The Pendragon's Hall

The latest addition to outrageous reality shows is something on CBS (surprise, surprise). It's called "Kid Nation" and I have not seen it nor plan on seeing it. The show centers around 40 kids who are left in charge of a western "ghost town" and charged with making a new civilization. The flap is over whether it's cruel to leave kids with no adults, other than the film crew, for cheap entertainment. The Pendragon really couldn't care less about this particular issue, but rather the complete impossibility of the premise. Sorry, John Locke, but the children are all in the 10-12 range category. They are not "blank slates" nor are they starting a new civilization. By their age, they have all manner of preconceived ideas about how civilization is supposed to work. Their parents and friends have influenced them far more than CBS, or western theorists in general, want to admit. They have imbibed the values of their society already and will transplant them as best they can. So watch the show or don't, but let's stop pretending that reality shows are real, or even possible.