NYC Politicians Want Latest 'Survivor' Pulled

[DaysForever]

From Zap2it.com - http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-survivor...-news-headlines

The political backlash against the sorting of players on "Survivor" by race has begun.

Members of the New York City Council's Black, Latino and Asian Caucus are calling on CBS, which airs the unscripted series, to dump "Survivor: Cook Islands," which is scheduled to premiere Thursday, Sept. 14. The show's 20 contestants will be divided by ethnicity -- African-American, Caucasian, Hispanic and Asian-American -- at the start of the game.

"We are going to call on CBS to pull the plug on this," Robert Jackson, co-chair of the caucus, tells the New York Post. "Is this going to help to bring people together? I don't think so."

CBS announced its plans for the newest "Survivor" on Wednesday, and the reaction to the segregation has been largely negative -- even within the network. Harry Smith, who helped unveil the players on "The Early Show" that morning, told "Survivor" host Jeff Probst he was "dismayed" at the idea.

The network, however, doesn't seem likely to pull "Survivor" from the airwaves.

"CBS fully recognizes the controversial nature of this format but has full confidence in the producers and their ability to produce the program in a responsible manner," the network says in a statement. "'Survivor' is a program that is no stranger to controversy and has always answered its critics on the screen."

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They're only doing this for ratings. Everything is always about ratings.

What's all of your comments on this?

[poohbear19]

I'm surprised it took this long for someone to come out and try to cancel this season. I've never been a fan of Survivor, but I might check it out... though I'm not in the mood to see some stereotying done with these minority groups. So, I hope it doesn't go that way.

[DaysFanJean]

My first thought was, "Whatever on earth are they thinking of?" Frankly I'm highly incensed that CSB would go for such a "controversial" (my eye, it's just hateful in this day and time) season. My best thought is that the sponsors won't pay or if they have already, they will pull the plug. Why bring up ethnicity at all. We all have friends of other races, religions, etc. and a friend is a friend, not a color or a religion, it's like your sister is your sister, you don't think anything else about them except that they are special in your life. It's disgusting to try to show separatists, in my humble opinion.

[SteveFrame]

I personally don't see any difference in this way of dividing the groups than what they did last year. Last year they divided them by age, and no one made any complaints about it. They did that for ratings and everyone felt that the younger folks would dominate over the older ones, but it went the opposite way.

I am not prejudiced and DaysFanJean I know what you are saying. I have friends of all races, and their ethnicity never enters the picture. My ex-brother-in-law and his wife could not have children and they adopted an African-American boy, and I still feel no different toward him than I do to my other nieces and nephews.

But saying that I still see no problem with this. It angers me when the races want to bring up race and the differences when it helps them. Say in a court case where they want the emphasis on the fact that the person is of an ethnic minority, but here an innocent separation that will most likely only be done for 2 or 3 episodes like last years division was is made out to be something sinister because it puts an emphasis on the ethnicity of the tribe members.

Survivor has always had ethnic participants, but they have always been in the minority as far as the number of contestants on the show. At least with this each one of the ethnic tribes is equal and depending on who survives to the merge, they should be pretty equal at that point.

[bellcurve]

I stopped watching SURVIVOR after Colby gave Tina the money, but this sounds like an interesting exoeriment.

CHAPPELLE'S SHOW pointed out racial differences, but our world didn't suddenly fall apart because of it. Hell, it created(and still does create) interesting dialogue between me and my friends when the discussion of race and racial stereotypes come up.

It's not like the LA riots are gonna happen if a black person doesn't win. Sheesh, people!

[WTGH]

It'll only get bigger ratings.

[Danni]

Because ageism isn't as emotionally charged of an issue as race is. After all, the United States is a country that foolishly thinks that racism is nothing but a dirty memory though not only is it alive and well, it's no different than it was back then. Honestly, as much as you try to convince yourself that we shouldn't think of race/ethnicity/religion whatever, the fact of the matter is that not only should we think of it, we have to. Because I'm not the same as the next white person, and don't try to front like I'm the same because I'm not.

That really smacks of the "I'm not racist!!!!111!!!1 I have three black friends" vibe, and if anything it succeeds in providing the opposite effect than trying to convince others that you're not racist. I don't know if you are or not. I don't know you enough to say whether you are or you aren't, but it's a major eye-rolling comment and it lends to the possibility of some passive racism.

There may be POC participants, but you can't deny that they've always been typecast as either the angry minority or lazy. Don't really get that with the white participants.

I am really bothered by this statement on so many levels. Could you please elaborate on this?

[DaysFanJean]

It's the pointing out or playing up of something different that bothers me. If they had cowboys and Indians and rural and urban, that could be fun as it would be a diverse group within each group, but when it is specific to a race, then it is of highly inflammatory feeding fuel on an open fire. It is stupid beyond belief. Now, if this were not a show of competition using deceit, lies, cunning, etc., all derogatory traits to begin with, but one that showed real strengths, it could be different.

Why don't they do one breaking the groups into mute, blind, paraplegic, deaf. It's as atrocious as that. You simply do not group people for a competitive, combative show like that. (Not that I'm comparing this group with the ethnic groups, but just emphathizing the tastelessness of the producers of CBS which I think they have done a fairly good job at proving already.)

Speaking of age......LOL. Why think the younger would beat the older? We are living history whereas you guys are still making it. We have forgot more than you know and until the brain cells really start dying that is the way it is (as you will know someday yourselves). Now if it were a foot race or dexterity contest, that could be a whole different thing.

[Danni]

I doubt it would be fun if it was "cowboys and Indians" considering that history. Another thing to consider is how the editing would look like, because we all know that they'd turn out different things just for drama's sake.

[SteveFrame]

Danni, I was not even going to respond to you because your comments hit me the wrong way at first. Some of them highly offended me, but I do not have to worry about them - because you do not know my life and you do not know me or my friends.

As to the last comment I have already elaborated on them. I have discussed that in very detailed length with a lady who was a former client of mine. She and I are very good friends, and yes she is African-American or as she prefers to be called - black. As I said many times ethnic groups bring out their ethnicity - many times it is in situations where they use it to help their situation. Such as I said in some courtroom situations where being of an ethnic group or minority helps the situation and the lawyer and the defendant will exploit the ethnicity for the better good.

I still do not see that this is that big of a problem. Every day in our society ethnicity is pointed out in many different ways. Sometimes it is in a bad way and that is wrong. Sometimes ethnicity is a good thing. And as I said sometimes even ethnicity is used for various reasons to achieve a goal. Some will say that is wrong and some will say it is not. I don't know. I am still debating the issue in my mind. I will say that if a person is guilty of a crime, his ethnicity should not enter into whether he is guilty or not.

I know that it is a dream situation or an idea of a utopia, but I think we should all be judged equally. I know that it will be a long time before that happens or even if it will ever happen in this lifetime. There is prejudice on both sides, and yes I mean on both sides of the ethnic situation. There is direct prejudice and there is reverse prejudice. Both are equally as wrong, and keep us from achieving a goal of equality.

I still feel that some are making this a hot button issue when it shouldn't be. And of course the media is making more our of it, and stirring the pot when they shouldn't be. I am not going to judge Survivor or CBS until I see the show - even if we get too. Last year they divided the groups by age. This year they are dividing them by ethnic group. So far from what I have seen they are not degrading them in any way. They are saying they are (insert ethnic group) and they have not lied or called them anything they are not. I will reserve my judgement for later - if it is even needed at that point. I have never seen Survivor stereotype anyone in anyway, and I trust that they will handle this situation in the proper way too.

Danni or anyone else can call me a racist. I know that I am not, and that is all that matters. I have not meant any of my comments to be offensive in any way. If you take them that way, just know that they are not meant that way. As I said I do not see a problem with this. If it turns out bad, then I will be the first to say I was wrong, but I have faith that it will not. I think it is being blown out of proportion, and made bigger by the media and the politicians.

[DaysFanJean]

Steve, what Danni was saying and I do, too, is it's your very denial that there is a problem is the problem. You think that the rest of the nation feels as you do, or wishfully think they do and I'm in that court, too, however, realistically, it is far from true. Therefore, just denying there is still a problem is a huge part of the problem and probably why it is even growing more every day. I feel quite content with my judgement of CBS and Survivor producers.....because I'm an old woman and by age, judgement is something we love to do and have a lot to base it on. Even watching if we are correct or not is part of the fun of living. I'm thankful there are fair minded people like you and that gives me hope that the scales are being tipped now as the younger generation moves forward.

[Danni]

I never said that you were a racist. In fact, I outright said that I don't know if you are or aren't because I don't know you at all. I'm saying that the comment smacks of that desperately trying to show that you're not racist by having that one or two "significant" relationship with a POC, but only works in showing the opposite effect because you're trying that hard. The best example I can think of is the scene in Cruel Intentions where Cecile's mother confronts Ronald about dating her daughter and she says "Don't give me any of that racist crap, my husband and I gave money to Colin Powell". In an attempt to show how "anti-racist" she is, she only shows the complete opposite. That's how the comment came off.

Here's the thing. There's racial prejudice and there's racism. Racial prejudice is self explanatory, but racism is a much bigger system of using racial prejudice as a way for oppression and suppression. If I said that I hate white/Hispanic/Asian people, that'd sure as hell make me prejudiced, but could I be considered racist? Nope. Why? Because racism is not going to benefit me. It's not established to benefit me or any other POC.

[sweetness514]

I have to say that I can understand why it would offend some, and that racism is far from being a thing of the past, and being from Canada it still is an issue here, even if so many people are denying it. I'm half French Canadian and half Italian, and for this alone I was always the outcast if I hung out with the Italians or any other group just b/c I was not 100% "pure" like them, so I can't even begin to imagine what it's like to not be caucasian. I have lived my life color blind maybe b/c of this but then again my three best friends in first grade were Haitian, and I have had friends from just about every ethnicity ever since-I'm now 35.

The thing is I still don't have a big problem with what Survivor is doing, but I have to see it first and then maybe form more of an opinion.

[Bree]

It's all for ratings and publicity. Let's face it, Survivor should have lasted three or four seasons only. The show is getting staler and staler. The same type of people always end up on it and the same melodramatic [!@#$%^&*] always goes down.

I think the producers should just can the show after this season and sit back and count their billions. Why continue to beat a dead horse?

[Danni]

I think it is a huge disservice to be "colorblind", and it's not an attack on you sweetness, just the whole idea of "colorblindness". It makes the assumption that everyone doesn't have differences, although we do. What's important is to be aware of those differences and understand that there will be things that you can't relate to, but just don't discard them.

Another thing, if someone says that a particular remark or action is racist, don't be defensive. That gets us nowhere, and it more or less confirms the point. What's more important is to listen. LISTEN. LISTEN. LISTEN. Because 9 times out of 10, the experience is legitimate.