SpawnPoint

New from the Dutch T.V. company Endemol, that brought you Big Brother is a new show in which, (I swear I'm not making this up) a terminally ill women decides which of three "contestants" should get her kidneys when she dies.

Each of the "contestants" need a kidney transplant and the terminally ill woman, known only as Lisa, will decide who gets her kidneys based on the "contestants" history and conversations with friends and family. Viewers will also be able to text in their advice during the show.

Unsurprisingly this has caused a lot of controversy, particularly amongst politicians and those involved in organ donation.

In their defense Endemol have stated that this program is designed to highlight the plight of those who need an organ transplant, especially those needing a kidney transplant. They also point out that the "contestants" have a 33% chance of getting new kidneys, compared to around a 1% or 2% chance on a waiting list.

The problem that I, and many others, have with this program is that the two "contestants" that don't get the kidneys will die unless they get kidneys from someone else. As there are more people on the kidney donation waiting list than there are available kidneys there is a fair chance that they will die if they do not "win" these kidneys.

This is just too much for a television program, choosing who lives and who dies for the sake of entertainment is just wrong.

I would encourage everyone to donate blood, and sign up for bone marrow and organ donation. You can save somebodies life, even if you just donate blood.

Greenblaster @ 2007-05-30 11:58:58
A television show in which the losers ultimately die as a result of their loss. That's today's media for you.

weaver @ 2007-05-30 12:16:24
And they call the USA degraded and corrupt with no morale guidance..:)

Nikki @ 2007-05-30 16:45:25
What a completely horrible premise for a tv show!!! If the producer of that show had to experience even a small amount of the illness that comes with something like kidney disease, they would never consider making light of it. My husband's brother and sister have both had kidney transplants and his sister needs to have another one. There is definitely nothing entertaining about it.

cpnichol @ 2007-06-01 19:23:19
Apparently it was a hoax, haha how funny. Sounds to me like the came to their senses.

Chicky @ 2007-06-05 14:11:31
Actually, the purpose was to bring awareness of the need for transplants. Everyone (on the show) knew the lady who was dying wasn't really dying but an actress. The contestants however were real kidney patience who need transplants.

cpnichol @ 2007-06-05 14:37:31
They announced it was a hoax 75 minutes into the program . I'd say the show was a success then, because it definitely got people talking about donors and transplants. Perhaps the fact that the former head of the TV station that broadcast the program died while on the kidney waiting list had something to do with the idea for this.