Maybe they were the “others”? I wanted to know what fell into the “Other” category on the list Alex was making.
Heh. Looked up Taylor on the Kid Nation website:
Aiyiyi.
I wonder what Taylor’s stance on bears is?
Well, we know her stance on elephants and donkeys.
If we go by my success record on Survivor, my prediction means that she will be crowned lifelong queen of all Kid Nation, Imperatrix Mundi and Top Chef.
I think you’ve been whoosed- I’m saying Taylor is a miniature Stephen Colbert. Only she isn’t being facetious.
Alex, age 9.
First, I’m impressed that he knows about Harrison. Second, I’m amused by the juxtaposition of Bush and Harrison in his answer.
Well prejudices aren’t always the full on hateful type. The Kids expressed not only a preference for their own religion but also an intolerence about learning anything about another way of thinking. Some of teh kids didn’t want a shared service because they didn’t think others deserved equal time with their own beliefs.
There were also a few small comments made that were slightly disperaging.
I don’t think they are rotten kids or anything like that. It just shows that we sometimes train our kids to see our worldview and they parrot what they’ve been taught rather than question things. So if they are grow up in a community of only one religion and taught that it’s the best and only way to believe they will naturally be suspicious of other teachings and unwilling to learn about them.
Without the adult influeneces (except the crew and the producers and whatnot… which may also affect how they behave…) the kids natural curiosity and desire to share their beliefs allowed them to see others in a different light.
Some folks have expressed dislike for the religous aspect forced itnto this show, but I take the opposite view. I appreciate that they force the kids to confront topics they might normally avoid. THis clearly is not simply about putting kids in an abandoned town and see if they can survive, this is not Kid Survivor. This is about seeing how kids would tackle adult issues and problems if left to their own devices. Given the short time frame of the show, you can’t just wait for these issues to come up organically, you need to force the issue.
I think the kids showed ignorance, but it is simply the ignorance that comes from them being young. What I think they displayed was a misunderstanding of religon in general. I mean I am sure that many of them felt that by going to some other religious ceremony they were somehow violating the “law” of their faith or that they might become “infected” . Iknow none of them expressed itlike that, but I think that is how kids think.
William Golding already wrote that story.
I “obtained” this show because Jon Stewart’s mockery of it on the Daily Show piqued my interest, and I’ve taken a bit of a shine to it. Some of the accents though really grate, Laurel’s and Taylor’s in particular (that weird boy with the glasses is amusing rather than annoying). Whilst I think that Taylor’s catchphrase is awesome, the producers deserve much credit, they managed to find a child that everyone can hate without feeling guitly.
I do wonder though how much of the programme is staged, and how much is down to creative editing.
I think that the fact that there is pending legal issues about whether the kids were treated fairly under child actor laws goes a ways answering your question.
Cite for legal issues? I heard there was controversy about safety (and after watching some of the boys chase bulls, I can understand why!!) but I’m not aware of any lawsuits actually being filed.
As for some scenes being staged…I get that feeling myself sometimes.
They have some really bright kids there. When the council was doing their best to force everyone to gather for a worship service – ringing the bell and yelling – I was really hoping one of the others would point out that a BIIIIIG factor in the formation of this country was freedom of religion and how DARE they try to force the town to worship to order?
No lawsuits filed, but this article has some discussion on the topic:
Their wiki entry has a good primer of the situation with some links. The sum of it is whether these kids were actors working 24 hours a day or whether this was a reality show of a kids “summer camp”.
Apparently, creative editting was not enough to get the desired results and there was a lot of reshooting.