Is another racist reality show headed our way?

by Carmen Van Kerckhove

First we had ABC’s Welcome to the Neighborhood, in which gay families and families of color got to compete to move into a white neighborhood. Thankfully it never saw the light of day, thanks to lobbying from multiple organizations. Then we had the blackface/whiteface extravaganza Black.White. on F/X. And then CBS’s Survivor: Cook Islands pulled their lame segregationist publicity stunt by splitting contestants into team based on their race.

Les Moonves must be hitting that Racialicious juice hard, because it sounds like we might have yet another racist reality show headed our way from CBS. (Remember, according to Jeff Probst in this interview, Moonves was gung ho about the segregation tactic, telling him “Yes, I want you to do it. If you do it, I want you to do it right. Don’t back off of it. Just do it.” But you know, Moonves’s wife is Asian so he like, can’t be racist.)

Gawker spotted this ad on CraigsList:

Do you get nervous when you see a Muslim on an airplane? Have your opinions about Muslims changed since September 11? Do you have family or friends that get nervous around Muslims?

A NEW CBS SHOW SEEKS New York families who have traditional family values but are uneasy around Muslims.

The show will profile families in different communities across the country. This one hour documentary-style series from the producers of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and “Deal or No Deal” will take a look at the people and cultures that make up America.

This series will also explore other issues that families from varied backgrounds face in their day-to-day life and provide opportunities to them that they might not have access to otherwise. This is not a home makeover show.