What idiot thought this up? (Survivor)

[BooScout]

http://www.tv.com/survivor/show/4742/story.html?story_id=5985&tag=story_list

CBS has the solution to a lack of racial diversity: Race war.

Survivor host Jeff Probst, appearing on CBS' Early Show today, said that season 14 of the venerable reality show will divide contestants by their ethnicity. He said the idea came up when the show was accused of not being racially diverse.

" actually came from the criticism that Survivor was not ethnically diverse enough," he said. " fits with what Survivor does...it's adding another layer to that social experiment."

(more)

To complain to CBS: http://www.cbs.com/info/user_services/fb_global_form.shtml

[LisaM]

1. Unreal, isn't it?

I couldn't believe it either. Great way to pit the viewers against each other, too.

[Taverner]

2. Um...yeah that's a good idea

NOT

I don't even know where to begin on this one...but I think this speaks for itself...

[TheFriedPiper]

3. Only stupid people will watch it

which, of course, means it will get massive ratings.

[valerief]

4. Well, it's in keeping with the Repub agenda. They've been

playing the race card left and right over the past few months. They're nothing but walking, talking viruses.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

5. Perhaps the revolution WILL be televised

after all.

[LostinVA]

6. I'm a long-time fan of the show

And my hair stood on end when I read this earlier today.

I actually enjoy watching people let down their civilized facade after just a short time out on the island, but this? The male vs. female dynamics have gotten nasty.... this has the chance of being worse... although I get what Burnett is driving at, it's not gonna work, because people are people. All four groups are gonna become "Lord of the Flies" toward the other groups.

Oi.

[Horse with no Name]

7. The same people who had no problem

traipsing over sacred burial grounds during one of the last seasons.

[Cathyclysmic]

8. Survivor needs to call it a day.

The novelty is worn thin, the show itself is tiresome, and reality shows are seemingly on the way out. That is the worst premise I have heard yet.

[yvr girl]

9. Is it any worse than men vs women?

Or old vs young?

I like random teams myself, but I think they're just trying to come up with new ways to divide the teams. They could have gone North vs South or Dem vs Repub.

I think that they are trying to have a set of more diverse players is a good thing.

[earth mom]

10. Anything for ratings right?

:puke: What a horrible idea!

They would have been smarter pitting the liberals against the reich wing! Though the thugs would probably win by lying, cheating and stealing! :grr:

[NYCGirl]

11. This'll only go on for a couple of shows, then the teams will begin to

merge. I'm looking forward to the new season. Survivor is my guilty pleasure.

[lectrobyte]

12. Well, they've had old vs. young and men vs. women, so this is

probably just the next logical step. I'm not getting too worried until people are actually killed or something, that seems to be the only thing missing from this 1970's Dystopian SF novel we're living in...

[vogonity]

13. Season 14?

Have there been FOURTEEN seasons of that show here in the US? Thirteen seasons since Richard Hatch ? How many seasons do they do a year?

[Skittles]

16. as long as people keep watching this garbage

they will keep making it

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. Oh good God

What's next? Rodney King vs Scott Peterson?

[LWolf]

15. I have a better idea.

How about changing the social experiment this way:

Survivor becomes a game of cooperation. Heterogeneous groups are set down in a region, far enough apart to make contact difficult. Points are awarded for the healthiest whole group, physically, mentally, and socially. The most cohesive group. Group with the most points wins. No evictions.

[AlienGirl]

20. I love that idea!

They could also teach basic wilderness-survival skills, instead of relying on meaningless "contests." If they really feel they need the contest format, why not have contests to see who can build the best lean-to, find the most innovative way to get drinking water, or something else that relates to actual survival techniques?

Tucker

[LWolf]

21. All great ideas!

It seems like challenges that depend on cooperationrather than cut-throat competition, and actual practical living skills, would reflect the direction we need to evolve, if they are really interested in "social experiments."

[The2ndWheel]

31. How do you evolve in a direction?

Anyway, I did watch the 1st season of this show, and thought it was going to be more along the lines of what you originally brought up. Then it turned out to be more of a forced outcome situation, with one winner, etc. Looking back, I expected far too much from a TV show. But then they only get a certain amount of episodes and time to do anything. So that's on me.

[LWolf]

33. I've only watched a few of them,

and none in the last couple of years. How do you evolve in a direction?

You evolve "toward" something; cooperation would be some "place" different than "competition," so that would be two different "directions." Metaphorically speaking.

[BlueStorm]

17. Ok this is just plain dumb...

Who the hell would think up of something like this? It just goes to show you how much our country has slipped backwards, big time.

Blue

[KamaAina]

18. Maybe they could throw in a few mixed-race contestants

and have them act as double agents. :sarcasm:

Really, guys, if you hadn't already jumped the shark years ago, you just did. :puke:

[Gormy Cuss]

19. What a great idea!

Idiots.

[tjwash]

22. Damn, is that show still on?

They jumped the shark big time after season one. I wasn't even aware it was still on the air.

[LeftishBrit]

23. That sounds horrendous!

I assume there are rules about content of TV programmes in America as well as here? If (as I assume) they censor programmes on grounds of bad language or nudity, why are they letting this go through?

[AspenRose]

24. It's unamerican

Whatever happened to 'from many, one?'

[treestar]

25. This one will end like they all do

The winner always betrays somebody and makes excuses for it - I was playing the game the best I could, etc.

The dynamic is set up to cause the same exact thing to happen in every case of the game. The contestants uniformly do the same thing. The ones who do the ethical or right thing lose to the people who do the cutthroat competition thing. Then we get to hear the excuses about "playing the game the best I could."

Definitely jumped the shark.

[Bonobo]

26. Devil's Advocate position, if you will.

Why is this a big deal?

We all pretend that race is not an issue, but it is. Go to any school cafeteria above 2nd grade level and you will see that kids divide themselves to a large extent based on race.

Sad? Regrettable? Perhaps.

True? Undeniably.

Are we not all in denial about how racial-centric our society is? Does this denial contribute to the solution or simply hide the problem?

Something to think about.

[Initech]

27. Cant wait until they start losing sponsors over this one..

And I hated Suvivor (as well as the "reality" genre in general) to begin with. This is a stupid idea, even for them.


:popcorn:

[donsu]

28. I'm looking forward to watching this Survivor - think it's a good idea

and will be fasinating to watch as various ethnics approach problem solving and getting along together differently.

racists are racists 24/7 about everyting and anything. let them talk ugly for the world to see.

[lectrobyte]

29. Idiot? This is the most I've seen Survivor discussed here, ever.

So they have succeeded in getting even my attention...

[citizen snips]

30. CBS should have ended Survivor a long time ago.

[TheFriedPiper]

32. Someone who realizes how many idiots will watch it

More dumbing down of America for profit.