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A reality TV show that planned to pit activists against each other in an X-Factor-style contest judged by celebrities must be radically “reinvented” after it elicits a backlash from activists.
The Activist, due to air in the United States in late October, sparked disbelief among many activists and elsewhere when its format was revealed last week, with many calling it an “inaudible” distortion of the values of real activists.
Now, after one of the stars lined up to judge the contest joined the critics and admitted that she was “not qualified” for the role, the producers gave in to the pressure and returned to the drawing board. .
Global Citizen, the international rights organization that co-produces the show, said, “Global activism focuses on collaboration and cooperation, not competition. We apologize to the activists, hosts and the activist community at large – we were wrong. “
Instead of pitting six activists against each other, with their efforts judged by singer Usher, actor Priyanka Chopra and dancer Julianne Hough, the show will now be a documentary showcasing their “tireless work,” he said. -he declares.
“The Activist was designed to show a large audience the passion, long hours and ingenuity activists put into changing the world, hopefully inspiring others to do the same,” a statement said. joint CBS network and its production partners Global Citizen and Live. Nation.
“However, it has become evident that the format of the broadcast being advertised distracts attention from the vital work these incredible activists do every day in their communities. The push for global change is not a competition and requires a global effort. .
“As a result, we’re changing the format to remove the competitive element and reinventing the concept into a special prime-time documentary (air date to come). It will present the tireless work of six activists and the impact they have in defending causes in which they deeply believe. Each activist will receive a cash grant to the organization of their choice, as was planned for the original show.
On Tuesday, Hough posted a lengthy statement on Instagram acknowledging people’s objections to the show, including that it “looked like the Olympics of oppression and that she totally disregarded and disrespected the many activists who were killed. , assaulted and victims of various abuses fighting for their causes ”. .
She added: “I do not claim to be an activist and I wholeheartedly agree that the judgment aspect of the show has missed the mark, and furthermore, that I am not qualified to act. as a judge. “
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