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"Survivor's" New Cast Most Ethnically Diverse Yet

Posted Aug 23rd 2006 11:45AM by TMZ Staff

CBS today announced the 20 new castaways for "Survivor: Cook Islands," the 13th edition of the popular reality series. If this cast doesn't look like any before it, it's for good reason. In fact, the ethnic mix of this year's cast is no accident.
Surivor: Cook Islands
For the first time, the show's castaways will initially be organized into four tribes divided along ethnic lines (African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic and White), before merging in a later episode. The casts had been previously divided up into different groups for various reasons (age and sex, for example) but this is the first time ethnicity has come into play.

"Survivor: Cook Islands" premieres Thursday September 14 at 8PM ET/PT on CBS.

Tags: survivor

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1. Isn't that like taking a step backwards in our society?

Posted at 12:00PM on Aug 23rd 2006 by Lani

2. Read this yesterday as a rumor, now its a fact?

Posted at 12:00PM on Aug 23rd 2006 by Jake

3. ?????

Whose idea was this???

I'm all for ethnic diversity, and I'm glad to see a more diverse cast for a popular t.v. show, but dividing up the teams by race?

This is ridiculous.

Posted at 12:01PM on Aug 23rd 2006 by Nicole

4. I am disgusted with this years segregation of survivor members. In this day and age while we still have to fight for some peoples rights based on discrimination and race, why would a TV show promote potential racism. I will not watch this new season nor ever watch this show ever again. I hope everyone bans together for the common cause - of NO RACISM~!

Posted at 12:13PM on Aug 23rd 2006 by Mary

5. Won't be long now before a reality show like the one in "Running Man" comes along. Way to divide the culture Burnette. Don't you think we should be working to Unify society instead of dividing it in a forum that encourages backstabbing, lying, cheating, and false alliances. Now the American people can sit back on their Thursday nights and make all sorts of racial observations. I guess it's not good enough to just have the best person win.

Posted at 12:21PM on Aug 23rd 2006 by Nakia

6. I can see the racial outburst coming...OOPS!

Posted at 12:21PM on Aug 23rd 2006 by C-Ray

7. Talk about a million steps backwards... CBS has totally lost its mind. Since it's already been proven that most Americans are not intelligent enough to separate tv shows from reality, I can only imagine how divisive this will prove when folks have to deal with each other in the real world. One more reason to NEVER watch CBS. The execs there are clearly smoking crack!!!

Posted at 12:38PM on Aug 23rd 2006 by Jane

8. How do they think they're going to get away with dividing by race? Will advertisers really go for that? Are people going to root for their favorite race to win? Thats just plain weird!

Posted at 12:48PM on Aug 23rd 2006 by Suzanne

9. #'s 1-4 have said it all. Amen. CBS has f'd up BIG time on this one

Posted at 12:53PM on Aug 23rd 2006 by CindiCat

10. I think people are taking this to the extrem. If you look at any of today's reality shows, the people who usually band together are from the same racial class whether it's white,african americans or even homosexuals. Get a life people it's just entertainment and if you don't agree turn the channel or turn the tv off. No one is holding a gun and making you watch anything on tv.

Posted at 1:06PM on Aug 23rd 2006 by stephanie

11. I think the racially motivated division will actually be a lesson in society. It will show how cultures cooperate within themselves, and when taken out of thier comfort zone, with others. My thought is, couldn't they find a racially diverse cast anywhere other than California? Is this Survivor: California? Really, 65% of the group hails from CA. Not so diverse, are they?

Posted at 1:08PM on Aug 23rd 2006 by Libby

12. 13 out of the 20 are from Ca....what is up with that?

Posted at 1:12PM on Aug 23rd 2006 by bob

13. What's wrong with dividing it up by race? It makes it interesting. Heck, there aren't too many interesting reality shows these days. I commend Survivor for going against the grain and political correctness. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. One other thing: Did you notice that 13 out of the 20 contestants are from California. Odds are the winner will be from Kaleefornia (joke). Come on people, it's just TV!

Later...

Posted at 1:15PM on Aug 23rd 2006 by AG

14. For those who believe that separating the groups by ethnic origins will be rascist or divisive I have one thing to say - get a life. How much prouder can you possibly be than to represent your ethnic origins in a competition against other ethnic groups. The only way this could possibly be construed as racism would be if one group were given an unfair advantage over the other and I believe that is not generally a trait in the Survivor programs.

Posted at 1:18PM on Aug 23rd 2006 by JT

15. OK, I admit to being a Survivorholic and I will watch this season because I love the show BUT........dividing the cast by race is probably the stupidest idea in reality since Amazing Race had families. I cannot imagine that it will serve to do anything but create controversy and stir up tabloid gossip. Maybe that is what Mark Burnett is really after. Next season they could spice it up by dividing tribes with disabilities against able bodied people. Too bad I don't have a siamese twin cuz then I would be a lock to make the cast, even though if we won we'd have to split the million. How about Survivor Lilliput where all the cast members are little people. ...or Survivor Middle East pitting Arabs against Jews? Now THAT would be REALITY TV.

Posted at 1:22PM on Aug 23rd 2006 by Steve

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