12/12 Show Discussion Thread **SPOILERS**

[stcroix]

Were Divad or her parents even shown on this program? I don't remember seeing her featured in the past couple of shows. I know she was the one who's parents are suing the show over a grease splattering incident.

[Google]

 

[Uncle David]

Originally Posted by stcroix

...she was the one who's parents are suing the show over a grease splattering incident.

I hadn't heard anything about this incident until now. I'm not surprised though. Children are often mirrors of their parents. Divad was looking to make easy money off of product that wasn't hers. In fact, she was selling food back to the people who owned it.

I'm not surprised that her parents would try to make easy money off of a situation like this. Hmmm... could it be that Divad burned herself with splattered grease while cooking community food for her questionable business venture??? I'm just saying...

Here's an article from the New York Times that gives us some insight as to how things went down. I'm only quoting a portion of the article. It goes one quite a bit with information about not just this program but a few others. I found the entire article illuminating.

(Just a thought! Do you think this might be why Divad was portrayed so badly?? )

A CBS Reality Show Draws a Claim of Possible Child Abuse

Correction Appended

By EDWARD WYATT
Published: August 18, 2007

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 17 — The ads promoting “Kid Nation,” a new reality show coming to CBS next month, extol the incredible experience of a group of 40 children, ages 8 to 15, who built a sort of idealistic society in a New Mexico ghost town, free of adults. For 40 days the children cooked their own meals, cleaned their own outhouses, formed a government and ran their own businesses, all without adult intervention or participation.

To at least one parent of a participant, who wrote a letter of complaint to New Mexico state officials after the show had completed production, the experience bordered on abuse and neglect. Several children required medical attention after drinking bleach that had been left in an unmarked soda bottle, according to both the parent and CBS. One 11-year-old girl burned her face with splattered grease while cooking.

The children were made to haul wagons loaded with supplies for more than a mile through the New Mexico countryside, and they worked long hours — “from the crack of dawn when the rooster started crowing” until at least 9:30 p.m., according to Taylor, a 10-year-old from Sylvester, Ga., who was made available by CBS to respond to questions about conditions on the set.

Taylor and her mother, and another participant and his mother, all spoke enthusiastically about the show and said they believed the conditions on the set were adequate. But Divad, an 11-year-old girl from Fayetteville, Ga., whose mother wrote the letter of complaint and who was burned with hot grease while cooking, said she would not repeat the experience. She said there was no adult supervision of the cooking operation when she was hurt, although there often was an adult “chef” present in the kitchen.

Her mother, Janis Miles, declined to speak to a reporter.

A New Mexico official whose department oversees licensing of congregant child-care settings said in an interview that the project almost assuredly violated state laws requiring facilities that house children be reviewed and licensed.

The official, Romaine Serna, public information officer for the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department, said Friday that CBS had never contacted the agency. If the department had known of the parent’s allegations when the incidents occurred, she said, “We would have responded and would have assured the children’s safety.”

[echo226]

Originally Posted by ArchieComic Fan

I didn't catch that about the $50k stars having to go to previous winners. So now it makes more sense. I'm glad Zach got his star too.

So that made the double star winners ... the best of the best, I guess.

I just wish the council would have had the ability to perhaps split that final $ 50,000 star ... and they could have also made star prizes for specific things, hardest worker, best council member/leader, and also one for best district cooks ... or whatever.

And ... maybe a lead star for brattiest ... Taylor.

[Uncle David]

I just got home and decided to transcribe what the host (just realized that after an entire season I don't know his name) told the entire town about how the council would award the three $50,000 gold stars.

"So who are the three most deserving pioneers in all of Bonanza City? Well, you've already determined a number of them through gold stars and elections. They're your leaders, your hardest workers, and two of these gold stars will go to them. And the third gold star, you'll give it to anyone."

[Marlene-NL]

Thanks Uncle David.
Why did they have to to do that? I would have liked to see more winners.

Although I do think Sophia earned it.
Another thing I noticed that the 3 winners were all bigger kids.

Thanks also for the article about Divad. I did not like her very much.
Listen to Taylor talking about having to work from dusk to dawn.

Felt sorry for the little girl Emily? who was not allowed in the little group night. did you see Taylor's face during the argument

All in all I liked this show. Liked how the father of I don't know her name, asks greg, how old are you?

[barefootdyke]

Originally Posted by Marlene-NL

Felt sorry for the little girl Emily? who was not allowed in the little group night. did you see Taylor's face during the argument

yep, emily was an "ugly chicken" in her eyes ....

[queenb]

Well, these girls are only 10--so there's a good chance at least a couple of them will turn out only average in the looks department, or God forbid, chubby or acne prone or...it will servve them right when it happens, if you ask me!
The closer it got to the end, the more obvious the scripting became, but still, I might watch another season of this show.

[Leftcoaster]

lildago's season ending recap title says it all.

Because this show was truly all about nothing, Seinfeld was a piker in that regard in comparison.

The only thing they did right in this season (hopefully series) finale was awarding one of those mega stars to Sophia. Were it not for having done that, this episode would have been utterly worthless in its purity of being the only show that comes to mind where runner-ups were rewarded more than the best competitor.

If the show involved competition on a personal level, of course; which it did, but that was only rewarded in this final episode to crybaby Zach, someone that wouldn't have gotten squat from me due to his recent episode even if he had been worthy of one up to that meltdown moment. At least they didn't wait around long enough for him to receive one of the 50K default awards for second best.

This episode should have come with a hip wader advisory. The sentimental muck would probably have drowned those incapable of swimming for high ground anyhow, but at least they'd have longer to curse this shows creators before they went under for the last time.

[Uncle David]

I don't know if it shows outwardly, but I definitely have a soft creamy center. Sure I can appreciate hard edged humor and drama. Sure I enjoy the more 'realistic' ending to the movie. But, on the whole, I love happy endings. I love it when good conquers evil. And most of all, I love a good sentimental moment(s).

[Jexter]

Originally Posted by Uncle David

I hadn't heard anything about this incident until now. I'm not surprised though. Children are often mirrors of their parents. Divad was looking to make easy money off of product that wasn't hers. In fact, she was selling food back to the people who owned it.

I'm not surprised that her parents would try to make easy money off of a situation like this. Hmmm... could it be that Divad burned herself with splattered grease while cooking community food for her questionable business venture??? I'm just saying...

Here's an article from the New York Times that gives us some insight as to how things went down. I'm only quoting a portion of the article. It goes one quite a bit with information about not just this program but a few others. I found the entire article illuminating.

(Just a thought! Do you think this might be why Divad was portrayed so badly?? )

Pleazzzzeeeee.....she'd be singing a different tune had Divad won a star.