Survivor: CBS's show that was once the talk of the town is now trying to keep itself from getting voted off the island. Apparently, Survivor's ratings have been plummeting like the Red Sox season and the producers feel like they need a gimmick to up the viewership for the 13th season of their show. They've tried to throw in a monkey wrench with each new season to surprise both the participants and the viewers. They've even gone so far as to have a "Survivor: All Star" season. Apparently they've run out of ideas.
What are they doing this year? For starters, instead of just two tribes, there are four. Not only that, but those four tribes are divided up by race. Yup, the four teams are Caucasians, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanics. Nothing like throwing a little gasoline on a fire, huh CBS? The producers have been quoted as saying they hope that people will tune in to route for their own race. Pardon?! "We want to foster a feeling of racism in America. We don't think enough people focus on it, so we're going to give them an easy opportunity to do so."
I'm not ignorant enough to think that there aren't racist people watching the show pulling for people of their own color. But CBS is going out of its way to encourage this behavior!
This also means that the casting directors had a quota for each race to make sure the teams were even. And if you were of questionable or multiple decent, could you be on the show? "Well, my mother is Irish, but my dad is Portuguese." Oh, sorry, we don't have a team for that. Maybe you could try back next year when our teams will be divided by religion.
Don't get me wrong. This won't change how I feel about Survivor. I've always strongly disliked the show. So much so that it would be difficult for me to dislike it more than I already do. I'm simply astounded by the irresponsibility of the producers and the network to allow this divisive plan.
In a time when people are still claiming that had the victims of Katrina been white the response would have been different, it is exactly this type of stupidity that we do not need. (There are those in New Orleans who have gone so far as to say that the levees were sabotaged by the government to make sure it was the poor black section of the city that was flooded in an effort to protect the affluent white areas.) We have enough people playing the race card (including (but not limited to) politicians, lawyers, "civil rights leaders," "reverends," singers, rappers, athletes, agents, actors, and newscasters) that we don't need the people supplying America (and often times, the world) with entertainment elevating ignorance and racism on a pedestal as though it's something to be attained rather than destroyed.
The Red Sox: So the Red Sox continue to lose. Or rather, the people wearing the uniforms of the Red Sox continue to lose. Who are these people?! Here was the lineup for the past few days:
Pedroia 2B
Loretta DH
Youkilis LF
Lowell 3B
Pena (Carlos, not Willie Mo) 1B
Lopez C
Kapler RF
Cora SS
There is not a single person in this lineup who played in the post season for the Red Sox last year! Compare this lineup to the 2004 lineup:
Cabrera SS
Ortiz DH
Manny LF
'Tek C
Nixon RF
Meuller 3B
Millar 1B
Bellhorn 2B
or even earlier this year:
Loretta 2B
Ortiz DH
Manny LF
'Tek C
Nixon RF
Lowell 3B
Crisp CF
A-Gon SS
Take a look at the lineup on the DL:
Adam Stern 2B
Ortiz 1B
Manny LF
Willie Mo Pena DH
'Tek C
Nixon RF
A-Gon SS
If I'm a Red Sox opponent, I'd rather face the current team than the players on the DL! Who are these people!?
I'm not saying that injuries are the only reason the Sox are losing, but when you lose your 3, 4, 5, and 6 hitters you're done! That's the "Giant" part of the lineup! They are expected to be back soon (Ortiz as soon as tomorrow, 'Tek and Nixon have rehab games with Pawtucket tonight) but it will be too late. Thanks for playing.
Of course, I don't know how much better next year will look like. It's expected that the following people will not be on the team next year:
Crisp
A-Gon
Loretta
and possibly Lowell
Which means we'll have Willie Mo as our every day RF, Pedroia at 2B, Youk may move to 3B, and who knows who will play CF or SS?
*sigh* (fist waving in the air) Just wait till next year!
9 comments:
No kidding about the Sox! Thom and I caught part of a game the other night (Oakland, it was on kind of late/West Coast thing) and, seriously, who are these people!! I'm like -- where's the team?? Oh, there they are -- watching the game!! Yipes!
Meanwhile, just because I'm curious, have you ever watched a season of Survivor? Thom and I have been watching since Season 2 and, although some seasons are better than worse, I realy think the show only makes sense in the context of the entire season. Watching one episode is like taking a verse out of context or trying to catch up on the show "24." We like it for the social dynamics. We find it kind of fascinating to see how people play the game, how they cope under pressure, and how they relate to others based on their beliefs/values. As for CBS and this racism thing, Survivor always combines the teams within a few episodes. They've done young and old, men vs. women and, as for the race thing, I think it's always been there... they've had strong black characters, both male and female and they've had strong Asians, the issue is physical endurance and ingenuity. If you don't have that you don't win. If anything, I think this will quickly disprove that race has anything to do with it.
So, if your curious for an update in a few weeks -- ask me, we'll be watching.
I haven't watched an entire season. I had too many friends in LA who were writers/actors and couldn't get any work because the networks were moving to the much lesser expensive "reality TV" (Which are just really really long game shows) and weren't hiring writers or actors. I don't like most "reality TV" for that reason.
I do agree that there's way too much "reality" TV out there - MOST of it is junk! 1000 different horrible how-to-find-a-mate-and-or-date shows, losing weight shows, eating-nasty-things shows and how-to-win-a-great-job shows-- OK, yes, it's a pathetic genre, but truthfully Survivor and Amazing Race are a bit better.
They generally offer something a little more interesting. Survivor puts people in a situation that is clearly just, as you put it, a long game show, but it tests their abilities and rewards accordingly. Thom and I always find it interesting to see who plays it with honesty and who thinks it's fine to lie because it's "just a game" -- you bluff at a card game and that's no biggie, there's tons of lying in a good game of Mafia, but no one expects otherwise. On Survivor it plays out in real time against real trust and yet, it's still a game. I think it's kind of interesting to see that over the long haul, integrity wins and lying gets you hated by your peers. As for the Amazing Race, it's worth it to see all the cool places they go and watch them race through towns in foreign countries with wacky taxi drivers.
So, if the genre weren't done-to-death, there'd be more worth-while to watch on TV.
Off subject... any thoughts on any new shows this Fall? Anything you're planning on checking out? Presently we're hooked on House, I've been watching Windfall through the summer and I'll go back to ER when it takes over the timeslot and sometimes I watch Bones and Grey's Anatomy. Grey's Anatomy is a glorified soap opera and turns Thom's stomach (not literally- ER and House take care of that, just figuratively). Anyway, just wondering if you're looking forward to anything new...
Come to think of it.. didn't you watch one of those summer "Star Search" knock-offs??
It's funny Lynn-nore, the two reality shows (AKA Game shows) that you mentioned are the two I dispise the most.
Especially the "Amazing Race!" As an American who has traveled outside of this country, I recognize that most other nations think that Americans are obnoxious, pushy, and arrogant (especially when they are tourists).
Hey, I have a great idea: Let's take Americans and put them into situations where they have to be more pushy, obnoxious, and arrogant. Let's force them to beat other Americans to a certain place but we won't give them any money! This way they will push to the front of the line and beg to get places! Brilliant!
If you want to see something that is the cause of our image plummeting in other parts of the world, don't look at Iraq, look at the Amazing Race!
I didn't so much mind Treasure Hunters because that was mostly confined to the US and the people had all the means they needed. "So you think you can dance" was not reality tv as it actually had people who had talent. "The biggest loser" improves peoples' lives as they get healthier (and hopefully stay that way).
You say that if the genre wasn't done to death there'd be more to watch on TV. Well, you have to blame the originator of the genre. Just as one can praise a film/TV show for originating good things, one must condemn the same if what spawns from it is gaggingly sickening!
I have no excitement over any of the fall shows. I have to wait until January for 24 to return. (sounds like you are watching a lot of TV... Would you like me to recommend another book? I'm sure I could find something along the same lines of "Desperation" seeing as you liked that one so much last time...)
Where is the INDIAN team? There are only a billion of us and we don't get our own Survivor team?!?
First of all :-) I do not think that 4 or 5 hours a WEEK of TV is "a lot" ... and I never listen to it with one ear and talk on the phone with the other ;-)
Meanwhile, I'd love a book recommendation. I didn't really mind Desperation. Ok, so it was a bit sick and disgusting at times and more than a little blunt, but otherwise a good read and always worth it to read someone's exploration of faith questions. Is your recommendation another King novel? I was at a book store a few months ago and picked up "Cell" but didn't buy it. What did you have in mind?
You're right, Marc. I was watching them against the A's the other night. The Sox suck this season.
I have a huge problem with a network pitting races against each other. You're absolutely right, Marc, there is already enough of that in this country. As a matter of fact, I'll be boycotting CBS.
I was definitely into American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. As you said, there is real talent. I'm excited that House is back on. I have darts on Tuesday nights, so we tape it. Since this week was the first episode, we watched it when we got home and stayed up until after midnight. It was worth every second.
The other "reality show" I'm into is Hell's Kitchen. I took culinary arts in highschool and really wanted to continue to learn and possibly make a career out of it. Unfortunately, I am a vegeterian and it's hard to be a chef when you can't try your own food. Also, the way that Chef Ramsey treats his contestants isn't far off from how many new chef's are treated. As you know, Marc, I wouldn't tolerate that for a minute!
I love Survivor & Amazing Race. While I understand your points, Marc, I don't feel the Amazing Race is doing any real damage to our image overseas. I watch these shows with a sense of irony, and I find a lot of it funny. They help me meet my weekly eye rolling quota.
When I was overseas, I became less worried about how my students viewed Americans; those opinions are so deeprooted - I tried more to show them Jesus.
Shows I am stoked for:
Lost
Law & Order SVU
Scrubs (but we have to wait till January)
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Gilmore Girls
Reality shows I can't tolerate (my eyes would roll out of my head if I watched a full episode):
American Idol
Dancing with the Stars
America's Got Talent (more like, Network TV Lacks Originality)
and have you seen Celebrity Duets? Make it STOPPPPPP!!!!!!
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