont think of it as a bad thing because it will probably be like last season when they had one elimination and then they merged into two tribes. Plus, many people thought their were not enought black people on the show.

Answer 7

Thanks for the update! I always watch Survivor. This may sound strange, but it's my one hour of TV per week. Really!
I think it's a neat idea to divide the teams according to their ethnic origin. I don't think people should be offended by that.

Answer 8

I like the idea.
I think it is a little controversial as the public willhave to have a bit of angst about it and comment one way or another ... but I see nothing about people of like background and culture, banning together and trying to outwit, outlast, outplay....
It should be taken in the spirit it was intended.... it's ok to be different and to acknowledge and celebrate our cultural differences.
I'm looking forward to it.

Answer 9

I think its an idiotic idea to separate the tribes by their ethnicity. The idea is just going to add more stereotypes. Look, everybodys different, all blacks arent the same, all whites arent the same and all asians are not the same. I thought america was smarter than that? Never mind, America's just ignorant.

Answer 10

Well, for one I hate that show and in the second place I do not think that division of race is a good thing because it encourages racism