The fall season is gaining momentum and with it, the return of television premiers. As an unabashed lover of TV, I can honestly say that fall is one of my favorite times of year. Yes, I enjoy the vibrant colors and crisp smells of autumn, but I also love the mind-numbing pleasure that an hour or two in front of the television can deliver. Even though I am an avid reader, at least I used to be before I had but twenty minutes of alone time each morning to sit with a book, my brain is too harried by evening’s end to absorb actively anything not imagined on a 27” screen. It’s an excuse, but it’s also the truth.

 

I waited, almost impatiently, for the premier of Kid Nation. For those of you who are not familiar with this highly-anticipated reality show, let me explain the premise. Forty kids, ranging in ages from 8-15 years, are left alone for 40 days to revive a ghost town in an isolated city of New Mexico. Even before the show aired, it received criticism for its apparent disregard for the safety of children. Program previews showed kids hauling heavy carts, lighting fires, tending to animals, and bickering amongst themselves. Of course, I wanted to see what all the fuss concerned.

 

The first episode aired with 36 kids debarking a bus in the middle of nowhere. They were greeted by the host, an amiable big-brother type, and told to wait for the arrival of their leaders. When a helicopter landed with what contained the members of the town council, the group was surprised to see not four adults, but four other children, an equal split of boys and girls, handpicked for their demographic representation of the group.

 

The kids were then instructed to haul heavy loads of supply and various animals to the town, far-off to some, but I’m guessing not more than a mile down the road. As the cameras followed the kids through the town, the audience became privy to the fact that this was not a real ghost town, but an elaborate set contrived by the producers. To the kids, however, it was real enough, and I am sure there were plenty of them who believed the town was once inhabited by miners, prospectors, bandits, and every other type of pre-modern city dweller. In any event, buildings and props were staged. Obviously.

 

Emotions ran high as some of the youngest in the group began to experience the pangs of homesickness, and who can blame the few for shedding tears? I’m an adult, and I am sure I would miss my family fiercely if I had to go without their kisses and hugs for forty days, too. Groups banded together, however, with cooperation and sportsmanship being challenged in true reality-TV form. As a prize for completing their task as a group and on time, the kids were awarded additional outhouses to accommodate their number of hineys.

 

At the conclusion of the episode, the council awarded a gold star, worth $20K, to one of the girls for stepping up to the plate and preparing meals for the masses, one that consisted of a gooey mess of overcooked pasta. Also at that time, all of the children were given the opportunity to go home, only one did.

      

Not very long ago, I came across a blog entry in my Google Reader in which the author summed up the show as “disgusting.” She sited this article by the New York Times, which questioned the possible violation of personal safety as well as child labor laws. Just as adults are bound by a reality-TV contract, so, too, are children and their adult guardians. What topped the cake, however, was a comment left by one of the readers:

 

“I think the people who thought of this show are sick, the people who gave the green light are idiots, and the parents who allowed their kids to be on are the worst of all. Everyone involved should go to jail for child endangerment as far as I am concerned.”

   

So here it is. Obviously (according to that commenter), I am one of those sick parents who would allow her child to be taken advantage of, to be purposefully placed in harm’s way, and who should be locked away for child endangerment. Give. Me. A. Break.

 

First of all, Kid Nation is nothing but a television show whose creators, like other reality-show creators, are masters at producing and editing and contriving. Never once were these kids actually left alone. In fact, an interview with the kids post-show revealed that there were more adults than children (according to one of the council members). Moreover, while there may have been injuries, they were minor and treated immediately by professionals. As far as the contract is concerned, of course there are going to be confidentiality agreements put in place to protect the integrity of the show. Likewise, some kids are going to be portrayed as the star, the do-gooder, the vindictive plotter, the whiney brat; that’s what makes reality TV.

 

I have a feeling the kids were not just randomly chosen, either. I suspect they were chosen based on their strengths and weaknesses, as was evident by the revelation that many had grown up on farms, apprenticed in a butcher shop, or helped with construction. I’m sure some of these kids were chosen, as well, for the simple fact they have never milked a goat or been forced to clean up after himself or work in a group or stepped outside a sprawling city.

 

My opinion of the kids is this: I couldn’t be more impressed by their bravery, smarts, wit, or compassion, and I would gladly allow my eight-year-old to take part in the show. They handle grown-up tasks and responsibilities with grace and dignity, much better than most adults, and I find myself in awe of them.

 

You couldn’t get me to slaughter and clean a chicken. That’s for sure.

 

 

 

Kid Nation can be seen on CBS, Wednesday evenings at 8 PM eastern. You can also visit the website to learn more about the show and watch full-length episodes.

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