If children ruled the world |
by Gina Dalfonzo |
Tonight CBS unveils Kid Nation, in which "40 Kids have 40 days to build a brave new world without adults." The show's Web page breathlessly asks,
Will they stick it out? In the end, will these Kids prove to everyone, including their parents, they have the vision to build a better world than the pioneers who came before them? And just as importantly, will they come together as a cohesive unit, or will they abandon all responsibility and succumb to the childhood temptations that lead to round-the-clock chaos?
Seeing that "Kids" now get the courtesy capitalization that used to belong to God, my guess is that CBS is banking on the former, though it must be a little disconcerting to find out that your young visionaries have gotten into the bleach.
But I have a question of my own: Does no one read Lord of the Flies anymore?
Barbarians... er, kids... are born civilized right?
(Agreed: don't forget Lord of the Flies!)
Posted by: Steve (SBK) | September 19, 2007 at 11:13 AM
Most of my problem with the show is the way in which it is marketed. Billing Children (capital C) as the saviors of the world (as if there were never children before now), and demonizing the selfish adults of all eras and epochs.
As I pointed out in the Sept. 20 post on our FamilyLife Culture Watch blog, these children have been set up to succeed by the show's organizers, who have handed them a governing structure and reward system based on the wisdom of successful adult civilizations through the ages. Can they follow it?
That aside, it will be interesting to see how individual children respond. I think it will be easy to see which children have been brought up in a biblical/moral worldview and which ones are focused inwardly. I'm also interested in seeing how the other kids react to these differing worldviews.
Posted by: Scott W | September 20, 2007 at 05:55 PM