TVSquad

Lately, what we've been hearing about reality television has been awful. The winner of Big Brother became a drug dealer by using his prize money to bankroll his illegal activities. A family that appeared on Wife Swap perpetrated a hoax involving their six-year-old son and a helium balloon. Is there anything good to say about reality TV?

Here's something. Survivor: Cook Islands winner Yul Kwon is joining the FCC. He has been named deputy chief of the consumer and governmental affairs bureau for the FCC.

That's the Federal Communications Commission. Chairman Julius Genachowski made the appointment, and it wasn't because Yul did well in challenges.

(S13E02) The social experiment continues on week two. The tribes may be divided by race but that doesn't mean that there are not other prejudices in play. If anything the racial division seems to compel the tribes to turn on each other even more in an effort to display the best possible version of their race to the world. Which begs the question, is the usual backstabbing and cliquish behavior more uncomfortable to watch if you know that the tribes have been purposefully grouped by race?

Say what you will about the intentions of Survivor creator Mark Burnett, but the man knows how to generate attention. His controversial split of this year's Survivor contestants into racially-oriented teams is not only garnering notice from media members who have essentially forgotten about the show, but it's also getting attention from some other unexpected groups. For example, white supremacist message boards are abuzz about the new season, according to TV Week. Some groups are looking at this season with some hope that the White or Caucasian or whatever they're calling that team will come out on top this year, while others are thinking that the show will show their "own kind" in a bad light.

Either way, this activity worries the civl rights group Southern Poverty Law Center, which thinks that this is evidence that the split is already encouraging these groups: "[The format] plays into the hands of many people in this country who have racist feelings," says a group official. Here's what I wonder, though: what's going to happen once they mix the tribes in the second or third episode, which is what many people think is going to happen? Will the buzz from these groups die down or get worse? However it turns out, it'll be fascinating to watch.

Take a good look at these people. They seem strong and content right now, but in a few months they're going to be dirty, emcaciated, irritable, and just a little bit evil. It's that time of year again, kids: meet the new cast of Survivor!

CBS.com has some details about the cast of the 13th (!) edition of the show, which will take place on the Cook Islands, but not many. Among the cast, we have a boxer/waitress, a volleyball instructor, a guitarist in a heavy metal band (can you identify him in the picture? It's hard, I know), a nail salon manager, and someone who is being called an "actress/rollergirl." The teams in this edition will be divided by race (I shit you not; read about it here), which has been generating some controversy, but there aren't too many more twists that Mark Burnett can come up with at this point. I might actually tune in for once, since I haven't watched the show since Richard Hatch won. How's he doing, by the way?