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Kid Nation: Just Watch It

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By WALT BELCHER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 17, 2007

It's doubtful that any of the children who participated in "Kid Nation" had even heard of "Lord of the Flies."

But then a lot of adults in our literature-challenged society probably aren't familiar with William Golding's 1954 novel.

It used to be required reading when baby boomers were in college. But that was in the 1960s. The two movies (1960 and 1990) based on "Lord of the Flies" were not memorable works of cinema, so they are seldom seen in reruns.

In his grim allegory, Golding, a Nobel Prize winner, told of a band of young boys who turn horrifically barbaric when they are stranded on an island without adult and societal supervision.

Just the opposite appears to happen on "Kid Nation," where 40 modern-day children seemed headed toward an almost utopian society of tolerance, hope and justice for all when adults step out of the way.

Filmed in April and May at a New Mexico ghost town that is now a movie set, "Kid Nation" recruited 40 children, ages 8 to 15, from throughout the country to spend 40 days as pioneers.

These modern-day kids had to get off the couch and do the same things their grown-up forefathers did: haul water, clean latrines, tend animals, cook their own food, wash clothes by hand and even manage an alcohol-free saloon.

"Kid Nation" producer Tom Forman says he wanted to create a reality series that "allows kids to succeed where adults failed."

But the whole thing has blown up in his face.

Under Attack

Instead of praise for showing us that the future might be in good hands after all, Forman and CBS are being accused of exploiting the youngsters by overworking them and putting them at risk.

Questions have also been raised about whether the children were manipulated to create their society through coaching from the production team.

"Kid Nation," which debuts at 8 p.m. Wednesday, is under attack from people who haven't seen it and from some people who participated in it.

One mother of an 11-year-old girl has filed a complaint. She accuses the production of abuse because hot grease was accidentally splattered on the girl while the youngsters were cooking potatoes. She says her daughter also was sunburned and had a rash; and that four other children required medical attention after they accidentally drank bleach.

There also have been complaints from child activist groups that the kids skipped school to participate and there were no tutors provided.

Other parents have defended the series. For example, Diana Wise, a preschool director in South Florida, told The Palm Beach Post that her 14-year-old son, Blaine, had a good experience and learned a lot from the adventure.

"Critics should just watch the show in its entirety," Wise says. "As a society, we took away decision-making ability from children. We're fearful of everything they do. I gave my son the skills to take care of himself."

She says that her first concern was for his safety but she trusted the producers. "He came back changed in a positive way all around," she says.

All of the parents signed contracts and all had encouraged their children to participate at the outset, says Forman, who met with TV critics in July during a fall preview tour.

"There's an unhappy parent, and in retrospect, it was probably a bad match. This seems to be a parent who regrets the decision to sign her child up for 'Kid Nation,'" Forman says.

Under Investigation

Even so, the New Mexico attorney general launched an investigation into whether CBS and Good TV Inc., the production company of "Kid Nation," violated labor laws.

And two child advocacy groups based in Los Angeles told the Los Angeles Times that some children's parents say their offspring were told what to say sometimes by the producers.

Forman says the children were not "working" and "hundreds of people were close by" including paramedics, a pediatrician, an animal safety expert and a child psychologist.

He says some minor injuries occurred but adds these were the kinds of accidents that can happen in any school, home or camp situation.

"We were essentially running a summer camp," Forman says.

Cameras were running 14 hours a day, but the children weren't "working" all that time, he says.

"The kids woke up whenever they wanted and went to bed whenever they wanted," he says. "We followed their lead. A large adult safety net was there to make sure that if anything happened, we had a contingency plan in place. But they woke up whenever they felt like it. They set their own bedtime. And they discussed those things and debated them. So there were mornings they got up early. There were mornings they slept in. We taped whatever happened."

Parents are bound by a $5 million confidentiality clause and the 40 children — 22 boys, 18 girls — received a $5,000 stipend for the 40 days of shooting. During the course of the program, some children win gold bars worth $20,000.

Proud Accomplishments

Lost in the flap over charges of child exploitation are some lessons that can be learned from these children.

"Some of these kids are amazing, extraordinary kids with long lists of accomplishments." Forman says. "Some are regular kids that had some spark in them and a desire to do this. There is literally every kind of kid there. They're from every race. They're from very background. They're from every economic distinction you can think of.

"They come to this with fresh eyes and fresh ideas," he adds. "They are, if nothing else, incredibly honest. They tell you what they think. They tell you how they feel. If they are sad, they cry. If they have a crush on someone, they talk about it. If they're jealous or angry, they fight.

"It's everything that's best about human beings and, at times, worst, because they really do — they just don't censor themselves. "

Co-producer Jonathan Karsh, who was on the set with the children, calls them "incredible people."

"I'll give them the respect of calling them people," he says. "They're young but wise beyond their years — do things you could never possibly imagine. As a parent out there, I was floored every day just by watching these kids get up, light a pioneer-era wood-burning stove, cook a breakfast for 40, do their own dishes, head out to the water pump, get water and bring it back.

"Just the experiment of the kids living in this world was fascinating to me," he continues. "The world they choose to build — and every episode is themed, so in every episode, these kids are going to tackle something that adults struggle with today. They're going to talk about religion. They're going to talk bout pollution. They're going to come up with their solution. Sometimes it stumped them.

"Sometimes they nailed it and, in a couple of minutes, would solve a problem that adults can't seem to solve."

Walt Belcher can be reached at wbelcher@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7654.

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