PBS actually did a variation on this recemtly called "Frontier House." Three families (including a very wealthy on from L.A.) had to live for 5 months on the Montana plains with only what they would have had in the 1860s. It was a fantastic show, but not without its ramifications for the families involved -- the newlyweds realized they could be happy living with far less, another couple realized that they hated each other and ended up getting divorced, and the wealthy family from L.A. returned home and saw for the first time how truly devoid of meaning their expensive lives had actually become.
I don't think anyone deserves to be laughed at. Besides, can you blame them? If you were dirt poor and you saw a way for your kids to have advantages you didn't, you'd probably do it too. I find far more wrong with the concept and the network for deciding it was a good idea than I find with the people who agreed to be filmed. They probably can't afford to take the high moral ground, but CBS sure the hell can.
No one probably knew about it because of 2 reasons: 1) It was on PBS 2) There were no cartoon characters on the show like Eva Gabor...whoa, wait a minute, Eva Gabor IS a cartoon character or is that sister Zsa Zsa??
I don't see what the big deal is. I doubt I'll watch it, but it'll probly be more entertaining than a majority of the crappy sitcoms that are floating around the tube right now. I was expecting something gruesome ala faces of death, or a Karl Malone Happy Fun hour. This? Pfft, it's a step up from celebrity boxing imo.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT'S THE KARL MALONE HAPPY FUN HOUR!!! "Hi kids. Y'all wanna learn how to break somebody's nose with your elbow in a basketball game? I'll teach you how to do it so the ref never calls a foul on you! And if the ref does call a foul, I'll teach you how to whine and throw a tantrum so the ref reverses the call!!!" Yes, that would be a worse show than the Beverly Hillbillies Reality TV show!
Actually, Malone's statement would go more this this.... "Hi kids. Y'all wanna learn how to break somebody's nose with your elbow in a basketball game? Karl Malone will teach you how to do it so the ref never calls a foul on you! And if the ref does call a foul, Karl Malone will teach you how to whine and throw a tantrum so the ref reverses the call. Then other players will know better than to mess with Karl Malone because Karl Malone knows the tricks of the trade.
