** OFFICIAL Survivor: Cook Islands Thread ** ‘Survivor’s’ new racial divide

[bicker]

That's a good point. One of the most artificial aspects of Survivor has been that minorities have typically been almost completely alone. While the actual numbers might match that in the general population, there is a big difference from being 8% of a population and being "the only one" like you.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

One phrase keeps coming to mind, and Councilman Liu's actions reinforce it -- "don't judge a book by its cover." Or, in this case, a TV show by its press release.

The show is 3 weeks away from its premiere. No one has seen any footage or anything outside of some 30 second promos and the bios on the CBS website. The show is being condemned by some sight unseen, and that really bothers me.

I'd rather wait and see the show before deciding which team I'll root for. Will it be the white team, because I'm white? I have no idea. This season's villains or general PITAs may all be white, while this season's favorite could be Cao Boi, Sundra, or Billy.

If this season goes even a little way toward encouraging everyone to look past the skin color and their preceived notions of someone based on that factor and to judge them, accept them, and root for them as the individuals they are, then so much the better.

 

[cardaway]

I think they have picked their fair share of weak white players too. I'm thinking Tina and Tom and several older white women.

I agree. I was thinking more along the lines of there being two or three favorites to win based on the mental and physical strength, and IIRC, that has never been a minority man or woman. IMO that is really odd considering what is sure to be a very large number of applications from every group they are adding more of on this new season.

Also, I have seen some great Black players, like Cerie in the last season, but also some very strong men. I think they have intentionally picked the people that will make the most interested and even enflamed TV. They are after ratings after all. There have been some real "characters" of all races.

Cerie went far last season, but she was not IMO a strong player. The "character" element was the other part of my point. Many of the blacks chosen were people that I think they saw would make a great "characters" rather than a great player. Nothing wrong with that since people may watch to see the "characters" but I do think it hurts the game in the long run.

 

[cardaway]

In this thread no one has yet to explain how this segregation is different than the past ones of sex and age. Just because it is race/ethnicity makes it bad?

Short of the deliberate casting that I think goes on, I believe this is different because with both age and sex you have a natural element of disadvantage in physical ability. We know from watching every season that the first few challenges are always very physical in nature.

Is somebody going to go on the record in saying they think one of these minority groups will have a better or worse shot in the physical challenges based on being separated by race?

That IMO is the difference.

 

[SillyMe]

I don't think it's a big deal and I'll be watching, as I have every other season.

 

[bicker]

The show is being condemned by some sight unseen, and that really bothers me.

Precisely, and that condemnation, itself, is very telling. It shows that politicians like Liu are all about the noise and don't care about the signal.

If this season goes even a little way toward encouraging everyone to look past the skin color and their preceived notions of someone based on that factor and to judge them, accept them, and root for them as the individuals they are, then so much the better.

And I bet that's what I'll be doing.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

If this season goes even a little way toward encouraging everyone to look past the skin color and their preceived notions of someone based on that factor and to judge them, accept them, and root for them as the individuals they are, then so much the better.

This is why I am so excited about it! I really hope it turns people around with their stereotypes. We all know that there are some racial bigots who watch the show, and just want the black guy gone, or the asian gone.

Good for Mark Burnett to try this social experiment. I can't see how this would be a negative thing.

 

[jgmklmhem]

I agree. I was thinking more along the lines of there being two or three favorites to win based on the mental and physical strength, and IIRC, that has never been a minority man or woman. IMO that is really odd considering what is sure to be a very large number of applications from every group they are adding more of on this new season.



Cerie went far last season, but she was not IMO a strong player. The "character" element was the other part of my point. Many of the blacks chosen were people that I think they saw would make a great "characters" rather than a great player. Nothing wrong with that since people may watch to see the "characters" but I do think it hurts the game in the long run.

I agree that some of it may be casting decisions like Tom or Terry...but I also can see some of the minority players maybe in auditions looked like they might be great players but fizzeled in the game. Alicia was extremely strong both physically and willed....the willed part may have done her in. Cerie came out of no where. Bobby from the last season in the first few episodes looked strong imo but then he fizzeled as well. Gervase looked like he might do well too so who knows. Maybe just having an equal amount of each race will matter somewhat. I also don't think they thought during casting that the first two winners would be Rich and Tina.

 

[caitycaity]

I don't think it's a big deal and I'll be watching, as I have every other season.

ditto. i really don't see how this is any different than separating by sex. in our society people self-group and are other-grouped all the time. every day. is it right? maybe not, but that is the way it is and i don't think it will ever change. i will reserve judgement on how mark burnett handles it until i see the show.

 

[christygobar]

I, too, will be watching as I have all other seasons. I think Survivor will handle it tastefully. I'm not bothered by it. And as others have said - the tribes will likely be merged after the first or second episode as it was done last season.

 

[gometros]

They're all picked for certain characterisitcs and how that will play to TV. Not only the minorities are picked because they are characters. What about the redneck one or two shows back (god, what was his name?) I think what is most interesting is how when you take people out of their environment, their confmort zone, you see how they interact with others of different backgrounds much differently. Look at Richard and Rudy from the first season. Rudy was vocally anti-gay, but he and Richard ended up forming an alliance. Go figure.

 

[Kitty 34]

I will be interested in seeing how this newest way to split tribes will be played out.

 

[Free4Life11]

It will be interesting to see which teams do the best in the swimming/water challenges, the mental/puzzle challenges, and the hard labor challenges.

Now obviously I said all these because these are common stereotypes about races (although I have to admit, as a white person, I don't know what the stereotypes about whites are if there are any??) It will be interesting to see whether the stereotypes will be true for the teams or not.

 

[Kramer]

But what happens if you are of Indian or some sort of Middle Eastern ancestry? They aren't Asian... technically Caucasian, non-Hispanic.

India is part of Asia...

 

[goofy's friends]

It will be interesting to see which teams do the best in the swimming/water challenges, the mental/puzzle challenges, and the hard labor challenges.

Now obviously I said all these because these are common stereotypes about races (although I have to admit, as a white person, I don't know what the stereotypes about whites are if there are any??) It will be interesting to see whether the stereotypes will be true for the teams or not.

I don't really think they will leave it split long enough for us to see all that.

 

[Kramer]

From MSNBC:

Leave it to "Survivor" producer Mark Burnett to find the one thing you definitely didn't think he would do. As announced on this morning's "Early Show," the cast of the 13th "Survivor," set in the Cook Islands and scheduled to premiere Sept. 14, will initially square off in teams divided by race. That's right: the season will begin with a bloated cast of 20, and they will be divided into four tribes, which the show is calling the White Tribe, the African-American Tribe, the Asian-American Tribe and the Hispanic Tribe. If your reaction is "oof," you are not alone.

Uh... everybody knows that "Hispanic" isn't a race, right?

While we're at it... "African-American" isn't a race either.

 

[Ticket Man]

Uh... everybody knows that "Hispanic" isn't a race, right?

While were at it... "African-American" isn't a race either.

Very true Kosmo.

 

[Robinrs]

Uh... everybody knows that "Hispanic" isn't a race, right?

While we're at it... "African-American" isn't a race either.

African American is the name we chose for our RACE after being given stupid names like Negroid, Negro or colored by others who authorized themselves to name us. It represents our culture AND our race.

 

[Metalhead]

This Idea That The Producer's Came Up Wit This Year Is So Stupid Not The Contesntants But The Producer's Of Survivor Are Startin 2 get out of hand

 

[Kramer]

African American is the name we chose for our RACE after being given stupid names like Negroid, Negro or colored by others who authorized themselves to name us. It represents our culture AND our race.

No offense meant... but its an ethnicity... no different than Italian-American.