TVSquad

I think the Dutch have us beat when it comes to crazy ideas for reality shows. A couple years ago, they produced a one-off reality series about a woman who wanted some sperm and nothing more, and now they've come up with Big Donor Show, which features a dying woman who will pick one contestant to receive her kidney.

All ethical issues aside, some questions remain, such as whether or not Lisa's (the donor) organs can be transplanted at all, given that she has cancer (specifically: a brain tumor). Also, the donation would probably have to be made before she died, because once she's dead, her wish to have any organ donated to a specific person is no longer valid.

Now, I'm all about organ donation, but there is nothing about this idea that doesn't smack of exploitation and a ploy to garner viewers. A chairman of the BNN network, which will broadcast the series, says the amount of people who die waiting for a transplant is far more sickening, but I'm not sure having people "compete" for a chance not to die is exactly ethical, either. Also, I may not be a medical professional of any kind, but I'm guessing that having a brain tumor and also having one of your kidneys removed isn't the most pleasant experience in the world. A point about the importance of organ donation, done in a much more serious way, could easily be made without being so egregious.