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US Survivor plays race card
24/08/2006 07:02 - (SA)
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| US Survivor host Jeff Probst. (AP File) |
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New York - The new season of Survivor will be a race among races.
At the start of the reality show's 13th edition, Survivor: Cook Islands, 20 contestants will be organised into four tribes divided along ethnic lines - black, white, Hispanic and Asian, CBS announced on Wednesday.
The tribes, as usual, will merge later in the season, which debuts on September 14, the network said.
Jeff Probst, host of the show, said the network was worried the racial divide might offend viewers.
"It's very risky because you're bringing up a topic that is a hot button," Probst said.
"There's a history of segregation you can't ignore. It is part of our history."
"For that, it's much safer to say, 'No, let's just stick with things the way they are. Let's don't be the network to rock the boat. Let's not have Survivor try something new,"' he said.
"But the biases from home can't affect you. This is an equal opportunity game."
Probst said he and the Survivor producers wanted to bring more ethnic diversity to the competition.
"The truth is 80% of the people that apply are white," he said. "And television, in general, is white. So all these criticisms were valid."
On each episode of Survivor: Cook Islands, at least one cast member will be sent to a separate island kilometres away from camp, where an immunity idol will be hidden.
If found, this immunity idol could save a contestant from being voted off the show.
On the net:
www.cbs.com/
- AP
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