I never really got into Survivor, but my parents–even my mom–are obssessed with the show. I dimly remember that Survivor was always high on idiotic stunts (nudity, eating rats, and so forth), but I am shocked that they would now actually divide up the starting groups by race. Black, white, Latino, and Asian.
If this isn’t a last gasp of a dying franchise, I don’t know what is. Host Jeff Probst referred to Survivor as a “social experiment”; well, even if it is, it has a painfully juvenile attitude about it: let’s just put ‘em all on an island and let ‘em fight it out.
I question the US against THEM attitude this kind of division is bound to produce. Because it really, really is pitting black against white and on and on. Ethnic groups battling over limited resources? It may be the reality of life in the United States but it’s an exploitative way to bring up the issue.
How could any audience member truly feel comfortable rooting for one group over the other? (Assuming that it’s most fun to watch a show, pick a group, and root for your team.) As soon as you say, “I like the Team Asian because they’re clever/stupid/hilarious/entertaining” you’ve blurted out a stereotype–not necessarily of your own accord but as a result of the way the show is set up.
