After much criticism, reality show Survivor’s race segregation experiment is no longer.

For its 13th season, the TV competition threw 20 castaways on Cook Islands in the South Pacific and in the first episode, divided them them into four tribes by race (Asian-American, Caucasian, Latino and African-American).

Of course, an uproar ensued from both viewers and critics and CBS lost several major advertisers as a result. Still, the race angle played out for two episodes until last night when producers merged the four groups into two mixed-raced tribes.

“Drop your buffs,” host Jeff Probst told the castaways. “You have been living together as tribes divided based on ethnicity. It is now time to integrate.”

No other explanation was given for the changes, but contestants from the old Hiki and Puka tribes were randomly selected to join the Raro and Aitus tribes before competing in another tough challenge.

“We’re back to America. We’re a melting pot,” said 23-year-old boxer/waitress Parvati, from Los Angeles. “I love it.”






Related Stories: