Segregation, CBS-style

Hmmm [1]… 

For the first portion of the 13th season of "Survivor," which premieres Sept. 14, the contestants competing for the $1 million prize while stranded on the Cook Islands in the South Pacific will be divided into four teams — blacks, Asians, Latinos and whites

…

In a statement, CBS Entertainment, which is part of New York-based CBS Corp., defended the ethnic twist, saying it follows the show's tradition of introducing new creative elements and casting structures that reflect cultural and social issues.

"CBS fully recognizes the controversial nature of this format but has full confidence in the producers and their ability to produce the program in a responsible manner," the statement said. "'Survivor' is a program that is no stranger to controversy and has always answered its critics on the screen."

I hereby publicly admit that Survivor is one of my guilty pleasures, and the only member of the ‘Reality’ TV caste I deign to watch (except, of course, Stan Lee’s Who Wants to be a Superhero – ‘cuz I’m a big nerd).  And for the record, I had no particular problem with their previous segregationist setups along gender lines.  Moreover, one cannot help but notice that the show always makes an attempt (albeit markedly feeble) to distance itself from the homogenous distribution of white males. 

However, a contest between men and women to a far greater extent occupies the realm of a good-natured rivalry – sort of like two neighboring universities battling it out in their annual grudge match.  Yes, white men remain the standard against which all others are measured, but gender equality had advanced at least somewhat sufficiently to where the contest is, though silly, at least not quite as insulting. 

However, I really don’t believe this country is ready to delve into the racial divide in this kind of contest.  I mean, what good can come of a racial victory?  If Team White Power reigns supreme, are we supposed to view this as proof of Western biological predisposition?  If one of the other teams win, is it supposed to be some kind of commentary on the great strides of racial equality? 

If CBS really wants to push the envelope, why not construct a more racially diverse group, instead of the token black or Asian?  Or how about a transgender?  Even better, how about Republicans vs. Democrats?

[2]