That's what it's there to do. I am glad we're finally admitting this. Now we need the gay tribe, the skinhead tribe, the psychochristian tribe, the Jew tribe, the redneck tribe and so on. I'd like to see a show that pits alcoholics against sex addicts.

I almost never watch "Survivor," but this time I'm going to be an avid viewer. And I'll be sitting there with a pen and paper, taking down the names of all the advertisers, whose products I will then boycott.

Here's to great ratings success, CBS, and may all your viewers be just like me.

a) Networks *gasp* out to make money off of controversy and the Media which follows in tow.

b) Fame-seeking contestants who play into the controversy by babbling out their 'race' in terms which either reinforce stereotypes or at the very least make ridiculously broad generalisations.

c) Educators, scholars, etc. who have spent a generation moving away from the notion of egalitarianism and instead focused almost obsessively on people-of-colour building an 'authentic' identity around their arbitrary geological and genetic ancestry (while of course seeing similar behaviour among Europeans as passé and even racist). I.e. multiculturalism.

Racism and sexism will never go away if we continue to encourage people to define themselves along precisely those terms. Maybe its time to define ourselves by values, etc. The Abrahamic religious movements are certainly tapping into something great than 'race' and look how they are (frighteningly) prospering.

I’m honestly befuddled by all the high-minded arrogance about boycotts and outrage pertaining to Survivor separating tribes by race this season. Is it because this reflects our intrinsic behaviors in everyday American society? Drive through any major city and you can identify neighborhoods by ethnic or socioeconomic characteristics. Where’s the outrage for that? Where are the demonstrations against those tribal breakdowns? The bottom line is society already breaks down along these lines naturally. No, not 100% of the time, but enough to where you can identify Chinatown in L.A. or Spanish Harlem in New York or the Polish neighborhoods in Chicago.

Is Survivor conducting a great social experiment or a ratings stunt? Does it matter? It seems people, such as one letter writer here, have already acted as judge and jury and are only too gleeful to feign outrage over something that hardly warrants the energy.

It’s ironic, really, that people who are so concerned with stereotypes and passing judgment without all the information have already done so with Survivor.

The only difference between this season of "Survivor" and the standard season of other group cast "Reality TV" shows is that instead of putting different stereotypes into one group, they are putting them into their own seperate groups. I find Heather's insistence that if you don't find this interesting then you're purposedly sidesteeping it, to be a bit much.

First off, great review. The bit about the white team's behavior mirroring the rise and fall of Western civilization was a hoot! I needed a good chuckle this morning.

As an ethnic minority (my background in Middle Eastern, yet another unrepresented demographic on Survivor), I don't find this premise offensive at all. In fact, it's the reason I'm watching Survivor this season, whereas I've skipped it the last couple of years. The fact that so many people are up in arms over the racial segregation only belies the inability to talk openly and honestly about race in this country. We have no problem talking about gender, religion, politics, age, sexual orientation, etc., but mention race and everyone gets awkward and uneasy. I say let's openly talk about stereotypes, address them, and have a sense of humor about it all. That's the only way we'll move forward.

The stereotypes I see emerging so far:

- Black men are domineering and don't consult their womenfolk for decision-making

- the Black team is disorganized and not industrious

- the Asian team is uncomfortable with non-conformist "Old World" Asians (Cao Boi)

- the Asian team is organized and works well together

- the White team is the most uncomfortable with racial segregation, perhaps because they assume themselves to always be the majority

- the White team doesn't play fair and gloats about it

- hippie/alternative White people are irresponsible and flighty

- interestingly, no stereotypes emerging about the Latino tribe yet (except the "we're suited to tropical weather" line)

I'll be interested to see if the racial bonds persevere after the tribes merge. Or will gender, athletic ability, work ethic, lifestyle, interpersonal skills, and the like become more important factors in alliance building? I'll be watching...

...why?

Can you articulate in type one single rational reason WHY you are so offended by this program that you are going to boycott companies which advertise on it?

Please share it with us. Because why people are so freaked out by this, much less offended by it, is a complete mystery to me.

Why. Is. It. Bad?

To all the critics out there: putting them into different ethnic groups of the same size which are all treated equally is racist how? I'm amazed at all the hack criticism out there. Relax. I think Americans are just not used to watching a show with so many minorities on it.

I think the best thing that has happened are the divisions between the groups. You saw the male female thing in the Black Tribe where the eomen babded together against the guys and voted one off and the Asian Tribe thinking there may be a generational/cultural divide between the four younger member and the older gentleman. These are all lines Survivor has divided along before and it would be interesting to see how this plays out execpt I think with such small teams it won't be too long before a merge.

As far as Sex Addicts vs. Alcoholics go I'm waiting for my ultimate Reality Show: Big Brother: Rock Star or, failing that, Evil Dr. Will and Princess Jedi Janey Doll appearing on TAR 11.

Stereotypes arise based on the experiences of individuals. I was quite blue-sky thirty or thirty-five years ago. Then I lived my life. I don't hold stereotypes, I have views based on my personal experiences.

You folks watch WAY too much television. Hint: it's mindless entertainment. Enjoy it and forget about it. Pay attention to the real world, not game shows. Sheesh(tm).