The Kids In America

I have a blog going but since nobody reads it, I lost interest in posting my thoughts. As an overopinonated loner, I have this impulse to let people know what I think, regardless of whether they're interested or not. I've been watching the CBS series " Kid Nation" on a fairly regular basis. There isn't a whole lot of orignality in the new network TV shows, and the writers' strike has decreased the wealth of worthwhile viewing on the tube. Getting back to opening thoughts, I've been unableto log onto my original blog site because it required a password that is something other than what orignally comes to my addled brain. I used to work in radio, and always titled my blogs after the names of songs. This one is stolen from Kim Wilde and it was a minor radio hit in the muscially dismal 80's, the decade of disposable music.

The premise of Kid Nation, is that a bunch of kids under the age of sixteen or seventeen, I'm not positive which, are set out in a "Ghost Town" and are to rule and govern themselves. First of all, this is a farce. They are being manipulated by the powers that produce the program. It isn't like " Lord Of The Flies" where a bunch of kids are shipwrecked on an island and have to fend for themselves, these kids are being shaped and molded by what a "log" of the town that died dictates. Ahem, kids ruling themselves??? I don't think so. There are the usual mixture of reality show personalities, they're just younger than the casts of "Survivor" or " The Amazing Race". There is also a host who imparts his feelings into what is going on, so it isn't what it claims to be in the advertisements. But it IS still compelling viewing. I can't be too harsh on CBS for not letting the show become totally anarchy, but that sure as hell would've been good for ratings!
Like any reality show, creative editing can make things look a whole lot different than they play out. But it truly bothers me that they keep touting it as 40 kids ruling themselves. Say for instance the kids aren't doing a good job of following their assigned duties, the counsel members go to the town center and look at the log book of Bonanza City, where by some fantastic coincidence the settlers wrote about how the town had slipped into decay because people weren't doing their work. Because they're dealing with young kids, and the potential for lawsuits is a real possibility, they have to keep a lid on things. But I sure would much rather see a bunch of kids set loose and left to their own devices, no coaching, prodding, nudging from any outside sources, just let the cameras roll and see what comes up. I've always had a fascination with stories of survival, but as a type 1 diabetic I wouldn't last long in an extreme situation simply because I've got a medical ball and chain around my ankle. Mentally I think I'd do well, because I can look at situations from a variety of angles but I'll never get an opportunity to find out, unless CBS decides to feature a new reality show called " Medical Survivor". Yeah, I know...fat chance!