A CBS Reality Show Draws a Claim of Possible Child Abuse

[babylonsister]

A CBS Reality Show Draws a Claim of Possible Child Abuse

In “Kid Nation,” 40 children run their own New Mexico town. At least one parent has complained to state officials.

By EDWARD WYATT
Published: August 18, 2007

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 17 — The ads promoting “Kid Nation,” a new reality show coming to CBS next month, extol the incredible experience of a group of 40 children, ages 8 to 15, who built a sort of idealistic society in a New Mexico ghost town, free of adults. For 40 days the children cooked their own meals, cleaned their own outhouses, formed a government and ran their own businesses, all without adult intervention or participation.

“Kid Nation” participants formed a government of their own.

To at least one parent of a participant, who wrote a letter of complaint to New Mexico state officials after the show had completed production, the experience bordered on abuse and neglect. Several children required medical attention after drinking bleach that had been left in an unmarked soda bottle, according to both the parent and CBS. One 11-year-old girl burned her face with splattered grease while cooking.

The children were made to haul wagons loaded with supplies for more than a mile through the New Mexico countryside, and they worked long hours — “from the crack of dawn when the rooster started crowing” until at least 9:30 p.m., according to Taylor, a 10-year-old from Sylvester, Ga., who was made available by CBS to respond to questions about conditions on the set.

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/18/arts/television/18kid.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[ck4829]

1. This show sounds more like "Child Labor Nation"

[SoCalDem]

2. Bread & Circuses... Release the lions!

Some Americans call this entertainment..:puke:..so did the Romans.. we know what happened to their society..

The parents who complained, probably signed waivers and knew that their children would be unsupervised (except for about 150 CREW MEMBERS who were probably adults :eyes:..)

[displacedtexan]

3. Lord of the Flies (with a camera crew & litigious parents)

Reality shows seem out of control in their quest for more viewers.

[Benhurst]

4. I think I'll pass on this one.

But I'm looking forward to CBS's next reality show, Toddlers United: Brave New World.

[glowing]

5. There is a reason children are supervised by their parents, otherwise

we'd let them live on their own... most of the time they think they know better anyway... Children are not adults. If you wanted to do a project like this, you need adult supervision to at least make sure no one is injured... This whole thing sounds Lord of the Fly-ish, wonder who Piggy was?

[spanone]

6. i'm so fucking tired of this 'so called' reality bullshit.

[fasttense]

7. Even the ads sound abusive.

I couldn't believe they advertised about putting a group of unsupervised children into a difficult and volatile situation. I was surprised parents would allow their children to do this even if they did get big bucks. Where are the concerned adults? Why was this allowed? I'm just dumbfounded that New Mexico social services allowed this dangerous situation.

[Warpy]

8. This could have been a really, really bad idea

but don't forget that the kids weren't really alone, that they were surrounded by crew, presumably adult.

I sincerely doubt this was done without giving the kids any guidance at all.

As for the hard labor, it sounds like they all survived a month of it. It's not like sending them to toil in mills and mines at the age of 5 for 16 hours a day until they dropped dead at 30.

I'd like to hear what the kids think about their experience. The kids from the PBS "back in time" shows indicated it was a great boost to self confidence to be necessary to a family's survival.

That being said, I'm sick of this "reality" crap, too. It's just a way to do cheap programming using people being paid AFTRA minimum.