Reality shows are a weak guilty pleasure of mine. Seeing people compete for a big prize really brings out their true nature. Will they lie, cheat, or steal to get the big prize.
Now a Dutch Reality series takes it a little too far. Ok, a LOT too far. Times Online says:
The macabre contest will be broadcast in the Netherlands on Friday. It is produced by Endemol, the maker of Big Brother, which is about to begin an eighth series in Britain. But while the worst that can happen in Big Brother is public humiliation, the Big Donor rivals are battling for their lives.Lisa, 37, a terminally ill cancer patient, has agreed to donate a healthy kidney. She was unhappy about anonymous donation and wanted to establish a connection to a deserving person with kidney disease: that way her family could feel that her death had helped to keep someone else alive. But how, said Lisa, could she choose one life over another? How could she make the process less random?
The choice has been left to the television audience. A short film will be shown about each candidate depicting his or her life, family and friends. The candidates will be interviewed and spell out their dreams for a fulfilled and successful life. In the manner of Big Brother or the Eurovision Song Contest, viewers will register their choice by text message.
All I can say is Out Wit, Out Last Out Play seems to have a new meaning. This could be the ultimate Survivor.
With this crossing of the line, can The Running Man be far away?
I am without words.
May 29th, 2007 at 10:44 am
Ahhh! Here we are on the verge of bold new media! The next step is the exciting reality show “My Favorite Child.” The executor from a large catholic family decides that only one of his children should recieve the benefits of the family estate, but which one?
That is right folks! Watch as the siblings Outwit, Outlast eachother as audiences text-in their choice for The Favorite Child.
I understand the desire to make the faceless process of organ donation a little more personal, but somethings are too personal for tv.
May 29th, 2007 at 11:45 am
no, no, no!! it’s not endemol that makes this show!! the station is called BNN, and the founder of that station died as a result of not having a kidney available for him before it was too late, and in Holland the number of people that are willing to donate their organs after death has been on the decrease for a couple of years now!! The only reason they are doing that show now, is because their founder passed away five years ago this week!!so they are trying to raise more awareness on the fact that people shouldn’t be so damn selfish when it comes to donating organs!! And BNN is a more youth orientated tv station that has always had a way of causing controversy and made it somewhat of their unique trademark, I for one am a big fan of their shows!!
So they are merely trying to cause a big shock to make people aware of the problem!!
I tip my hat to those guys!!
May 30th, 2007 at 6:52 am
Bert, I understand that this might raise awareness, but at the same time ONLY the winner is going to get the kidney. The rest of them will die slow horrible deaths.
This isn’t a money reward show. These people will die if they lose.
That’s inhumane.
May 30th, 2007 at 9:20 am
No Rodney, it’s not like they are NEVER going to get a kidney, just not THAT kidney!! The two people that end up not getting the one from that terminally ill woman are still on the dutch o”rgan-transplant waiting list”, or what they call it. So they are still up for a transplant, they are not denied of a normal transplant if somebody else is willing to donate! Who knows they may end up getting it before the actual winner does!!
June 1st, 2007 at 2:58 pm
I just finished watching it!! And I must say, that was incredible!!
I mean, they did everything they said they would do, they had three people in need of a transplant and one who was willing to donate one! they had some short clips about those people, the audience could textmessage in their favorites, then … at the very end when they were gonna announce who won the kidney, everything stopped, the presentor looked at the camera and said: “what are we doing?” and went on to give the explanation that all this was just a big hoax to put the long waiting list for organ transplants on the political agenda with a big bang!!! and sure they did!! the person who was donating the kidney turned out to be an actress, but the three “contestants” were real people who WILL die if they don’t receive a kidney anytime soon!
Now the joke is on the politicians in holland who were all up in arms to say that this program was immoral and sick!! those politicians themselves, when asked the question, turned out not to be on the donor list for organs!! now who was immoral, and who was the hypocryte!!
incredible television if i may say so!! this is gonna be big in the news over here i tell you!!
again i tip my hat!!