(S01E03) Let's see ... no animals were killed in the filming of tonight's episode of Kid Nation. A few outhouses might have received considerable damage, a lot of pizzas were wasted, and they made ten-year-old Taylor cry. Oh, I think she deserved some sort of comeuppance, but I still felt sorry for her when it came. I suppose she's going to have to deal with it, eh?
This week's adult interference came in the form of the "journal" advising the council members to set a curfew. I think it was good advice in the long run because, after all, the kids were getting all hyped up in sugar-crazed root beer chugging parties into the wee hours of the night. Darn it, if they're going to get high on sugar, do it in the morning when they can work it off, right?
Okay, in this nation supposedly built by the children to see if kids can create a better society, so far the adults -- using the journal and other means -- have:
- Created a town council and selected the members on it.
- Created four districts/teams and divided the town.
- Devised a class system according to job title.
- Created weekly challenges (showdowns) to determine job assignments for the teams.
- Set the wages for the different classes/job titles.
- Advised them to kill livestock for food.
- Advised a curfew as a law and order incentive.
What exactly have the kids themselves done? What would they have done on their own without all of the adult advice during the ten days of filming so far? I don't think they would have set up the town in the same manner. I think Colton and his buddies would have chased bulls all day.I can bet the adults around were quietly panicking as he walked right up to the bull. But these are Kid Nation bulls -- they're probably under contract not to kill any of the children, don't you think? While his two young buddies thought he was so brave for doing it, that was an incredibly foolish move for him even if he's used to being around cattle.
He might be singing "Ghost Riders in the Sky" as a lullaby if he keeps up buffoonery with bulls.
If Taylor was in charge, she'd just boss the other kids all day long while sitting on her Princess Pedestal, perhaps with some of the boys fanning her. While I think she's probably got a lot on the ball for her age, her attitude towards the others is outright nasty. I want her to be a laborer! When her district won Upper Class tonight I groaned. I should have been happy because that group is the youngest and it was a great accomplishment. I realize the editing is probably much as it is for adult cast reality shows, but her "deal with it" shouting made me want to turn my television right around and send her home.
We still don't see but a handful of the children focused on each week. I was looking at the list of kids on the show's website and I can't even place half of them in the town. This week had more of a focus on sisters Olivia and Mallory, with good reason because it was Mallory receiving the gold star on her ninth birthday at the town council meeting. I guess they had to let us know who she was before she won it.
Greg acted out once again, cussing up a storm which I'd say must have been responsible for the dust storm which struck the town. Yep, Greg, how do you feel now? It's all your fault!Nah, I'm sure it wasn't. It was interesting to see how the kids reacted to the dust storm. My main man Jared screamed, "It's a twister!" They all ran for cover and it seemed the most serious damage was overturned outhouses.
Then Greg got to help the town once again by being the main muscle to set them all upright once again.The kids all know he's bucking for the gold star, but his own behaviors such as the cussing and acting up tend to frighten some of the others.
I personally don't think Greg's a bad kid, but I think he has problems dealing with younger children in charge. I think if he had been selected as a council member instead of Anjay (who doesn't seem to lead at all), we'd be seeing a very different Greg. I hope he does get his gold star someday. I also wonder why his chin is all scraped up. Hmm ... did the chickens get revenge?
At least I understood this week's showdown unlike that convoluted thing with the water and pipe pieces last week. The best part about it for me was looking at the creative crimes committed by the sheep posse as depicted on the council leaders' pads -- grass thief, shear negligence, etc. At least the sheep didn't seem to get injured except for their dignity, perhaps.
I've decided I'm hooked on this show. While I don't like the adult direction in setting everything up and the advice from the journal each week, I enjoy these kids. Well, for the most part, that is. I want to see the day they make the unwise choice of rewards for completing a showdown within the set time span. I want to see them uprise and overthrow the town council. I want a revolution, kids!
Er ... maybe not a revolution, I guess. I would love to see them stand up to the authority running the show, though.
But, most of all, I find it refreshing that the kids on the show often show compassion towards one another. Plus, as the old Art Linkletter show showed us -- Kids Say the Darndest Things. This week's winners for that were Taylor saying that President Bush had to be mean because you have to be bossy to get attention, Jared screaming "It's a twister! It's a twister!" and one of the girls saying it was hard to be there when the wind blows your face off.
It's hard to run a town with your face blown off by the wind, yes it is.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-04-2007 @ 12:07AM
Joseph Land said...
All through the show I was yelling at that little yellow demon-girl (I learned from the review her name is Taylor, I was too busy yelling at her to read her name on the TV screen) I was actually cheering when they confronted her at the meeting. Sure see a little girl cry can crack anyone, but the little bitch deserved it.
I'd love to see a mutiny happen on this show.
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10-04-2007 @ 12:14AM
cooties said...
Oh No! They made the little beauty queen cry. Let's see what happens and if she does make a change and help out.
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10-04-2007 @ 9:17AM
Pete said...
Did anyone else notice that when Greg was rolling over the kids to get them up, one kid yelled "I've got a broken toe!!" but the subtitle was "You broke my toe!"
Weird.
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10-04-2007 @ 10:00AM
Lee said...
Things that make a parent proud…
While I watched the show, my frustration level with Taylor reached a whole new level. Her leadership abilities are nil, she’s a bully, getting her way through tantrums and drama. Feeding the residents a handful of potatoes made me cringe for those who depended upon her.
I kept saying, “I’m so glad I’m not her parent.” The moments of pride would be few and far between with this little diva. However, I have a feeling she may be enabled in her home life.
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10-04-2007 @ 11:25AM
Susan said...
I'm sorry. This show is B.A.D. bad. Three strikes, you're out. Screaming children. Pointless prizes (a microwave for cooking what for 40 kids and gosh knows how many folks on the crew?). A smarmy host. Oh I forgot, there is one of these on all reality shows. I'm watching something else from now on in this time slot.
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10-04-2007 @ 1:41PM
Larissa said...
I think you missed mentioning the most integral aspect of tonight's show.
Party like it's 1859 at the bonanza saloon! Greg teaching the younger kids how to make boilermakers by dropping a shot of Sprite in a mug of root beer was by far the highlight of the season!
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10-04-2007 @ 1:47PM
Yabbi said...
This has GOT to be THE WORST show in the history of television. Not only is it nearly impossible to watch without wincing in pain and frustration, but it's 'fixed' by adults through the Journal, so it's just a bunch of baloney anyway. Whoever thought up this lead turkey needs to be fired.
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10-04-2007 @ 2:10PM
Gina said...
I LOVE this show! What a dynamic group of children! Yes, Taylor is not a leader and truly annoying. She has been a princess her whole life but I do think that having the town stand up and voice their opinions will get to her. She does seem to listen...let's see if she changes. FOR GOD'S SAKE, give Gregg a star! The star is about hard work. It's great that Mallory stayed and it was her birthday but really, if it was someone elses birthday next week, should they find a reason to give it to that kid? I have found myself in tears watching these amazing kids. At the end, oh my, the tears are flooding! When the kids call home and tell their parents. As a parent, my reaction would be much different. I wonder if they are only allowed to say certain things or what. The parents seem like they are on guard or not allowed to say anything warm and compassionate. I am a reality junkie and this by far is one of my favorite shows!
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10-04-2007 @ 5:51PM
Mario Lanza said...
I love this show! This is by far the most gripping and discussion-provoking soap opera on TV right now, and it reminds me so much of what Survivor was like back when the producers used to care. It's a shame that some viewers are so cynical that they can't appreciate it for what it is -- sociology. My daughter (who is 7) loves Kid Nation and is begging us to let her go one when she's old enough. And I said, okay well maybe when you're 10 or so we can talk about it. But what a life experience that would be.
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10-05-2007 @ 11:07AM
ORKMommy said...
Taylor is a brat! Where did she get the "Deal With It" unless she's heard it from her parents about a gazillion times!! I hope the find a way to get her off the council!
I don't think Mallory won the gold star just because it was her birthday. She won it because she's 9 years old and is running the store by herself. Don't you remember last week when her and that other little girl made up the idea for the stuffed animal daycare? She's a hard worker even though she can't kill chickens or carry water!
I think Greg is a hard worker, but he has no social skills with the other kids. I don't think he deserves a gold star until he starts working WITH the town instead of for his own personal gain. He did almost nothing the first week and when he found out about the gold star he stepped up his game. Hard work doesn't mean much when you're not doing it for the right reasons!
I couldn't believe they didn't stop that boy from going after the steers (they were steers, not bulls). Even though they don't have the level of testosterone a bull has, they can still be very dangerous! I was on the edge of my seat with that scene.
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10-05-2007 @ 1:08PM
Friend said...
1: Taylor tried to cook first day, but was very strongly criticized by Sophia,and said the yellow team didn't know how to cook
2: When the little girl was upset over the chicken, who went to help calm her Taylor
3: Who said the microwave was need over the pizza's Taylor and none of the other councel members would announce it. When Taylor did announce it DK came back back yelling at her. Wasn't it the councels job , so why yell at Taylor
4: If you heard DK remarks ( know 10 year old is going to tell me what to do) you should understand why Taylor was always on the defense. Twice she been yelled at for doing what she felt was right.
5: Who tried to talk to Greg when he started cursing Taylor, everyone else was just yelling back at him, only making matters worse.
6: Taylor did not say she didn't want to work in the kitchen on that cold morning, the other little girl did.Taylor should have gotten up , agreed,but earlier she had been told she didn't know what she was doing by Sophia, so I'm sure she felt as if there was know use to try.
7: CBS gave the title beauty queen to Tayor from day one , same as the gave Greg the bully and Sophia the bossy.
8: The word Deal With It came from a very popular kids TV show.
9: I know Taylor has made some mistakes, but she doesn't deserve some of the commits that are being made. I am 47 years old and I know Taylor and her family, she is a very polite,sweet and loving young lady. She works to help her parent and is a very neat little girl.
10: All of these kids need a Gold Star for what they have done. Not your nasty remarks. May God forgive each of you for being so very mean to children
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10-05-2007 @ 7:21PM
Wakey said...
I don't personally think Taylor is all that bad. All the council have aspects of leadership they excel in and aspects they struggle with (and its the same for adults in the real world) and in Taylors case she struggles with the people skills side of leadership and as such struggles to motivate people BUT she shows a fantastic level of decision making and foresight that puts many adults in leadership positions to shame.
As for Greg, in episode 2 I would have been happy to see them reward him the gold star but in episode 3 he showed why he doesn't deserve one no matter how hard he works. When he acts out like he does he shouldnt be rewarded and if he was it not only sends a bad message to him but others and I hope the council dont reward him until he proves himself to have learnt to behave better
My final thought, while Gregs being made out to be the trouble maker the real villain to me seems to be Sophia. She really is coming across as a nasty piece of work with the way she seems to constantly be trying to stir things up and start witch hunts
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10-08-2007 @ 2:57AM
Andrea said...
Taylor has said that Beauty Queens don't wash dishes, so I don't think that is all cbs' doing. Her team left such a mess when the showdown was done. Didn't look like Taylors team had done any dishes the whole time they had that chore. She sure is full of herself for being so young. I wish the group could elect someone in her place. No leadership with her at all. Just yells and thinks she is above everyone, it is really sad..I wonder how her classmates will react seeing what her true colors are now? Hopefully, CBS will get her family some counseling...
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10-10-2007 @ 2:37AM
Drew said...
I found it interesting that when Mallory won the gold star based on the last minute discussion by at the table, she was given the key to call her parents and then she called them.
I'm VERY impressed that CBS was able to get a camera crew over to her parents house in the 5 minutes between the time she won the star to the time she got to the phone! That's sarcasm by the way...
Editing can make anything look how ever they want it to look. I hate Taylor too and wished an outhouse fell on her, but I'm aware that they edited the show to make us feel it when everyone confronted her. You think she cried in the barn, she was probably hysterical when she watched this episode on TV.
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10-10-2007 @ 9:10PM
Tricia said...
i love kid Nation! It is one of my fav. tv shows! im addicted. (i know, i know i have a problem!)
Greg...There is no reason he should be cussing over such a little thing, but on the other hand all the kids are just fighting back. Still if he does that and gets so mad when he does not get the star he is never going to get the star. I think he is making it harder on himself by acting this way.
Malory...what a cute little girl. i feel that she deserved the star. Even though she does not do the hard labor work, she works hard in a different way. If they only give the star to all the strong kids, the younger kids never get a chance. The younger kids are doing all that they can do.
Taylor...she is ok. I think it is a good thing that she is trying to lead the kids to make Bonanza City work, but how are kids going to respect you if you are not willing to get down and dirty to get the job done. Oh, come on... she cant do a little dishes? If she and the other kids(in the yellow district) work hard they can get the dishes done in like a half hour. I mean i do the dishes all the time for my family of 7. (and im only a kid "teenager") It only takes me like 10 min. to do it by myself. If you have like 10 kids doing it it will go by fast.
Micheal... is so cool! i think the big reason he won the star over greg is because micheal would keep doing everything with or without the star. and i dont know how much greg would do without the star.
the little boy who chased the bull... crazy, but brave little boy!I was so nervous when he went over it. what would cbs do if he got (seriously) hurt? Even though it is a "KID NATION" i think an adult should have stepped in and stop him.
Town Council:
Laurel... i think is the best person on the town council. How many people(kids for that matter) would keep working, and keep her district working, being the laborors. and she is a great leader.
Anjay(i think thats his name)...I dont think he is doing much on the council. or cbs is not showing him much. i think he needs to step it up.
Mike...I think is an ok town council person.
Taylor...she is ok, but she needs to do more. I think it is a good thing that she is trying to lead the kids to make Bonanza City work, but how are kids going to respect you if you are not willing to get down and dirty to get the job done. Oh, come on... she cant do a little dishes? If she and the other kids(in the yellow district) work hard they can get the dishes done in like a half hour. I mean i do the dishes all the time for my family of 7. (and im only a kid "teenager") It only takes me like 10 min. to do it by myself. If you have like 10 kids doing it it will go by fast.
hey, did anybody think that there is 40 kids on this show(including the 1 that left. ohhhhhhhh. Jimmy....sob, sob! cute little kid!) So i guess 39. There is only like 10 that are showed often. except in the show down, but we dont know who they are.
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10-13-2007 @ 9:47AM
Walt said...
Watch. At the end of the series, the group will take a bow and admit that they were picked out of a cattle call for young actors. All those tear jerking scenes, where the camera guy is right there, with close ups and multi angle shots. The kids picking religious reading material over the golf thing...oh, come on. Is pat roberts in a consulting chair somewhere???
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10-14-2007 @ 1:03PM
Kayla said...
This is for all the 'Taylor ' bashers. At least she has backbone. Which is more than I can say, for half the people in this world. She stands up for,what she believes in, despite public opinion, and she's cute. Give me Taylor anyday, over a bunch of followers. As for "Joseph', who called a little girl, the 'B' word, shows how much intelligents you have. (NONE). Now "Deal with It"
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10-17-2007 @ 8:27PM
Gina said...
I think Kid Nation is the best show ever and I would love to participate in it even though it isnt a real city and it isnt really all that safe.But as Taylor said "Deal with it!"
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10-20-2007 @ 12:23AM
Shannon said...
This is to "friend", who defends Taylor and hypes herself as a personal friend to Taylor's family- I find it hilarous that you're slamming a poster for calling Taylor "the b word" and hope that God forgives him. After all, it's actually the fault of Taylor's MOM, not the poster, that people are calling such an "innocent little girl" so many names. After all, her mom was the one who signed a release allowing CBS to exploit her daughter, including saying she wouldn't sue them if they accidentally KILLED HER or, if her precious daughter showed up with an STD. Yeah, that's my vote for parent of the year. I hope God forgives Taylor's mom for being such a horrible parent literally pimping out her daughter for fifteen minutes of fame. Not to mention she obviously did an awful job of raising her, as her kid's an obnoxious spoiled brat. I hope God forgives you for being such a disgusting hypocrite. If you were a GOOD friend, you would have advised her moronic parent that she's an idiot and should have her kid taken away by CPS.
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10-21-2007 @ 3:46AM
Jeff said...
I'm just glad Taylor isn't in my neighborhood or I might be on an episode of CSI.
All kidding asside...taylor is the laziest SOB...I have ever seen in my life. She wont even get out of bed, and she convinced the other girls on the yellow team to act just like her. While poor Zach had to hold their team together.
I hate to see what type of person Taylor will grow up to be ....as an adult. Where are her parents? I'd like to tell them a thing or two. Raise your kids better!!!! not to be lazy A** B*tches!!!!
Taylor should be kicked off the show the way she acts and the way she doesnt do anything!!!! Oh and if you don't like my opinion ----DEAL WITH IT!!!
The only thing I dont like about Zach is he's a Yankees fan.
GO RED SOX
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