Kid Nation, reality tv gone too far

**IRescue452** · 10-02-2007, 04:52 PM

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/18/ar...ion/18kid.html

This is just way too far. What were the parents thinking letting their kids go on this show. This is why I'm so skeptical about reality tv, they get in bad situations or they do stupid/immoral/cruel things just to get a reaction from viewers.

**Sevaede** · 10-02-2007, 05:20 PM

Drinking bleach? Seriously. How many kids did it take to drink a sip and go, "Ew, bleach!".

**critter crazy** · 10-02-2007, 05:22 PM

Originally Posted by Wenisrubber

Drinking bleach? Seriously. How many kids did it take to drink a sip and go, "Ew, bleach!".

Exactly, especially since most would be tipped off by the smell anyways!

**IRescue452** · 10-02-2007, 05:23 PM

I think they had to haul water in on their own, maybe the kid saw the bottle and took a big swig before realizing. In all honesty, we really don't use much bleach in our house, my 7 year old sisters might not recognize it. Either way, they are kids. Kids do stupid things. That's why we watch them.

**Taz_Zoee** · 10-02-2007, 05:40 PM

The article reads: Several children required medical attention after drinking bleach that had been left in an unmarked soda bottle, according to both the parent and CBS.
I'll have to agree with Wenisrubber on this one.

Also, weren't the parents informed of what would be expected of their children before hand? And if they were told nothing, why would they let their child go?
I did recognize a couple of the boys from an episode of Dr Phil. It was about mom's pushing their children to act and model and stuff. There was a family with three boys and they made up a song about their mother called 24 hour b!@#h. The youngest boy was maybe 5 years old. The two oldest boys were on this show. That led me to believe these children are potential actors. Not that that makes it okay or anything.
I actually only watched the last 10 minutes of the first episode. It just seemed silly to me.

**Blackrose** · 10-02-2007, 06:06 PM

I think if they work out the kinks (aka, the bleach insident. I wonder how OSHA let them get away with that one?), it would be a great show.

Although, I have to admit, the first thing that came to my mind when I heard of the show was the book "The Lord of the Flies". Kids left on an island without any adult supervision....two are murdered, one dies in an accident, and another is hunted like a pig. The nice officer who saves them tells them, "I excepted more from some British boys," and yet, there he is in a war of his own....hmmmm....nice thoughts to chew on.

Yes, they are children, but I think if more children can understand that life requires work and that life isn't all fun and games and how imporatant it is to follow rules and listen to those in authority, the better.

The children’s definition of work is somewhat different. “Everyone usually had a job,” said Mike, an 11-year-old from Bellevue, Wash., who participated in the show. Among them were cooking, cleaning, hauling water and running the stores, where, he said: “It was hard work, but it was really good. It taught us all that life is not all play and no work.”

And if the kids were running their own place, they didn't have to work. They could have sat down and said, "I quit, I'm not doing this anymore."

**Hellow** · 10-03-2007, 09:29 PM

Yes, i believe the show is stupid and dangerous. I mean, these are young kids we are talking about. They do stupid stuff. Me and my classmates in my assigned cooking class can probaly cook almost as good as the teacher. But she still supervises us because were still kids pretty much. Would the adults intervene if things started growing very bad (ex. no water/food, hurt kids, sick kids, etc...)?