There's nothing like a good brouhaha, is there? Kid Nation was controversial before it even hit the air and the controversy continues. TMZ is reporting that the show is seeking a new location for next season outside of the United States due to the child labor issue. The show's official website has had an application link up since the site itself was launched, but it appears the deadline for second season applications has passed.Then there's a new controversy -- the slaughtering of two chickens shown during last week's episode. According to our friends at Buddy TV, the animal rights group Last Chance for Animals criticized the show for killing the chickens, then airing the slaughter. LCA also condemned YouTube for not removing clips of the show which were posted by several people.
But at the end of the day, the ratings are holding up. And, in the television world, that's the bottom line. Were the chickens killed for ratings? The LCA claims that was was the case and that it was ethically wrong. Although the chicken slaughter was indeed something I experienced when I was young, I knew this televised slaughter would attract attention.
I personally don't think it was necessary even though I'm not up in arms about it. If you watched the show, you would have seen that the idea to kill the chickens came from the "journal" given to the town council members. Similar to the economy system, labor and class divisions and everything else -- it was put into motion by the adults.
Don't get me wrong, I'll still be watching the show. However, I wish it wasn't so blatantly scripted in action by the adults. It would have been interesting to see if the kids themselves would have thought of killing chickens for food and when in the scheme of their time there if they did so.
But we'll never know.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-03-2007 @ 11:29AM
Nathan said...
I don't see anything wrong with the chickens being killed. In fact I was probably eating chicken while watching the show. I like how the "Last Chance for Animals" group would rather see the children starve then kill a chicken or two. They are right on with their morals.
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10-03-2007 @ 11:42AM
Laura said...
I agree with you, Jackie. The main reason I was attracted to this show despite all the commotion surrounding it, was because I was hoping to see children figuring things out for themselves.
I would have loved to see what the children would have ended up doing if left to their own devices - with the only things being provided being food and a roof over their heads.
I just know there would have been a natural leader(s) that emerged and steered them one way or another - but we'll never know.
I too, am still watching though.
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10-03-2007 @ 2:02PM
KMF said...
Nathan, those kids had plenty of food, eggs and in canned form, they were far from starving! They had plenty of protein and didn't need to kill those chickens. That was most definitely put into those kids head's by adults for drama and big ratings.
We'll never know what the kids would have really done since it's plain that everything they're doing is put into motion by adults. It's an 'adult' nation.
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10-03-2007 @ 2:37PM
Jeremy said...
I dunno, I kinda disagree.
Sure, they have the guidance of the "journal" but in the end...it was completely up to them whether or not they chose/decided to eat (and thus, need to slaughter) the chicken.
A number of kids noted that they had other (beans, etc.) sources of protein on-hand...And, that one girl who was tending to all of the animals (Emilie), clearly didn't want to be involved and stood her ground.
I think we did see "what the kids would have really done"...they DID it!!?!
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