Two alums of the reality show Survivor are feuding over a self-promotion video that blatantly makes light of the criminal justice system. Teresa Cooper, from Survivor season 3, posted a video of herself in a striped jail costume dancing around talking about her podcast and how Survivor is like jail. Eliza Orlins, a public defender who’s competed on the show twice, called Cooper “gross.”
After watching the video, it’s clear to see why. Cooper’s video comes off as the ultimate example of privilege and ignorance, and her voice sounds like someone is rubbing a cheese grater on my ears. This woman got a podcast? Are her listeners deaf?
There’s just so many things wrong with this. The Halloween costume, the absolute disregard for the inherent racial and discrimatory issues of the criminal justice system, and the cringe-inducing dancing at the end to the tune of “I Fought the Law” by The Clash.
“As a public defender for the last 14 years who has been on Survivor twice, I can guarantee you jail and Survivor are nothing alike. And @tbirdcooper, your cheerful demeanor promoting a podcast while dancing around a jail cell? Really?”
The whole thing is such a bad idea and every second of it gets worse and worse and worse. What was this woman thinking? Instead of using her platform to highlight the countless injustices of a system that heavily incarcerates Black men five times the rate of whites, is skewed against minorities and the poor and operates prisons for profit, she put on a costume and danced around for her podcast. Oh, and there’s this.
Imagine how far up your own behind you have to be to think this is a good idea. Anyone who’s worked in or around the justice system, especially public defenders, who are completely overworked and barely have time to devote to personal attention, can attest to how completely braindead a take this is.
I spent a good amount of time as a journalist on the police and courts beat, and this ignorant woman dancing around a jail cell is a slap in the face to all of the indigent and underprivileged people who can’t get out of jail because they don’t have the resources people like Cooper have. Good on Orlins for calling her out.
Earlier this week, Cooper did a promo from the beach. If you watch it with the sound off, it’s almost tolerable. Why didn’t she leave it at that? At one point does “I should pretend to be in jail and dance around” become a viable idea? We get it Cooper, you are desperate for more of that Z-level fame from appearing on a reality TV show, but do better. Literally just think next time. Is that too much to ask? Or are you so desperate for attention that you simply don’t care about anyone else at all? Yuck.
We’ll keep you posted for when Cooper either doubles down or apologizes with the classic “I didn’t mean to offend anyone I was just having fun.”
