Dear Jeff Probst and the Survivor Casting People,

I am a loyal viewer of your show. I have watched many seasons. I have endured contestants I absolutely despised, sometimes more than once (I am looking at you Russell Hantz) because Survivor is a show that my husband and I watch together, and quite honestly, those just don’t come along very much these days.

He wants to watch cricket.

I want to gouge out my eyes.

I want to watch The Good Wife.

He just wants me to be a good wife and leave him in peace.

See where I am going here?

So, when we happen upon a show that we both enjoy, we lap it up like an oasis in the desert. We look forward to our Wednesday night date in front of the TV all week long, because we know we will always be entertained and have lots to talk about.

It is no surprise that this new season has brought a lot of talking to our household.

Specifically, about one contestant.

You probably don’t even need me to tell you which one, right?

But I will, just in case you are not sure.

It is Colton.

And here is the thing, Jeff Probst and the rest of the CBS Casting people, Colton is not a villain we love to hate.

He is just simply someone we hate.

Because, he himself, is so very full of it. And, honestly, just between you and me, it really isn’t fun to watch that.

For instance, watching him call Leif, the first little person in Survivor history, who has been described by other players as genuinely one of the nicest people out there and a real family man, slurs based on his size or seeing him target Bill, the only African American on his tribe, who has been described as the player who often kept up the tribe’s moral, with blatant racial slurs is astonishing. Hearing him describe his wealthy upbringing and how he simply does not like to be around anyone who is less fortunate than him is mind-boggling. His eye rolls and overdramatic hand gestures don’t take away the sting when he is denigrating race, class, size, as if he is somehow above everyone else simply because he knows how to tie his sweater around his neck in a jaunty way.

I can’t help but wonder in a time in this country when our civil discourse has lost all signs of civility if this is truly the time to be giving a voice to pure, unadulterated hate, especially on a show that happens to air during “the family hour” of viewing time. There is nothing redeeming about it, and the fact that the people he was disparaging handled it with grace and class doesn’t make it acceptable as entertainment. I understand reality TV and the fact that we need villains to root against, I just don’t find watching actual hate entertaining.

Your Disgusted Viewer,

Ashley