CBS is making a grave mistake building a show around groups based on 'race' what's next? Muslims v. Christians v. Jews v. Buddhists? Looks like, smells like and seems like the Bush Iraq strategy of Sunni v. Shiite v. Kurd v. Turks.

But the great thing is that it's the council's black, Latino and Asian caucuses that are protesting. Yes groups divided along racial lines....but on Survivor it's bad.

MAK

I think it's a great idea. And I'm pretty darn sure that Burnett knows he's dealing with a potential can of worms here, so I doubt there'll be any real ugliness on the show. Should make for a very interesting sociological study. Or at least a lot of fun.

Next season: Jews vs. Mormons vs. Muslims vs. Catholics!

(Kidding.)

Here's a columnist I agree with completely:

http://tinyurl.com/zapvn

This is the first time I have ever emailed to a website about my opinion about anything. First I would like to say "Survivor" was the only reality show that I really enjoyed from the first airing..I had my family as well as friends watching also. Never again will I watch this program. I am debating whether I will watch this station again if this is aired. In this country, especially after the fiasco of Katrina, which showed to the world what Blacks have been knowing and dealing with for hundreds of years. The line was drawn for the world to see and experience..How, this station and the powers to be would allow a program on television that promotes the diversity in this country is appalling.

Frankly, anyone who has a problem with it should stop complaining about it to the press, writing about in blogs, etc. Everyone's doing exactly what the producers hoped we'd do - talking about Survivor. I can't remember the last time I cared or even thought about that show, and suddenly they've got me thinking about it, even considering tuning in to see how it goes. Good for them for thinking of something that hasn't been done yet.

~Barbara
http://babas.typepad.com

What do the people that support B.E.T. have to say about using race in this way?

Wow! Free publicitiy. Who would have thought it possible? Say what you want just spell the name right.

Certainly this adresses an issue that various groups have brought up over the years, namely that Survivor mainly casts Caucasian-Americans with two or three token minorities players - usually African-Americans - in each season. This is the first time that there have been more "non-white" players on the show that "white" players. And there have only been two minority players who have won the game - Vecepia Towers (African-Americans) in Season 4 and Sandra Diaz-Twine (Hispanic) in Season 7.

"...promotes divisiveness?!?" Has he ever SEEN an episode of Survivor? The entire POINT of the show is to promote divisiveness.

I agree that this can lead to very bad things, but I'm going to guess they'll do what they did last time they divided the contestants into four groups (old men, old women, young men, young women): merge them all into two, non-homogeneous tribes after only three weeks, rendering the initial division pointless. Watch and see.

I don't even watch this show, but I think that all this controversy is bullshit.

As long as the people on the show don't have a problem with being racially divided then there shouldn't be an issue.

Aren't there other things out there for NYC officals to deal with, than a stupid reality show?

I don't get the problem with this either. It's for ratings, it's for press, it's to get people talking about Survivor again. So what. Like someone else said, this will only last maybe two tribal votes and then they will go to two teams. There might be some one who changes their opinion of some ethnic groups because of this show but I doubt that was the point anyway. The point was to stir things up in the press so that they would get back to their ratings back up to where it was a year or so ago.