New 'Survivor' A Race Among Races

Probst Reveals Contestants And Controversial Tribe Change

(CBS)  In just a couple of weeks, the new season of "Survivor" takes 20 castaways to the Cook Islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

They will be split into four tribes, but how they will do that is guaranteed to be a talking point. For the 13th installment of the series, producers have yet another controversial way to begin the game: 20 people, four tribes — each divided by race.

Jeff Probst is back as host of "Survivor: Cook islands" and spoke with The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith about the controversial new season, which premieres Sept. 14 at 8pm ET on CBS.

Smith asked Probst whether the new way of dividing the "Survivor" contestants was a good idea for a reality show.

"Well, that's probably one of the reasons it will be interesting and controversial, maybe, as you say. I know, from where I sit, I found it to be one of the freshest ideas we've had going back to the beginning of this show in season one," said Probst.

Smith asked him if this new twist was taking the reality show too far.

"I think at first glance, when you just hear the idea, it could sound like a stunt. Especially with the way reality has gone, it wouldn't be unusual. But that's not what we're doing here. The idea for this actually came from the criticism that 'Survivor' was not ethnically diverse enough," he said. "Because, for whatever reason, we've always had a low number of minority applicants apply to the show. So we set out and said, 'Let's turn this criticism into creative for the show. I think it fits in perfectly with what 'Survivor' does — it is a social experiment. And this is adding another layer to that experiment, which is taking the show to a completely different level."

How did the new players react when they were told they would be divided by race?

"The reaction was mixed. (Contestant) Yuhl wasn't sure. Yuhl was concerned we were going to turn this into something that would show stereotypes and reinforce them," Probst said. "On the other hand, you have people like Rebecca, who said, 'I don't really care how you divide it because I know that I need a certain amount of people to be on my side to help me get through this.' Ultimately, to win this game, you're voting people out that are then on the jury that have to come back and vote for you. So, the person who wins is actually going to do the best job of merging with all different ethnicities."

2Smith asked Probst if he thought the tribal divides would divide the viewing audience as well.

"I think it's very likely," he said. "In fact, our original idea was simply to have the most ethnically diverse group of people on TV. It wasn't until we got to casting and started noticing this theme of ethnic pride that you're alluding to. So, yes, I think it's very natural to assume that certain groups are going to have audience members rooting for them simply because they share ethnicity. At the end of the day, I think it will come down to what it always comes down to: who do I like?"

Probst announced the new crop of castaways and the tribes that they will be divided into:

African-American Tribe:

Make-up artist, Rebecca Borman, 34, from Laurelton, N.Y.

Jazz musician and recording artist Sekou Bunch, 45, of Los Angeles

Nursing student Stephannie Favor, 35, of Columbia, S.C.

Retail salesman Nathan Gonzalez, 26, of Los Angeles

Sundra Oakley, 31, an actress from Los Angeles

Asian-American Tribe:

Nail salon manager Anh-Tuan "Cao Boi" Bui (pronounced Cowboy), 42, from Christianburg, Va.

Attorney Becky Lee, 28, of Washington, D.C.

Management consultant Yul Kwon, 31, of San Mateo, Calif.

Real estate agent Jenny Guzon-Bae, 36, of Lake Forest, Ill.

Fashion Director Brad Virata, 29, of Los Angeles

Hispanic Tribe:

Heavy metal guitarist Billy Garcia, 36, of New York

Professional volleyball player J.P. Calderon, 30, of Marina Del Rey, Calif.

Police officer Cristina Coria, 35, of Los Angeles

Waiter Oscar "Ozzy" Lusth, 25, of Venice, Calif.

Technology risk consultant Cecilia Mansilla, 29, of Oakland, Calif.

White Tribe:

Copier salesman Adam Gentry, 28, of San Diego, Calif.

Writer-producer Jonathan Penner, 44, of Los Angeles

Boxer-waitress Parvati Shallow, 23, of Los Angeles

Performer-roller girl Jessica Smith, 27, of Chico, Calif.

Pre-med student Candice Woodcock, 23, of Fayetteville, N.C.

©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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by yngona August 23, 2006 12:15 PM PDT

When will people realize that "white" is not an ethnicity? It is "caucasian".

Why isn't the African-American tribe called "black"? Why isn't the Asian-American tribe called "yellow"? Why isn't the Hispanic tribe called "brown"? Why is every other ethnic group listed by their ethnicity and not a color? Why are Caucasian's listed as a color and not an ethnicity?

Yngona Desmond

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by tiff21x August 23, 2006 12:46 PM PDT

I'll watch the show, just because it sounds intriguing.. .but I see a lot of sterotypes and problems that will probably arise from the new season. Why couldn't they do it according to countries? Like American,English, Australian, French, etc. .. It sounds like a recipe for disaster and just another way to bring up drama between races....., but I'll tune in for the drama.

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by godseyesore-2009 August 23, 2006 12:47 PM PDT

Spot on Yngona. It clearly shows a fundamental curtural/racial bias from the start, so no amount of oral gymnastics by Probst or CBS can hide that. If they want to "add a layer", just be honest and call it a rascist layer.

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by judieb-2009 August 23, 2006 12:55 PM PDT

13 out of 20 Californians?

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by davidfromnj August 23, 2006 1:33 PM PDT

The previous comment shows just one example of how wrong this whole thing is. This is about separating people. It is about reinforcing steroetypes. It is about the worst kind of tribalism.

This show show be cancelled. And if CBS goes through with it, people who care about bringing people together instead of separating them should boycott the show and its sponsors. I will be.

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by varactor August 23, 2006 1:53 PM PDT

Again the media gets it WRONG. Hispanic is not a race it is an ethnicity! It is highly probable that most of the contestants in the ethnic hispanic tribe are also caucasian (or white for you racists out there)! This is based on the fact that most of Mexico, Central America, and South America was settled by Spanish Europeans.

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by pipefiter August 23, 2006 2:04 PM PDT

I find this Survivor most interesting for it will give us view of how each group relates to each other with in their own group.


D.R.Buechlein

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by mamacasse79 August 23, 2006 2:09 PM PDT

Yngona, how can you say that caucasian is an ethnic group. I don't think of my ethnic group as Caucasian or white either. I'm Irish-Italian-German-Pennsylvanian Dutch-American. Now if you can find 4 other people with that exact Ethnic background, I'd be happy to be on this show. It's not racist, it's intresting. We all put ourselves into groups everyday. Last year it was old vs. young and men vs. women.... but no one said it was sexist or age bias. Get a life. It's a TV show if you want to watch it.... watch it. If not, leave it alone and let those of us who do enjoy it. You're making too much out of simple entertainment.

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by ninebear August 23, 2006 2:15 PM PDT

To call the season of Survivor a "social experiment" is a slap in the face for all classes of people who went through the 50's and 60's of racial discrimination, segregation, assaults, etc. is classifying that part of American history as nothing more than a game show idea. To have this Survivor cast divided by race is just promoting the continuation of race dividing in this country. ABC profiled a set of twin girls whose mother is raising them as racist. White supremacy group support this ideal of the separation of classes. Why should some reality show and the myopic Jeff Probst become the arbiter of what the viewing public considers acceptable behavior? In this global age, Muslim countries hate America, Probst plays into their hands about what America is truly about, xenophobia. What happened to the notion that America is the "melting pot" to the world? Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 'I Have A Dream' speech spoke of all God's children. Is this nothing more than just a "pipe dream? I grew up classified as a minority in this country. I grew up in the 60's. I do not need reminders of social isolation, discrimination, segregation and inequality by the likes of Probst. I was barely watching Survivor as it was last season. This concept of race baiting makes it impossible to put up with this show. If Probst want a "social experiment", here's one he can wrap his head around. Why don't I just boycott the advertisers who support this show? I can just get on my laptop and press send.

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by ninebear August 23, 2006 2:19 PM PDT

It's too bad this post is limited to 1500 characters including spaces. I had a lot more to say on this subject but had to dramatically edit my post down to a least vpoice my discontent with the show.

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by wickerden August 23, 2006 2:24 PM PDT

Look I think there's a good discussion to be had about race vs. ethnicity vs. color, but that's not the point here.

What Survivor did is just another arbitrary way of dividing up people into teams. Mamacasse79 has an excellent point with the previous "young" vs "old" team division. It's the same exact thing this time. Sounds like they're all Californians anyway!

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by teresamac-2009 August 23, 2006 2:33 PM PDT

All I can say is this show will have people talking. We need to talk about race in this country and stop making the subject tabu. I want to see more than one minority on the show anyway.

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by grandpapa53 August 23, 2006 2:56 PM PDT

What, pray tell, is CBS thinking about these days? Isn't there enough racism in the world; they have to take an interesting and fun loving show and turn it into a skin color driven catastophe that will no doubt bring out nothing but negativity and potential racial comments between the tribes. Yeah, that's what I want to watch this year; I will of course, until the racial slurs start flying.. Then it's So-long Survivor until next year. Maybe next year they can break the tribes out by shoe size, or length of fingers!! How about ugly/beautiful or fat/skinny.. Get a life CBS, you are clueless.

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by lizard0507 August 23, 2006 3:03 PM PDT

It's sad to note that American Indians are not represented here.

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by hubbardbart August 23, 2006 3:03 PM PDT

In my opinion, this is a great idea. I'm mixed Filipino and White and I love Survivor. Like others have said splitting by race is just another way of dividing up people to create teams in a competition: Young vs Old, Men vs Women, etc. By pointing out difference we aren't implying inferiority or superiority. If anything we're recognizing and honoring diversity, if not celebrating it. But also it points out how arbitrary classification by race really is in terms of capability and drive. I understand where people are coming from with the initial shock, but to call it a slap in the face might be a bit of an overreaction. This is certainly controversial, but I think that this is a step forward for CBS and the media.

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by gladys_over August 23, 2006 3:05 PM PDT

You have to wonder about the basic intelligence and common sense of whoever thought this would be a good idea.

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by gladys_over August 23, 2006 3:07 PM PDT

If Tiger Woods wished to participate in this, which tribe would be join ?

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by cwfabian August 23, 2006 3:13 PM PDT

And hey, why don't we name the tribes "Spear chuckers", "******", "********" and "Crackers"? Have you dumbasses at CBS lost your minds?

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by apdepetris August 23, 2006 3:25 PM PDT

I've watched every season of Survivor (except for this first one oddly enough) and this is just another way to shake things up. In the past they've seperated by gender and by age and now by race/ethinicity. It certainly doesn't have to be stereotypical - I guess that might depend on the editing. It may end up breaking down stereotypes if the people don't end up fitting the mold that other people may have in their minds. Personally, I think people get too worked up over this stuff. Nobody screamed when they divided people by gender or age, why now. It seems that things have gotten so bad that everyone is afraid to address race issues anymore. We're just so afraid of offending anyone anymore that it's just gotten ridiculous. Get over it people. It's just a TV show. Most reality shows in this day and age aren't even real anymore.

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by August 23, 2006 3:40 PM PDT

What gives. The 20 contestant's home states are slanted toward California by a 14 to 6 ratio. Not exactly representative of non-CA states. Well, La-La-Land will control the outcome!

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by clumberfoot August 23, 2006 3:41 PM PDT

First Reality TV is an oxymoron. Second the Black, Yellow, Brown, White tribe thing should be on the history channel. Let%u2019s get contemporary. They should have Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Atheist tribes.

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by robinsoncm August 23, 2006 3:43 PM PDT

What is so wrong with it. I have children of mixed race and am married to an african-american mad. i have gone through hell as well during my 20 year marriage but if contestants choose to take part, that's their choice. People can choose to watch or not watch.

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by snoozecafe August 23, 2006 4:01 PM PDT

Neither are Asian Indians for that matter...

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by snoozecafe August 23, 2006 4:04 PM PDT

Oops... the previous post was in response to the fact that there were no American Indians on the show

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by dgodemann August 23, 2006 4:21 PM PDT

I really don't care about how you divide the groups... but there are alot of folks from California...LA or other California areas in the group. Can't you get a more diverse group from across the United States? Seems that there must be people from all 50 states that would fit into the show.

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by msturner2 August 23, 2006 4:24 PM PDT

CBS has again demomstrated extremely poor judgment by pitting Americans against each other by "racial" lines in an attempt to boost its ratings. For decades, we have been trying to rid American society of segregation and polarizing institutions, but these kind of cheap exploits only perpetuate unAmerican divisions. I am curious how much thought went into the ethnic makeup of each "racial" team. Were you sure to have the proper balance of irish, italian, germans on the "white" team; puerto ricans, mexicans, cubans on the "hispanic" team; koreans, japanese, chinese on the "asian" team? How ridiculous.

Why not pit a group of multi-racial Americans against "tribes" of French, Japanese or Nigerian teams? Or would that be too nationalist? This latest idea by CBS is stupid and whoever approved it should be fired, or be sent to for racial sensitivity training.

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by August 23, 2006 4:44 PM PDT

Excellent concept....let the "nanny" police say whatever, majority of the viewership will certainly enjoy.

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by jackie19671 August 23, 2006 5:21 PM PDT

Ethnicity

Hmmm...

Asian Americans probably have descendents from Asia?

African Americans probably have descendents from Africa?

Hispanic Americans probably have descendents from some spanish speaking country.

White Americans?????? They must be those folks of alien descent that no one knows.

This white ethnicity has always been a curiosity to me. I'm a mix of european and native american descent with white skin. Just call me a Mutt American please :)

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by originonline August 23, 2006 5:24 PM PDT

I found it interesting this morning listening to Jeff describe the races...Asian-American, African American, Hispanic and WHITE. When did white replace caucasian?

Let alone why can't I be European American Mutt

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by mebrown998 August 23, 2006 5:37 PM PDT

I'm a caucasian from the state of Mississippi - still recovering from our misguided actions of a few decades ago. Finally, our state is trying to climb out of the "racist" category. Here CBS is trying to force the entire country back into the 1960/1970s charged arena of colorful stereotypes. What is the deal with that? I, for one, am proud to be above these issues now.

On another note, Bavarian29 is right. What is with all the West coast participants. Hopefully the next "twist" will be to divide the teams into geographical regions. Oh no, then we'll have another North v South thing going. At least that won%u2019t be as WRONG as Black v White.

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by tesslynn83 August 23, 2006 7:17 PM PDT

Come on people.. This is just a show.. It is entertainment... The contestants are there by choice, It's not something that was forced on them! It is not segregation, it is just a different twist on things.... Which in the end, they will all end up as one... What's the difference.. Last season it was young guys and old guys, young girls and older women... With the shape that our world is in today... Can we not just enjoy "Survivor" without making a MOUNTAIN out of a mole hill!!!

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by frmdbb August 23, 2006 9:33 PM PDT

I really dont understand the big deal about ethnic groups. There are many colors of the rainbow and what counts is who is a real team player and carries their own load. This racial thing is getting real old.

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by jonesjonesb1 August 24, 2006 12:08 AM PDT

In a country that has not handled race very well I feel that a major network should not jump on the bandwagon to further separate people in terms of race. Ratings are very important to CBS. This concept shows just how much the bottom line is to CBS. I would hope that there would be a ground swell of people who will vote with channel turners and not watch this "social experiment".
How low can you go?

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by engelsleninmarx August 24, 2006 12:24 AM PDT

I don't see this as necessarily a bad idea--how much is race really talked about in this country in an honest and open manner? As a 'white' person I do feel like we tip-toe around this issue, leaving our true feelings to simmer inside and have no real outlet to express them. The healing process of becoming a truly integrated and sensitive society cannot be accomplished with just forced political correctness.
I think that maybe with this new survivor we will have somewhat of a chance to start open converstations with each other about the differences and similarities between the different ethnic groups. I doubt this will perpetuate any false stereotypes, hopefully because the contestants weren't chosen on how well they fit those stereotypes in the first place.

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by hfbrooks11 August 24, 2006 1:00 AM PDT

This is what I just sent to those on my email list:

If you have been following the reality series %u201CSurvivor%u201D then you know it was the first reality series that all the others have copied. In my opinion it has been the second best reality program on TV, second only to %u201CThe Amazing Race%u201D. But with each successive season it has gotten worse.

The new series begins sometime next month, and I just heard what the format will be. If what I heard is correct, and I have it from a reliable source, there will once again be four tribes to start with, but this time it will be the, %u201CAfrican-Americans%u201D, the, %u201CAsians%u201D, the, %u201CHispanics%u201D, and the %u201CCaucasians%u201D.

If this is really so then what a joke it will be, in a time when everyone is trying to get along as one American people, to separate tribes on the basis of race, and pit them against one another, is unconscionable. If I did not hear it from a reliable source I would not believe it. I will probably watch the first five minutes of it to find out for sure that this is correct, then turn it off and not watch this series or any subsequent series again.

If anyone has heard anything that will confirm or discredit this please let me know. I would like to hear I am wrong, but I fear I am not.

Fred Brooks

Elverta, California
(Sacramento County)

PS: I just checked it out and, unfortunately, I was correct.

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by lissamtd August 24, 2006 2:59 AM PDT

I originally thought it will be interesting. But then I thought about my 7 year old watching. We actually use to look forward to watching as a family.I just don't think children should know these things at a young age.They should have no worries or negative views.Don't get me wrong,I totaly believe we are not all the same,and I will teach him when the time comes.Children are not born knowing the difference. However it is a fact and they should be taught eventualy or they will find out on thier own anyway. I am hoping this show will show that to the the people in the dark and the people pretending to be in the dark. I look forward to watching, however have to watch without my child or think of a way to desribe the separation without letting him know the ugly facts yet.Let this be a lesson to all you "head in the sand" parents teaching your children we are all the same. If that were true they wouldn't be able to have this venue for the show.

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by simmulation-2009 August 24, 2006 3:27 AM PDT

In a society that has tried so hard to become color-blind this is a huge step backwards. It suggests that this show will determine the "superior race" this isn't 1942 Germany! I for one am appaled

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by islandgrlnmt August 24, 2006 3:43 AM PDT

I'm not sure how the new idea will turn out but I am very interested in watching the new season. I am worried that some might share comments during the season about how they feel some particular tribe doing poorly should be expected. As far as whether my children should watch it, my children have grown up with me teaching them that all races of people should be equal in OUR eyes, even if there are those in society who are intolerant of those who do not share their skin color or race/religion. My older children (and my husband and I) have always enjoyed Survivor and if something happens this coming season that we feel is not appropriate, we can talk to our younger child about it. Yes, I will, as always, not only watch this season, but anticipate that it will be an interesting study in human relations.

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by georgianut1 August 24, 2006 6:43 AM PDT

CBS has once again proven their inability to know the facts. Fact: White is a color and since the other teams are not based on color why single one out. Fact: Caucasian would be the proper use as others have previously already mentioned. Fact: I do not watch CBS as they are not a good reliable source of accurate information. Get it right%u2026(at least once)..we are CAUCASIAN folks.
S Tholl (proud to be Caucasian)

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by lmshull August 24, 2006 7:46 AM PDT

let's see:

african-"american"
asian-"american"
hispanic
white

i guess CBS doesn't see the hispanic or whites as "american"?????? so bogus and unequitable. in all fairness, it should read:

african-american
asian-american
hispanic-american
caucasian-american

but really, the 'american' doesn't even need to be part of the definition. is being an american citizen a requirement to be on this program? if it is, there is no need to add 'american'. it's a given. but if it's on one, it should be on ALL.

get a grip, cbs.

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by mark607 August 24, 2006 7:52 AM PDT

There are at least 20 Americans that don't have a problem with the battle of the races. Make that 21, include myself! We have been watching the show since the 2nd season. We look forward to the new season. Next season maybe you can do geeks vs. jocks.

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by deanp9 August 24, 2006 8:56 AM PDT

CBS claims it's looking for diversity, and yet nearly 3/4 of the cast is comprised of Los Angeles residents? Cheap.

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by vidiot3 August 24, 2006 9:03 AM PDT

I find that dividing the tribes by ethnic background is an artificial and humorous diversion. In today's society, I find that my Asian, Hispanic, Black, White, ***, ***, Mid-Eastern, and Undefined friends share my political and social philosophies more than my skin color or heritage. Here's a concept for CBS, next time divide the tribes by Democrat, Republican, Independent, and Greens and see who the audience roots for.

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by vidiot3 August 24, 2006 9:08 AM PDT

I find it interesting that your filter blanked out *** and ***. That leaves the reader to infer terms in there that I had no intention of saying. Are the terms *** and *** pergorative or is CBS News merely homophobic

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by jfrice August 24, 2006 10:26 AM PDT

What a reprehensible idea. Considering our history of violence between the so-called races, riots by race, wars with Indians, internment of a people based only on their "race," and so on, why would anyone want to re-visit what that feels like?
Aside from this repugnance, the idea, what we are really talking about in three of these "races" is ethnic origins. In the case of "white" we are not even talking that! "White" is a statement that you have no admitted ancestry that is not from white-skinned people. It does not say what you are, but what you assert you are not. On the other hand "African Americans" can have Irish, Italian, Arab, or any other ancestry, as long as there is one "acknowledged" African ancestor in there, then they are "African American." Hispanic/Latin, is based on what? that you speak Spanish and came from a Latin country? So if you are black or white skinned that no longer matters?
So, who is what is based on your prejudices. Which is, what this show will reinforce, prejudice. A bad idea, to promote prejudice to get viewers. Do one on Jewish Americans, and Arab Americans? Name the island the Mideast? take the show to Ireland and do Catholics vs Presbyterians, name the island Dafur! and do . . . . The idea is irresponsible.

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by drspotra August 24, 2006 10:34 AM PDT

This is another example of the delusional thought processes of network TV executives.

First of all, this country is actually as divided by income and education as it is by race; people who make over $100K annually are bound by more than race, the first commonality being the fact that those of us in this income group watch ~90% more cable shows than network ( gee, I wonder why?).

Secondly, network TV appears to be the most racist media outlet currently functioning: most of the people of color, particularly blacks appear "less black" on commercials, there are very few blacks in most shows and I would doubt that a quick glimpse of network executives would reveal anything other than a mainly white, non-hispanic male group.

So, how is a show like this going to help the situation? Obviously the geniuses at CBS are following the old belief that "any publicity is good publicity"!

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by ninebear August 24, 2006 11:18 AM PDT

Jeff Probst must have lead a "Leave It to Beaver" lifestyle. I've been reading these post and so far, this "racial twist" is an albatross around CBS's neck. I have a 4 yr. old granddaughter who is an ethnic-blend of white/black/hispanic/native American. She has parents and grandparents of diverse genealogy. Where does she fit, Probst? Are you going to define her race? Probst calls this a "social experiment". Probst must have missed out on American History and the Civil Rights movement and the discrimination and lynchings in the segregated south. Just because this is 2006 does not mean these things have gone away. Robert Byrd, a black American from Jasper,Texas, was dragged to his death by skinheads. This season of Survivor's racial twist must have been thought up by a bunch of guys who think they know something about racial inequality by watching reruns of Good Times and thinking The Cosby Show had it right, everything is "hunky doory Bill". The horse has left the gate on this one. CBS has had a black eye before so here comes another one. I'm quite sure the PR machine is ramping up to put a "good spin" that this was a brilliant idea. Myopic, very myopic. That horse that left the gate has blinders on.

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by jenniferc734 August 24, 2006 11:32 AM PDT

Oh, stop the whining! This is a television show for goodness sake. It's called entertainment and I get so tired of people making EVERYTHING a political battle. The contestants are okay with it, so let it go! Since it is reality let's be realistic- Different races of people segregate themselves all of the time in communities, clubs and relationships. How is this so much different than real life? Maybe these contestants feel more comfortable being with people they may be more able to identify with in such a difficult contest.

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by drspotra August 24, 2006 12:58 PM PDT

NB-I will no longer watch CBS News programs( the only CBS I watch,incl 60 minutes) as my own personal protest to this absurd idea.

Even FOX hasn't stooped this low.......

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by guy-l-2009 August 24, 2006 2:59 PM PDT

I find the term "white" as offensive as if they had named the other teams "black", "yellow" and "brown"!!Caucasion should have been used!

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[yngona]

When will people realize that "white" is not an ethnicity? It is "caucasian".

Why isn't the African-American tribe called "black"? Why isn't the Asian-American tribe called "yellow"? Why isn't the Hispanic tribe called "brown"? Why is every other ethnic group listed by their ethnicity and not a color? Why are Caucasian's listed as a color and not an ethnicity?

Yngona Desmond

[tiff21x]

I'll watch the show, just because it sounds intriguing.. .but I see a lot of sterotypes and problems that will probably arise from the new season. Why couldn't they do it according to countries? Like American,English, Australian, French, etc. .. It sounds like a recipe for disaster and just another way to bring up drama between races....., but I'll tune in for the drama.

[godseyesore-2009]

Spot on Yngona. It clearly shows a fundamental curtural/racial bias from the start, so no amount of oral gymnastics by Probst or CBS can hide that. If they want to "add a layer", just be honest and call it a rascist layer.

[judieb-2009]

13 out of 20 Californians?

[davidfromnj]

The previous comment shows just one example of how wrong this whole thing is. This is about separating people. It is about reinforcing steroetypes. It is about the worst kind of tribalism.

This show show be cancelled. And if CBS goes through with it, people who care about bringing people together instead of separating them should boycott the show and its sponsors. I will be.

[varactor]

Again the media gets it WRONG. Hispanic is not a race it is an ethnicity! It is highly probable that most of the contestants in the ethnic hispanic tribe are also caucasian (or white for you racists out there)! This is based on the fact that most of Mexico, Central America, and South America was settled by Spanish Europeans.

[pipefiter]

I find this Survivor most interesting for it will give us view of how each group relates to each other with in their own group.


D.R.Buechlein

[mamacasse79]

Yngona, how can you say that caucasian is an ethnic group. I don't think of my ethnic group as Caucasian or white either. I'm Irish-Italian-German-Pennsylvanian Dutch-American. Now if you can find 4 other people with that exact Ethnic background, I'd be happy to be on this show. It's not racist, it's intresting. We all put ourselves into groups everyday. Last year it was old vs. young and men vs. women.... but no one said it was sexist or age bias. Get a life. It's a TV show if you want to watch it.... watch it. If not, leave it alone and let those of us who do enjoy it. You're making too much out of simple entertainment.

[ninebear]

To call the season of Survivor a "social experiment" is a slap in the face for all classes of people who went through the 50's and 60's of racial discrimination, segregation, assaults, etc. is classifying that part of American history as nothing more than a game show idea. To have this Survivor cast divided by race is just promoting the continuation of race dividing in this country. ABC profiled a set of twin girls whose mother is raising them as racist. White supremacy group support this ideal of the separation of classes. Why should some reality show and the myopic Jeff Probst become the arbiter of what the viewing public considers acceptable behavior? In this global age, Muslim countries hate America, Probst plays into their hands about what America is truly about, xenophobia. What happened to the notion that America is the "melting pot" to the world? Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 'I Have A Dream' speech spoke of all God's children. Is this nothing more than just a "pipe dream? I grew up classified as a minority in this country. I grew up in the 60's. I do not need reminders of social isolation, discrimination, segregation and inequality by the likes of Probst. I was barely watching Survivor as it was last season. This concept of race baiting makes it impossible to put up with this show. If Probst want a "social experiment", here's one he can wrap his head around. Why don't I just boycott the advertisers who support this show? I can just get on my laptop and press send.

[ninebear]

It's too bad this post is limited to 1500 characters including spaces. I had a lot more to say on this subject but had to dramatically edit my post down to a least vpoice my discontent with the show.

[wickerden]

Look I think there's a good discussion to be had about race vs. ethnicity vs. color, but that's not the point here.

What Survivor did is just another arbitrary way of dividing up people into teams. Mamacasse79 has an excellent point with the previous "young" vs "old" team division. It's the same exact thing this time. Sounds like they're all Californians anyway!

[teresamac-2009]

All I can say is this show will have people talking. We need to talk about race in this country and stop making the subject tabu. I want to see more than one minority on the show anyway.

[grandpapa53]

What, pray tell, is CBS thinking about these days? Isn't there enough racism in the world; they have to take an interesting and fun loving show and turn it into a skin color driven catastophe that will no doubt bring out nothing but negativity and potential racial comments between the tribes. Yeah, that's what I want to watch this year; I will of course, until the racial slurs start flying.. Then it's So-long Survivor until next year. Maybe next year they can break the tribes out by shoe size, or length of fingers!! How about ugly/beautiful or fat/skinny.. Get a life CBS, you are clueless.

[lizard0507]

It's sad to note that American Indians are not represented here.

[hubbardbart]

In my opinion, this is a great idea. I'm mixed Filipino and White and I love Survivor. Like others have said splitting by race is just another way of dividing up people to create teams in a competition: Young vs Old, Men vs Women, etc. By pointing out difference we aren't implying inferiority or superiority. If anything we're recognizing and honoring diversity, if not celebrating it. But also it points out how arbitrary classification by race really is in terms of capability and drive. I understand where people are coming from with the initial shock, but to call it a slap in the face might be a bit of an overreaction. This is certainly controversial, but I think that this is a step forward for CBS and the media.

[gladys_over]

You have to wonder about the basic intelligence and common sense of whoever thought this would be a good idea.

[gladys_over]

If Tiger Woods wished to participate in this, which tribe would be join ?

[cwfabian]

And hey, why don't we name the tribes "Spear chuckers", "******", "********" and "Crackers"? Have you dumbasses at CBS lost your minds?

[apdepetris]

I've watched every season of Survivor (except for this first one oddly enough) and this is just another way to shake things up. In the past they've seperated by gender and by age and now by race/ethinicity. It certainly doesn't have to be stereotypical - I guess that might depend on the editing. It may end up breaking down stereotypes if the people don't end up fitting the mold that other people may have in their minds. Personally, I think people get too worked up over this stuff. Nobody screamed when they divided people by gender or age, why now. It seems that things have gotten so bad that everyone is afraid to address race issues anymore. We're just so afraid of offending anyone anymore that it's just gotten ridiculous. Get over it people. It's just a TV show. Most reality shows in this day and age aren't even real anymore.

What gives. The 20 contestant's home states are slanted toward California by a 14 to 6 ratio. Not exactly representative of non-CA states. Well, La-La-Land will control the outcome!

[clumberfoot]

First Reality TV is an oxymoron. Second the Black, Yellow, Brown, White tribe thing should be on the history channel. Let%u2019s get contemporary. They should have Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Atheist tribes.

[robinsoncm]

What is so wrong with it. I have children of mixed race and am married to an african-american mad. i have gone through hell as well during my 20 year marriage but if contestants choose to take part, that's their choice. People can choose to watch or not watch.

[snoozecafe]

Neither are Asian Indians for that matter...

[snoozecafe]

Oops... the previous post was in response to the fact that there were no American Indians on the show

[dgodemann]

I really don't care about how you divide the groups... but there are alot of folks from California...LA or other California areas in the group. Can't you get a more diverse group from across the United States? Seems that there must be people from all 50 states that would fit into the show.

[msturner2]

CBS has again demomstrated extremely poor judgment by pitting Americans against each other by "racial" lines in an attempt to boost its ratings. For decades, we have been trying to rid American society of segregation and polarizing institutions, but these kind of cheap exploits only perpetuate unAmerican divisions. I am curious how much thought went into the ethnic makeup of each "racial" team. Were you sure to have the proper balance of irish, italian, germans on the "white" team; puerto ricans, mexicans, cubans on the "hispanic" team; koreans, japanese, chinese on the "asian" team? How ridiculous.

Why not pit a group of multi-racial Americans against "tribes" of French, Japanese or Nigerian teams? Or would that be too nationalist? This latest idea by CBS is stupid and whoever approved it should be fired, or be sent to for racial sensitivity training.

Excellent concept....let the "nanny" police say whatever, majority of the viewership will certainly enjoy.

[jackie19671]

Ethnicity

Hmmm...

Asian Americans probably have descendents from Asia?

African Americans probably have descendents from Africa?

Hispanic Americans probably have descendents from some spanish speaking country.

White Americans?????? They must be those folks of alien descent that no one knows.

This white ethnicity has always been a curiosity to me. I'm a mix of european and native american descent with white skin. Just call me a Mutt American please :)

[originonline]

I found it interesting this morning listening to Jeff describe the races...Asian-American, African American, Hispanic and WHITE. When did white replace caucasian?

Let alone why can't I be European American Mutt

[mebrown998]

I'm a caucasian from the state of Mississippi - still recovering from our misguided actions of a few decades ago. Finally, our state is trying to climb out of the "racist" category. Here CBS is trying to force the entire country back into the 1960/1970s charged arena of colorful stereotypes. What is the deal with that? I, for one, am proud to be above these issues now.

On another note, Bavarian29 is right. What is with all the West coast participants. Hopefully the next "twist" will be to divide the teams into geographical regions. Oh no, then we'll have another North v South thing going. At least that won%u2019t be as WRONG as Black v White.

[tesslynn83]

Come on people.. This is just a show.. It is entertainment... The contestants are there by choice, It's not something that was forced on them! It is not segregation, it is just a different twist on things.... Which in the end, they will all end up as one... What's the difference.. Last season it was young guys and old guys, young girls and older women... With the shape that our world is in today... Can we not just enjoy "Survivor" without making a MOUNTAIN out of a mole hill!!!

[frmdbb]

I really dont understand the big deal about ethnic groups. There are many colors of the rainbow and what counts is who is a real team player and carries their own load. This racial thing is getting real old.

[jonesjonesb1]

In a country that has not handled race very well I feel that a major network should not jump on the bandwagon to further separate people in terms of race. Ratings are very important to CBS. This concept shows just how much the bottom line is to CBS. I would hope that there would be a ground swell of people who will vote with channel turners and not watch this "social experiment".
How low can you go?

[engelsleninmarx]

I don't see this as necessarily a bad idea--how much is race really talked about in this country in an honest and open manner? As a 'white' person I do feel like we tip-toe around this issue, leaving our true feelings to simmer inside and have no real outlet to express them. The healing process of becoming a truly integrated and sensitive society cannot be accomplished with just forced political correctness.
I think that maybe with this new survivor we will have somewhat of a chance to start open converstations with each other about the differences and similarities between the different ethnic groups. I doubt this will perpetuate any false stereotypes, hopefully because the contestants weren't chosen on how well they fit those stereotypes in the first place.

[hfbrooks11]

This is what I just sent to those on my email list:

If you have been following the reality series %u201CSurvivor%u201D then you know it was the first reality series that all the others have copied. In my opinion it has been the second best reality program on TV, second only to %u201CThe Amazing Race%u201D. But with each successive season it has gotten worse.

The new series begins sometime next month, and I just heard what the format will be. If what I heard is correct, and I have it from a reliable source, there will once again be four tribes to start with, but this time it will be the, %u201CAfrican-Americans%u201D, the, %u201CAsians%u201D, the, %u201CHispanics%u201D, and the %u201CCaucasians%u201D.

If this is really so then what a joke it will be, in a time when everyone is trying to get along as one American people, to separate tribes on the basis of race, and pit them against one another, is unconscionable. If I did not hear it from a reliable source I would not believe it. I will probably watch the first five minutes of it to find out for sure that this is correct, then turn it off and not watch this series or any subsequent series again.

If anyone has heard anything that will confirm or discredit this please let me know. I would like to hear I am wrong, but I fear I am not.

Fred Brooks

Elverta, California
(Sacramento County)

PS: I just checked it out and, unfortunately, I was correct.

[lissamtd]

I originally thought it will be interesting. But then I thought about my 7 year old watching. We actually use to look forward to watching as a family.I just don't think children should know these things at a young age.They should have no worries or negative views.Don't get me wrong,I totaly believe we are not all the same,and I will teach him when the time comes.Children are not born knowing the difference. However it is a fact and they should be taught eventualy or they will find out on thier own anyway. I am hoping this show will show that to the the people in the dark and the people pretending to be in the dark. I look forward to watching, however have to watch without my child or think of a way to desribe the separation without letting him know the ugly facts yet.Let this be a lesson to all you "head in the sand" parents teaching your children we are all the same. If that were true they wouldn't be able to have this venue for the show.

[simmulation-2009]

In a society that has tried so hard to become color-blind this is a huge step backwards. It suggests that this show will determine the "superior race" this isn't 1942 Germany! I for one am appaled

[islandgrlnmt]

I'm not sure how the new idea will turn out but I am very interested in watching the new season. I am worried that some might share comments during the season about how they feel some particular tribe doing poorly should be expected. As far as whether my children should watch it, my children have grown up with me teaching them that all races of people should be equal in OUR eyes, even if there are those in society who are intolerant of those who do not share their skin color or race/religion. My older children (and my husband and I) have always enjoyed Survivor and if something happens this coming season that we feel is not appropriate, we can talk to our younger child about it. Yes, I will, as always, not only watch this season, but anticipate that it will be an interesting study in human relations.

[georgianut1]

CBS has once again proven their inability to know the facts. Fact: White is a color and since the other teams are not based on color why single one out. Fact: Caucasian would be the proper use as others have previously already mentioned. Fact: I do not watch CBS as they are not a good reliable source of accurate information. Get it right%u2026(at least once)..we are CAUCASIAN folks.
S Tholl (proud to be Caucasian)

[lmshull]

let's see:

african-"american"
asian-"american"
hispanic
white

i guess CBS doesn't see the hispanic or whites as "american"?????? so bogus and unequitable. in all fairness, it should read:

african-american
asian-american
hispanic-american
caucasian-american

but really, the 'american' doesn't even need to be part of the definition. is being an american citizen a requirement to be on this program? if it is, there is no need to add 'american'. it's a given. but if it's on one, it should be on ALL.

get a grip, cbs.

[mark607]

There are at least 20 Americans that don't have a problem with the battle of the races. Make that 21, include myself! We have been watching the show since the 2nd season. We look forward to the new season. Next season maybe you can do geeks vs. jocks.

[deanp9]

CBS claims it's looking for diversity, and yet nearly 3/4 of the cast is comprised of Los Angeles residents? Cheap.

[vidiot3]

I find that dividing the tribes by ethnic background is an artificial and humorous diversion. In today's society, I find that my Asian, Hispanic, Black, White, ***, ***, Mid-Eastern, and Undefined friends share my political and social philosophies more than my skin color or heritage. Here's a concept for CBS, next time divide the tribes by Democrat, Republican, Independent, and Greens and see who the audience roots for.

[vidiot3]

I find it interesting that your filter blanked out *** and ***. That leaves the reader to infer terms in there that I had no intention of saying. Are the terms *** and *** pergorative or is CBS News merely homophobic

[jfrice]

What a reprehensible idea. Considering our history of violence between the so-called races, riots by race, wars with Indians, internment of a people based only on their "race," and so on, why would anyone want to re-visit what that feels like?
Aside from this repugnance, the idea, what we are really talking about in three of these "races" is ethnic origins. In the case of "white" we are not even talking that! "White" is a statement that you have no admitted ancestry that is not from white-skinned people. It does not say what you are, but what you assert you are not. On the other hand "African Americans" can have Irish, Italian, Arab, or any other ancestry, as long as there is one "acknowledged" African ancestor in there, then they are "African American." Hispanic/Latin, is based on what? that you speak Spanish and came from a Latin country? So if you are black or white skinned that no longer matters?
So, who is what is based on your prejudices. Which is, what this show will reinforce, prejudice. A bad idea, to promote prejudice to get viewers. Do one on Jewish Americans, and Arab Americans? Name the island the Mideast? take the show to Ireland and do Catholics vs Presbyterians, name the island Dafur! and do . . . . The idea is irresponsible.

[drspotra]

This is another example of the delusional thought processes of network TV executives.

First of all, this country is actually as divided by income and education as it is by race; people who make over $100K annually are bound by more than race, the first commonality being the fact that those of us in this income group watch ~90% more cable shows than network ( gee, I wonder why?).

Secondly, network TV appears to be the most racist media outlet currently functioning: most of the people of color, particularly blacks appear "less black" on commercials, there are very few blacks in most shows and I would doubt that a quick glimpse of network executives would reveal anything other than a mainly white, non-hispanic male group.

So, how is a show like this going to help the situation? Obviously the geniuses at CBS are following the old belief that "any publicity is good publicity"!

[ninebear]

Jeff Probst must have lead a "Leave It to Beaver" lifestyle. I've been reading these post and so far, this "racial twist" is an albatross around CBS's neck. I have a 4 yr. old granddaughter who is an ethnic-blend of white/black/hispanic/native American. She has parents and grandparents of diverse genealogy. Where does she fit, Probst? Are you going to define her race? Probst calls this a "social experiment". Probst must have missed out on American History and the Civil Rights movement and the discrimination and lynchings in the segregated south. Just because this is 2006 does not mean these things have gone away. Robert Byrd, a black American from Jasper,Texas, was dragged to his death by skinheads. This season of Survivor's racial twist must have been thought up by a bunch of guys who think they know something about racial inequality by watching reruns of Good Times and thinking The Cosby Show had it right, everything is "hunky doory Bill". The horse has left the gate on this one. CBS has had a black eye before so here comes another one. I'm quite sure the PR machine is ramping up to put a "good spin" that this was a brilliant idea. Myopic, very myopic. That horse that left the gate has blinders on.

[jenniferc734]

Oh, stop the whining! This is a television show for goodness sake. It's called entertainment and I get so tired of people making EVERYTHING a political battle. The contestants are okay with it, so let it go! Since it is reality let's be realistic- Different races of people segregate themselves all of the time in communities, clubs and relationships. How is this so much different than real life? Maybe these contestants feel more comfortable being with people they may be more able to identify with in such a difficult contest.

[drspotra]

NB-I will no longer watch CBS News programs( the only CBS I watch,incl 60 minutes) as my own personal protest to this absurd idea.

Even FOX hasn't stooped this low.......

[guy-l-2009]

I find the term "white" as offensive as if they had named the other teams "black", "yellow" and "brown"!!Caucasion should have been used!