electra

'The Ultimate Reality Show' on Adoption
By BILL CARTER

To some viewers and at least one interview subject of this Friday's edition of the newsmagazine "20/20" on ABC, the promotions for an hourlong special about open adoption have made it come across as the newest, and perhaps most outrageous, reality show yet.

But ABC News executives said yesterday they were softening the promotions and offering assurances that the program was a responsible report on the process of open adoption, not "Let's Compete for a Baby."

The program follows a 16-year-old mother from Ohio as she selects among the five couples vying to raise her baby, even as she herself remains in the child's life. But this edition of "20/20," called "Be My Baby," has aroused concern because of the promotions that ABC News has created for it.

Last Friday, in discussing the report, the co-anchors of "20/20," John Stossel and Barbara Walters, described the program in ways that directly connected it to reality shows.

"Barbara will bring you what might be called the ultimate reality show," Mr. Stossel told viewers. "As you watch, a pregnant teenager will decide which of five couples gets her baby."

Ms. Walters added, "We were joking about the fact that it's like `The Bachelor' or `The Bachelorette': you are in or out tonight."

Ms. Walters's comment was taken from a point raised by a participant in the program, one of the prospective fathers, who compares the situation that he and his wife are in to being in a television competition like "The Bachelor." ("The Bachelor" is also on ABC.)

Some viewers have been critical of the comparison, complaining to adoption Web sites, radio stations and news organizations, including The National Post, a Canadian newspaper.

One viewer, Jennifer McCormick of Boonton, N.J., said she heard the program being discussed on WPLJ radio in New York yesterday and found the notion of competing for a baby "completely appalling."

Ms. McCormick, a mother of three, said she had close family members who have pursued adoptions. "You can't put a kidney for sale on eBay," she said. "And you can't put a competition for a baby as a topic of some sort of dysfunctional reality show."

An ABC News spokesman said the program was nothing like a reality show.

"Clearly there is no competition," Jeffrey Schneider, the spokesman, said. "This is the chronicling of a process that happens every day in this country. We as journalists are just focusing a camera on it."

Mr. Schneider said the report was entirely consistent with ABC News's standards. He pointed out that "20/20" had frequently covered the topic of adoption in the past and had won several awards for that coverage, most notably in a series on Romanian orphanages in the 1990's. The reports sparked a flurry of adoptions in that country.

Ms. Walters, who is the anchor for Friday's special, served as the anchor for the Romanian reports. And as Mr. Schneider pointed out, Ms. Walters has always had an intense interest in the subject of adoption because she herself adopted her only child, a daughter.
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What do you think about this?

Headhunter

This is pretty revolting; if it were an actual documentary, I can live with it. However, based on Walters and Stossel's comments along with ABC's track record, it appears to be a televised spectacle.

Seriously, the reality series trend is getting into progressively more dangerous territory; we're not far away from Take My Virginity or other repulsive options, the way it's going... [img]smilies/mad.gif[/img]


Edited: I suspect the program may be yanked before airing, the way promotions for some Acclaim videogames about zombies that were plastered on tombstones got revoked...

[ 04-30-2004: Message edited Headhunter ]

aldebaran

I saw one of the commercials for this show and was completely disgusted, especially as someone who has gone through an adoption and is extremely familiar with both the highs and lows of the whole process. I walked away from that commercial with a "who's going to win the kid?" kind of impression. That they would make what, in essence, is a game show out of it is dispicable. I know that they claim that it is not a competition, but their advertising for the show would have you believe otherwise.

ABC and Barbara Walters....what a bunch of boobs. [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

AirBear

Don't give them any ideas.

Katis

If it's portrayed as a documentary, that's one thing. I haven't seen the previews but if you guys are right and it seems more like a reality show ala the Bachelor then that is just horrible.

n e r b l e

that's just f-ed up.

twinkie*princess

I've seen the previews, and it is disgusting.

Friends4ever7

hmmm im gonna have to pass on watching this [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

[img]smilies/love.gif[/img]Sam

Timeo

Ah the eternal search for higher profits.

migamoo

and that's the only thing that matters.

i too think this is getting out of hand. joking or not, this shouldn't have been compared to reality tv.

ashley

ros2nz

ITA.

Good God, a reality show on adopting a baby?

Elegantly Wasted

I think documentries following the adoption process are good for informing the general public but a show like this - no way.

However they dress it up it trivialises the whole process to be just like big brother.

mh67511

It wasn't that bad. The problem was with the preview ABC showed making it look like a reality show.

The actualy show was really good though, I liked it a lot.

Maresa

Wait, are you guys disgusted because THEY compared it to reality television? If you had just seen the commercials, without the comments, would you have felt the same way?

I personally think it would be very interesting to watch an open adoption process.

Andalusia

You're perfectly right Headhunter ! Sell your idea and you're be rich !!!
Seriously now: what makes me sick is that such a show will please the audiance
Auction' baby ! Why not a trial with death penalty the callers on the phone could choose?!? I just can imagine what's horror show is next.

I can't watch any reality show : the simple idea make me vomit. I sometimes read papers about it, but I just can't watch those piece of *****.
Sorry for my verbal "violence" but the idea of using babies makes me cry.