You mean you guys liked that bully? You liked that kid who found a way to get the hard earned money of others? You liked the guy who paraded in his new clothes all over town? The guy who couldn't get too excited for a competition?

I understand. I also really enjoyed his quirkiness! He craks me up every time.

Jared was awesome tonight.! He is too funny. Best Week Ever posted an article about giving him a spin off, with clips of last night show. Check it out. http://www.bestweekever.tv/2007/11/01/can-we-please-give-jared-his-own-show/

Jared is just a riot. I recently found out that he is the son of someone I lived up the street from growing up and my kids go to school with his cousins. I cannot wait to talk to his grandmother and find out more about his time in Bonanza City.

I just watched the show last night and have got to get on the Jared bandwagon too. He is the star of Kid Nation! "Peace and Love," "Holy Banana Bread," and "I have a bonfire in my pocket and it's burning to be spent." Then when he went strolling through town in that pimp'sdapper outfit, I was LMAO! (Was that a girl's hat he chose??!!)

I also really like Greg too. He's so normal in a town of quirky, bright, odd and unique children.

Yikes! That Jared is freaky weird and will probably grow up to be a unibomber type. I am really out of sync with the board on this program. He scares the carp out of me.

I thought this weeks show was boooring without Taylor. A bunch of goody two shoes trying to phoney their way into winning a gold star. *yawn* Potato girl took the prize for most obnoxious phoney ever. At least Taylor hasn't lowered herself to groveling for the gold star.

I don't know where they found most of these kids. They are the oddest bunch of weirdos I've ever seen, and being around here for the past several years, I've seen a lot of weirdos. ;) Then again, I guess it makes sense that this show attracted such an oddball cast, since I can't imagine a normal parent that would use their kid in such hideous DAW fashion.

Wow.

You obviously have never met any children or parents. These might be the least DAW kids I've ever come across.

And Jared is the the shizzle.

"How does it become a man to behave toward this American government to-day? I answer that he cannot without disgrace be associated with it." - Henry David Thoreau

LAST EDITED ON 11-05-07 AT 05:17 PM (EST)

Wow yourself.

You missed my point entirely. (ETA- I clearly said the parents used these kids in DAW fashion, not that all the kids were DAWS, although some of them clearly are DAWs.)

To spell it out further-
The kid's PARENTS are the DAWs for putting these kids on a reality tv show. No 9 year old, or even younger should be put on display in a reality tv program. Child actors are diffrent, obviously. They're playing a role. These kids will have their real lives scrutinized forever. Just look at some of the posts on this site, and I'm sure places like sucks are even worse. NO child should be subject to that. It borders abuse, and only uber-DAW parents would put their kids on a show like this. Do you really think Tayor will enjoy hearing "deal with it" for the rest of her childhood years and beyond? I'm sure she'll take a lot more abuse, and so will some of the others. I feel sorry for these kids, and hope they adjust when the limelight fades. Their DAW parents should be ashamed of themselves.

Perhaps. I can agree with you that some of these parents may be DAWs themselves. I just don't see the difference between what these DAW parents have done compared to what I see done by DAW parents IRL every day of the week. In fact, I'd argue that at least the KN parents have provided their children with an extremely valuable and worthwhile learning experience that they will most likely use as a positive example for life in things like communal organization, political activism, working and acting for the common good, decision-making, financial literacy, and...well, just so many things that can only make a child a better adult. And a little public humiliation is good for soul, as my mother always put it. Perhaps Taylor has learned a little humility from seeing herself acting so badly. It was always the situations in which my parents publicly humiliated me that were most effective in getting me to act properly. I really think Taylor, if she is the great kid we've had hints she could be if she gave herself the chance, wouldn't be emotionally scarred from her experience but would learn and profit from it. I've certainly never and never met anyone who profited in maturity by being coddled, allowed to act in the most spoiled and self-centered fashion, and never had to confront personal bad behavior and its consequences.

I see nothing at all abusive about this in any way. YMMV, but I cannot imagine making that leap in reasoning myself.

"How does it become a man to behave toward this American government to-day? I answer that he cannot without disgrace be associated with it." - Henry David Thoreau

I'm with you on this, geg6. Think of it as sending the kids to Reality Camp.

Pretty much 180 degrees on things political, though.

Sorry, I've been tied up or I'd have responded earlier.

> I just don't see
>the difference between what these
>DAW parents have done compared
>to what I see done
>by DAW parents IRL every
>day of the week.

Well, if you don't see the difference between being on a reality tv show and real life, I don't know how to explain it to you. I'd say being witnessed by a few million people is a huge difference.

>In fact, I'd argue that
>at least the KN parents
>have provided their children with
>an extremely valuable and worthwhile
>learning experience that they will
>most likely use as a
>positive example for life in
>things like communal organization, political
>activism, working and acting for
>the common good, decision-making, financial
>literacy, and...well, just so many
>things that can only make
>a child a better adult.

Perhaps, but I think this could be accomplished without whoring the kids out on teevee.

> And a little public
>humiliation is good for soul,
>as my mother always put
>it.

Was this before or after you got yer whoopin? A little public humiliation is one thing, but national humiliation is quite another.

Perhaps Taylor has
>learned a little humility from
>seeing herself acting so badly.

What a kewl lesson for a 9 year old. Parade them on tv and let them get forever branded as a total brat! That'll teach 'em. *puhleeze*

> It was always the
>situations in which my parents
>publicly humiliated me that were
>most effective in getting me
>to act properly.

Yikes! I'm sure child rearing experts worldwide would go right along with those kindof parenting tactics. Reminds me of that old program James at 15 (or was it 16) where he wet the bed and his parents hung the sheets out his window for the whole neighborhood to see. Nothing like some good old fashioned public humiliation! Wooooooo!

I
>really think Taylor, if she
>is the great kid we've
>had hints she could be
>if she gave herself the
>chance, wouldn't be emotionally scarred
>from her experience but would
>learn and profit from it.

I hope so, but there are enough "child star" horror stories to make me think otherwise.

> I've certainly never and
>never met anyone who profited
>in maturity by being coddled,
>allowed to act in the
>most spoiled and self-centered fashion,
>and never had to confront
>personal bad behavior and its
>consequences.

I've met plenty of kids who grew up just fine without being taught life lessons on, or having been humiliated on national tv! YMMV.

>
>I see nothing at all abusive
>about this in any way.
> YMMV, but I cannot
>imagine making that leap in
>reasoning myself.

Well, clearly from where you're coming from, I can understand why you'd feel that way.

champagne doesn't stay bubbly after pigs fly.

DAW...

someone want to clue me in?

LAST EDITED ON 11-07-07 AT 02:55 PM (EST)

Next to the screen name at the top of each post.

See the # and first three words after the #?

That is what a DAW is.

The various levels under your name are things that DAW's who were on reality TV shows have done after the show was over to extend their 15 minutes of fame.

Forty cents for a wash-and-dry? That's stagecoach robbery!

...y'know, it's been a little too easy to get on the buffalo nickel standard...