Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Steps to make the world's worst TV show

Step 1: Decide that your TV show-to-be will be a "reality TV" show.

Step 2: Focus on typical teenage angst in the suburbs. Find teens that think they're parents are too strict and annoying, but catch them on camara snubbing and being rude to said parents. Provide video clips of the parents saying they can't control their teen and they don't know what to do anymore. The more tears the better.

Step 3: Find the poorest country in Africa, (according to IMF, and listed by GDP) which is The Democratic Republic of Congo. Then find a well-off family living in the capital and decide you could send these french suburban teens to live with this family.

Step 4: Title the show "I have the strictist parents in the world!" or something to that effect.

Step 5: Decide the element of surprise is the best way to inform two chosen teens; a 16 yr old boy, and a 15 yr old girl, that they will be sent to Africa for a few weeks. Give them the flight number when they arrive at the airport, and be sure to film their faces up close when they read "Kinshasa" next to their number.

Step 6: Film teens' arrival chock full of awkward glances going back and forth between them and their host family with five kids. Especially focus on their looks of shock upon driving through the city. End the day with the two teens sitting down with their host parents to discuss rules and responsibilities.

Step 7: Continue to film each teens activities (or lack of) each day, getting feedback from both sides, as the host parents decide they are lazy, spoiled, Metropole kids, and the teens regard their treatment in the home as too brash and mean.

I think I'll stop there. I actually couldn't finish watching the show, as I was fully disgusted and exhausted for the night. But I didn't fall asleep right away because I was up thinking about how each side must be feeling completely taken advantage of. The parents of the two teens involved in this show really boggle my mind. I don't pretend to be an expert in psychology or know anything about these families personally, but it seems OK to assume that complaining on TV about your teen being too spoiled or rebellious doesn't DO anything to help the situation. How could they think that getting involved with reality TV would help the obviously very damaged relationship they have with their teens? And the people who came up with this lousy idea for a TV show, where could they take advantage of people very easily? Oh right, the poorest country in the world, a place where a recent war is still having ill-effects on the country. Let's stick two rich, (a relative term considering where they are) white kids who have never been to Africa, have no idea what to do, think, or feel about the situation, in said country and see what happens when they get MAJOR culture shock. Maybe it will shock them into cleaning up after themselves a little when they get home. My guess is no, they will probably resent their parents even more. How about the host family? They probably got a lump of money from agreeing to be on the show, but also a lump of resentment at these kids who will go back to their rich life at the end. In my opinion, they were used for the entertainment and shock value the show provided. And the two teens? They just need their parents to be a bit more caring about them. Well, actually, a lot bit. I am cringing at the thought of how this ordeal likely drove the gash deeper between the teens and their parents. (When I say that incidently, the teens are not siblings; I'm talking about two teens and their separate families). Ultimately, it boils down to culture shock, and how it was unfairly placed upon these kids, and the family who hosted them.
Worst. TV. Show. EVER.

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