Take "Survivor: Cook Islands" off the air! Letter to the Editor of the Washington Post

August 24, 2006

Letter to the Editor
Washington Post
Washington, DC

Dear Editor:

(August 24, 2006, Style Section article)

The upcoming series of the CBS reality show, “Survivor” pits African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics and Whites against one another. The show creates so-called tribes by grouping contestants by race and ethnicity and having them compete. According to the show’s producer, Mark Burnett, this formulation was the outcome of past criticism of the lack of ethnic diversity among contestants. CBS’s divisive and cynical response is an irresponsible and self-serving ploy, ultimately intended to boost ratings and revenues.

Mr. Burnett has stated that this “social experiment…is taking the show to a completely different level.” Perhaps CBS would have been well-served to remember that racism and segregation are deeply rooted in the history of this country. Burnett’s “social experiment” is one which today, decades after segregation’s legal demise, negatively impacts the lives of millions – not only in the United States but around the globe as well. It is naïve of Mark Burnett to state that “I really don’t believe there are many people who hate each other because of their race.” This at a time when the world is besieged with racial, ethnic, and religious conflicts, and the number of hate groups in the U.S. and abroad are steadily increasing,

“Survivor: Cook Islands” has no redeeming social value and, quite the contrary, only exploits racial and ethnic tensions and hampers efforts to build a more inclusive multicultural and multiracial society.

CBS can have no other motivation for this show than financial gain, fueled by sensationalism, without regard for the consequences and the impact on its audiences.

The only alternative is to cancel the show!

Elizabeth Pathy Salett, President
National MultiCultural Institute
Washington, DC 20008