seductions of race still surviving

i've been thinking further about the recent controversy surrounding survivor season 13's race-based tribes. (see my previous post)

now admittedly, i haven't watched the show since that guy who spent his birthday naked won top colonizer, but after doing a little internet research i've found out that season 12 had their tribes divided by gender and age into these categories: "older men," "older women," "younger men," "younger women."

knowing that season 12 did not cause the stir that this upcoming season already has, age and gender goes virtually unremarkable. but when race gets into the mix things get complicated and people (including myself) start blogging and talking.

so again, what is it about race???? whether we conceptualize race as a category, a social fiction, an experiential reality, or some biological based difference, what makes race so undeniably sexy? so seductive? so worth our repeated investments seemingly in and above other categories of identity?

would pitting sexualities against each other get everyone so hot?