NationStates Jolt Archive

Baby Borrowers (http://www.nbc.com/The_Baby_Borrowers/) just started on NBC...

which couples do you thing will last, which would be a total disaster?

.....This may be the worst Reality show idea since Rock of Love, lol...

.....This may be the worst Reality show idea since Rock of Love, lol...

it was fun watching some of them handle a diaper change... :p

and to answer the unasked question... yes, the parents as well as other adults were on site to monitor the situation and they can step in if the situation takes a downward turn.

... Just when I think that American TV can't get any stupider...

I'd say that I can't believe there are parents who would let strangers care for their children like that for three days, but I've seen it too many times.

... Just when I think that American TV can't get any stupider...
This particular "social experiment" isn't anywhere near the bottom (http://www.g4tv.com/hurl/splash.aspx) for my fallen people.
I'd say that I can't believe there are parents who would let strangers care for their children like that for three days, but I've seen it too many times.
...But the nice people with money and television cameras thought it was a good idea. If you can't trust reality TV producers, who can you trust?

... Just when I think that American TV can't get any stupider...

I'd say that I can't believe there are parents who would let strangers care for their children like that for three days, but I've seen it too many times.

How is it stupid? I don't see how it's stupid. Strange perhaps, but not stupid. If more teenagers knew how hard it was to deal with a baby, maybe they'd think a little more carefully. And this is REAL, not some fantasy-TV-world teen drama. It's real kids caring for real babies. The fact that there's a camera there only affects how many people see it. Are you saying it's stupid because it's being aired all over the US?

I have to admit I haven't seen the show outside of the clips on the site, but I think it is a very brilliant idea and that these teens are benefiting from it. I'm assuming that JuNii is right when he says that there are adults (including the babies' real parents) nearby to step in when the situation takes a downward turn.

How is it stupid? I don't see how it's stupid. Strange perhaps, but not stupid. If more teenagers knew how hard it was to deal with a baby, maybe they'd think a little more carefully. And this is REAL, not some fantasy-TV-world teen drama. It's real kids caring for real babies. The fact that there's a camera there only affects how many people see it. Are you saying it's stupid because it's being aired all over the US?

I have to admit I haven't seen the show outside of the clips on the site, but I think it is a very brilliant idea and that these teens are benefiting from it. I'm assuming that JuNii is right when he says that there are adults (including the babies' real parents) nearby to step in when the situation takes a downward turn.
^this.

How is it stupid? I don't see how it's stupid. Strange perhaps, but not stupid. If more teenagers knew how hard it was to deal with a baby, maybe they'd think a little more carefully. And this is REAL, not some fantasy-TV-world teen drama. It's real kids caring for real babies. The fact that there's a camera there only affects how many people see it. Are you saying it's stupid because it's being aired all over the US?
Ok, let's take this step by step. Learning how hard it is to care for kids, good idea. Can you learn how hard it is to deal with a baby in three days? Nope. The small time limit negates the learning experience right then and there. Babies after all just don't go away after thee days, they don't suddenly grow up to be toddlers after a bit, and you don't find out about how much fun it is to try and balance job and child with one or two days work.

The teens involved in this WILL know about that limit and I'm sure they are counting on it. It's very different after all facing three days vs the rest of your life.

So, instead though, we have the aspect of the reality TV side of things. Yes, this isn't a teen drama, but I'll be buggered if the show doesn't play up that aspect of it. What do you think people are gonna want to see on their TVs? Real people learning to be real parents? Or parenting disasters? Given how many bad parent shows/movies have been produced, the answer is obvious, only this time it's a real baby/child/teen/elderly adult being used for it.

I have to admit I haven't seen the show outside of the clips on the site, but I think it is a very brilliant idea and that these teens are benefiting from it. I'm assuming that JuNii is right when he says that there are adults (including the babies' real parents) nearby to step in when the situation takes a downward turn.
Next door apparently, though it's amazing how much trouble a baby can get into in just a minute when your back is turned.

Ok, let's take this step by step. Learning how hard it is to care for kids, good idea. Can you learn how hard it is to deal with a baby in three days? Nope. The small time limit negates the learning experience right then and there. Babies after all just don't go away after thee days, they don't suddenly grow up to be toddlers after a bit, and you don't find out about how much fun it is to try and balance job and child with one or two days work.

The teens involved in this WILL know about that limit and I'm sure they are counting on it. It's very different after all facing three days vs the rest of your life.

So, instead though, we have the aspect of the reality TV side of things. Yes, this isn't a teen drama, but I'll be buggered if the show doesn't play up that aspect of it. What do you think people are gonna want to see on their TVs? Real people learning to be real parents? Or parenting disasters? Given how many bad parent shows/movies have been produced, the answer is obvious, only this time it's a real baby/child/teen/elderly adult being used for it.

How does a short period of time negate the learning experience? And of course they do know about that limit. I still don't see how the short period of time negates it. It's only a small taste compared to years and years, yes. But I'm pretty sure it does teach a lesson.

With any reality TV show there are bound to be things played up. After all, most shows run less than an hour,and on top of that have commercials. When things get cut some things are going to be played up, and often the negative things. Will this change reality TV? no. These are problems every reality show faces, and problems everyone who knows of said reality shows faces. I'm not saying it's right. I'm just saying a TV show that depicts the reality of real teens caring for real babies is a good idea.

I'm assuming that JuNii is right when he says that there are adults (including the babies' real parents) nearby to step in when the situation takes a downward turn.
from what I've seen from the 'behind the scenes' moments, the parents are no farther than the next room watching the monitors.

also, as one article (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25144971/)puts it...
Shelly said every possible precaution was taken during the 18 days of “Baby Borrowers” production in Eagle, Idaho. The parents of the “borrowed” children were invited to watch their offspring 24-7 on 42 cameras that were placed throughout each of the show’s baby-proofed homes and intervene whenever they felt it was necessary.

Trained paramedics and nannies were also on standby, but the nannies were instructed to only assist in case of an emergency, which does occur in one episode when two kiddies wake up from a nap to a house with no parents. Shelly also said all participants — teens, parents, children and nannies — underwent background checks and psychological testing.

“There isn’t a safer place for a child in the whole country,” said McKerrow.

... Just when I think that American TV can't get any stupider...

Look, I'll be the first to agree that there's a crapload of stupid shit on television, be it in the States, be it in Europe. But you're living in Japan. Have you ever tried to watch Japanese television? If I'm not mistaken, a Japanese network used to have a show which involved catching babies that were thrown towards their mothers. Healthy and clean family entertainment, the Japanese way!

Mind you, I don't have a reference.

When will the reality fad end?

from what I've seen from the 'behind the scenes' moments, the parents are no farther than the next room watching the monitors.

also, as one article (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25144971/)puts it...

Ah. That's definitely good...

one thing I didn't know untill now... was that this was originally a BBC3 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Baby_Borrowers) show. and from what wiki said about it... well... it makes NEVRUN's concerns valid.

Look, I'll be the first to agree that there's a crapload of stupid shit on television, be it in the States, be it in Europe. But you're living in Japan. Have you ever tried to watch Japanese television? If I'm not mistaken, a Japanese network used to have a show which involved catching babies that were thrown towards their mothers. Healthy and clean family entertainment, the Japanese way!

Mind you, I don't have a reference.

hehehehehe...

ABC's newest show (http://abc.go.com/primetime/isurvivedajapanesegameshow/)...

HEY NERVUN!!! DID YOU SEE THIS ONE? :p

When will the reality fad end?

When it ceases to be profitable.
Of course, there's always hope that it could evolve into something interesting.
Like 'Survivor: Jurassic Park'.
Of course, first we have to clone some dinosaurs. But until then there's always 'Survivor: Russian Nuclear Submarine'.:p

How does a short period of time negate the learning experience? And of course they do know about that limit. I still don't see how the short period of time negates it. It's only a small taste compared to years and years, yes. But I'm pretty sure it does teach a lesson.
And I can teach the same lesson by giving a teen a bag of flour and an alarm clock set to go off randomly for a few weeks. And this without the emotional stress placed on the babies. Three days is not enough to really experience the life changes that happen when you have a kid. I've had one for nine months now and I'm STILL finding the changes and having to adapt to them. Furthermore, I KNOW these changes won't go away after three days time. In other words, last night I spent about an hour de-constructing a Lego Star Destroyer that took me two days to build. Why? My son has figured out how to stand up and how to reach it. It's too dangerous to leave something that breaks into small pieces around the house in case he gets to it. So, my Star Destroyer along with a lot of my books, CDs, DVDs, and other items have been carefully packed away till he is old enough to be trusted with them... probably 3 or 4 years down the road. There's a BIG difference in how I have to accept this and how I handle this. For three days, I might have just moved the sucker into the closet, no biggie, for 3 to 4 years though... Ah, now THAT is more of a major life change in how I have my home set up.

I'm just saying a TV show that depicts the reality of real teens caring for real babies is a good idea.
Is it reality though? I know it sounds hokey, but in three days, those babies are not going to accept the teens as their parents. The teens aren't going to love those babies as their own. The children will know damn well that the teens are not their family members, there's no bond there at all. And, oh yeah, the teens the other teens are taking care will REALLY not give two whoops in hell about it. That's NOT the reality of caring for a child. It's not just the bad stuff, there's the good stuff as well, and that good stuff means a great deal with how you deal with the bad stuff. I can handle my son screaming because he is MY son. It doesn't bother me any more (When he first came home, that was a different story). OTHER kids screaming still set my teeth on edge.

So what lesson is actually being taught? That it's hard to be parents? Kids know that already, it's been pounded into them, in many different ways. Why is this TV show, which can cause stress for the children, which can be dangerous, be ANY different?

Look, I'll be the first to agree that there's a crapload of stupid shit on television, be it in the States, be it in Europe. But you're living in Japan. Have you ever tried to watch Japanese television? If I'm not mistaken, a Japanese network used to have a show which involved catching babies that were thrown towards their mothers. Healthy and clean family entertainment, the Japanese way!

Mind you, I don't have a reference.
Oh I know. My wife's favorite show takes 2 to 4 year olds and asks them to go across a city to get something for their parents by themselves and then they send out people to follow them with hidden cameras to watch as the kids struggle with it and cry. My wife thinks its cute, I think it's horrible and a form of abuse. But, this thread is about this American show. If you want to start a thread about Japanese TV, I'll be in there to complain too.

HEY NERVUN!!! DID YOU SEE THIS ONE? :p
Yup, seen it, already posted a thread on it. :p

How is it stupid? I don't see how it's stupid. Strange perhaps, but not stupid. If more teenagers knew how hard it was to deal with a baby, maybe they'd think a little more carefully. And this is REAL, not some fantasy-TV-world teen drama. It's real kids caring for real babies. The fact that there's a camera there only affects how many people see it. Are you saying it's stupid because it's being aired all over the US?

I have to admit I haven't seen the show outside of the clips on the site, but I think it is a very brilliant idea and that these teens are benefiting from it. I'm assuming that JuNii is right when he says that there are adults (including the babies' real parents) nearby to step in when the situation takes a downward turn.

I kinda agree with you, though I am a bit worried about the use of children in such a setting... It should be sufficient to use a high-tech doll. Of course, it wouldn't be as good television.