American Gladiators vs. Intelligent Women

The core target audience for American Gladiators, young white males, was saved from the discomfort of having a black woman use a word they did not understand.
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As you may have heard, NBC is reviving the 1990s TV hit American Gladiators. One of my sons attended the filming of one of the events and came back with this story...

During the taping of a preview interview, one of the contestants, an African-American woman named Tanji Johnson, was asked her strategy for racing to the top of a rock-climbing wall while being chased by another gladiator. She replied, "I plan to get to the top as expeditiously as possible."

"CUT!!!"

The production staff had a talk with Johnson. Retake. This time, Johnson, a college graduate, answered, "I plan to get to the top as fast as possible." Perfect.

Thus the core target audience for American Gladiators, young white males, was saved from the discomfort of having a black woman use a word they did not understand. If the writers' strike continues, brace yourself for a lot more of the same.

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