We are big fans of Survivor and have been for over 20 years. For better or worse CBS has created some "Woke" rules that reality shows that it shows have to use when selecting contestants. In both Survivor 41 and Survivor 42 (the current series) there is no longer a majority of heterosexual white people (eg. the majority of the US population). More and more members of minorities and groups who consider themselves to be minorities (eg. LGBTQ) are selected as contestants. This week at Tribal Council the changes that CBS has made played out with unexpected results.

In the 41 previous seasons of Survivor, at least four of the winners have been African-American. That's right around 10% of the time. According the United States census 17% of the population identifies as African-America. Perhaps there have been fewer African-American winners than would be predicted based on population, probablity theory and allowing for the small sample size of winners. Four of the original eighteen contestants this season are African-American (perhaps a higher percentage of the tribe) than would be a random sample.

The events at the Tribal Council show me that I have no true understanding what is going on in the minds of black people. Perhaps us white folks are incapable of understanding. Of course that is a shame, but is also scary. To recap...Last week Channel Howell, an African-American contestant was voted out and became the first member of the jury. There were two Tribal Councils this week. In the first another Aftican-American, Rocksroy Bailey, was voted out and became the second member of the jury. These jury members gave off a very angry vibe as the two African-American contestants (Drea Wheeler, Maryanne Oketch) and three other tribe members entered the Tribal Council area. Wheeler and Oketch immediately picked up this vibe and became visibly angry themselves and lashed out at the show, the cast and everything involved. In affect they announced that on behalf of all black people they were deeply offended that both jury members were black, they feared that they were next, and that they would essentially do anything that they felt necessary to preven the jury from becoming four African-Americans. In essence, I believe that they we're ready to destroy the integrity of the show that they professed to love by making it a racial issue. It stopped being about winning. It became about African-American unity. By giving up their immunity idols that were actually lessening the chance that an African-American would be the sole survivor this season.

In my white mind, while I try to understand this... I can't. These were angry, intelligent, educated, articulate black women not ghetto gang-bangers who appeared ready to destroy Survivor because of the wrongs that continue to be committed by non-blacks upon blacks. They see state after state try to keep blacks from voting, they see police officers kill blacks with seemingly ever increasing frequency. In the past angry black mobs have ransacked and burned minority neighborhoods. If they are prepared to take on Survivor are they steeling themselves to invade and try to destroy white neighborhoods the next time a black man is killed by a white cop? I hope not, but the thought is freightening.

Hunkered Down in Bremerton

Howard's Blog - April 30, 2022 My take on what is going on this week. Strange Omen For the Future We are big fans of *Survivor* and have been for over 20 years. For better or worse CBS has created some "Woke" rules that reality shows that it shows have to use when selecting contestants. In both Survivor 41 and Survivor 42 (the current series) there is no longer a majority of heterosexual white people (eg. the majority of the US population). More and more members of minorities and groups who consider themselves to be minorities (eg. LGBTQ) are selected as contestants. This week at Tribal Council the changes that CBS has made played out with unexpected results. In the 41 previous seasons of *Survivor, at least four of the winners have been African-American. That's right around 10% of the time. According the United States census 17% of the population identifies as African-America. Perhaps there have been fewer African-American winners than would be predicted based on population, probablity theory and allowing for the small sample size of winners. Four of the original eighteen contestants this season are African-American (perhaps a higher percentage of the tribe) than would be a random sample. The events at the Tribal Council show me that I have no true understanding what is going on in the minds of black people. Perhaps us white folks are incapable of understanding. Of course that is a shame, but is also scary. To recap...Last week Channel Howell, an African-American contestant was voted out and became the first member of the jury. There were two Tribal Councils this week. In the first another Aftican-American, Rocksroy Bailey, was voted out and became the second member of the jury. These jury members gave off a very angry vibe as the two African-American contestants (Drea Wheeler, Maryanne Oketch) and three other tribe members entered the Tribal Council area. Wheeler and Oketch immediately picked up this vibe and became visibly angry themselves and lashed out at the show, the cast and everything involved. In affect they announced that on behalf of all black people they were deeply offended that both jury members were black, they feared that they were next, and that they would essentially do anything that they felt necessary to preven the jury from becoming four African-Americans. In essence, I believe that they we're ready to destroy the integrity of the show that they professed to love by making it a racial issue. It stopped being about winning. It became about African-American unity. By giving up their immunity idols that were actually lessening the chance that an African-American would be the sole survivor this season. In my white mind, while I try to understand this... I can't. These were angry, intelligent, educated, articulate black women not ghetto gang-bangers who appeared ready to destroy Survivor* because of the wrongs that continue to be committed by non-blacks upon blacks. They see state after state try to keep blacks from voting, they see police officers kill blacks with seemingly ever increasing frequency. In the past angry black mobs have ransacked and burned minority neighborhoods. If they are prepared to take on Survivor are they steeling themselves to invade and try to destroy white neighborhoods the next time a black man is killed by a white cop? I hope not, but the thought is freightening.
Howard B. Julien Contact Via Email
Updated April 30, 2022