Its racial…or just good television: the New Season of Survivor
Filed Under Category: Political & Social Commentary
We live in a world of political correctness and diversity, so they say, in America. We are a “melting pot” of tolerance, a Mecca of dreams for immigrants, and Superman to impoverished nations. We are America! We are the land of opportunity and the place where everyone should desire to be. We set the examples for the world on how people should work together and be “one big happy family.” Right? Aren’t we the same country that is still trying to figure out where everyone fits though? Aren’t we the country that tries to deny the past and ignore the problems of the present so that we can focus on our “bright future”? Aren’t we the country that is still scared to talk about race? Are we really a “melting pot?”
Americans, under the rhetoric “lets just all get along,” often do not want to confront racial issues. They are swept “under the rug.” It makes more sense to me, however, to confront these issues head on. When describing the country’s treatment of black Americans, Chris Rock said America was like, “The uncle that pays for your college, but molested you as a child!” Many comedians point out the inconsistencies in our culture through their acts and use humor to soften the blow. Why do Americans shy away from talking about race? Why do they treat it like that one thing in every family that “no one needs to know?”
As I was listening to talk radio this afternoon, by now you know this is my daily routine, I learned some interesting facts about the new season of “Survivor,” the reality TV show. Apparently this year’s show is going to have an interesting twist…the “tribes” are going to compete based on race! I listened to callers say that we don’t need “division” in our country. I listened to people say that it is completely against diversity. It seemed like the consensus, for the most part, with the radio crowd was this type of show is a bad ideal. It is bad for America, they said. My question is why? Is the issue that the show is creating division or is it really just portraying the true America? The show is going to put teams of five in various competitions in the beginning. There are going to be five white, five black, five hispanic, and five asian contestants. (some of you are going to have a problem with the order I listed them in) Are people being too sensitive on this issue?
I think there are communities in the country that have embraced race and can sing “Kumbaya” together, but I also think we do in some secret way compete based on race in reality. It is just taboo to talk about it. If this were not true, we would not have the ACLU, the NAACP, LULAC, and all the other “cultural” organizations. If this were not true, there would be no need for a sub set of Congress called “the Congressional Black Caucus.” If this were not true, Sunday morning would not be the most segregated day in America. Don’t we team up by race naturally anyway? On college campuses, we have historically black fraternities and sororities, historically hispanic fraternities and sororities, and traditionally white fraternities and sororities. On those same campuses, every community wants their own organization. At corporations, every community wants their own liaison. In city governments, legislative bodies and all operational factions of America, every one wants to be represented in their communities “by their own.” Is “Survivor” creating more division in our country or just exposing the division that already exist? How many times have you seen a show and cheered for your race to win?
How many times have you looked at the black, hispanic, asian, indian, middle eastern, or white executive and felt pride that one of “your own” was at the top? Don’t we compete in our country based on race anyway? If this were not true, why do we have a radio station for every culture? Why do people get offended when they do not see one of “their own” represented? Why do we still need Affirmative Action programs, raced based scholarships, the Census and all other programs, organizations and events that segment us by race if we do not compete on the basis of it? Why is a business owned by a person of color identified with that color, but a business owned by a white is just “a business.” If we do not compete on the basis of race, why are these things prevalent in our society? Why are people so offended that a TV show would point out something that really exists? We just don’t want to talk about it.
Maybe this will bring about dialogue on the topic. Maybe the people that are offended know that deep down inside they do compete based on race. Don’t we need to compete on the basis of race until we live in a society where everything is equal? Is there any thing wrong with people wanting to be represented? Isn’t the show displaying the America we are trying to achieve with all of our social programs? Why are people complaining? At least everyone is represented equally on the show! When people are forced to survive and coexist, don’t they align with what is familiar? Why are people offended by a picture of the true America? Why are people offended that someone would cause them to think about race? To be a healthy society, don’t we need to have some good ‘ole racial competition until everything is naturally equal?
I want African-Americans to keep “competing” for positions until there is equal representation. I want Hispanics to keep “competing” for positions until there is equal representation. I want Asians, Middle Eastern, Haitian, African, and all other races to “compete” until there is equal representation. At least on the show everyone starts out with an equal opportunity and equal resources! Aren’t you a little curious to see how the experiment works? What would America be like if it started like this show with all things equal? Does the show bring up a bigger issue? What are going to be the implications that come from the race that wins? Will this say something about the America we live in or confirm, deny or change our perceptions? May the best black person, I mean person, win!
Nice final line, Martin! I LOVE it! And I agree for now (Isn’t it always that way? In the beginning, we want our race to win! Of course it is – you said so yourself!). My thoughts may change, as they often do, when I begin to watch the show and determine which personalities I like, and which personalities I despise. In the end, that is what will determine whom I want to win – no matter his/her race.
Now, on to my response to the blog.
I agree. Period. LOL! When I first heard about the twist of “Survivor 13,†I IMMEDIATELY began to question what the heck Executive Producer, Mark Burnett was doing. I didn’t think him a racist at all – the thought never crossed my mind. I do know he thrives on controversy; while in Los Angeles, I would often listen to the Ryan Seacrest (host of American Idol) radio show and on occasions, there would be interviews with show runners from various reality shows. Mark Burnett gave such an interview during the first season (and my last season watching) of Donald Trump’s “The Apprentice,†and he applauded the “villainess†Omarosa Stallworth on the making of good TV.
Burnett is a Hollywood executive producer, so good TV is his business. Sadly, though, good REALITY TV often demonizes African Americans by polarizing our vocal strength, and headstrong mentality. To be a strong minded, opinionated black person in this country is threatening to the dominate culture, and any threat breeds fear, and when something or someone is feared, so then will it/they be hated; i.e. Omarosa (granted, she did an awful lot to bring the demonizing on herself, but there were others that season who were just as nasty, however, they weren’t portrayed as loud talking, in your face, queen b’s). Threats + fears + hatred = CONFLICT! What is the first thing writers learn about telling a good story? You must have constant conflict, conflict, conflict! Mark Burnett knows good conflict. He has the Emmy nominations and awards to prove it. He saw good, racial conflict with Omarosa – he said so himself. So why not do what he does best and bring that conflict to a bigger arena – out of Trump’s boardroom, and onto an isolated island? Don’t be fooled – Reality TV is written just like any other television show, so conflict has to be built in, and with this new twist for Survivor 13, Burnett has assured us some major conflict – RACIAL DIVIDE – which equals good TV. Why does it equal good TV? Because it’s real. As Martin says in his blog, its “true America.â€
Most people are probably perturbed by the idea of dividing the tribes into racial groups. As I stated in my opening, I immediately began to question what the heck Burnett was doing. I also, almost immediately decided not to jump to conclusions because I don’t think Burnett is a racist trying to cause [more of] a divide in this country, and I don’t know where his head was when he developed this concept. I figured I’d wait until the show began to see “what’s really going on.†I couldn’t wait, however! Even before the September 14th season premiere, I have to give my thoughts on what Burnett is doing besides making good television and possibly earning himself a new Emmy:
He’s separating people in the beginning only to bring them together in the end. Period.
That’s how modern alliance building methods work. We did it in my college social change classes, Self in Society. I do it in my work as a diversity facilitator (when I’m working as a diversity facilitator). When we work on racism, we divide into groups of black, white, Hispanic, Asian, etc. When we work on ageism, we divide into young and older groups. When we work on sexism, we divide into male and female groups. When we work on heterosexism (homophobia) we divide into heterosexual and gay/lesbian groups (we’ve had issues there too because of the diversity in the gay and lesbian communities – gay men are men, lesbians are women, transsexual, transgendered — everybody wants their own group!). When we work on classism, we divide into those who were raised “with,†and those who were raised “without.†In our model, we had to separate first, have a dialogue, and come together within our own communities, and then rejoin everyone else, have a bigger dialogue, and come together as one whole community.
It’s okay for like groups to be together – to separate (as long as that separation isn’t meant to cause physical, emotional and/or financial harm to other people). It’s okay for like groups to strive for and support each other. It’s easier to work with people when commonalities exist. That’s what different cultures bring to the melting pot; who we are…what we know. We mix it all together to learn and to accept, not so we may become more like the “other,†rather so we can acknowledge and celebrate our differences, helping us to have better relationships, multiculturally. That is what I believe Burnett is doing. Think about it. If you know the premise of Survivor, then you know people are separated in the beginning and brought together in the end, FORCED to work with those who were once the enemy.