In the series "Survivor: China", has CBS shown bad judgement to cast Courtney Yates, an emaciated contestant?

Question

If you've not seen this year's Survivor series, take a look at contestant Courtney Yates, an emaciated waitress from NYC:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=3861186&page=1

She is so thin, many wonder if she will live through the trials of having little food for so long, trying to survive in the Chinese jungle for weeks in hopes of winning a money prize. Was this really ethical to cast someone like this in a contest where food and hunger were such central issues, using money as the lure and doing so for other's entertainment and network ratings? Do you feel a little icky watching this kind of "entertainment" which capitalizes on other's suffering, purposeful degradation and hardship, cut throat competition and all for greed? Are most reality series that pit a collection of humans against one another under extreme conditions, and that evoke what ultimately becomes lieing and betrayal of thrust between players, truly the kind of TV we should be generating as a thoughtful society?

Answer 1

I know first off if she was too thin the phsyicals that they are made to get she wouldn't pass. Yes I think she's way too skinny but who knows maybe she was born that way. I think it's not a bad thing or unethical either. Remember the gay guy who won and walked around naked all the time. People want to see all different types of ppl.

Answer 2

Heres my take on the whole issue- Survivor's viewership has been lower in the last couple of seasons- and Burnett being the producer that he is as well as having a mind for marketing/publicity he has come up with one more way for the media to promote his show without spending any of his own $$$. It's sort of comical to think that everyone is having so many comments about it being racist for the fact that most races have some sort of superior feeling and opinions about the other races maybe Survivor will be the answer to what race really is the strongest and most intelligent...I'm sure it will be an intersting season!

Answer 3

People always lose weight on this
show from lack of food.

I will never understand why they picked
contestants with such light body weights
to start with.
Some of them have burned off all of their
body fat, and are now losing their muscle.

I can't believe the show doesn't tell
them to put more clothes on when they
are around people.
They make US look bad.
They can be skinny, and wearing tiny
bikinis, but they are almost nude.
The camera tries to go fuzzy, and
some of the Village people try to
look away.
Was that all for TV ratings?

Answer 4

yea i don't know how Courtney survived seriously I almost pass out if I don't eat till 1 in the afternoon but I guess money can make people do things or she is just underestimated

yea reality tv is messed up but I must admit i watch it anyway. america is pretty pathetic as a whole because reality tv keeps growing and growing and how realistic is it knowing there's a camera on you all the time?

Answer 5

Lots of previous girls have looked just as bad. Remember holly and jenna taking off their clothes for peanut butter and chocolate? They were grossly thin too. Nobody paid much attention to them. I was glad to see her eat two hearty meals in yesterday's episode though. It will help her out a bit.

Answer 6

wow you have way too much time on your hands
its entertainment and a competition and no one gets drafted to go there she volunteered
your whole opinion disgusts me and the answers to your question are as equally mindnumbing as your views
the only thing that makes me feel icky is reading what "thoughtful" people have to say

Answer 7

they try to get different ethnic groups different types of everything to make the show more interesting. Hey these people are adults. They make their own choices, whether they are good choices or bad i am sure they will learn from them but in the process it is what makes the ratings go up

Answer 8

she is totally gross and i told my husband last night if they dont vote her off soon she will "fall through her own butthole and hang herself, she is so skinny"