Expression

media

LET THE GAMES BEGIN
Aboard an ancient ship in the heart of the South Pacific, 20 Survivors meeting for the first time are divided into four tribes: Asian-American, Caucasian, Latino and African-American. They pillage the old sailing vessel for supplies in which to help them live for the next 39 days. Jumping overboard and beginning the arduous paddle to their beaches, it is clear to them that this social experiment is like nothing else before it.

Giving perspective to this unusual situation, Yul from the Asian-American tribe is apprehensive about being divided based solely on his ethnicity. "I'm a little worried that it might play out to caricatures and stereotypes." Even the carefree Parvati hesitates for a moment at being grouped entirely with Caucasians "Different ethnic groups… I mean is that kosher?"

I really wish I understood the point behind the decision to separate the teams by ethnicity. I can't really see any good coming out of it, just more tension, more stereotypes. I've never really kept up with Survivor, but maybe I should to watch the interplay between ethic groups and the implications it will have on contemporary culture in this diverse country.

Further thoughts since this is really bugging me...

After pondering why this kind of division would even be allowed, I began wondering if racial division is still sanctioned in 21st Century American society despite all the talk of tolerance and diversity, and I truly think that is the sad and startling truth. If the division was along lines of, say, sexual orientation, people would be furious because such discrimination is not acceptable in our society. However, if the division was based on political parties, I, for one, would find that really entertaining, and it would not be offensive because in our society, given our political system, divisions between political parties are accepted, expected, and, to some extent, encouraged. This raises the question of whether racial divisions are accepted, expected, and encouraged in our society, and the fact that a popular television series is highlighting those divisions suggests that the answer to that question is yes. So what happened to Civil Rights? What happened to "separate but equal isn't equal"? I'm not really sure, but my guess is that those working toward equality have lost sight of the bigger picture and have grown comfortable with merely helping their own, creating a more or less voluntary segregation built on shared anger and frustration. I do know that racism is still an issue in this country, but it's not just a problem that lies with white people or established institutions; there are a lot of people from a lot of different backgrounds who pertpetuate divisions either overtly or covertly, consciously or unconsciously.

:: redeemed4hisglory @ 11:47 AM ::