Reality’s Believe It or Not

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I heartily agree with justcuz, who write "wow talk about picking the wrong soap box, the article above is simply a discussion on the morality of a few television shows ,not a political venue to vent whatever rage you have clearly surpressed." It's irksome to no end to have to wade through garbage that has *nothing* to do with the story. Go rave someplace else.

The article does address a serious question, the dividing line between entertainment and exploitation. Perhaps that line is better cast as "between reasonable, respectful exploration and education, and exploitation."

I don't have to choose whether or not to watch such shows as I live abroad and happen not to have access to any. I won't criticize anyone who does elect to watch them, though I suspect I would decline were I to have access, unless the show was presented as a documentary.

People who are exceptionally obese may be a special case; such people get too little sympathy *way* too often, even when the show makes clear their obesity isn't due to their eating out of control but to a medical, genetic, of combination-of-the-two condition, according to friends who've seen such shows. The case for exploitation may be easier to prove here.

I've known some people with various unfortunate situations, but most of them are decent, kind people with whom it's easy to forget that they lack, say a leg or arm. I haven't known any co-joined people, and I have to admit that would be hard to ignore unless -- maybe -- I was around them a whole lot, day in and day out. But I hope I wouldn't somehow judge them or find dark humor in their circumstances.

If these shows sometimes to stray into exploitation, then they go where tabloids sometimes do in photographs of accident and crime victims. I live in Thailand, and many Thai-language newspapers here show the most grotesque pictures on their front pages of such people. In my view, that's flat exploitation. Of course, there's an audience for it, isn;t there? It disgusts me (unlike most things about the country, which by and large is a marvelous place, to be fair).

To all of you who have been or might be the subject of one of these shows, I hope your life is wonderful despite whatever your situation happens to be. And thanks to the reporter for bringing us this story.

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Posted By: Mekhong Kurt @ 01/29/2009 9:18:03 AM

I heartily agree with justcuz, who write "wow talk about picking the wrong soap box, the article above is simply a discussion on the morality of a few television shows ,not a political venue to vent whatever rage you have clearly surpressed." It's irksome to no end to have to wade through garbage that has *nothing* to do with the story. Go rave someplace else.

The article does address a serious question, the dividing line between entertainment and exploitation. Perhaps that line is better cast as "between reasonable, respectful exploration and education, and exploitation."

I don't have to choose whether or not to watch such shows as I live abroad and happen not to have access to any. I won't criticize anyone who does elect to watch them, though I suspect I would decline were I to have access, unless the show was presented as a documentary.

People who are exceptionally obese may be a special case; such people get too little sympathy *way* too often, even when the show makes clear their obesity isn't due to their eating out of control but to a medical, genetic, of combination-of-the-two condition, according to friends who've seen such shows. The case for exploitation may be easier to prove here.

I've known some people with various unfortunate situations, but most of them are decent, kind people with whom it's easy to forget that they lack, say a leg or arm. I haven't known any co-joined people, and I have to admit that would be hard to ignore unless -- maybe -- I was around them a whole lot, day in and day out. But I hope I wouldn't somehow judge them or find dark humor in their circumstances.

If these shows sometimes to stray into exploitation, then they go where tabloids sometimes do in photographs of accident and crime victims. I live in Thailand, and many Thai-language newspapers here show the most grotesque pictures on their front pages of such people. In my view, that's flat exploitation. Of course, there's an audience for it, isn;t there? It disgusts me (unlike most things about the country, which by and large is a marvelous place, to be fair).

To all of you who have been or might be the subject of one of these shows, I hope your life is wonderful despite whatever your situation happens to be. And thanks to the reporter for bringing us this story.
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Posted By: PositiveAction1 @ 09/30/2008 1:30:38 AM

Are you joking. I watched that show in admiration of what they have accomplished. I am a Mother of 4 children and 1 disabled little boy I have had since he was 5 weeks old. They said he would never walk and might never talk. But today at 14 he is nearly 6 feet tall and is a wonderful and happy kid that EVERYONE loves. I admir Abby & Britneys courage and wish them nothing but the VERY best.. God understands why everything is the way it is on this earth, someday I have some questions I would like to ask why about. But for now I am content to live everyday and love everyone to the absolute best of my ability. With ALL my heart.
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Posted By: justcuz @ 02/29/2008 6:22:53 PM

wow talk about picking the wrong soap box, the article above is simply a discussion on the morality of a few television shows ,not a political venue to vent whatever rage you have clearly surpressed.