Not a big surprise
AND YOU THOUGHT RATHERGATE WAS BAD: A CBS Reality Show Draws a Claim of Possible Child Abuse. - Instapundit.com
I saw the previews for this show, and I was shocked. Who looked at the concept of this show, leaving kids to fend for themselves, and thought “Wow, that’s great TV!” I realize there were adults around, but the idea is just absurd. Who allows their children to participate in something like this?
Thanks to Glenn Reynolds for the link and the quote.
I probably would, which is a good reason why I don’t have kids.
Comment by Jay Johnson — August 18, 2007 @ 12:59 pm
Isn’t this idea in the same age-old tradition as summer camp, or even public school for that matter? This idea hardly seems any worse than those two things, except that we have video recording what actually happens.
Comment by Kendall — August 18, 2007 @ 1:05 pm
“Who allows their children to participate in something like this?”
Permissive parents, that’s who. i.e.
HIGH on affection and support
LOW on structure and discipline
Of all styles of parenting — permissive, authoritarian, neglectful, authoritative — permissive parenting generally (and perhaps surprisingly) produces the *worst* outcomes in later life. It ain’t always pretty in early life, either.
Comment by Rent — August 18, 2007 @ 1:14 pm
Also parents who have no idea how rough things can get in that situation, were never more than ten feet from a phone to call 911, never dealt with a scorpion or rattlesnake or heat exhaustion. Or knew to check an outhouse for black widows under the seat before using.
“They’ll have fun.”
Comment by Dave Hardy — August 18, 2007 @ 1:22 pm
Kendall, summer camp and public school operate under at least nominal adult supervision and control. This clearly did not. That was the whole idea.
“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.” (NYTimes)
The Rathergate Network vs the Protect Kids From All Risks At Any Cost movement: an immovable object and an irresistible force. Which will prevail? (I say throw CBS to the wolves.)
Comment by Rent — August 18, 2007 @ 1:25 pm
The very fact cameras were there implies some degree of supervision. Also, the article stated that even though in the cooking incident where the girl was burned with grease, there was an adult chef in the kitchen, so obviously there was some oversight.
Have you been to camp, or to public school? There are plenty of moments there with zero adult supervision around as well. I still don’t see where this is any more, and in fact even as, dangerous or frightful for the children. If kids can survive constant contact with other kids day to day in school, they are able to handle a simple TV shoot where all the kids energies are focused on work instead of annoying other kids. And in fact if you read teh quotes from the kids at the end of the article they thought it was great.
Complaining about this is the ultimate in saying that kids have no ability to care for themselves, which is both untrue and unfair to kids who have to be able to grow up to be self-sufficent eventually. You can’t keep them in a glass box forever.
Comment by Kendall — August 18, 2007 @ 1:36 pm
That’s one difference between this and camp. At camp, my children wouldn’t be put in the position to be handling hot grease.
Comment by HDW — August 18, 2007 @ 2:22 pm
When we were 11 or 12, two buddies and I camped out on the river for more than a week. We swam, tubed, fished and plinked. A parent would check on us every 2 or 3 days. We frequently did the same Friday and Saturday nights during the school year. No way would I let my (grand)kids do that today. That’s a shame. With so much meanness in the world, today’s kids are (necessarily) overprotected.
Comment by Larry — August 18, 2007 @ 2:36 pm
An excellent point Larry. I had a lot of freedom to roam as a child, but I doubt my children will be have that option. Too much has changed since those days.
Comment by HDW — August 18, 2007 @ 3:19 pm
kids learn self-reliance, adults whine about it…
You don’t do your kids any favors by protecting them from the dangers inherent in fun activities. Some of my fondest memories as a kid involve doing things that parents would never have allowed. And the idea that we can let them have fun with careful….
Trackback by Doc Rampage — August 18, 2007 @ 3:58 pm
When my wife and I first saw the promo for this on the weekly CBS golf broadcast, I told her that there is no way I would allow our child to participate in anything without adult supervision. That would be the first thing I would want. Next would be whether the adults had been vetted (background checks). Next, what are their qualifications and experience in designing and running children education and activity programs. Simple 1,2,3 type information. No one even asked these questions since they were more interested in getting their kid on TV and a possible Hollywood contract than the kid’s welfare. Shame on CBS, Shame on the parents and Shame on the authorities for letting it get off 1st base to begin with.
Comment by Jack Lillywhite — August 18, 2007 @ 5:22 pm
I think some people are making a big deal out of nothing. While it has been many years since I was the age of the kids, like fifty or better depending on the age of the kid, I think I would have been thrilled to take part in it. I also think I would have learned a lot of things from doing so.
As for those who are up in arms over a so-called lack of supervision, stop and think how many adults are there watching. Those kids are being more closely monitored than kids who attend summer camps, go to school, hang out in a mall, or about any activity you can name unless it happens to be a sport with an audience watching and I don’t hear people complaining and up in arms over those. Do you actually believe that those adults would allow the kids to do things that might be truly dangerous? So one kid suffered a slight burn, I did the same as a Boy Scout and no one got excited over it and I learned to be more careful when cooking over a campfire. The Scoutmaster smeared a little salve on it, wrapped some gauze over it, and taped the whole thing up and I went back and finished my cooking.
I will say that I have grave doubts that the program will be worth watching, but that is a different matter. In the meantime, give the kids a chance to learn something and quit trying to protect them from everything. By over-protecting your child you only produce a child who is ill equipped to face life without you when that child is grown. We learn by doing things and making mistakes.
Comment by Fritz — August 18, 2007 @ 6:42 pm
This may be blown out of proportion, but my concern is the same none the less. Who would give control of their children to a TV network? What’s their primary motivator, ratings or your child’s best interests?
Comment by HDW — August 18, 2007 @ 7:41 pm
My first thought is that kids fifty years ago could have participated in this kind of “extended summer camp” without much worries from parents. But same parents would have slapped any TV producer who would have suggested filming it and selectively editing it for adult viewing pleasure.
Since CBS would run wall-to-wall coverage of the trial of parents who left their children similarly alone, I support throwing the book at CBS for any violations of child labor or child safety regulations.
Comment by Greg — August 18, 2007 @ 8:09 pm
Absolutely true.
Comment by HDW — August 18, 2007 @ 10:03 pm
[...] open with another thanks to Glenn Reynolds for the link and the quote, and to the several thousand people who followed that [...]
Pingback by High Desert Wanderer » Monday Open House — August 20, 2007 @ 7:01 am
Before you judge the parents, find out how the project was presented to them BEFORE the fact.
I realize it’s shocking to suppose that CBS might have been slightly deceptive, but it’s RATHER possible.
Comment by Sam — August 20, 2007 @ 3:17 pm