Comments on: Some may call it exploiting racial tensions. CBS calls it darn good television.

Some may call it exploiting racial tensions. CBS calls it darn good television.

amro — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:33:36 -0800

Survivor: Cook Islands' 20 castaways will be grouped by race, with competitors divided into four tribes consisting of whites, blacks, Asians and Hispanics. If your reaction is "oof," you are not alone. But host Jeff Probst says, "I found it to be one of the freshest ideas we’ve had going back to the beginning of this show."

By: boo_radley

boo_radley — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:37:29 -0800

Freshness of a terrible idea is not a mitigating factor, Jeff Probst. Selling "segregation with zazz" doesn't legitmize it.

By: Mayor Curley

Mayor Curley — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:38:02 -0800

So I guess this ensures that some people of color will actually make it to the jury.

By: unreason

unreason — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:41:35 -0800

Oh, this is going to be all kinds of wrong. And will probably result in 3-4 lawsuits, some protests, and some extremely defensive comments from CBS when this starts getting real flack. This has to be the worst idea in the history of television.

By: Mayor Curley

Mayor Curley — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:44:43 -0800

I thought it was bad when The Amazing Race selected their token black team for the Family Edition and they were literally "The Black Family."

By: riotgrrl69

riotgrrl69 — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:45:52 -0800

Ooooo National Amusements is going to regret this one.

By: kosem

kosem — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:45:56 -0800

Ah, but it will generate press. Being incredibly stupid and offensive never stopped anything from happening on these godforsaken reality tv shows.

By: amro

amro — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:47:18 -0800

And will probably result in 3-4 lawsuits, some protests, and some extremely defensive comments from CBS when this starts getting real flack. I suspect that CBS thinks the ratings will be worth the shitstorm.

By: Afroblanco

Afroblanco — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:47:52 -0800

So we set out and said, 'Let's turn this criticism into creative for the show.' And I think it fits perfectly with what Survivor does, which is, it is a social experiment. And this is adding another layer to that experiment, which is taking the show to a completely different level." A social experiment? And what, may I ask, is the hypothesis we are testing in this experiment?

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:48:17 -0800

Well, there goes my idea for "Jew Island."

By: ORthey

ORthey — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:48:54 -0800

Is this really that bad? I mean, race is a such a huge part of identity, and they need something new to separate people by. I feel like in theory, it's not a bad idea. It's just the possibility of fucked-up-edness is so high.

By: delmoi

delmoi — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:50:03 -0800

Ah, but it will generate press. Exactly, it's a press gimmick since who cares about that show now? Well, there goes my idea for "Jew Island." That's on fox.

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:50:06 -0800

And what, may I ask, is the hypothesis we are testing in this experiment? That stupidity, greed, and back-stabbing transcends racial lines? I truly hate these shows.

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:50:22 -0800

"This has to be the worst idea in the history of television." Worse than Survivor itself? I think not.

By: Slack-a-gogo

Slack-a-gogo — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:50:55 -0800

Did the contestants know this gimmick when the show started, or was this one of those dramatic reveals where the cast is shown overracting in disbelief and/or shock? The way these shows like to throw in a the ol' switch-a-roo I wouldn't be surprised if they mix up the teams soon after the "outrage" sets in. All they really need to do is get more people to talk about Survivor and watch it. I know I haven't actually watched it or read anything about the show in several years and yet I read this article. But I still don't think I'm going to watch it. Someone tell me how it ends.

By: signal

signal — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:51:36 -0800

Reality shows are offensive by their very nature. This is just slightly more explicit, that's all. Still aimed at the vast moron demographic, like all the rest of them.

By: It's Raining Florence Henderson

It's Raining Florence Henderson — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:52:02 -0800

This is a terrible idea! Next, they'll be letting straight guys on Project Runway!

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:52:37 -0800

Someone tell me how it ends. Race war.

By: It's Raining Florence Henderson

It's Raining Florence Henderson — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:53:22 -0800

I believe that's The Amazing Race War.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:54:36 -0800

Nice.

By: Laugh_track

Laugh_track — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:54:42 -0800

Probst is right. (but is he real?) All reality shows are basically public experiments in social psychology. Think about the kind of ratings Milgram would have gotten if he wasn't forty years too soon. When you actually consider them as such, you have to realize how misleading and dangerous they are. Their sample sizes are extremely small, and they reach a terrifically wide audience, many of which probably don't have access to actual scientific journals. Needless to say, the capacity for mass misinterpretation of data is large. This is all in good fun when you're playing matchmaker to computer nerds. What the makers of Survivor are doing now is using this paradigm to test the effects of race segregation, an extremely volatile political topic, for good reasons. Whatever happens on this show may reinforce negative racial stereotypes for god-knows-how-many casual viewers, regardless of what yokels they throw together on that island. J.T.C.....

By: riotgrrl69

riotgrrl69 — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:55:30 -0800

In week 2, each group is infiltrated by a fraudster in makeup!

By: delmoi

delmoi — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:56:32 -0800

A social experiment? And what, may I ask, is the hypothesis we are testing in this experiment? That race-based gimics will sell.

By: matty

matty — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:56:45 -0800

Don't they always merge 'tribes' (which somehow sounds racist now itself) once the body count starts to get low? I wonder who will merge with who?? And what tribe names will they have??

By: signal

signal — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:56:51 -0800

Laugh_track writes 'All reality shows are basically public experiments in social psychology.' No, they're badly scripted, acted and edited morality plays. They don't even consider coming in the vicinity of the idea of what an experiment actually is.

By: delmoi

delmoi — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:57:55 -0800

All reality shows are basically public experiments in social psychology. Think about the kind of ratings Milgram would have gotten if he wasn't forty years too soon. When you actually consider them as such, you have to realize how misleading and dangerous they are Plus, we're not exactly talking about random sampling here. Contestants are usually picked for their personalities, specifically to make them clash.

By: Megafly

Megafly — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:58:12 -0800

people starving...seperated by race...being forced to do pointless tasks for the for the amusment of those watching...offered a "prize" if they survive the ordeal. Is this season sponsored by the new "Prussian Blue" album or that great new resuraunt in India?

By: Laugh_track

Laugh_track — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:00:19 -0800

No, they're badly scripted, acted and edited morality plays ...public experiments in social psychology with enormous gaping design flaws. To my defense, I did take a college class in social psychology where we watched some reality TV (I forget what). I don't know how well that speaks for my college though.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:00:19 -0800

Better idea: Survivor expands the concept to include not just humans but other species. Then Jeff Probst and whoever on his team who developed/supported this idea will be placed on the island with a pride of lions, or a pack of hyenas. Ratings should be pretty good, I think.

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:03:05 -0800

"Jeff Probst and whoever on his team who developed/supported this idea will be placed on the island with a pride of lions, or a pack of hyenas" Now that, I would watch.

By: signal

signal — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:09:06 -0800

Laugh_track writes '...public experiments in social psychology with enormous gaping design flaws. ' You seem to assume that there's a 'reality' component to these shows, that the contestants actually compete, clash, etc., without scripting or guidance. Nothing I've seen leads me to believe this. Badly written/executed morality plays, that's all I see.

By: JT

JT — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:09:37 -0800

This has to be the worst idea in the history of television. Close, but not quite.

By: tula

tula — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:10:16 -0800

The future basically sucks.

By: Laugh_track

Laugh_track — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:15:55 -0800

You seem to assume that there's a 'reality' component to these shows Well, it is in the name, "reality TV". Duped! I need to read more independent news.

By: tkchrist

tkchrist — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:16:24 -0800

Here is how this will play. They will be marketing this under the Race card. Controversy and ratings will ensue. However. I bet after doing a modicum of research on the players you will find: The white people will be selected from a group of under-educated white trash mouth-breathers or c-level porn starlets. All the other candidates will be selected from the ranks of Rhodes scholars, elite athletes, and high-productivity professions. Guess who is gong to win? And we all get to feel good.

By: davebush

davebush — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:21:50 -0800

Morton Downey Jr kick-started this horrible era of television. Hour after hour of nothing more than people arguing.

By: tsarfan

tsarfan — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:22:45 -0800

as someone who somehow saw every episode of survivor until last season's yawn-fest, i must say that i think this is a brilliant move by CBS to breath some life into their tired franchise. often these types of shows turn into a men v women competition and noone says shit. the question isnt what will happen this year, but what will happen when they finally get the nerve to do the muslim, jew, conservative christian, athiest Survivor now that will get me to pop some damn popcorn

By: wfc123

wfc123 — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:27:49 -0800

Just when you think TV execs. couldn't dumb it down any further and make their product any shallower, they always manage to drain a little more out of the pool.

By: scrawlyman

scrawlyman — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:29:18 -0800

it's sick and backward-thinking, to be sure, but as far as entertainment goes, it's brilliant. the idea will play so well in these raw and polarized times, sucking fuel from the obvious us-vs-them conflicts that get huge ratings these days. the white house figured this out a long time ago, and why should tv producers be any less crass, or in-tune with our most basic, racist fears? i'm just surprised there isn't a muslim tribe. this'll be the most popular survivor yet.

By: parki

parki — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:29:38 -0800

Can we all just skip ahead to the live tv gladiator deaths? I mean, isn't this where reality tv is leading? Our culture is a historical embarrassment.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:31:05 -0800

Just when you think TV execs. couldn't dumb it down any further and make their product any shallower, they always manage to drain a little more out of the pool. Too true. As Zimmerman put it: "When you think that you've lost everything, you find you can always lose a little more".

By: orthogonality

orthogonality — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:33:47 -0800

Astro Zombie writes "Well, there goes my idea for 'Jew Island.'" Mel Gibson's co-producing it. Not only is it not Survivor, there are no survivors.

By: Zozo

Zozo — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:35:54 -0800

By: XMLicious

XMLicious — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:36:28 -0800

Hey, I've got an idea for a reality show... let's find a country with all kinds of ethnic tensions, topple its government and occupy it, divide its population into teams based on ethnicity, then open up the borders and invite in everyone who wants to join in on the competition or send arms. Now that would make for some damn entertaining television. And the best thing is, it would never get old. We could just keep doing it again and again, year after year, decade after decade, century after century.

By: oraknabo

oraknabo — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:37:42 -0800

I hope this turns into the Stanford Prison Experiment for race instead of authority.

By: hal9k

hal9k — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:41:17 -0800

So this starts as Survivor and ends as The Amazing Race?

By: little miss manners

little miss manners — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:45:10 -0800

Racial Draft ^ could just as easily have gone in a different post.

By: little miss manners

little miss manners — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:45:11 -0800

Racial Draft ^ could just as easily have gone in a different post.

By: owhydididoit

owhydididoit — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:54:42 -0800

Young Singers spread racist hope

By: nightchrome

nightchrome — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:58:21 -0800

Who watches this shit? Seriously. Someone must be watching this crap, if the networks keep pumping out reality show after reality show. Whoever you are, you need to die.

By: pokermonk

pokermonk — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 17:59:32 -0800

Sounds like Mark Burnett caught the end of Mind of Mencia while waiting for the Daily Show to come on. (I did, at least.) As terrible, terrible as it might be, this idea is nothing to be afraid of... Any kind of "damaging" situation (like the white tribe running away with everything) will likely be avoided in construction and casting. In the scheme of the show, I'll even go out there and say it'll be really interesting to see play out. I'll watch.

By: edgeways

edgeways — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:03:05 -0800

guess it's "race" day on Metafilter. I think what I dislike the most about the "reality" shows is that they are engendered to promote intra-tribal conflict, which over a significant amount of time reinforces the same world view in those watching. Television doesn't create reality, but it sure as hell reinforces preconceived ideas. Wellp I'm off for another G&T, this piece of news made up my mind whether or not to have one.

By: pokermonk

pokermonk — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:04:51 -0800

guess it's "race" day on Metafilter. I'd say it's more like melodrama day.... But everyday is melodrama day on Metafilter.

By: Slack-a-gogo

Slack-a-gogo — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:16:06 -0800

But everyday is melodrama day on Metafilter. Actually, Wednesday is "Anything Can Happen Day".

By: Brandon Blatcher

Brandon Blatcher — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:20:21 -0800

Considering the reaction from the Mefi crowd, I think it's a great idea. Keep in mind though, that these tribes will will only last for two episodes tops, then they'll intergrate!

By: ROU_Xenophobe

ROU_Xenophobe — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:20:48 -0800

Surely there's a way to combine this fine, fine idea with Survivor: Caprica...

By: TheOnlyCoolTim

TheOnlyCoolTim — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:24:18 -0800

I hope they get great tribe names: The Amazin' Caucasians 5 Angry Chinamen The Niggas Please ...erhm, I got nothing for the Hispanics. My bet is on the crafty Asians ftw.

By: spaltavian

spaltavian — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:32:12 -0800

Finally, my chance to prove once and for all that Hispanics are better at winning immunity challenges!

By: frogan

frogan — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:35:27 -0800

Your favorite reality show sucks.

By: ColdChef

ColdChef — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:39:35 -0800

I've always wondered what a season of "The Real World" on MTV would be like if all the housemates were black. Now that's a show I'd watch.

By: chococat

chococat — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:40:19 -0800

You're all going to watch it.

By: kosem

kosem — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:43:01 -0800

ColdChef: Done, son.

By: clevershark

clevershark — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:44:39 -0800

Boy is Pat Buchanan going to be embarassed if the white people lose first!

By: nlindstrom

nlindstrom — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:49:42 -0800

Can Survivor just be renamed to The Race Race?

By: Alvy Ampersand

Alvy Ampersand — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:53:44 -0800

You'll quite often see 'alliances' and partnerships in these shows form along racial lines anyhow, so it's not as if they're introducing an element that isn't already there. And it's nice to see a larger ethnic mix... I mean, why should white people have a monopoly on trading their dignity for 15 minutes on the tabloid covers and a chance to win buckets o' cash and fabulous prizes?

By: delmoi

delmoi — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 19:09:26 -0800

Sounds like Mark Burnett caught the end of Mind of Mencia while waiting for the Daily Show to come on. (I did, at least.) Carlos Mencia is the worst thing to happen to race relations in this country in a while.

By: ZachsMind

ZachsMind — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 19:20:18 -0800

We can frown on it all we want. I bet you it'll be the highest rated season since the start. I stopped watching Survivor somewhere around Australia, and came back briefly for the "superstars" season. I doubt I'll be tuning in myself for this "racist" season. However, whenever I purposefully boycott a show, it usually does rather well. I'm certainly in a minority when it comes to taste.

By: Bageena

Bageena — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 19:21:22 -0800

Seconded. Mencia sucks ass. Comedy Central lost a bajillion points in my book when they rushed that crap show out to try and replace the gap left by Chappelle.

By: eegphalanges

eegphalanges — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 19:27:41 -0800

I will merely copy n paste what I wrote elsewhere: It's just a stop-gap to keep people entertained in front of their TVs, thus forming a much-needed dialogue between people of different races whose only shared cultural outlet is their television viewing habits. I'm sure we'll all learn so much about ourselves by the end of the season, and avert a race war in the process. Or at least that's programming's magnaminous view of their own importance. Kill your television.

By: signal

signal — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 19:33:56 -0800

frogan writes 'Your favorite reality show sucks.' The interesting thing is that, in this case, that is actually demonstrably true.

By: Brandon Blatcher

Brandon Blatcher — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 19:35:24 -0800

I'm amused to note that this would be the first season of survior where the white people are the minority. I wonder if the other people will specifically target them for that.

By: evilcolonel

evilcolonel — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 19:46:09 -0800

MetaFilter: Hour after hour of nothing more than people arguing. /too on the nose?

By: yeti

yeti — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 19:52:12 -0800

I hope there's no swimming. I heard from someone once that the blacks can't swim.

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 19:59:24 -0800

What are Australian Aboriginals?

By: storybored

storybored — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 20:11:33 -0800

No one's said it yet so I will SURVIVOR JUMPS TEH SHARK!

By: furtive

furtive — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 20:17:03 -0800

Survivor has been so formulaic over the years that they don't even care about any actual survival, it's all about the reward game before commercial break number two and the immunity game before commercial break number three. There is no surviving, just the same giant puzzle/water platform/endurance crap brought to you by Pringles in a can.

By: Ferreteer

Ferreteer — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 20:22:14 -0800

This is a lot of hullabaloo over nothing. This season won't last two episodes. Let me tell you why... the Blacks and Latinos miss the taping because they all showed up late. The Asians lost because the first challenge involved driving. And the whites were disqualified for not doing anything - because they didn't have anyone to pawn all the work off on.

By: cowbellemoo

cowbellemoo — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 20:30:57 -0800

Survivor: Montgomery, Ala.

By: Roger Dodger

Roger Dodger — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 20:31:11 -0800

When they whittle the four groups down into two, they are going to divide them by blue-eyes and brown-eyes.

By: dobbs

dobbs — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 20:52:02 -0800

As far as TV goes, this is a brilliant idea. And, as far as TV goes, outside of HBO stuff, I think some reality stuff is among the best tv around. It is a social experiment and can be fascinating to watch. mayor curley writes: I thought it was bad when The Amazing Race selected their token black team for the Family Edition and they were literally "The Black Family." So... they should have not been allowed to compete because their last name was Black? Yeah, that's not racist. Why is it that people always remark at black people who are named Black but they never peep at all the white people surnamed White? Also, suggesting that The Amazing Race is racist (as opposed to out and out saying it) is pretty weird in my opinion. The game's been won by black couples a couple times now, including once by a team who are arguably the best liked couple (Uchenna and Joyce) in the game's history and who certainly deserved it. If the show is indeed racist I doubt the producers would have put such a (black) couple on the show. The level of honesty, good sportsmanship, and honor they displayed as players (and people) was astounding and will be hard for anyone to surpass. The show has also featured single gay men competing as well as gay couples (at least one team won). They've also had mixed race couples. I think the only negative thing you can really say about the show is that they obviously hate the carpet munchers as, to my memory, there's been no woman-on-woman action teams.

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 20:56:33 -0800

Rush Limbaugh has weighed in with his predictions. Why is it that people always remark at black people who are named Black but they never peep at all the white people surnamed White? "I'm not black like Barry White, no I am white like Frank Black is."

By: ericb

ericb — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 21:28:02 -0800

In week 2, each group is infiltrated by a fraudster in makeup! Actually, last year there was the reality series 'Black. White' where a black family and white family changed races (via make-up) on the F/X Network.

By: Mayor Curley

Mayor Curley — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 04:09:27 -0800

Dobbs: mayor curley writes: I thought it was bad when The Amazing Race selected their token black team for the Family Edition and they were literally "The Black Family." I was being tongue-in-cheek, but I don't blame you for missing it-- I didn't write it very well. Sorry!

By: Roommate

Roommate — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 04:39:40 -0800

This isn't going to be nearly as interesting/outrageous/contraversial as people think. They've split the tribes before by sex, age... and that's always shaken up by the end of the second episode. They'll get big numbers for the premiere, hope people stay tuned after that, and it'll just end up a regular season, except whites won't outnumber non-whites 5 to 1. Not a bad idea at all, really.

By: Roommate

Roommate — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 04:40:50 -0800

dang it... controversial.

By: konolia

konolia — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 05:54:22 -0800

One of the contestants is the daughter of my mom's eye doctor.

By: pardonyou?

pardonyou? — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 06:16:34 -0800

Who watches this shit? Seriously. Someone must be watching this crap, if the networks keep pumping out reality show after reality show. Whoever you are, you need to die. I watch it. It's entertaining. I also watch "The Amazing Race." Glad to hear I "need to die." Misplaced outrage, much?

By: Spatch

Spatch — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 06:24:27 -0800

Considering I hadn't even considered thinking about Survivor since their All-Stars season, which was what? Two, three years ago? I'd say they've done a pretty good job drumming up media interest, good or bad, for an otherwise tired and played-out series.

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 06:41:37 -0800

"...erhm, I got nothing for the Hispanics." That's all right, they'll just steal a name.

By: flickroad

flickroad — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 06:46:20 -0800

As a half-breed, I am not sure who to root for.

By: britain

britain — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 07:31:55 -0800

I can't believe nobody else has suggested that this season's nonsensical tribe names may include the Macaca tribe.

By: empath

empath — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 08:14:45 -0800

My idea for a reality show is Rehab Big Brother. Fill a house full of heroin addicts and have them compete in increasingly degrading 'challenges' for decreasing amounts of methadone. Find out what happens when addicts stop being human and start being real.

By: Navelgazer

Navelgazer — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 09:15:44 -0800

We're missing the fun that'll happen at the end of the third or fourth episode, when they integrate the tribes from four to two. I imagine they'll let whichever team wins that week decide which other race they'd like to blend with, and no matter how you slice it, that's good television, especially if you get any explanations of "strategy." Also, the only Reality TV I've ever liked (and I've worked in Reality TV quite a bit) was Last Comic Standing. No other reality show had the contestants tricking one of their own into hiding for an hour in a fake game of hide and seek, just because they felt like being assholes.

By: flickroad

flickroad — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 09:35:24 -0800

"I'm never playing [hide and seek] with you guys again."

By: tkchrist

tkchrist — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 10:17:27 -0800

As a half-breed, I am not sure who to root for. Uh. Me too. It's all I ever heard. Half breed. How I learned to hate the word. "He's no good" they warned. Both sides were against me since the day I was born.

By: Secret Life of Gravy

Secret Life of Gravy — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 11:17:47 -0800

I watch it. It's entertaining. I also watch "The Amazing Race." Glad to hear I "need to die." Misplaced outrage, much? posted by pardonyou? at 9:16 AM EST on August 24 Ditto

By: Kid Charlemagne

Kid Charlemagne — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 13:58:34 -0800

I'd like to see this with individual victory conditions. When victory equals you personally lasting blah blah blah days (or whatever) how long before you come to the conclusion that you'd be better off forming your own team with members of the other teams rather than hanging out with the guys whose only qualification is that they look sorta like you do. Knowing how they’re going to stack this thing, I think you'd get a couple teams with different strategies forming and a couple absolute racists wandering around being cold and hungry. Unfortunately, while they stack these sorts of things like that, they also tend to have rules that punish competence and team work and reward being a skeevy weasel.

By: jonp72

jonp72 — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 14:51:04 -0800

I hope this turns into the Stanford Prison Experiment for race instead of authority. We already had a Stanford Prison Experiment for race. It was called Abu Ghraib.

By: HyperBlue

HyperBlue — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 15:29:11 -0800

How come none of you PC bitches were complaining when they divided the tribes by gender????!1! How is this any different? If one is offended by the arrangement (unlike those actually participating in the competition) one should excercise one's phalanges on the remote and watch something else. What a bunch of whiners.

By: Bugbread

Bugbread — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 19:00:28 -0800

oraknabo writes "I hope this turns into the Stanford Prison Experiment for race instead of authority." Er, how would that even work? The Stanford Prison Experiment was basically "how will people behave if we grant some of them authority?". A Stanford Prison Experiment for race would be "how will people behave if we grant them race?" -- That is, "How will white people act if we make them black, and how will Asian people act if we make them Hispanic, et al?" I don't see how this Survivor idea relates to that at all.

By: cjoh

cjoh — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 14:19:08 -0800

How is this any different from "Survivor: Battle of the Sexes" that they do about every 4 seasons?

By: ericb

ericb — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 15:30:25 -0800

GM pulls its ‘Survivor’ sponsorship.

By: amberglow

amberglow — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 15:24:39 -0800

others too--- ... Several other advertisers from previous seasons of “Survivor” also said they would not return for the next season, and said their decision was also unrelated to the new format. Among them are the Coca-Cola, Home Depot, United Parcel Service and Campbell Soup. ... unrelated ; >