| 9/18/2006 |
I'M A SURVIVOR
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If you haven't seen the latest Survivor yet, you might want to just go ahead and skip down to the next entry. Though, I will try not to spoil things too much if you continue reading.
You've probably heard about all the hoopla with the latest season of Survivor. If not, let me know and I'll help you decorate your cave with contemporary style. You don't even have to watch the show to understand the lunacy in this latest scheme to attract viewers.
What's the hook? Race! Twenty people are divided into 4 teams based on race. Which sounds a lot more inflammatory than it turned out to be. We have Caucasian, Latino, African-American, and Asian teams. In the very beginning there is a lot of hustling around as contestants scramble for supplies aboard a ship, jump overboard and make their way ashore.
The 'confessional' interviews begin. Some of players talk about the group division. Obviously they've been asked a 'leading' question by whoever is filming them at the time. There is a lot of generic answers about how it's intersting and a great social experiment, which smacks of prepping on the producers part. When was the last time you even said the words "social experiment" as part of a serious sentence?
Each season there are definite characters. It's fun to pick out which people are going to be the ones to rock the boat. Whoever squaks the loudest first usually will be sent home first. This season is no different.
I won't give you a break down of how the episode plays out. But I do want to mention a couple notable things. First, I don't see race playing an issue in the game at all. Like any other season, when you group contestants together they form a bond that can carry them to the end of the game if they play it right and stick by each other. It wouldn't matter if you grouped them by age (last season), gender (a few seasons ago), or race. So to hypothesize that if any of the groups decides to stick together, doesn't mean that they are doing so solely on race.
Secondly, one of the contestant noticed, and rightly so, that as a member of the Asian team even they aren't that unified by anything in particular. They are comprised of Korean, Phillipino, and Vietnam-decent players. So there isn't really 'unity' amongst one team other than they are "Asian". There is such lumping going on that it's insulting in a way. I don't think it was malicious. I just don't think anyone gave it any thought, which takes me back to insulting.
It is too early for me to pick any favorites or people that I think are going to be winners. I can only think of one or two occasions where the person that was the most fit to win actually did. I don't mean personal preference. I mean the person that played the best overall game and didn't get blind-sided or back-stabbed. Usually the physically weak vote out the physically strong. Then it turns 'dramatic' as the mentally fit pull ahead and start making their little puppets dance.
Yes... I know... I could be thinking about world politics or solve some major issue. But this is so damned entertaining. How did Stephen Colbert refer to reality television viewers and creators? "Welcome godless sodomites!!!" |
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I posted this @ 9/18/2006 12:11:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
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