“Where are we right now?” asked a fellow guest at a wedding I attended this past weekend in Central Anywhere (state name omitted to protect the innocent.)
“I think we’re in ::name of town that served as the locale for the reception::”
“Oh. Where the hell is that?” he asked, searching his iPhone for the nearest major highway, and directions on how to get to his next destination.
“Hah, sorry. I’m from Jersey, I have no idea.”
::Mocking disgusted face:: “Oh, how does it feel being from the armpit of America?”
Rewind…my boyfriend and I in the car driving to the wedding. This nearly two-hour drive took us as far out of recognizable civilization I had ever been. There were literally “towns” that consisted of two houses and a gas station across the road. There were no sidestreets. No schools. No grocery stores. A few restaurants and an old, dilapidated hotel, yes. But these seemed to be the only gathering places for tens of miles. The state of some of the homes, the utter lack of human presence and, admittedly, the dreary overcast day was making for an underwhelming drive.
Mind you, I mean no disrespect to small-town America. And I’m aware that people choose to lead simpler lives in the country, away from the hubub of cities and mind-numbing traffic. Raised by parents who’d rather spend a week at a campsite than in the Carribean, I’ve always had an appreciation for an abundance of trees over concrete. I’ve never judged a place just by the name. And I certainly have never disparaged a place that someone else calls home.
This table mate (along with a myriad of other Jersey critics) had only ever seen NJ from the view of the turnpike. He admitted to me that he, himself, has no strong opinion against us, per se: “It’s just cool to hate New Jersey.”
And the thing is, he’s right. The default reaction to our state is a scrunched up face and a sympathetic dig. I’ll never understand it, but here I’ll add everything I should have said when he asked me how I managed these 27 years coming from such a terrible place…
I’m immensely greatful for my upbringing near the ocean. A house in the “sticks” of Central Jersey. Living an hour from New York City and an hour from Philadelphia. And, since I was baby, camping at the Delaware Water Gap, fishing and swimming in the small, untouched and unspoiled, glenns nestled deep into the woods. On any given day I could see a movie, shop at one of several malls, eat at one of many diners, go bowling, play mini golf or hop a train to one of two major cities. When I was in my early twenties, and ready for more elaborate adventures, it was an hour’s drive to an airport to anywhere. 9.5 hours from walking out my front door, I touched down in Rome, Italy. The next day I was on a boat headed to Greece. And even while traveling abroad, my affection for the Garden State never wavered. I may not stay here forever, but I will maintain my whole life…that New Jersey is a glorious place to call home. So how do I feel about living in America’s armpit? I feel pretty good about it. What’s great about where you’re from?
I Have a Question: Why Hate on Kid Nation?
November 30, 2007
I have become enamored with Kid Nation (CBS). I first heard of it 3 episodes into its run, and from what I was hearing, people had generally dismissed the show before the first episode aired. Words like “Controversial” and “Exploitation” were being thrown around as if the premise were unfair or unconstitional. I say, the parents/guardians of these children all got on board to sign them up, so why should viewers care if the kids are being put into over-dramatic situations or being portrayed unfairly?
Here’s the story: 40 kids, 40 days. Ages 9-14(15?). They are attempting to make a functional community in a fictional ghost town that supposedly failed in the 19 century. “Bonanza City”, New Mexico. The kids are split up into 4 social classes and the community is run by 4 council members: one for each color-coded district. They work, they clean, they cook, they kill their own chickens. Every couple of days there is a physical challenge meant to relate to real life challenges the “town” faced in the 1800s before it went under. If the challenges are completed successfully, a reward is given to the town. The council of 4 has to choose between 2 rewards. One is always a fun, immediately satisfying reward, and the other is a more subdued, responsible “adult” reward. And ALMOST always, the council chooses the responsible reward. An exception was this past week, when they chose an “Old West Arcade” instead of a fully stocked town library.
If I had one problem with the show at all, it would be exemplified with the arcade. Some previous “fun” rewards were a town nightclub, town barbeque, and “Old West” washing machines (electric). I was originally under the impression that one of the cornerstones of Kid Nation was the fact that these Millenium Generation-ers had to get by for over a month with no TV or electric luxuries. But I guess they need a little slack somewhere.
As far as social experiments go, I think this one is really interesting. As far as reality shows go, It’s comparable to the first season of The Real World. All of the kids in the Nation come from different places, different backgrounds, with different hobbies and skills. They also clearly come from different social groups, and it’s intriguing to watch them work together toward one goal. Could just be a good editing job, but all of the kids seem to approach each new day with nothing but support for one another. There are inevitable conflicts (conveniently resolved in an hour) but no kid wants to see another leave Bonanza.
So I don’t understand the ‘exploitation’ concern because, again, it’s not like these children are doing this against their will. As for this question: ”Well, what if one of them gets hurt?? They’re out there in the middle of nowhere, with no adults!” Seriously? Seriously. First of all, the host of the show is an adult, so there’s one right there, on camera, every episode. Second, camera crew. Also, does anyone believe that ANY of these shows (Kid Nation, Survivor, Amazing Race) shoot without first aid nearby, and clear planned route to some advanced medical facility? Or, for that matter, regarding this show in particular, does anyone think there aren’t top notch psychiatrists on hand to make sure 40 pre-pubescent people stay under control?? Seriously.
But I suppose the whole aim of reality shows anymore is shock value and creating controversy. So I guess Kid Nation is doing a good job on that front. I wish it were more popular though. I envision a reunion show 10 years from now. Maybe Oprah could do it! But that won’t happen if people keep hating on the kids from the Nation.
Wednesdays, 8 pm EST. Watch it!
