Everyone is freaking out (and by everyone I mean the New York Post, ABC News, and every news source in between) about this new CBS show, Kid Nation, in which forty kids age 8-15 are sent to a faux ghost town in New Mexico and charged with setting up a new society. It's been made to sound like Survivor, Junior Edition, or Lord of the Flies, the reality show. Pundits keep tsk-tsking about the "do whatever you want with 'em" contract the parents signed, or spreading rumors that kids got some minor injuries. They cite the footage that shows the kids having a less-than-great time: They cry! They get stressed out! They have to do manual labor!
Wah, wah, wah.
Do these people not remember junior high school? It was so much worse than the worst rumors about this show. One child got burned with a little cooking grease? Please. If these kids weren't in the desert playing Model U.N. under the watchful eye of a child psychologist and a zillion P.A.s, they'd be back home getting routinely humiliated in the cafeteria, beat up on the playground and having their hopes of popularity or adventure dashed daily -- all with no chance at winning $20,000.
And, c'mon, it's got to be better than Jericho.
The series starts September 19th, but you can watch the five-minute promo here.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. The parents bought into this idea, thinking it would be their child's skyrocket to stardom... And, now they and their children are whining because the kids are put on a golden pedastal! That's why they call it "Reality" TV... Unless the kids are being abused in any REAL way, I think they need to suck it up and shut up.
DeAnne at 2:23PM on Aug 23rd 2007
2. Whiny, whiny Americans. Don't you realize that in much of the world kids that age are already working their butts off at a "real" job? And, they're doing so without the protection and watchful eyes of the psych's, SAG, and parents as well as the TV audience. Heck, it wasn't really all that long ago that the US was very similar. My American-born father quit school after 5th grade (in the mid-1930's) so that he could work on his parents' farm. Now, that's "reality" in real life instead of on TV. At least the kids on the show are making a name for themselves in the entertainment industry and getting paid!
Please don't let the over-protective over-indulgent part of society turn a blind eye to what's "real" and what's not.
Dale at 11:22PM on Aug 23rd 2007
3. If you think that this junk is better than Jericho, than I think you shouldn't be commenting on TV shows. Who wants to watch a whiny bunch of kids, whether it is "Child Abuse" or not? It is just bad TV, plain and simple.
When quality shows like Jericho are booted so something like this can be aired, it makes me sick. If this is the future of Television, then I will be canceling my service, and watching the DVDs I own. Quality shows that were properly promoted, aired regularly without crazy breaks or time slot shifts, that were allowed more than one season to grow into the amazing series they were.
Tracy at 5:04PM on Aug 24th 2007
4. Ada, you are wildly off base here. The New Mexico state attorney general is investigating thisd incident to see if a) the show's producers intentional tried to subvert the state law and b) state investigators were prevented from entrering the site to see how the children were being treated. You can read about it here: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-kidnation24aug24,1,1071888.story?coll=la-entnews-tv&ctrack=3&cset=true
If these accusations turn out to be true, the show's producers should be dealt with like any other law breakers.
Richter at 6:13PM on Aug 24th 2007
5. Child labour can not be eliminated by 2015 until influences Governments to reevaluate rural development or employment policies for illiterate and semi-literate population. My website link: http://www.sadashivan.com/
Check my videos on Child labour (through youtube) is free for all:
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QlnKpAQ1aA
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVPk9Jns28k
sadashivan at 8:58AM on Sep 4th 2007
6. We sit down and watch the show as a family. My two young girls love it. They love to watch the chanllenges and cheer on the teams. They are intrigued and ask all sorts of questions about the show. It's nice to see children working hard and learning to work with other children. Children have it to easy and this opportunity can only build on their soical foundation and help them to relate better with others. We don't know what goes on behind the scenes, but my family looks forward to watching it together each week!
Kelly at 9:08PM on Oct 10th 2007