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What CBS’s New Diversity Targets Mean For Reality TV
The 50% quota of casting BIPOC contestants could reenergize the genre in ways even its architects haven’t yet imagined
Normally, I’m not a proponent of quotas. Narrowly-tailored affirmative action policies, yes. But tokenizing people (racially, or otherwise) usually doesn’t lead to any place good.
That’s why I found myself experiencing a bit of delighted cognitive dissonance when CBS announced, back in November of last year, how it would create a target rate of 50% for BIPOC contestants when casting its top reality shows. Most prominently, this will affect Survivor, Big Brother, and The Amazing Race (and I’m a big fan of all three!)…but also other future unscripted programs, presumably including Tough as Nails or Undercover Boss.
This change resulted from a confluence of Black former Survivor contestants who, during the summer of 2020, jointly called upon CBS to reevaluate the way it treats contestants of color on reality programs. The newly-formed Black Survivor Alliance cited problems ranging from stereotypical edits to lack of diverse production staff to implementing post-season outreach.
Representation clearly matters, as TV viewers from all walks of life benefit when we see components of our own…
