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Offline Kogs

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Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« on: August 18, 2007, 08:34:09 PM »
i love it, hope theres more story's coming out about this piece of crap

Quote
(Aug. 18) - The ads promoting "Kid Nation," a new reality show coming to CBS next month, extol the incredible experience of a group of 40 children, ages 8 to 15, who built a sort of idealistic society in a New Mexico ghost town, free of adults. For 40 days the children cooked their own meals, cleaned their own outhouses, formed a government and ran their own businesses, all without adult intervention or participation.

To at least one parent of a participant, who wrote a letter of complaint to New Mexico state officials after the show had completed production, the experience bordered on abuse and neglect. Several children required medical attention after drinking bleach that had been left in an unmarked soda bottle, according to both the parent and CBS. One 11-year-old girl burned her face with splattered grease while cooking.

The children were made to haul wagons loaded with supplies for more than a mile through the New Mexico countryside, and they worked long hours -- "from the crack of dawn when the rooster started crowing" until at least 9:30 p.m., according to Taylor, a 10-year-old from Sylvester, Ga., who was made available by CBS to respond to questions about conditions on the set.

Taylor and her mother, and another participant and his mother, all spoke enthusiastically about the show and said they believed the conditions on the set were adequate. But Divad, an 11-year-old girl from Fayetteville, Ga., whose mother wrote the letter of complaint and who was burned with hot grease while cooking, said she would not repeat the experience. She said there was no adult supervision of the cooking operation when she was hurt, although there often was an adult "chef" present in the kitchen.

Her mother, Janis Miles, declined to speak to a reporter.

A New Mexico official whose department oversees licensing of congregant child-care settings said in an interview that the project almost assuredly violated state laws requiring facilities that house children be reviewed and licensed.

The official, Romaine Serna, public information officer for the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department, said Friday that CBS had never contacted the agency. If the department had known of the parent's allegations when the incidents occurred, she said, "We would have responded and would have assured the children's safety."

CBS officials say they broke no laws. "We feel very comfortable that this was appropriate from a legal point of view," Ghen Maynard, the executive vice president for alternative programming at CBS, said in an interview Friday.

Jonathan Anschell, who oversees CBS's West Coast legal office, said that a state labor department inspector visited the set of the show unannounced during the production. But Carlos Castaneda, a spokesman for the state labor department, now known as the Department of Workforce Solutions, said that the inspector was not allowed on the site and left without inspecting anything.

Mr. Anschell said that after the visit from the labor department inspector, the network contacted the attorney general's office about its program but was never advised that it was not in compliance with the law.

The question of how CBS accomplished the feat of taking 40 young children into the New Mexico desert for nearly six weeks during the middle of the school year, allowing them almost no contact with their parents, in order to produce a television show has attracted attention. The network has heavily promoted "Kid Nation," which executives are hoping will be one of its breakout hits this fall.

Almost from the time CBS announced the concept in May, doubts have grown about whether its actions skirted state or federal laws regarding child welfare and child labor. The show's executive producer defended the project in a heated session with television writers in Beverly Hills last month, but the previously undisclosed allegations of neglect raise questions about how the experience was structured.

It also raises questions about the still-growing genre of reality shows, or unscripted programming as it is known in Hollywood.

As reality producers have been forced to reach further to invent something new or exciting, many shows have apparently left reality behind. The Discovery Channel last month said it would re-edit some episodes of "Man vs. Wild" after a British television network reported that the show's star, adventurer Bear Grylls, was staying in a hotel on some nights when the show depicted him sleeping in the wild.

The Oxygen cable network heavily promoted a reality show that featured the actress Tori Spelling investing her inheritance from her television producer father, Aaron Spelling, in a bed and breakfast that she was to run with her husband, only to have it later revealed that she never actually bought the property. A lawsuit filed in New York last month charged Gordon Ramsey, star of the upcoming reality show "Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares," with faking scenes, including hiring actors to pose as customers. The parties were ordered to go to arbitration by a Manhattan judge.

Until "Kid Nation," no reality show had focused on taking a group of children from their homes and placing them in unknown situations, forced to deal with whatever arises and recording the results.

Just days after the shooting of "Kid Nation" ended, an anonymous letter was sent to the New Mexico governor's office, the attorney general's office and the sheriff of Santa Fe County, spelling out the bleach-drinking incident and other potentially harmful circumstances. That was followed three weeks later by a letter from Ms. Miles, the parent of Divad, that detailed many of the same incidents and injuries.

The program, which is scheduled to have its premiere on Sept. 19, was produced on the Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch, located on several thousand acres about eight miles south of Santa Fe. The ranch contains several dozen buildings in various locations, most of which were built for the filming and production of movies like "Into the West" and "Silverado."

Tom Forman, the executive producer of the show, told television writers last month at the semi-annual Television Critics Association press tour that New Mexico had been chosen because Bonanza Creek offered a unique setting. New Mexico also had no specific regulations concerning the use of child actors in television and film production, which many states, including California and New York, do have.

Though the children spent six weeks away from school in April and May, no tutors were present on the set. Though many states limit the number of hours children can work a day on television productions, Mr. Forman said the children set their own hours.

Ms. Miles's letter, which requested an investigation into issues of child abuse, neglect and endangerment, was sent to her local sheriff's office, which forwarded it to the sheriff's office in Santa Fe County. Greg Solano, the Santa Fe sheriff, said he had investigated the allegations but found no criminal activity. He sent the letter along to civil authorities.

Ms. Serna's office was among those that received the information, but by that time the production was already packed up and gone from New Mexico. "This type of setting, with 40 kids away from their parents for an extended time, would have required some notice and work prior to actually bringing the children into the state," she said.

Mr. Anschell of CBS disputed that, saying that the network's correspondence with the attorney general's office produced nothing except a warning that as of June 15, state law had been changed to limit the number of hours that children can be on the set of a television production.

Mr. Anschell also said that state labor laws did not apply. "The children were not employed under the legal definition," he said. "They were not receiving set wages for performing specific tasks or working specific hours."

But the parents were told before the children left to go to the set that they would receive a $5,000 stipend for their participation. The children also had the opportunity to earn a gold star that was given at the end of each episode -- or roughly every three days of filming -- that at the end of the session could be turned in for a $20,000 check. In addition, the children were assigned tasks and were paid for those with buffalo nickels, which they could then use to buy items at a dry-goods store or a candy shop or to buy drinks at a root beer saloon.

Nevertheless, Mr. Anschell said, "those were not wages and did not create an employee relationship."

The children's definition of work is somewhat different. "Everyone usually had a job," said Mike, an 11-year-old from Bellevue, Wash., who participated in the show. Among them were cooking, cleaning, hauling water and running the stores, where, he said: "It was hard work, but it was really good. It taught us all that life is not all play and no work."

Taylor, from Georgia, agreed. "I learned I have to work for what I want," she said

Offline Kogs

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2007, 08:46:09 AM »
my wish has come true  :lol:

Quote
CBS Was Warned on ‘Kid Nation,’ Documents Show
         
By EDWARD WYATT
Published: August 22, 2007
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 21 — The producers of a CBS reality show featuring 40 children living on their own in the New Mexico desert were warned by the state attorney general's office while the show was being taped last spring that they might be violating the state's child-labor laws, according to interviews with state officials and documents obtained Tuesday under the state's open records act.

The show, "Kid Nation," which is scheduled to premiere on CBS on Sept. 19, is a reality show whose premise is to take 40 children, ages 8 to 15, and place them in a "ghost town" in New Mexico to see if they can build a working society without the help of adults.

But after the production ended in mid-May, the parent of one child in the production complained to state officials that the children's treatment bordered on abuse. Four children received medical treatment for accidentally drinking bleach, one child was burned on her face with hot grease while cooking in an unsupervised kitchen, and most of the children were required to work 14 hours or longer per day. They received a payment of $5,000 for their participation.

In interviews last week, CBS contended the children were not employees because they were not performing specific work for specific wages. A lawyer for CBS, Jonathan Anschell, said the network had received no indication that it was violating the law.

But on May 1, two weeks after a state labor inspector was turned away from the site, Andrea R. Buzzard, a New Mexico assistant attorney general, warned in a letter to lawyers for the production that the state did not agree with the network's interpretation of state labor law.

"We are not certain that those laws are limited to traditional 'employment' relationships," Ms. Buzzard wrote, citing part of the state child-labor statutes that say that a child's frequent presence at a work site "shall be prima facie evidence that such child is unlawfully engaged in labor."

New Mexico frequently issues exemptions to its child-labor statutes to Boy Scout camps, Boys and Girls Clubs and similar groups to allow minor members of those groups to participate what would otherwise be considered work, Carlos Castaneda, a spokesman for the state labor department, now known as the Department of Workforce Solutions, said Tuesday.

Mr. Castaneda said the producers of "Kid Nation" should have followed a special permit process. "We have requests for these permits every summer, to waive the child labor laws and minimum wage rights for camps," he said. "We were not trying to put obstacles in front of the production. We wanted to provide for the safety of children."

CBS officials had used the "camp" designation to characterize the reality show in discussions with parents, Ghen Maynard, the executive vice president in charge of CBS's reality programming division, said last week. CBS spokesmen did not respond Tuesday to requests for comment on the attorney general's letters.

Mr. Castaneda said that CBS and Good TV Inc., the production company behind the show, neither applied for nor were issued such an exemption during the six weeks they spent working on the show. The program took place on the Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch, eight miles south of Santa Fe.

An official with the New Mexico state department that oversees group homes for children said last week that the production appeared to violate state laws requiring residential units like the one housing the show's participants to be licensed.

When a state labor inspector, Abe Tapia, visited the ranch on April 13, to see if the production had work permits for the children, he was told to wait in a production crew dining area for a producer. After waiting for about an hour, Mr. Tapia was told that the show's executive producer, Tom Forman, would not be available that day.

Mr. Tapia returned to the site the following day and on April 16, but was stopped at the front gate and not allowed onto the property.

The visits were prompted by an anonymous phone call reporting on the activity involving children on the ranch, Mr. Castaneda said. After Mr. Tapia's visit, a New Mexico lawyer representing CBS and Good TV wrote to the state attorney general's office explaining the production, Mr. Anschell said last week.

"No one from that office, despite a detailed description of what we were doing, ever raised an issue whether licensing was required," Mr. Anschell said.

But the letter from the attorney general's office indicates otherwise. In addition to pointing out that the definition of work in the state's labor laws appeared to be broader than CBS was saying, Ms. Buzzard, the assistant attorney general, requested a copy of the network's agreements with the child actors.

After receiving the agreement, the attorney general's office again wrote to the production's representatives, on May 24. But by that time, the CBS show had packed up and left the state, and the state officials said the applicability of the state law was moot. But they pointed out that a new state law would soon go into effect specifically limiting the amount of time that children can work each day on television productions
.


Offline kevinfromduluth

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #2 on: August 22, 2007, 10:38:56 AM »
CBS is in deep trouble ....
1. News with Katie is tanking..
2. Possible criminal and legal action over Kid Nation...
3. Already lost a boat load of Cash to Don Imus over stupid firing...
4. Overall ratings are down, not to mention loss of Key cast members on there shows...
5. Doubts continue over reality shows being real or staged after revelations about Survivor restaging games.

Network is so worried about ratings...they're driving the Car over the cliff..... :lol: :lol:
Hate me if you must, but love me if you can....toby keith

Offline TexasLady

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #3 on: August 22, 2007, 07:15:45 PM »
Add Pirate Master to the sinking ship at CBS.  :pirates1 :pirate9

I don't intend to watch Kid's Nation, it seemed criminal to me when I saw the ads for it, not to mention it has BS written all over it... SEE KIDS can have a perfect civilization, if only we were as smart as the children!  B:)
The choices we make dictate the life we lead.

Offline Kogs

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2007, 08:38:55 AM »
heres more to add to the fire, they should just cut there losses and cancell this damm thing already

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New Mexico attorney general looking into possible 'Kid Nation' violations

A New Mexico official wants to know whether producers lawfully avoided obtaining work permits for children, and shut out inspection.
By Maria Elena Fernandez, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 24, 2007
The firestorm surrounding CBS' forthcoming "Kid Nation" picked up heat on Thursday when the New Mexico Attorney General's Office confirmed it was launching an investigation into whether state laws were broken during the production, and child activists called for individual states to investigate whether the families violated truancy laws.

"Kid Nation," scheduled to premiere Sept. 19, takes reality television into another realm by placing 40 kids, ages to 8 to 15, in the desert near Santa Fe for 40 days to build a society without any contact with their parents. Although a CBS spokesman said the network acquired a proper film permit to film on the Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch, Atty. Gen. Gary King is examining whether the network and producers lawfully avoided applying for work permits for the children.

"Information is being evaluated now and reviewed in light of all the interest in this," spokesman Phil Sisneros said. "We are determining what our next move will be or even if there will be one. Even though it seems it's kind of a moot point, there are a lot of things to look into that we could still address."

Among the issues the attorney general will review will be the production's permit process, the 22-page contract between parents and the producers, and whether the production company illegally refused to allow inspectors onto the property for routine inspections.

Sisneros said the attorney general's office learned of the production, which ran from April 1 to May 10, when an inspector from the Department of Workforce Solutions notified officials that he was not allowed on the property to inspect work permits. Soon after, the attorney general's office received correspondence from CBS lawyers explaining the children are not "employees" and therefore did not need work permits. Creator Tom Forman said he leased the privately owned Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch site for production.

The inspector's and CBS lawyers' versions of the events differ in that Jonathan Anschell, executive vice president and general counsel for CBS Corp., says the inspector was allowed to the area where producers work and chose not to stay when Forman was not available. A CBS spokesman on Thursday said the network "has nothing to add."

Asked how a TV production company could refuse to let a government worker do his job, Sisneros said: "They pretty much can do anything they want at the site. Obviously, they did. Whether or not what they did is legal is another question."

"I'm thrilled that they would be launching an investigation," said Anne Henry, co-founder of BizParentz, a nonprofit organization that assists child actors and their families. "I would also hope that the individual states where the kids are from also would also look into truancy issues for each of those children."

Because no tutors were on location, as is customary when children are hired for TV shows or movies, parents had to arrange with their children's schools to make up missed work, Forman said.

Of the four children interviewed by The Times, a 15-year-old boy from Reno is home-schooled; a 10-year-old boy from Miami Beach said he had to make up all the work; a 12-year-old from Pearland, Texas, said he took homework to the location and made up the rest of the work; and a 12-year-old girl from Boston said she missed 19 days of school and had "to un-enroll from school and then re-enroll, so I didn't have to make up any work, which was awesome."

"That's illegal," Henry said. "The rules vary in each state and each district so the rules for each child are going to be different, but in no state in this country is it legal for a parent to remove their child from school for a lengthy period of time just because they want to."

She continued: "We don't want to see one production break every rule in the book, whether it's a real law or an industry standard, and see them get away with it because we know it's a slippery slope and our kids will be hurt in the end."


Offline Kogs

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #5 on: August 24, 2007, 01:29:24 PM »
from variety
Quote
CBS is strongly denying allegations that its upcoming reality skein "Kid Nation" violated New Mexico child labor laws or put any of its youthful participants in danger during production.
The New Mexico attorney general's office said Thursday that in light of the controversy around the show, it is reviewing the complaints raised by a parent and the question of whether it violated the state's child labor laws. There is also a dispute over allegations that "Kid Nation" producers denied state inspectors access to the production site during filming in April and early May.

"We are in the process of reviewing all of the information that we have on 'Kid Nation' to determine whether or not there are issues that we need to pursue," said Phil Sisneros, spokesman for New Mexico attorney general Gary King. "That's where we are."

In a statement, CBS was adamant that the "series was filmed responsibly and within all applicable laws in the state of New Mexico at the time of the production." (According to the Associated Press, New Mexico in June modified its law limiting the number of hours a minor can work on a film or TV production -- a change prompted by the increase in production activity in the state.) CBS gave no hint that it was deterred by the controversy from proceeding with the planned premiere of "Kid Nation" on Sept. 19.

Show took 40 kids, ages 8-15, to a ghost town in the New Mexico desert to let them fend for themselves in a rustic environment, establishing their own rules and "government" in "Lord of the Flies" fashion. The children were expected to haul in their own drinking water and prepare their own meals, in addition to caring for farm animals and other chores.

Show was deliberately designed as a kind of social experiment to allow kids to "prove to adults that they were capable of doing more than anyone thought they could ever do," "Kid Nation" exec producer Tom Forman told Daily Variety. Children who tired of the conditions were free to inform producers at any time and were immediately transported home. Some did, but not as many as producers expected, Forman said.

Show's conceit has raised eyebrows and concerns that CBS and producers exploited minors for the sake of a reality TV skein. The "Kid Nation" controversy has been spurred along during the past few weeks by a complaint from a parent of a 12-year-old participant in the show who says her daughter was burned on the face by grease splatters during a kitchen accident and that she did not receive adequate medical treatment.

CBS and Forman stressed that the kids were never really on their own at the large ranch facility in Bonanza, N.M., and that safeguards were in place to care for them in the event of an accident or injury. The precautions included "on-site paramedics, a pediatrician, an animal safety expert and a child psychologist, not to mention a roster of producers assigned to monitor the kids' behavior," CBS said in its statement.

Lawyers for CBS were in contact with New Mexico officials during the filming of the show. According to published reports, a state labor inspector visited the ranch after receiving a tip about kids working on the ranch.

When the inspector asked to see the children's work permits, the official was asked to wait while producers wrapped filming for the day. After waiting for an hour or so, the inspector decided to come back again a few days later. By that time, CBS lawyers had corresponded with other state officials about the work permit issue. The specifics of what was determined in that correspondence are in dispute and are among the issues the attorney general's office is reviewing, Sisneros said.

Forman said that the overwhelming response from the participants who stuck with the show was positive.

"What's getting lost in all this is just how incredible the experience was," Forman said. "These were all incredible articulate, intelligent and very independent kids. They really wanted to prove something. I've been in touch with most of them, and I know they're excited to see the show and they continue to talk to the friends they made there."

CBS likened the "Kid Nation" experience to a summer camp but with "safety procedures and safety structures that arguably rival or surpass any school or camp in the country." As for the time missed from school during filming, CBS made it a requirement that participants arrange to make up the course work later in the year.

The Eye maintains that concerns about the show are being stirred up by one disgruntled parent, identified by the AP as Janis Miles of Fayetteville, Ga., whose 12-year-old daughter Divad took part in the show. In a bio released earlier this month as part of the "Kid Nation" promotional materials, Divad described herself as "kind, helpful, honest -- I am a great leader and I like to make others laugh."

CBS has stressed that none of the other parents have kicked up a fuss about their children's experience. Guardians of the show's young participants were required to sign strict confidentiality agreements and waivers that indemnify CBS and producers in the event a participant suffers any injury, emotional trauma or even death. But such broad-based waivers have become standard operating procedure for reality TV productions.

"We will therefore not accept irresponsible allegations or any attempts to misrepresent and exaggerate events, or spread false claims about what happened during the filming of 'Kid Nation,'" CBS said in its statement. "The course of action now being undertaken by one parent is distorting the true picture of the 'Kid Nation' experience."

Forman said he spoke with Divad after production wrapped and believed her experience had been largely positive. He has not spoken with her mother since her complaints surfaced.

Offline Kilarney

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #6 on: August 24, 2007, 02:55:24 PM »
Survivor re-staging challenges?  Can somebody point me to a link?

As for Kid Nation....
I think that this show may be pretty decent.  Keep in mind, CBS planned it as a summertime throw-away show.  Instead, they liked what they saw so much that they held it for the fall.  So let's not write it off yet.

I do agree, though, that CBS needs a wake up call. 

Offline Kogs

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #7 on: August 25, 2007, 07:57:42 PM »
more from variety
Quote
The American Federation of Television & Radio Artists is investigating reports of alleged abuse of children on the TV show "Kid Nation," which was produced under an AFTRA contract.
The performers' union made the disclosure Friday, a day after the New Mexico attorney general's office said it was reviewing complaints raised by a parent along with the question of whether it violated the state's child labor laws (Daily Variety, Aug. 24). CBS has denied allegations that the upcoming reality skein violated state labor laws or put any of its youthful participants in danger during production

"AFTRA members deplore and condemn the exploitation of children," said AFTRA national executive director Kim Roberts Hedgpeth said in a statememt.

AFTRA said Friday that the participants may not have been covered by the provisions of its contract but stressed that it would investigate fully in order to be certain.

Hedgpeth noted that "Kid Nation" was produced under the AFTRA National Code of Fair Practices for Network Television Broadcasting -- under which the host, announcer, reporters and other professional performers on reality and contest programming are covered by the terms of its Network Code, while amateur contestants are generally not.

"AFTRA is investigating whether the terms and conditions of the Network Code were violated in the production of 'Kid Nation,' " she added. "We will take all legal and moral steps available to protect the rights of the performers and children on this program."

The show, due to premiere Sept. 19, took 40 kids between ages 8-15 to a ghost town in the New Mexico desert to let them fend for themselves in a rustic environment.

Offline Kilarney

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #8 on: August 27, 2007, 06:24:09 AM »
Keep in mind that the unions hate reality television since they believe that it takes jobs away from actors (who just happen to be union members).  So I'd say that they may be a little biased.

Offline dustigenes

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #9 on: August 27, 2007, 06:11:03 PM »
I'm going to watch, it sounds interesting.  If only one parent is complaining, maybe she's pissed cause her daugther didn't get a gold star. :res:


Offline puddin

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #10 on: August 27, 2007, 09:06:25 PM »
Monday, August 27, 2007
Did CBS Neglect the Kid Nation Kids?
by Jonathan Small, with additional reporting by Kate Hahn

Jasmine, Maggie, Madison and Michael, Kid Nation
 Just weeks before its Sept. 19 debut, Kid Nation is under siege. CBS' reality show, in which 40 kids from 8 to 15 years old have 40 days to build a society in a New Mexico ghost town, is fending off attacks from state officials and one angry parent. Janis Miles, whose daughter, Divad, appeared on the show, accused producers of borderline abuse and neglect. CBS shot back in a statement that Miles' claims are "distorting the true picture of the Kid Nation experience, about which the overwhelming majority of kids are highly enthusiastic and happy."

The controversy started several weeks ago, when the New Mexico Children, Youth & Families Department received a letter from Miles that said her 11-year-old daughter was burned by hot grease while frying a meal and that at least two kids drank bleach from an unmarked bottle, all with no adult supervision. (Another participant, Kelsey, told TV Guide she burned her hip on a stove.) Miles' accusations caused concern. "Unfortunately, the letter was [received] after the production left the state," says Romaine Serna, a spokesperson for the Families Department. "So we couldn't do anything about it."

CBS disputes that Kid Nation was a rogue state with no adult supervision; there was an on-site team of paramedics, a pediatrician, an animal safety expert and a child psychologist. "The few minor injuries that took place were all treated immediately and by professionals," the network says. In fact, Daniel, a Kid Nation resident with asthma who was known as DK, praised the show's safety efforts: "We had medical people and inhalers and nebulizers. If I was out of breath, these people just came from all over." Another parent says she was updated on the status of her son Michael at least every three days.

Negligence isn't the only complaint. During production last spring, the state attorney general's office wrote a letter to CBS questioning their interpretation of state child-labor laws. The kids, who received a $5,000 stipend, reportedly worked 14-hour days. When the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions began receiving anonymous calls that the children were working under inappropriate conditions, an inspector went to the set to request work permits but was turned away three times. CBS argues that under state law the kids were exempt from permits. Workforce rep Carlos Castaneda disagrees: "Anytime you have children doing any type of work, you need a permit." CBS promoted Kid Nation as controversial — and it's certainly living up to the billing.

http://www.tvguide.com/news/kid-nation-controversy/070827-04

Offline puddin

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #11 on: August 28, 2007, 05:28:15 PM »
August 28, 2007

WGA: 'Kid Nation' Crew Overworked, Underpaid
By James Hibberd

The Writers Guild of America is wading into the “Kid Nation” debate, with President Patric Verrone condemning the working arrangements on the much-discussed New Mexico production.

“This is a story that is incomplete, because it’s not only the kids for whom conditions were deplorable but the entire crew,” Mr. Verrone said.

After interviewing “Kid Nation” crew members, the WGA said the production staff regularly worked 14 hours a day, seven days a week—not entirely unusual for a large reality production.

“The folks who write, produce and shoot these shows were subject to illegal and unfair working conditions,” Mr. Verrone said. “They don’t get paid overtime, they violate consecutive days of work [rules], they don’t get meal breaks. We’ve been saying that for two years now. It’s unfortunate that this kind of business model is now treating kids the same way they’ve been treating adults.”

The WGA has been trying to unionize reality producers who craft show storylines on the set and during post-production. The WGA claims nonunion members on reality programs work marathon hours without health benefits or overtime pay, unlike their union counterparts.

“Kid Nation” executive producer Tom Forman defended the production, saying it employed union members—just not any from the WGA.

“We treated every member of our crew exceptionally well,” Mr. Forman said. “For union and nonunion workers alike, there were days off, there were meal breaks. The WGA wasn’t there and has no knowledge of what happened. I resent them sticking their nose in this.”

CBS declined to comment.

Unlike the young “Kid Nation” cast, the show’s crew members are employees of a California production company and therefore, argues the WGA, subject to California’s labor law, rather than New Mexico standards. The WGA contends that nonunion employees on “Kid Nation” are classified as hourly employees, yet worked a large number of hours on a fixed rate.

“The fixed weekly rate is an illegal method that prevents employees from being paid the overtime they are due,” said Tony Segall, general counsel for the WGA. “Sadly for employees, this happens on virtually every nonunion reality show, not just ‘Kid Nation.’”

The WGA is locked in negotiations with networks and studios for a new guild contract; their current pact expires Oct. 31.

Two years ago, the WGA backed two class-action lawsuits against reality show production companies for similar labor issues. A judge mandated the guild cut ties with the plaintiffs in the suits, which merged and continue to move forward.

Mr. Verrone said the conditions on the sets of reality shows have been beneficial to media conglomerates, and the “Kid Nation” affair may shine a light on what that has meant to workers.

“Hopefully it finally gets some attention to these people who have been putting up with this for a long time,” he said.

As on most reality show sets, some of the crew positions on “Nation” were covered by a guild and some were not. On Friday, one of the guilds covering the show, the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists, announced it is launching an investigation into reports of abuse of children on the set. (AFTRA covers entertainment professionals such as the show’s host, but not the amateur participants.)

“We are concerned about reports of abuse arising from ‘Kid Nation,’” the guild said in a statement. “AFTRA is investigating whether the terms and conditions of the Network Code were violated in the production of ‘Kid Nation.’ We will take all legal and moral steps available to protect the rights of the performers and children on this program.”

On Monday, the Screen Actors Guild issued a statement of support for AFTRA’s investigation.

“Had the children been engaged under SAG contracts, they would have had protections including maximum daily work hours based on their age, minimum compensation, supervision and instruction on the set from qualified teachers, and 15 percent of their gross earnings placed in a blocked trust Coogan account,” the statement said.


Offline puddin

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #12 on: August 28, 2007, 05:29:01 PM »
Tuesday, August 28, 2007

CBS Weathers 'Kid Nation' Buzzkill
They didn’t want this much buzz.

Ever since the “Kid Nation” storm began, industry insiders have declared over countless lunches: “All this press is playing right into CBS’ hands. This is exactly what the network secretly wants.”

But in recent weeks, the “Kid Nation” controversy crossed the threshold from worrisome-yet-helpful publicity to red-alert overload. The network is, most assuredly, not happy. There’s corporate-approved edgy “Viva Laughlin” buzz … and then there’s kids drinking bleach and state attorney general investigations.

There seem to be few organizations connected to “Kid Nation” left to express their outrage that reality show contestants might possibly have been underpaid or mistreated. It’s a problem that, as the Writers Guild of America notes today, has been common on both sides of the camera for years, but is only getting tough media scrutiny now that the reality production funhouse involves kids. How much of a difference that distinction makes is a question for the attorneys, psychologists, child development experts, concerned parents, fellow bloggers and others weighing in.

At the eye of this media hurricane is an editing bay, where executive producer Tom Forman continues to work on “Nation.” He claims nothing about the controversy will change the way he shapes his program. The on-set accidents -- a kitchen grease burn first reported in TelevisionWeek that manages to get more horrific with each telling, the instantly infamous group bleach-drinking first reported in the New York Times -- were not directly captured on camera, he says, and will not be in the show.

“I’m horrified and frankly disgusted people are throwing around phrases like ‘child abuse,’” he says, sounding characteristically upbeat despite the recent succession of headlines. “We got a lot of column inches devoted to a show nobody has seen yet. I encourage people to watch it Sept. 19 and make up their own minds.”

Forman says he’s particularly bothered by the media criticism of “Nation” parents, which hit a fever pitch after The Smoking Gun last week published the show’s 22-page participation agreement.

At first blush, the contract reads as if parents are selling their kids into servitude in a coal mine by day, bordello by night. But it’s not much different from the agreements signed by reality participants every day. The only difference, as the chorus goes, is that the participants are kids.

“I look at that contract and I think I agree to most of that stuff on the back of my ticket to Disneyland,” Forman says, giving one of those quotes that, intentionally or not, tend to get readers riled up. “I’m not sure anybody who ever sent a kid to summer camp and signed a contract is all that surprised by what they read in there. What sort of parent wouldn’t want me to be able to call an ambulance if their kid needed one?

“Not every parent,” he concludes, “is a ‘Kid Nation’ parent.”

Posted on August 28, 2007 12:54 PM | Permalink


Offline Kogs

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #13 on: August 30, 2007, 09:15:31 AM »
from yesterdays la times
Child welfare concerns add to union disputes with reality shows.

For 40 days, the children of "Kid Nation" hauled wagons, cooked meals, managed stores and cleaned outhouses, all in the name of building a society in front of reality TV cameras.

Were they working? There doesn't seem to be a simple answer. But what is clear is that CBS' new reality venture, which placed 40 children on a New Mexico ranch without any contact with their parents, has become a flash point in a television genre actors and writers have long blamed for taking jobs from them.
Scheduled to premiere Sept. 19, "Kid Nation" has become the subject of several official investigations, highlighting some of the inherent problems in reality television, which keeps costs down by avoiding paying writers and actors.

The stakes are high for the networks that profit from the entertainment and for the Hollywood guilds that have joined the "Kid Nation" fight as the industry girds for a possible strike this year.

To make their larger point about reality television, the guilds have seized on "Kid Nation" with its added dose of controversy -- the welfare of children.

"To me, this is the sweatshop of the entertainment industry," said Jeff Hermanson, assistant executive director of Writers Guild of America, West.

"What's happened with 'Kid Nation' is typical and universal, but then it's that much worse because it's about children. The exposure that reality television is getting as a result of the 'Kid Nation' case really has much greater import in the big picture."

It's also shined a light on the common network practice of creating subsidiary companies that can contract with production companies that are not bound by union labor laws and can shield networks from having their corporate image tarnished.

"This is an area that the networks don't really want to talk about because they don't want to address the manner in which they try to divorce themselves from legal responsibility or moral responsibility for the conditions on the shows," Hermanson said.

"The purpose of using these companies is to distance themselves from any liability for labor practices or lawsuits of any kind," he said. "But it's an insidious practice in my opinion because when you look at who is deriving the benefit ... it leads right to the network's door."

A complaint charging "abuse and neglect" by the mother of a 12-year-old girl who was burned in the face while cooking was made public last week. New Mexico Atty. Gen. Gary King said he will investigate whether producers lawfully kept state inspectors, who wanted to review work permits for the children, from the site. CBS lawyers maintain that no work permits were needed because the children were "participating," and not working, during the filming of the program.

The Screen Actors Guild joined the fray Monday, having received a barrage of calls from parents, members and former young performers who "called and yelled at us because they were really appalled at the way these kids were treated," said Pamm Fair, SAG's deputy national executive director.

The guild looked at the contract between parents and producers, she said, "and it's been a long time since we've seen such egregious provisions for any performer, let alone children."

"We have a lot of people who are very upset about this show," she added, "so there may be action down the line to let the network know that people are unhappy about the treatment of children and how it's reflected in the series."

SAG is following the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which announced Friday that it was looking into reports of abuse of children on the set. AFTRA covers the host and announcer of "Kid Nation," and the organization is reviewing the contract between the children and the production.

Although the CBS Corp. board of directors has not met on the issue, board member Linda Griego said members are making inquiries to make sure the laws were followed.

CBS owns the copyright to the show through a subsidiary company, Magic Molehill Productions Inc., which was incorporated in 1995 and has held copyrights to other reality fare on CBS and the CW, the network CBS co-owns with Warner Bros. CBS contracted with Good TV Inc., which belongs to Tom Forman, the creator of "Kid Nation," to produce the show.

Although Magic Molehill is a non-union entity, Good TV had agreements with AFTRA to cover the "Kid Nation" host and announcer, with the Director's Guild of America for the show's director and with the Teamsters to cover the drivers. But the production crew was non-union.

CBS officials declined to comment about Magic Molehill except to acknowledge that it's a copyright holder for "Kid Nation" and other shows.

Since "Survivor" premiered on CBS in 2000, reality TV has been the prickly stepchild of the networks. Reality shows can yield a hefty bounty for networks and producers when the shows hit big. But, over the years, as the genre has produced everything from the Emmy-winning "The Amazing Race" to "My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance," skepticism has grown about the "realness" of the shows.

Producers have admitted to writing scenarios that contestants are asked to carry out. And contestants have revealed that they work long hours and are often asked to do different takes of scenes to make them more interesting or controversial.

For these reasons, union representatives argue that the shows have writers who should be compensated according to union guidelines and that some contestants are performers who could be covered under collective bargaining agreements.

Two suits are pending in California Superior Court on behalf of groups of reality show producers and writers who are charging several production companies and TV networks with violations of labor laws governing overtime, wages and meal periods.

Like the amateur contestants on game shows, each child on "Kid Nation" received a $5,000 stipend -- "as a thank-you for participating," Forman said -- and some won prizes of $20,000 or more. The participants, ages 8 to 15, hailed from 15 states, excluding California and New York, which have some of the strictest labor laws in the country.

In an interview Aug. 9, Forman said he avoided children from those states because, "as we looked at the labor issues, there were some issues there." But, he said, "I was OK with it too, because that's where I thought we would find kids in the entertainment business, not the all-American kids we were looking for that I think the viewers would relate to."

Although only one child from the "Kid Nation" cast has turned out to be a professional actor, almost half have expressed interest in performing or acting. In interviews, some of the children and parents have said the children did not "work" when they were filmed for 14 hours or more a day because they set their own hours and decided for themselves what chores to do.

In statements to the press last week, CBS expressed support for its show and production. Forman also said in interviews that the children "were not taken advantage of."

"I think that some of the controversy comes from people who don't believe that kids are as capable as I know they are," Forman said. "I saw it in my own kids and I saw it in these kids, that if you let them step up and take responsibility, they are smarter than anyone gives them credit for."

But to get what they want, reality show producers cite documentary filmmaking as their inspiration and claim their shows are more just than a form of entertainment, said Mark Andrejevic, author of "Reality TV: The Work of Being Watched."

"In order to legitimate the free labor that they extract from cast members, every reality show producer claims that this is some kind of experience where people grow and learn about themselves," he said. "The producers rely on the tradition of the documentary to make this seem like it's not exploitation when the only true commitment they have is to turn a profit."

Offline TexasLady

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #14 on: August 30, 2007, 09:42:27 AM »
Quote
For 40 days, the children of "Kid Nation" hauled wagons, cooked meals, managed stores and cleaned outhouses, all in the name of building a society in front of reality TV cameras

It sounds like work to me. What else would it be? Vacation time? They were paid next to nothing. The more I read about this "show" the less I like it.  :meow:
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Offline Kogs

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #15 on: August 30, 2007, 10:49:18 AM »
from tuesdays hollywood reporter

Critic's Notebook: It's no time to 'Kid' around
CBS should ax new reality series
By Barry Garron

Aug 28, 2007

CBS thought it had a novel idea, one that would resonate with viewers in all demos. "Kid Nation," scheduled to premiere Sept. 19, features 40 children ages 8-15 who try to form a community without adults in a deserted town in the New Mexico desert.

But soon after the reality show wrapped production in May, problems began to crop up.

Government officials in New Mexico began to suspect that labor laws might have been violated. Reportedly, the kids had to put in 14-hour days with little supervision. One girl suffered burns on her face in a kitchen accident; others accidentally drank bleach.

Industry observers began to wonder why the parents of young children would send them to a New Mexico desert for 40 days, entrusting them to producers they barely knew. And they questioned the wisdom of turning youngsters into entertainment fodder before they are old enough to understand how much national exposure might change their lives -- and not necessarily for the better.
 

Initially, CBS execs might have thought the criticism would subside. That hasn't happened. If anything, it has grown more intense. SAG and AFTRA also have raised concerns about how the kids were treated. With each new allegation and announced investigation, CBS and producer Tom Forman are looking increasingly insensitive.

This has all gone far enough. It's time for CBS to cut its losses, apologize for an idea that was well-intentioned but ill-considered and pull "Kid Nation" from the schedule.

It wouldn't be the first time a network scheduled an ambitious or provocative show and then thought better of it. Think Fox's O.J. Simpson expose or CBS' own miniseries "The Reagans."

As for the expense of pulling the plug, sometimes it just has to be done. The CBS network recently acknowledged as much by reaching a reported $20 million settlement with Don Imus, this after years of encouraging the radio talk show host to be controversial.

Allowing this show on its schedule could further tarnish the public perception of the Tiffany network.

People will want to know why the parents of the "Kid Nation" participants had to sign a 22-page, single-spaced contract that effectively gags them from speaking about the program or risk a $5 million penalty. People will ask why parents would sign a contract that essentially absolves the producers from any responsibility for their child's well-being. (Others, however, might take to task the parents themselves for being overly eager to turn their children into potential celebrities.)

In any case, people will continue to ask why an experience that Forman describes as similar to a summer camp takes place in an area that the contract calls "inherently dangerous."

CBS says that critics are giving the show a bad rap and that safety precautions at the production site rivaled any at the best schools or camps. For one thing, various producers as well as child psychologists and other support staff were on hand throughout the shoot.

But if the support systems were so good, why did CBS and Forman refuse in the contract to take any responsibility for the children's health and safety? And why did they set up shop in New Mexico rather than film under California's more restrictive and protective child labor laws?

In short, there are legitimate questions about whether those in charge put a higher priority on producing a program than on the welfare of the children who were in it.

Whatever might be the ratings for such a show, "Kid Nation" should go if CBS is to avoid getting a black eye.

Offline Kogs

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #16 on: August 31, 2007, 09:09:12 AM »
more from the la times

Though bound by a confidentiality pact, parents tell advocacy groups of concerns that children were fed lines.
By Maria Elena Fernandez, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 31, 2007
Amid the media firestorm and scrutiny by public officials, a group of "Kid Nation" parents has expressed concerns to two Los Angeles-based advocacy groups that monitor child labor in the entertainment industry about the way producers handled aspects of the production in New Mexico this past spring.

The 40 children and their parents are bound by a confidentiality agreement with CBS' subsidiary Magic Molehill Productions, and Good TV Inc. that prevents them from speaking to the press without the "consent of an authorized representative of CBS." According to the participation agreement, violators must pay $5 million to CBS.

But about a quarter of the parents involved have spoken confidentially to the BizParentz Foundation and A Minor Consideration about the fact that during the course of the show, producers gave their children lines to say or asked them to re-cast dialogue or repeat scenes.

The parents watched the last day of filming in May, which included the show's final town council meeting, interviews with the children, and some retakes. According to Anne Henry, co-founder of BizParentz, the parents saw the children being prompted to utter lines such as "Oh, wow!" and "No, don't do that" and to review on camera things that had happened earlier during the the production.

Henry said she has also spoken to crew members who confirmed that the children were sometimes directed and told what to say.

"That may be surprising to the public, but it's actually not unusual for reality TV," Henry said. "It's not unusual for shows to make sure they have all the footage they might ever need to cut and paste the story line they want to create because they're creating entertainment. But that is significant in this situation because CBS and the producers are trying to claim that this was not work and was not scripted and the children were not actors."

Tom Forman, the creator of "Kid Nation," said Thursday that the parents observed routine "pickups" for scenes in the show that were perhaps missed because of technical difficulties or cameras not positioned to capture the face of the child speaking. The children also gave final interviews on the last day and were asked to recall moments from earlier in the production and restate lines, he said.

The issue of whether the children were "working" while they were living on a ranch near Santa Fe for 40 days as they built a society while cameras were filming is being investigated by New Mexico Atty. Gen. Gary King. CBS lawyers maintain that, like all reality show participants, the children were not "working" and that the $5,000 payment they received is a "stipend" and not a "wage." But New Mexico officials are reviewing whether the children needed work permits.

The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the Screen Actors Guild and the Writer's Guild of America West are also reviewing the contract between the participants and the production company because guild officials say "Kid Nation" highlights a significant labor issue in Hollywood. The guilds have long contended that reality television show contestants should be covered by union contracts because they are performers.

"I've talked to parents who are just learning how much of a television production this was, the many do-overs and the requests to do things a certain way," said Paul Petersen, founder of A Minor Consideration. "They're figuring out that the children were on assignment to fulfill a producer's creative impulses."

"No words were put in their mouths," Forman said, "and more importantly, if the concern is that something is going to be taken out of context and manipulated, I can just promise you that's not happening.

"We're taking great pains for a million reasons, in part because we are good storytellers and in part because the stuff is real and dramatic enough on its own," Forman continued. "I know the way some reality shows work, and I know how things are cut to appear as if they happened when they didn't. It's not happening. It has never happened on any show I've ever worked on. It's not how I do things."

Offline Maidenlady

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #17 on: September 17, 2007, 06:40:21 PM »
Well I not sure  why any parent would send a  child of their any where that  would be a show on just kids ? did they not ask questions about who do the cooking ? who be there in case kids got hurt ? now I not attacking the parents I just saying parent do not let their kids go off with out knowing a heck lot of information  about the place they going , how safe it is etc. now another point I think needs brought out . how could it really be a kid only area if they were filming the show for t.v ? I do not think they let the kids a hold of their  cameras .lights .film and stuff plus they had to have adults there telling the kids what to do to film the show the way they wanted it to look . I think it a big rift over nothing .sounds like couple people was not happy they did not get huge amounts of money but let the show be a hit see how they change their tune .
I never send any my kids grandkids or great grand kids off with out knowing what they be doing . who be there in case of first aid  etc. no real parent would . sounds like bunch sour grapes to me .
i going watch the show if it not on same time as dwts last night .

Offline TexasLady

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #18 on: September 17, 2007, 06:48:02 PM »
Maidenlady: I am with you. My grandkids would never be allowed to go on a show like this. The whole concept turns me off.

BTW, what is it that boy is saying in the latest commercial? Viva La Revolution?

Maybe CBS thinks the publicity pro and con will bring an audience. I hope they are wrong.
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Offline Texas_kimmie

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #19 on: September 18, 2007, 09:22:15 AM »
Oh, it will definitely have an audience. The more it is talked about, the bigger the audience will be. I will most definitely be watching it. And why not? It's put out there for entertainment, and I definitely want to see whats going on. If a parent is stupid enough to send their child off to a place like that (they signed papers), then that is their own fault. You shouldn't be able to sign waivers and then cry foul! Most of the parents were probably hoping this would be their child's "big break". Not cool.....but Yep, I'll be watching. Don't most people stop and stare at trainwrecks?
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Offline TheCinera

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #20 on: September 18, 2007, 10:03:34 AM »
I will definitely be watching this tomorrow, at least just the first episode.  They were advertising this show heavily during the Sunday football games on CBS.  So many different opinions by critics, I just want to see how good or how horrible this will be.

Offline georgiapeach

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #21 on: September 18, 2007, 10:43:11 AM »
I will definitely be watching this tomorrow, at least just the first episode.  They were advertising this show heavily during the Sunday football games on CBS.  So many different opinions by critics, I just want to see how good or how horrible this will be.

I have spent my life working with children and I'm a bit torn about this. Is there real concern about the safety of these children? Or is it just more over-reaction?

I don't know the answer so I will be watching to judge for myself tomorrow night.

Here is a Forbes Interview on the show with some interesting comments from the producer:

Quote
Look, I wouldn't be talking to you and I wouldn't be standing in front of this admittedly controversial television show if I didn't really believe in it. It's awfully good, and so for all that has been written about the show and all that has been said about the show, much of it flat-out inaccurate--I'm sitting in the editing bay watching it come together, and I was out in the desert for 40 days as we shot it, and I know what we did and I know what we got, and I know it's excellent television on every level and, more importantly, ethical and responsible television.

And:

Quote
Look, the kids were a good jumping-off point to allow us to sort of rethink the way reality TV is done. This one's different in almost every way. Lost in a lot of the debate is that this is a show that really does encourage cooperation instead of backstabbing, a show that leads to decisions instead of elimination, and a show about building a community instead of breaking one down. It's a lot of the reality shows you've seen turned totally upside down, and it works.


I'll go ahead and start a thread for the Show itself--so we can discuss it in depth after the show's first episode  tomorrow night! See you there...or not! ;)
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Offline MamaTo4boys

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #22 on: September 19, 2007, 03:13:38 PM »
In all honesty I wanted to watch the show just because as a kid I always thought something like this would be cool. Keep in mind I grew up on a farm. I wasn't forced to do hard things but I did them. I was 7 when I helped my grandpa pluck a chicken (and my mom was not happy about that haha). Looking back as an adult I would do it again. So I dunno.

I have three boys, who im sure one day will be raising their own cattle and such. That includes helping bale hay, sweating the summer sun. Just like they did back in the day. I know how much times have changed just in the past 10 years. Kids used to swarm at the chance to bale hay in the summer to get muscles for football, now they sit in the a/c gym and do the same thing (do I blame them - No!) im just saying.

Now reading all this im kinda torn on watching. But I do believe that there are adults there, I don't see how they could do it without adults. Do we know about how old these kids are?
« Last Edit: September 19, 2007, 03:16:52 PM by Mama2MyBoys »

Offline Kogs

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #23 on: September 19, 2007, 03:35:27 PM »
i wont be watching tonight. michael jackson must be having a party tonight, hes dream is coming true 40 kids alone with no adults. i hope and pray this pile of crap is cancelled by the time my holidays are over.

Offline MamaTo4boys

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Re: Kids' Reality Show 'Borders on Abuse'
« Reply #24 on: September 19, 2007, 05:11:42 PM »
Kogs, I just spit out my gatorade reading that!!!

I wanna know who thought of this idea ???