My Money’s on the Asians
If I post a link to an interesting story and then talk about it with the assumption that everyone actually linked to the site and read the story, does that make me an idiot? Speaking from personal experience I know that when I am reading an opinion piece on a story that’s been linked, and the writer of the story doesn’t recap what’s in the link sufficiently enough for me to gather all the facts without actually linking to the story, 2 to 1 odds says I’m ending up on myspace to do a browse for people I didn’t like in high school instead. But on the flipside of that coin, when I actually take the time to link to a writer’s source and then am forced to re-read what I’ve just read with the writer’s poorly timed comedic puns thrown into the mix, well, I just feel like dying.
So with that expletory waste of time out of the way, I will link this story, and then assuming that everyone visits the link…well I’ll just recap it anyway. The reality TV production “genius” Mark Burnett, who can be blamed for just about half of the garbage reality style television programming out there (if he didn’t produce it he’s on the list of inspirations for the guy who did), in an attempt to keep the 13th season of Survivor fresh and new decided to make the competition motivated by race, specifically four of them: Blacks, Whites, Latinos, and Asians.
I’m sure you, like me, laughed off the attempts of a floundering show to stay on top of the ratings game in this ever evolving, or possibly devolving (badly timed comedic pun) world of reality TV. I’m sure you, like me, are even a bit offended at the attempts to be manipulated by CBS and Survivor executives into watching their bad programming. I’m sure you, like me, even made a racially motivated joke or two about how badly the (insert least favorite race of your choice here) were going to be embarrassed by the (insert favorite race here, probably your own). I’m sure you, like me, linked to another story or two about the protests being done and how even more asinine than asinine programming are asinine protestors. I’m sure you, like me, looked up in your local provider’s programming guide what time the show’s premier airs on your local CBS affiliate’s new season schedule. And finally I’m sure that you, like me, called your Black, Asian, and Latino buddies up to invite them over on September 14 to watch a little TV at your pad, and oh yeah, bring some cash for the betting.
Well done Survivor, you have our attention again.
UPDATE: Open trackback weekend at Woman Honor Thyself.
I, being Mexican, am afraid my race will bite the big one. ‘Cause I am SURE they picked THE most dramafied hispanics. Also, most hispanics do not like other types of hispanics. So, yeah…we are done for.
I can see the racist angle on this Survivor ploy, can you? It is not the much publicized whites against . It is actually the fear that “we” will see that all of the are every bit as racist (if not more so) as whites “supposedly” are.
Haters are haters no matter what the color of their skin. As soon as we admit that we can start hating the “right” people back…BIG SMIRK
My money is on a cult-urally (read as no white folks) diverse end game tribe made up of M, A and B. Then it will be whittled down to M and B cause A’s are just really smart white folks that talk funny and have extreme and culturally realized schooling instincts. Then the M’s and B’s will fight it out to the end. My money will be on the M’s cause the B’s just can’t seem to get out of their own way.
I for one think this is a brilliant move by CBS and MB. It plays at so many different levels I am almost convinced to hook my cable/satellite back up to my TV (almost), or show up at dear SiR’s on the 14th.
No dead fish on the pizza please!
JOE
DAMN html tags ripped off my sarcastic/unwiticisms…
Where is the reset button on this game?…FOUND IT…
I can see the racist angle on this Survivor ploy, can you? It is not the much publicized whites against (insert the non-white down trodden race dujour). It is actually the fear that “we” will see that all of the (insert the non-white down trodden race dujour) are every bit as racist (if not more so) as whites “supposedly” are.
Haters are haters no matter what the color of their skin. As soon as we admit that we can start hating the “right” people back…BIG SMIRK
My money is on a cult-urally (read as no white folks) diverse end game tribe made up of M, A and B. Then it will be whittled down to M and B cause A’s are just really smart white folks with slow livers, that talk funny and have extreme and culturally realized schooling instincts. Then the M’s and B’s will fight it out to the end. My money will be on the M’s cause the B’s just can’t seem to get out of their own way.
I for one think this is a brilliant move by CBS and MB. It plays at so many different levels I am almost convinced to hook my cable/satellite back up to my TV (almost), or show up at dear SiR’s on the 14th.
No dead fish on the pizza please!
JOE
Lawd I never even watched the first one..lol..great rant dude..sigh ..more reality TV?..argggggggggg!
Good, this is actually the writing of “The Right Wing”, who happens to be my brother.
Here’s another quick link…I’m not a New Yorker, but why do I only hear about Councilman John Liu when it’s race baiting issues. I’d take all these people far more seriously if they started protesting BET. I don’t have a problem with CBS doing this, and I think it’s a creative idea, and is definitely provocative enough to elicit viewers, which is CBS’s job. Civil rights groups bitching about it if they’re going to selectively criticize the actions of CBS…but ignore the other networks that are race only based.
I gather, from your article,Rightwing, that I am not “like (you)”, since I haven’t given Survivors a second thought, nor have I ever view the program (oh, but my life is so bland). However, I would like to comment on the ‘racial’ aspect.
As you can see by my name, I am a Reverend. I am a Christian Minister who holds the Bible to be God’s inerrant Word. As such, I believe that every man, woman, and child’s roots trace all the way back to a very literal Adam and Eve. That being true, (and I believe it to be so), there is but one race of peoples inhabiting this planet; the human race. Biologists agree.
One race means that the idea of multiple races of people is an incorrect idea. It is an incorrect idea that has fostered much hate and division among people. Evidently ‘Survivor’ is doing it’s part to continue the fostering of hate and division. Not a wise decision (as far as people are concerned), but quite prudent (as far as money and ratings are concerned).
What do you suppose the percentage of genetic difference between the various skin colors of the peoples of this globe is? It is .012%! That is all that separates the very lightest skin from the very darkest! And that is mainly due to a chemical called mellanin. We are all the same color: mellanin. We are different shades of the same color.
What about other differences? Eye shape, for example? The almond shape of the Asian Eye as opposed to the rounder shape of the Anglo Eye. Isn’t that a sign of huge difference between the “races”? No, it is not. The Asian and Anglo eye (an all other human eye ‘types’) are the same eye! The difference is the amount of fat in the eyelid! That is all! In fact, what do you suppose is the genetic difference percentage between any two people anywhere on the globe? Are you ready for this? The genetic difference between you and anyone else anywhere on the Earth is about .002%! That is infintesimal!
The point of all this? The point is that we are all family. We all trace our roots back to Adam and Eve. There are no ‘races.’ When we change our thinking to a biblical perspective the views of ‘races’ and ‘racism’ fade away…….and so does ‘Survivor’.
Thankyou very much for the comment Reverend, but I think, all respect due here, that you missed the point. By Survivor seperating their competition into different races they are CEASING to make a distinction from a racial aspect. They’ve done male vs female, old vs young…To them it’s just one more UNBIASED way to seperate people, whereas those who would seek to stop them are revealing THEMSELVES for the racists THEY truely are. Agreed that there is one race on the planet in regards to Humans, which is why this is such a forward step towards proving that idea. “People are people” is what Survivor is saying “How do we decide the teams today? Short vs tall? Brown eyed vs blue eyed? Dark skinned vs light skinned…sure we’ll do that this week, it’s all the same. Just a competition between different groups of the same human race.”
“Can’t we all just get along?!”
Wah wah wah…the answer is unfortunately and always be, no…
Thank you Mr. King for the darkly comedic foil…OH is that a double intendre…shame on you!
Not as if I’ve ever watched Survivor, perhaps maybe 12 years ago when it started only in an effort to say “Reality what?” Of course it was right back to The Re-Run episode of the Simpsons. (I was 10 for crying out loud!) The real question here is what will the networks do next? Sure dividing up Races is enough to make me throw up in my mouth a bit, but when are they going to cross the line. Some feel they already have. While others, like myself, are waiting for the next season on FOX. “Kill you Neighbor.”
Where contestants from different socio-economic groups are chosen and forced to live in Iraq. Each family armed with the “family shotgun” must do what the title says, Kill Your Neighbor.
Maybe just maybe I might start watching network Television again…
Until then I refuse to donate my time to ANY 3 “call letter” stations…I’ll wait for the Family Guy replay on Adult Swim…
But I digress…
I’m glad I stumbled on to this website through a hidden link. (Thanks Right Wing)
Mikey J
Right Wing,
“By seperating their competition into different races they are CEASING to make a distinction from a racial aspect.” How can that be? One must make the distinction in order to seperate them! Pitting one “race” against another is promotion of racism.
The Reverand
I think it’s a great idea for a show. To deny that people have differences: cultural, skin color, physiological, etc…is to just be dishonest with yourself. If people are willing to consent in the name of fun…then why not! I love too laugh at myself…for any reason. I think it’s far more racist to deliberately make a team that’s “one of each” and then act like race isn’t an issue, like every other reality show out there. A la “The Real World”, where you have the Gay, the Black, the Lesbian, the Slut, the White Southerner Jock, and the European…I admire the fact CBS is up front about it, and they’re having fun with it.