Breeze Perspectives: Surviving CBS’s race-bating
Reality show takes contestants back to the bad-old-days of segregation
By Caroline Carter, contributing writer
Posted on September 5, 2006

CBS’s popular reality show “Survivor” is infamous for showing the ability of the human spirit to survive against near insurmountable odds. But some are beginning to question if the show itself will be able to survive with the mounting criticism regarding the network’s outrageous announcement about the newest installation of the series, which is scheduled to air Sept. 14. CBS recently revealed that the new season, “Survivor: Cook Islands,” will not separate the contestants randomly, nor will they divide them based on age or gender. Instead, stranded castaways will be segregated based solely on the color of their skin.  

The show’s host, Jeff Probst, defended the decision of the shows producers by stating, “it is a social experiment and this is adding another layer to that experiment, which is taking the show to a completely different level.”

Sinking the show to a new level is more like it. While it is true that, in the past, “Survivor” has played the role of the “educational” reality show, being praised in both social and intellectual circles for successfully providing a glimpse into human social behavior, this season’s race experiment promises to raise more controversy than actual insight into race relations.

After all, CBS, dividing people by their race has already been done. See apartheid in South Africa or segregation in the United States. We already know what happens when humans are divided along racial lines, and — unless I’ve missed something — it does not seem like the kind of thing anyone would want to revive or relive. If the show wants to be edgy and controversial, more power to it, but the producers should create controversy that will be progressive instead of rehashing the race issue which will likely stir up painful memories from the not-too-distant past. Give me a show where they make a single tribe comprised of both Christians and atheists, homosexuals and homophobes, liberals and conservatives, and stick them on an island together where they have to depend on each other for their survival. Now that sounds like something I would watch, simply because both the participant and the viewer have something to gain from the experience. No one has anything to gain by pitting race against race in any environment, let alone an extremely competitive one, and then putting them on television for the world to gawk at.

But there is someone who does stand to gain from this ridiculous concept: CBS. For the past week, it has seemed that I couldn’t turn the corner without hearing about “Survivor: Cook Islands.” Everyone from the major news networks to “South Park” has been taking their shots at the show and the network for airing such utter nonsense. Unfortunately, nonsense sells. Despite the fact that the publicity the show has received has been overwhelmingly negative, it will most likely give them a significant bump in the ratings. So way to go, “Survivor,” you will make it through your 13th season. But think of the cost, to both the participants and the viewers. While this stunt may be enough to win ratings, as far as business ethics and morality are concerned, I think the tribe has spoken.

Caroline Carter is a sophomore SMAD major.