The Donor Show

Endemol, the makers of Big Brother, have stooped to a new low in entertainment.

If you thought Big Brother was tasteless than take a look at this:

...contestants compete for the chance to win a kidney from a dying woman.

sounds unbelievable but it's true.

The 80-minute show, to be broadcast on the youth network BNN, involves a 37-year-old woman called Lisa who is terminally ill. Three contestants aged between 18 and 40, all with kidney disease, will compete for public votes to secure the organ by making short films about their lives. Viewers can text the dying woman with messages about who should get the kidney.

How long before we get televised executions or a gladiator show where contestants fight to the death? I can't wait.

thescotsman.scotsman.com...

Hmm I'm not sure i like the idea of this, Though i guess in some weird way it brings about to the surface that donors are needed,

3 people fighting over a Donor seems shocking and i would not class it as entertainment,

What happens the the losers? (Scary thoughts)

I don't think it should go ahead, but i'm glad its been brought up, If anything it will make people think about being a donor,

This is disgusting. This is basically people tuning in to watch someone die and watch people fight over the dead person's organs. It's TRAGIC ... it's not entertainment. . God have mercy on us all.

A Dutch doctors' association asked its members Friday not to take part in a TV show in which a terminally ill woman is to select from among three contestants to receive one of her kidneys.

www.canada.com...

One thing about this is that, as asala stated, it has brought a serious issue into the media spotlight. The shortage of donors will inevitably cost people their lives

If it takes a tasteless reality TV show to spread an important message all over the world than I'm for it.

for Endemol.

Seems the whole thing was a hoax

The Big Donor Show was supposed to have featured a terminally-ill woman choosing a recipient for her kidneys.

However, at the last minute the programme's producers, who also make Big Brother, revealed on air that the woman starring on the reality show was a healthy actress.

But the contestants trying to win the kidneys are genuine and are still in need of organs.

All knew the programme was a hoax before they agreed to participate.

Though the 3 people who needed the kidneys still do, And this was done to bring awaerness,

Well looks like they gort world attention thats for sure,

news.sky.com...

At first, I thought this thread would be better off in BTS, but now that the truth is out and it was all about raising awareness, I think there are some real social issues to discuss here.

I am an organ donor and have been since the early seventies. In fact, my whole body is donated to The Living Bank, as we once discussed here on Social Issues.

There seems to be a growing consensus that everyone has a right to a donor organ and even though I am a donor myself, I don't believe that that is true.

Part of the discussion in the above thread dealt with issues surrounding definitions of death and how they are manipulated to increase the number of donor organs, even when it's not even certain that the original "owner" is really done using it.

I don't think that anything will ever change my mind about organ donation, but I am made uncomfortable by the logic that just because someone has a failing organ that there ought to be a donor out there to provide another.

Some folks are dealt a bad hand in the organ department by fate, but a whole heck of a lot of folks don't take good care of themselves for, say, the first forty years of their lives and when the ticker or what have you goes on the blink, they're expecting that someone should cough up a replacement.

I think this mentality grew out of the one that necessitated the HMOs. For a couple of generations, medical science advanced to the point that most folks felt that it didn't really matter how well you took care of yourself, because there was a pill or a procedure that could make it all better.

Finally, the powers that be decided that it was cheaper to keep people healthy than it was to cure them once they became ill.

People should try to stay healthy, but I'm not absolutely certain that HMOs have been such a boon to good physical health as they have been a boon to the fiscal health of some corporations.

When I'm gone, you can have my whole body to use as it is deemed fit, but please, don't whip a guilt trip on me or anyone else in the meantime.

[edit on 2007/6/1 by GradyPhilpott]

Originally posted by asala
Seems the whole thing was a hoax

Absolute Genius.

I think the worlds attention was definately gained.

decent UK article


I personally think that more people should be organ donors. However, there is great hypocrisy on my part here...I, myself, am not an organ donor.

I have two problems here...

One is that I have abused myself so badly in the short time I have been alive I wouldn't want to inflict any of my organs onto someone.

I do realise that I should let doctors decide whether my organs are of any use but really this is just an excuse because as irrational as it is the real reason is that I am scared that someone will take my organs when I might still need them.

I know this is stupid because if someone wanted to take my organs they could just do it anyway. But I do worry.

What if, clearly a wild hypothetical, I go to hospital with a sniffle. I'm told I have teminal brain fever and will die within hours. My organs are removed and harvested and I am expired. However...maybe I didn't have terminal brain fever at all. Maybe a rich and respected politician or something was dying in some other ward and needed. a new heart immediately.

I know this is stuff of horror stories and probably doesn't happen but if I don't sign away my organs than this kind of incident would be a bit more difficult to get away with.

If I did become a donor I would be particularly suspicious of hospitals, doctors and anybody telling me I have a terminal illness. I would probably end up blowing myself up just so THEY can't get to my organs.

THEY...terrify me.

I, too, am an organ donor. It's such an easy and important thing to do, and helps so many that need it.

So it was a hoax? Thank god. I mean as an attention grabber for a worthy cause, ok, I'm up for that. But as an actual idea for a television show, it's about as low as it could get...I hope.