Survivor

[Ping898]

Ok - I don't watch Survivor, I have no desire too or anything, but I know about it from various news articles that come up, so the latest Survivor season plans to start with the people broken into tribes based upon their general race (or at least the race they probably "look" ) - Asian, Latin, Black and White.
Now since they said that would happen, NYC (where this isn't even filming) is up in arms about it Yahoo article
and a bunch of officials are all pissed. What I don't understand is why.

I will admit I am white, so I have never really been subject to any racial discrimination, so that may be a contributing factor to my ignorance. But on the show (as far as I know) they always break the contestants into some groups, I recall male vs female on one show and everyone basically starts at the same point, so no white people getting better stuff than the other groups and eventually all the tribes combine into 1 or 2 anyways.

So why is it so bad that this time around they break everyone up into groups by race as opposed to when the broke the men/women, young/old people up?

 

[MA-Caver]

Ok - I don't watch Survivor, I have no desire too or anything, but I know about it from various news articles that come up, so the latest Survivor season plans to start with the people broken into tribes based upon their general race (or at least the race they probably "look" ) - Asian, Latin, Black and White.
Now since they said that would happen, NYC (where this isn't even filming) is up in arms about it Yahoo article
and a bunch of officials are all pissed. What I don't understand is why.

I will admit I am white, so I have never really been subject to any racial discrimination, so that may be a contributing factor to my ignorance. But on the show (as far as I know) they always break the contestants into some groups, I recall male vs female on one show and everyone basically starts at the same point, so no white people getting better stuff than the other groups and eventually all the tribes combine into 1 or 2 anyways.

So why is it so bad that this time around they break everyone up into groups by race as opposed to when the broke the men/women, young/old people up?

Mainly because race relations in this country isn't a fine an art as people would like it to be. Segreation is still a bad memory for many Americans. The Rodney King fiasco and so on. What are they trying to prove here? What difference does a person's skin color make? Age? Yes I can see a difference there. Sex? Sometimes, depending upon the situation but not always a difference.
But Race? C'mon! I feel bad for the producers/writers that came up with the idea, I feel bad for the participants for actually going along with it and I'll feel bad for the folks that will watch it. I sure won't. I don't watch it anyway, but on principal I won't watch (support) the show/episode. Wholly un-necessary and doesn't make any sense no matter how I look at it. Or maybe I'm missing something but I doubt it.

 

[Sigung86]

I suspect that the reason for it is, "RATINGS"!!! We, scientifically, know enough to know about racial differentiation and how, all things being equal, it is a non-issue. So unless there is some secret scientific study to see how people react to visual racial stereotyping (generally it's visual, anyway), I don't think it is much of a thing other than "RATINGS"!!!

Having said that, however, the TV folks are a whole bunch smarter than I am (or I would be as rich as most of them), and so, anything is possible.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

I suspect that the reason for it is, "RATINGS"!!! We, scientifically, know enough to know about racial differentiation and how, all things being equal, it is a non-issue. So unless there is some secret scientific study to see how people react to visual racial stereotyping (generally it's visual, anyway), I don't think it is much of a thing other than "RATINGS"!!!

Having said that, however, the TV folks are a whole bunch smarter than I am (or I would be as rich as most of them), and so, anything is possible.

Yes, I think it is about ratings as well!

Brian R. VanCise
www.instinctiveresponsetraining.com

 

[Ping898]

I am sure that this is all happening because CBS wants ratings...

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

That would not surprise me at all either.

Brian R. VanCise
www.instinctiveresponsetraining.com

 

[crushing]

Yes, ratings! Like just about every single other freakin' show on TV.

It's too bad the racists are all up in arms about people of the same race working together. Oh wait, it's the bigots that are for the races competing against each other.

What's the prefered spin? It seems the media prefers the later.

At least it gives the people that make their lives being pissed about such nonconsequential stuff something else to concern themselves about. It's only TV.

Have a lovely day!

 

[hongkongfooey]

I expect to see Jesse Jackson and Al sharpton any day now calling for a boycott of CBS. This story is such a non issue. The race baiters should be happy.

 

[Darksoul]

-When I first heard about this, my thought process went not towards the different groups fighting against eachother, but rather in-fighting. I'm sure some of these people will have prejudices, may even be racist, but I think the drama and aggression will be towards a person of the same color/ ethnicity. Just my initial reaction.

-Then reality sets in and says..."Go out and live your life instead of watching other people live theirs..."

A--->

 

[TonyMac]

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain! The great and powerful Oz has spoken."

 

[Phoenix44]

General Motors has already pulled out as a sponsor. Personally, I think racially segregated teams is a stupid idea.