Kid Nation, Dumb Parents

The reality show that's getting the most "buzz" right now is Kid Nation, a show in which children ages 8-15 live by themselves in a New Mexico ghost town without parents, teachers or proper supervision for 40 days.  The premise of the show isn't nearly as amazing to me as the sort of parent who signs their kid up for a reality show like this.  I mean, check out these conditions:

* The kids received a paltry $5000 for 40 days of work on a national TV show.

* They had to work 14 hour days (most adults work 8), sometimes doing hard labor.

* One girl apparently got injured working in the kitchen and didn't receive appropriate medical attention, and 4 kids drank bleach, which is awesome.

* Parents signed away their right to sue CBS if their kid was injured, got an STD (lol) or died.

So a guy from CBS says to you, "we're gonna take your child away from you for 40 days to an unsupervised ghost town and you'll get $5000.  Oh, but if your kid dies, tough luck.  We ain't payin' for the funeral," is that an opportunity you really want to jump on?  I know some stage mothers would do anything to get their kid on TV, but maybe it'd be better to audition for the Mickey Mouse Club and not... I don't know... put your kid's life in the hands of an unfeeling corporation.  But maybe that's just me.