Yesterday I learned about a Dutch television show called the Donor Show which essentially is Big Brother except the winner wins a kidney transplant from a terminally ill woman with cancer. It's almost impossible for me to get offended by anything, even if I don't like it, but this program accomplished the near impossible.
The concept is just unethically wrong. For one, for the contestants it's a matter of life and death. I am reminded of an episode of the reinvigorated series Doctor Who where there is a version of Big Brother in which you get vaporized if you get voted out of the house. Secondly, while it's technically true the contestants consent to be a contestant on the show, in reality they don't really have the option to not apply and refuse to be a contestant if offered the position. Thirdly, the donor is terminally ill with cancer. Fourth, kidney transplant donors and receivers are not just indiscriminately matched up on a blind date; you must have a good match... unless you want to kill the receiver, no?
How cruel is that, forcing desperate people onto a show, humiliating them in the process, and feeding all but one what ultimately is false hope of a kidney transplant, with the cruel sick humor of the cancer twist. And possibly vaporizing them afterwards, of course.
The concept is just unethically wrong. For one, for the contestants it's a matter of life and death. I am reminded of an episode of the reinvigorated series Doctor Who where there is a version of Big Brother in which you get vaporized if you get voted out of the house. Secondly, while it's technically true the contestants consent to be a contestant on the show, in reality they don't really have the option to not apply and refuse to be a contestant if offered the position. Thirdly, the donor is terminally ill with cancer. Fourth, kidney transplant donors and receivers are not just indiscriminately matched up on a blind date; you must have a good match... unless you want to kill the receiver, no?
How cruel is that, forcing desperate people onto a show, humiliating them in the process, and feeding all but one what ultimately is false hope of a kidney transplant, with the cruel sick humor of the cancer twist. And possibly vaporizing them afterwards, of course.
