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Finalewatch '07: 'Kid Nation'
Wednesday (Dec. 12) night marked the ending of the first (and last?) season of Kid Nation. There were many grand, sweeping pronouncements about all of the things that the series proved, all of the evidence it gave that today's children are ready to heal the world and make it a better place.
[The following recap contains $170,000 in spoilers.]
I'm not sure I buy it. I went to summer camp for most of my youth. Every August we sat around campfires and sang and hugged and cried about what a wonderful community we'd built. We talked about how we'd all come together and overcome certain obstacles -- color wars, a rainy canoe trip, an ill-prepared production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Nobody ever tried suggesting that we've made any big social statement, just that we'd spent a summer staying out of our parents' hair and reading an unholy number of Archie comic books. Oh Betty, will you never learn that fixing Archie's car isn't the way to his heart if Veronica's putting out? Sigh.
Sorry. I digress. The finale of Kid Nation was all about making big statements.
"Kid nation proves that kids can build a community," declared Greg.
"We have brain, we have opinions," Laurel emphasized.
"Big, small, it doesn't matter what age," added Mallory.
But I think Taylor put it best when she announced, "I'm stealing. Have a nice day."
That polite, yet declarative, observation didn't come at the end of the episode when everybody was scrambling to tie a bow around the season like a Freshman Comp student scrambling to rearticulate a poorly proven thesis statement. No, it came toward the beginning, when we were reminded that a town full of kids is a town full of kids, no matter how self-important you make it.
The episode began with Mike wandering through town at dusk unable to sleep. He stumbled upon the Class Board, up in flames. Here I was tempted to wonder what the producers thought they were accomplishing. Did they wait until the first person woke up to start the fire? Were they hoping the kids would come out to just see a pile of smoldering ashes? Whatever the case, everybody rushed out to try extinguishing the fire, because the Class Board represented structure, order, stratification. Without it, where would they be?
And where would they be without the handy Pioneer Journal? The minute Boring Host Man brought it out, wee Mallory began clapping her hands like a deranged pyromaniac chanting "Burn it! Burn it!" And he did. Boring Host Man advised them that without the board, they were allowed to show what they'd learned in the 38 days in Bonanza City.
Remember in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina there was the lengthy discussion of when the media described people as looting and when they merely said people were collecting necessary supplies without paying for them? There was the question of what role race and class played in the media vernacular? Well, in this case, everybody in Bonanza City was freakin' looting. From the former laborers to the former upper classes, everybody hit the general store and made off with candy by the wagon-load. It wasn't just the hoi polloi, either, as council members Blaine and Greg helped themselves to soda and sweets.
Truly, the streets flowed red with discarded licorice and cinnamon jawbreakers and Bonanza City may as well have been Deadwood, only with Taylor as a pageant-ready Al Swearengen.
While Taylor said, "I'm stealing. Have a nice day," there were the self-righteous killjoys like Zach, who somehow decided to care about how he was being depicted on national television.
"Stealing is wrong," he explained. "If you steal, other people steal. If other people steal there's no order. If there's no order, society breaks down."
Perhaps that's why Zach was the recipient of the final $20,000 Gold Star, an award that proved that if you throw a temper tantrum and yell at your leaders (as Zach did last episode) they'll remember you in a positive light the next day.
I mentioned it was the last $20,000 Gold Star, but not the last Gold Star. No, Boring Host Man told the kids that if they could pull off one last three-part showdown, they'd receive a trio of even heavier $50,000 Gold Stars, two to go to previous winners and one to a new honoree. Their task was to set up for the First Annual (my favorite hubristic phrase ever) Bonanza City Bonanza. Taking advantage of the microwave secured by Taylor (if we were to believe the somewhat inaccurate opening montage), they were able to make enough pasta and tomato sauce. They were stymied by their lack of library (the ill-fated arcade was chosen instead) when it came to building picnic benches, though Greg had experience constructing benches, just as he had experience slaughtering chickens, working with pipe and subverting parliamentary procedure. And finally they moved the garbage from a pile to a hole. For their efforts they earned access to the last three Stars and to some special guests... the parents who signed their lives over to Les Moonves and CBS. "Thanks, Mom-n-Dad!"
Alas, we spent very little time with Taylor's parents, so we didn't get a chance to understand her origin story. In fact, I'd have wanted a whole episode dedicated to the parents. I want to meet the elephant trainers who created Guylan and to hear Laurel's parents' accents and to spent more time with Migle's hot mom. Oh well. If the strike continues, maybe CBS actually will resort to Parents of Kid Nation's Nation.
At the finally Town Council, They gave out the last three stars as follows...
Star #1: Duh. Sophia. If the Kid Nation was collectively Pinocchio, she was its Jiminy Cricket. As the first Gold Star winner, she was quite deserving of a second, if only for choosing not to abuse her power when she was put in charge last episode.
Star #2: Morgan, who admitted that she hadn't really been working hard for the past few days. It was explained to her that it wasn't so much about how hard she worked as how she brought everybody together and bridged the gaps and whatnot. Of all of the previous winners, I'm not sure she'd have been more choice for a second star, but I wasn't there. I don't know.
Star #3: The star given to a previously unrecognized kid didn't go to former council members Mike or Anjay or Guylan, nor to Taylor, Kid Nation's Marie Antoinette or Eva Peron. It didn't go to Jared, for constantly cracking us up, nor to Divad for making potatoes. Instead, it went to Migle, the town's big sister. We saw her at work earlier in the episode mediating between Emilie and Taylor's Posse. Since the editors have told us that Migle changed over 40 days, I'm all for it.
And then, after everybody hugged and cried and signed Markelle's white Kangol, it was time to go. Frankly, I'd be happy to see a reunion special every few years, like Michael Apted's Seven-Up series, only sleazy and exploitative.
What'd y'all think of the finale? Did the last three Gold Stars go to the right people?
I thought Zach did a great job, and it's too bad he got stuck with just 20 thousand instead of 50 thousand! I'd watch a reunion special, without a doubt. "Kid Nation" is fascinating and fun reality telivision.
Monica | Dec 12, 2007 8:14:00 PM | #I actually liked "Kid Nation" and would love to see more, even if Fox Reality picks it up as an "original" series. Hopefully, CBS will give it one more season (especially with the strike going on). This show was fun and these kids were fun to watch. My guess is that most of them were either gifted or home school kids. Great show. Compelling television.
Brian | Dec 12, 2007 8:59:08 PM | #i wanted to see Taylor's mom and her personality. It's pretty sad how she's raising her daughter. She's going to be a lot to handle in her teens if she's already this nasty and spoiled.
sheri | Dec 12, 2007 9:01:02 PM | #i wanted to see Taylor's mom and her personality. It's pretty sad how she's raising her daughter. She's going to be a lot to handle in her teens if she's already this nasty and spoiled.
sheri | Dec 12, 2007 9:01:06 PM | #I have never been a fan of reality TV. However, I did follow this show closely and enjoyed every minute of it.
I would have liked to have seen a reunion show after the final episode.
I just wish every kid that survived would have recieved a college scholarship as thier reward.
Great Kids & May God bless them all.
ron | Dec 12, 2007 9:01:07 PM | #This show was interesting. I hope there is more and that in the future season(s), there is less prompting. I mean, if they really want to prove that kids can run a society, let them run a society. Stop feedin their heads with obvious prompts.
As a teacher, I know better to leave my classroom alone with nothing, yet, I know I can turn my back if they have been given direction. Can they really run a society on their own, maybe not, but they could do with a little less prompting.
Joshua | Dec 12, 2007 9:43:12 PM | #The impression I get, after reading all these recaps,is that I think the group should have banded together and stoned Taylor. No jury in the world would convict them of ridding the world of this obnoxious Paris wannabe. I might have tuned in to see that; alas no such luck.
J | Dec 12, 2007 11:40:35 PM | #If this comes back for another season, I'd like to see some sort of "exile" punishment for members of the community not pulling their weight or being a bully. I think that would add a little bit of realism, especially since the kids are supposed to be "pioneers" and I doubt real pioneers in the midst of building a town would really put up with lazy do-nothings.
Sure, that might lead to outlaw gangs terrorizing the next Kid Nation town, but it might make for some darn interesting TV.
Craig | Dec 13, 2007 12:52:56 AM | #It is so, so unfortunate that they didn't give all of the kids 20k... I'm sure there were many kids in the mix that were doing just as much great work, but the producers just didn't feel they were as camera friendly as, say, Strong Sophie, or Terrible Taylor.
But what really gets me is how horrible Olivia was. Where did the parents go wrong on that end? Her little sister, Mallory, is so sweet. Olivia is horrible.
See, I like Taylor a lot more than Olivia, because Taylor is just stubborn. She's a brat. If you boss her around, then she'll turn brat on you. She means no harm by it, really. It's just who she is. It's a bad trait, but there aren't any ill intentions behind it.
Olivia, on the other hand, is cruel. When Anjay is down and about to cry, she does nothing by try to kick him further. She is an absolute bully. She sees who the weakest personalities are, and then she jumps on the opportunity to make them feel like nothing.
I felt so horrible for Anjay every time he had to do anything involving Olivia, because when those buggy little eyes try to pop out of their sockets, and she pierces her lips together, you know everyone around is in trouble.
Austin | Dec 13, 2007 1:02:07 AM | #I think it was a very good show, and the fact 37 out of 40 kids stayed through the whole ordeal was amazing. The experience will lead them to better thought process in their futures. Good job for them. A second season would be great.
Redpr | Dec 13, 2007 3:40:56 AM | #Interesting that none of the looters were Green Team Members. Positive peer pressure?
WT | Dec 13, 2007 5:57:33 AM | #I enjoyed every Wednesday Night of Kid Nation and to my surprise my students did not even know anything about the show. I loved eveyone that was on the show and I cried when they cried and laughed when they laughed. What a wonderful idea about raising children.
Martha from Galveston | Dec 13, 2007 6:43:00 AM | #I enjoyed every Wednesday Night of Kid Nation and to my surprise my students did not even know anything about the show. I loved eveyone that was on the show and I cried when they cried and laughed when they laughed. What a wonderful idea about raising children.
Martha from Galveston | Dec 13, 2007 6:43:07 AM | #I really hope there is a second season. Our family enjoyed watching the show every Wednesday. We had our favorites such as Sophia, Jared, Zach, and Martel. However, one of favorites was Greg and we were all in agreement that without Greg and Sophia, the town might not have survived at all.
Alas, we all clapped in our living room when Zach was awarded the last $20k gold star. Despite the tantrum last week (which at least was genuine emotion), he has been a standout much of the season.
HoustonPop | Dec 13, 2007 6:59:32 AM | #Yeah, i wanted to hear Laurel's parents wicked accents too!
Mike must not have made any friends to earn a gold star.
Is it just me or were there a heck of a lot of kids that you've never seen before last night?
Tony from Jersey | Dec 13, 2007 7:59:08 AM | #All kids received US$5k.
Not sure how a 2nd Kid Nation would do -- Survivor changed a bit for its following seasons; can you do that to 10-year olds? Then it wouldn't be "Kid Nation", it would be "Kid Survivor" or "Kid Apprentice"...
Based on the editing, Laurel looked more deserving of a 50k star than Morgan, but again, all we saw was the story the editors wanted us to see. I'd watch a reunion show, just to hear some of the kids opinions on how they were portrayed. Having people comment on the "character" the editors made them play is one of the most interesting parts of Survivor each year.
J | Dec 13, 2007 8:20:20 AM | #Did Mike and Laurel never get gold stars? They totally deserve a reward for starting off the council and doing such a good job.
steph | Dec 13, 2007 8:26:53 AM | #i rly want to be in the next season. please tell me there will be another season. and i hate it when every one was makein rude coments to the kids just leave them alllllllllllone.
shelly | Dec 13, 2007 8:37:56 AM | #plz make another season............i LOVE this show
ashley | Dec 13, 2007 8:39:40 AM | #OMG they better make another season. i loooooooooved it
I liked many of the kids but thought the producers were too manipulative. The $150,000 should have been divided up among the 37 kids to help further their education but since we are a capitalistic society, the more popular and older kids got most of the money. If there is going to be a second season of Kid Nation, the age range should be narrower so that the older kids can't dominate the younger kids.
kevin | Dec 13, 2007 9:09:10 AM | #I enjoyed the show immensely and hope it sees many more years. I think it was true, as boring host man said, that we learned much about ourselves in watching these kids. It's great that such a positive effort resulted, after all the adult strife that heralded the project.
For those who were worried about the money, all of the kids got at least $3000/wk, and probably more than $20000 for the run of the show, under SAG minimum wage rates. not bad for a fairly grueling summer camp.
daniel, i was disappointed with your slant on the series. unless your blog was entirely tongue-in-cheek, it seems you didn't like it much. I'm not surprised you were more interested in the parents. The show caused a certain amount of reflection on our own relationships with our kids.
I just wonder if the world would be a better place without the cynicism of grownups.
KR | Dec 13, 2007 12:58:09 PM | #I would like to know how you get on Kid Nation?
Leah Cravitz | Dec 13, 2007 2:01:34 PM | #I would like to know how you get on Kid Nation?
Leah Cravitz | Dec 13, 2007 2:01:43 PM | #
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