We might as well publish this, and it would be a great opportunity to hear what you think about this situation because I have quite a few feelings.
If you didn’t know, a Dutch television channel planned a show called De Grote Donor Show (AKA The Big Donor Show). In the show, three people needing a kidney competed for the kidney of one pre-selected person that can be called the “Donor”. As you can imagine, there was a large amount of outrage about this show, as they were potentially playing god. On Friday, it was announced that this show was a hoax; the show was basically a PSA showing the desperate need of kidneys and other organs. The “Donor” was actually an actress while the three competitors really did need a kidney. Viewers were also able to call and text their opinions into the 80 minute show.
I’d love to know what you all thought about this show. There’s a reason I didn’t publish this when it originally came out:I knew something was up. No station or production company would be psychotic enough to play god like this. However, I did have a tiny feeling this could be true because it was Endemol (that says something about them). However, this is an interesting experiment in my eyes. I’d like to know how many people called in and offered a kidney to the three contestants out of outrage before they found out this was a hoax. Just out of kindness no one will donate. When pressured by television people will. I doubt it was that many anyway. This shows a disturbing fact: that people were more outraged that television than about a real problem around the world. Television is a very powerful medium and it takes a potential idiotic move by a popular company and network to make people open their eyes.
2 Responses
Marc Power
1June 3rd, 2007 at 8:53 am
I’m just glad it’s not a real show. People would boycott the company.
Brandon
2June 3rd, 2007 at 2:09 pm
I believe Endemol knew what they were doing. They knew the idea of such a show would piss folks off, but they also knew people were going to watch such a train wreck.
Honestly, if someone said they were doing a simple PSA on donating organs, who would’ve watched? By creating such a scheme, then having folks watch until the end, they were able to keep the curious tuned in, and get the message. Cruel, yet clever. I give credit where it’s due, and this is one of the few things I’ll give them credit for, the other is 1 vs. 100.
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