If you haven’t heard about the new Survivor competition being divided by race, well, you are behind. I originally wanted to post about it because I was appalled when I heard about it and thought that it might wind up the way of the dinosaur a la the hillbillies reality TV show that was smothered by public outcry. But it seems that the show has already been shot, and so, we are already seeing ads for the new season not a week or 2 after the initial announcement.

Cynopsis is a daily email produced by Cynthia Turner on all things TV and media. She made a comment about the Surivior issue in one of her daily editions (unlike her usual fairly straightforward reportage) that sparked a slew of emails and a whole new “Emails to the Editor” section devoted to the topic. Today’s edition included (dry) comments from Mark Burnett, the show’s producer (Scroll ALL THE WAY to the bottom - his is the first in the section).

So far, the comment that best encapsulates my feelings:

Yes, there are shows/channels that have a predominately white, black, or other cast; however, none of these are purposely formatted to fight against another race for survival – THAT’S THE BIG DIFFERENCE. So what happens when the white guy wins? Is he of the “fittest” race?? Because that’s the inference, whether intentional or not. It’s not only about grouping or segregation, but about putting one race against another…and in today’s social climate it is irresponsible to do, especially for entertainment and monetary gain.

BM/New York