The Traitors, a show that promises fun and entertainment, has turned out to be a precarious environment for contestants of colour. The latest series saw three contestants - Niko Omilana, Tameka Empson, and Ross - get the axe in quick succession.
Omilana, a 27-year-old YouTuber, was voted off without much explanation, other than that he's an outsider compared to his fellow contestants who have been in the industry for years. This perceived lack of connection with his peers led to him being ostracized by the group before even entering the game.
Empson, a 48-year-old EastEnders actor and comedian, also fell victim to the show's seemingly blind spot towards ageism. As a middle-aged woman, she was unfairly maligned as annoying, with some readers speculating that her demographic is considered over-the-hill.
Ross, a personal trainer, was accused of being suspicious due to his reaction to certain situations. His mannerisms were scrutinized, and he was deemed too defensive or too passive, making him an easy target for elimination.
What's striking about these eliminations is the lack of any clear explanation or justification for why these contestants were targeted over others. It raises questions about unconscious bias and how it can manifest in seemingly innocuous situations.
While Williams argues that Traitors is a harmless guilty pleasure, one can't help but wonder if the show's producers are aware of their own biases at play. The fact that they're able to downplay these incidents and attribute them to "unconscious bias" only serves to highlight the problem.
The article highlights how difficult it is for people of colour to navigate a space where they're already perceived as outsiders. Whether it's age, profession, or mannerisms, contestants from underrepresented groups are being scrutinized and eliminated without much explanation.
Ultimately, Traitors may be an entertaining show, but its treatment of contestants of colour cannot be ignored. It raises important questions about the way we interact with each other and how our biases can affect those around us. As Williams notes, it's time to have this conversation, sooner rather than later.
Omilana, a 27-year-old YouTuber, was voted off without much explanation, other than that he's an outsider compared to his fellow contestants who have been in the industry for years. This perceived lack of connection with his peers led to him being ostracized by the group before even entering the game.
Empson, a 48-year-old EastEnders actor and comedian, also fell victim to the show's seemingly blind spot towards ageism. As a middle-aged woman, she was unfairly maligned as annoying, with some readers speculating that her demographic is considered over-the-hill.
Ross, a personal trainer, was accused of being suspicious due to his reaction to certain situations. His mannerisms were scrutinized, and he was deemed too defensive or too passive, making him an easy target for elimination.
What's striking about these eliminations is the lack of any clear explanation or justification for why these contestants were targeted over others. It raises questions about unconscious bias and how it can manifest in seemingly innocuous situations.
While Williams argues that Traitors is a harmless guilty pleasure, one can't help but wonder if the show's producers are aware of their own biases at play. The fact that they're able to downplay these incidents and attribute them to "unconscious bias" only serves to highlight the problem.
The article highlights how difficult it is for people of colour to navigate a space where they're already perceived as outsiders. Whether it's age, profession, or mannerisms, contestants from underrepresented groups are being scrutinized and eliminated without much explanation.
Ultimately, Traitors may be an entertaining show, but its treatment of contestants of colour cannot be ignored. It raises important questions about the way we interact with each other and how our biases can affect those around us. As Williams notes, it's time to have this conversation, sooner rather than later.
they're always talkin bout "unconscious bias" but when it affects ppl of colour it's like "oops" 
how can they not see that they're makin the same judgments as a whole? it's all about perceptions, fam 
and when you're already an outsider in the industry it's hard to shake that off 
anyway, more power to whoever brings this up, need some real talk 
and empson's middle-aged but she's still getting roasted for being annoying 
it's not cool.
like that's supposed to make everything okay? it doesn't. it makes me angry. i feel like we're not making enough progress when we just give a bunch of empty words and pat ourselves on the back 
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ageism is real though and it's not cool that Tameka was made to feel like she's over-the-hill because of her age 
we need more diverse perspectives on this show, stat! 
like what even is going on? Niko, Tameka, Ross... they all had such different vibes and personalities and yet they're the ones getting chopped off left and right 
. It's not fair to them at all. The producers just keep saying it's about "unconscious bias" but that doesn't make it okay 
. We need to talk about this more, especially in school... like we should be learning about diversity and inclusion and how to avoid stereotypes 
. Anyway, I'm going to have to give Traitors a hard pass now 
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. The show's always about outsmarting others, but it seems like they're getting outwitted by their own prejudices 
. Can't we just have a show where everyone gets to shine without being judged based on their age or ethnicity? 
.
. How are we supposed to feel entertained when we're watching someone being systematically eliminated because of who they are? 
. I don't know what Williams means by "unconscious bias" but to me, it sounds like a fancy way of saying "we're not aware of our own prejudices". 
. It's not just about being fair - it's about being inclusive.
!
i mean, these contestants are getting eliminated left and right just cuz they're different in some way... Niko got voted off for being an outsider, Tameka got roasted for being over 40 lol 
but Ross gets marked down cuz he's too defensive? what even is that? 
I recently watched an episode of Traitors with my friends and we were all shocked to see Niko Omilana get the boot so quickly. We thought he was a nice guy and didn't really understand why he got voted off without much explanation 
. The show might be meant to be a fun guilty pleasure, but at what cost? 
i mean niko omilana got voted off 1st and nobody even explained why 
anyway i'm kinda tired of Traitors now they're just making a joke outta people's lives and it's not funny