Priyanka Chopra, Usher hosts CBS’ ‘The Activist’: Netizens in rage

Usher, Priyanka Chopra Jonas & Julianne Hough are set to host CBS’ new reality show. Netizens are fuming at the audacity of the idea.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Usher and Julianne Hough are going to host CBS’ new reality show. The idea behind this has enraged netizens. The show works on the concept of having teams of activists to work towards a social cause and simultaneously compete with each other to do the better work, in the end the winner will be decided on the basis of who raised the most awareness in the terms of  online engagement, social metrics, and hosts’ input.

The Activists: Priyanka Chopra, Usher and Julianne Hough criticised over 'gross and cynical' new show | The Independent

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The three teams will go heads on and the ultimate goal will be to create impactful movements that amplify their message, drive action, and advance them to the G20 Summit in Rome, Italy. There they will world leaders and present their ideas in the hopes of securing funding and spreading awareness for their causes. The team securing the most funding will be the ultimate winner.

But the netizens condemned the idea, Actor Jameela Jamil tweeted, “Couldn’t they just give the money it’s going to take to pay this UNBELIEVABLY expensive talent and make this show, directly to activist causes? Rather than turning activism into a game and then giving a fraction of the much needed money away in a ‘prize…?’ People are dying.”

Activist Cameron Kasky, one oft he organizer of the March for Our Lives nationwide student protest in 2018, wrote in a tweet, “Dumb sh*t like this reminds us how useless the word ‘activist’ has become. There’s people putting their lives on the line to demand change from the abusive ruling class and then there’s lazy white losers like me who just complain on the internet all day. All ‘activists’.”

But the show has responded saying, “The Activist spotlights individuals who’ve made it their life’s work to change the world for the better, as well as the incredible and often challenging work they do on the ground in their communities,” a spokesperson for the group said. “This is not a reality show to trivialize activism. On the contrary, our aim is to support activists everywhere, show the ingenuity and dedication they put into their work, and amplify their causes to an even wider audience.”

The Global Citizen competition series from CBS, The Activist is a five-week reality series, premieres at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22, on CBS and will be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+. The show will feature six inspiring activists to, “spread awareness about society’s most urgent issues while also giving every viewer the opportunity to be part of the solution.”