Aug 29 2006
The Controversy
For the 13th season of the CBS reality show Survivor, producers decided to do something different. They decided to divide the show's contestants into four groups -- a White tribe, an African-American tribe, an Asian-American tribe and a Hispanic tribe.
Why Producers Went There
Critics are calling the twist a publicity stunt to boost the show's declining ratings. The Washington Post wrote: "A ratings plunge like the one the show suffered this past spring in its 12th edition -- fumbling nearly one-quarter of its audience compared with just two springs back -- called for something...Something that would whip the press into a frenzy amounting to millions of dollars worth of free publicity.But Survivor host Jeff Probst told CBS' Morning Show: "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. 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."
The Backlash
Though many fans of the show have no objections to the new twist, others are speaking out against Survivor and producer Mark Burnett. They have been posting to blogs and message boards voicing their disgust about the controversial twist. And, taking the controversy to another level, members of the New York City Council's Black, Latino and Asian Caucus are calling on CBS to pull Survivor: Cook Islands from its fall schedule. Robert Jackson, co-chair of the caucus, was quoted as saying "Is this going to help to bring people together? I don't think so."
