Crikey!
In case you missed it, Steve Irwin (and not his baby) passed
away on Sept. 4.
But, only 10 days after the loss of the Crocodile Hunter ““
a great TV legend and a man who survived many a close attack before
that fatal stingray took his life ““ there was already another
survivor to mourn: “Survivor: Cook Islands.”
In what most critics have called a publicity stunt gone wrong,
Mark Burnett, executive producer of the “Survivor”
reality show now in its 13th season, decided to split his four
castaway teams across racial lines: Caucasian American, Asian
American, African American, and Hispanic/Latino American.
So, if Steve Irwin were on “Survivor,” he would be
placed in the White group: Australian contestants would fall under
the same category as the French or the Swiss. And by the
show’s rules, a fair-skinned South African would not be
considered for the African American group.
One of my closest friends is biracial: She inwardly identifies
as Asian American, but outwardly identifies as African American.
Which team would she join? Would she even be cast? And it’s a
good thing they don’t allow Middle Eastern contestants
““ the Jews and Palestinians would probably end up fighting
over the same plot of island.
In the past, “Survivor” has tried everything from
dividing its teams “randomly” to a kickball-style
captain-picking process and even a gender split. But a racial
battle is too much.
One’s ethnic identity, whether outside or inside, is a
matter of personal journey, not public display. And somehow I
highly doubt that the 13th season’s applicants were told
before applying that they would be told which group they belonged
to.
In a press teleconference, host Jeff Probst called the
“Cook Islands” cast “the most ethnic-diverse cast
in the history of TV” to his knowledge. Whether or not that
is true is beside
the point. The fact that Probst defends the casting decision
with the “diversity” card only represents TV’s
ignorance.
Though TV has historically favored certain ethnic groups over
others, reality programming has made a valid attempt to diversify
casting. However, reality television is the worst kind of TV for
proving such a point ““ contestants or subjects are picked
based on “type,” and, more often than not, ethnic
identity falls into creating a reality television
“type.”
The same philosophy has since carried over to fictionalized
programs. Sure, it is great that TV recognizes the talent of many
black actors ““ but to use them just because they are black
defeats the point.
The debate here is not even about the spatial representation of
minorities in American media, it is about the implications of
thinking that dividing a show along racial lines is an acceptable
practice.
Recognizing diversity is a double-edged sword. In order to
promote the positive aspects of our differences, we must
acknowledge our differences. And in acknowledging our differences,
we emphasize that we are not the same.
But diversity is about acceptance, not about having an equal
amount of Asian and Latino contestants on a reality show.
Ultimately, then, the most painful part of the
“Survivor” stunt is that it’s considered a stunt
at all. CBS clearly made a mistake, but I doubt the show will have
a lasting affect on how Americans view minority groups.
Actually, contrary to the big talk about boosting ratings, the
premiere of “Cook Islands” was the lowest-rated
premiere in the last five seasons of the show, according to Media
Life Magazine; however, CBS technically won its debut night with
17.7 million viewers, ratings are down 10 percent from last
season.
Meanwhile, six major advertisers, including General Motors and
Coca-Cola also dropped out of the “Survivor” race.
Although none of the companies confirmed their reason for leaving,
the timing is conspicuously convenient.
It is naive to hope for a day in the near future when racial
typing in television will not exist, but it is not too much to
demand respect.
In the mean time, though, I hear that the Asian American team,
Puka Puka, is kicking major booty.
Dickau thinks the next “Survivor” should be set
on the L.A. metro system. E-mail him at
ddickau@media.ucla.edu.