by ss_shopgirl

Kid Nation contestants pulling a supply wagon

There’s something a little unsettling about a group of children performing extreme manual labor, being expected to function on their own as prominent players within a capitalist system, and making a living by roughing it and relying on their immediate resources for food.

What’s most disturbing is that in many cases, the kids on the new hit reality TV show Kid Nation do a better job at it than some of the adults I know.

Possibly the most controversial show in this fall’s new TV lineup, the CBS show Kid Nation is yet another Lord of the Flies-inspired reality show to grapple with the already existing question we all ponder on a daily basis:

What would I do if I was stuck on a deserted island?

Except now it’s:

What would I do if I was stuck on a deserted island…if I was ten years old?

The show features 40 children aged 8-15 on a ranch in New Mexico, challenged with the task of creating and sustaining their own society (read: Survivor, Lost, Big Brother, blah, blah, etc.) And it’s received quite a bit of flack for being what some might call…unethical (yet strangely intriguing).

The kids are adorable, (although Greg really could use a haircut), and some of their “discussions” are scarier than the worst board room meetings I’ve been in. Ah, there’s nothing like getting the little ones started off early on their way to becoming power-hungry demagogues.

Personally, I think Lord of the Flies is much, much better. There’s no Piggy in this one!

Tell us what you think about the new fall TV lineup. Are you a Kid Nation, Heroes, Bionic Woman, or The Office follower? Help! I need to streamline my TV watching!