A new low for reality TV?
A competition to see who gets a kidney transplant, airing next week in the Netherlands. Yes, really.
"Dutch broadcaster BNN plans to air a television show next week where a terminally ill woman will decide who out of three young patients will get her kidney, Dutch media said on Saturday. Viewers will be able to advise the 37-year-old woman, known as Lisa, via SMS which of the candidates to pick, the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper said. The show is scheduled for next Friday in a prime-time spot". It comes care of the people who cooked up Big Brother.
Supposedly it "is meant to highlight the acute shortage of donors in The Netherlands". Uh huh.
While this is likely to attract more attention than a plodding documentary, one does have to wonder about the moral compasses of those involved in this project.
The concept of willing trade in kidneys may well be not an entirely pleasant one, but I find it less offensive than the prospect of the nationalisation of our viscera, which is the de facto solution others would wish upon the populace.
Anyone seen 'Network' recently?
"Dutch broadcaster BNN plans to air a television show next week where a terminally ill woman will decide who out of three young patients will get her kidney, Dutch media said on Saturday. Viewers will be able to advise the 37-year-old woman, known as Lisa, via SMS which of the candidates to pick, the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper said. The show is scheduled for next Friday in a prime-time spot". It comes care of the people who cooked up Big Brother.
Supposedly it "is meant to highlight the acute shortage of donors in The Netherlands". Uh huh.
While this is likely to attract more attention than a plodding documentary, one does have to wonder about the moral compasses of those involved in this project.
The concept of willing trade in kidneys may well be not an entirely pleasant one, but I find it less offensive than the prospect of the nationalisation of our viscera, which is the de facto solution others would wish upon the populace.
Anyone seen 'Network' recently?
Labels: Media, Truly the Apocalypse is upon us
This entry was posted
on Sunday, May 27, 2007 at 11:43 am.
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What a coincidence! Just before coming to the computer I was reading an article datelined Lahore in my local paper about a gang of Pakistanis who were kidnapping men off the street, drugging them, and taking them to a hospital where one of their kidneys was forcibly removed. Apparently there is a booming market in kidney replacement surgery in Pakistan. One potential victim managed to escape from the house in which he and several others were being held and reported the gang's activities to the police who promptly raided the premises. They arrested several members of the gang, and have also charged half a dozen doctors for performing illegal operations. This methodology is somewhat different from the willing seller/willing buyer principle!
This is genius. Well done Endemol.
Nomad - quite the outbreak of synchronicity...
SG - Not my idea of great viewing, frankly.
THe concept of human dignity seems to have been entirely dismissed. Next up - you choose via our £ 2/minute phonelines which of the 3 siblings will have an incestuous relationship with their father.
so in the next show she donates her pancreas/liver et al to the poor and needy of Pakistan.
Ot perhaps we could recommend she donates to one of the poor victims recounted in Nomad's story.
I remember years ago in LA being told a myth about how one would wake up after a drunken party in an ice bath with note syaing call 911; allegedely one of your kidney's would be missing.
Tuscan Tony - Apologies to Croydonian for being rude on his site, but were you drunk when you wrote your stupid post? How on earth could you conflate three people who NEEDED a kidney, with three "siblings" who ... were going to be forced to have an incestuous relationship with their father, given that presumably none of them had signed up for the lottery?
And given that the father presumably hadn't signed up for the lottery for which of his three children would be forced to have sex with him, either?
Care to explain what your point was?
Personally, I am all for people selling their own body parts, with no intermediation by the state, if they so choose. It's their choice. People's bodies are none of the business of the state.
Verity, good morning. My point was relating to the generally bottom-dwelling nature of Dutch TV - it is therefore toi and not moi conflating organ donation and incest! If you have the time and energy, re-read my comment, halfway though I wrote "Next Up" - a broad hint as to the unrelated nature of the items. Incidentally I also envisioned volunteer siblings, note that there was no mention in my post of coercion - that I suspect was the work of your own fertile imagination. Chewing on the old teonanácatl again have we? Tsk tsk tsk.
Tootle-pip!
Verity, I'm quite concerned about your blood pressure, dear.
Shall we move swiftly on, so to speak?
James, I am quite concerned about your imnpertinence. Do calm down and stop fretting about the health of people you don't know, there's a dear old thing.
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