Too Far ... WAY TOO FAR!!

Okay ... just so you know ... THIS is a rant.

I'm serious. I'm writing a sternly worded letter to the morons who encompass the developing and producing of programming at NBC.

I'll be honest. I have never been a fan of reality television - whether it's about surviving, singing, dancing, losing weight, blah-blah blah-blah. There is only one that I have ever voluntarily watched and that is Extreme Make-Over: Home Edition. I have glanced at the nanny programs and the switching wives programs and each time I've wished that people really didn't feel the need to air their dirty laundry just to get their 15 minutes of fame. I'm not even a really big fan of the "funniest video" programs because after those first few years with Bob Saget, all they truly seem to show are videos of people crashing, falling, hurting themselves and I'm not a fan of that.

Still ... people watch these programs and that is their individual right. I respect that. I leave it alone.

However there comes a point. THIS is my point.

NBC has a new program that they are bringing to television. I heard about it last night as I was getting ready for bed. It's called "Baby Borrowers". Here's the premise - teenage couples are given the opportunity to take care of children because they feel committed to each other and they know they will be good parents. They have the opportunity to test this as children are "given" to their care for a set period of time. I believe it was three days for each age group but to be honest, I was so flustered at what I was being shown in the news story about the program to get all the complete facts. I do know that they are "given" the children by age groups - infants, toddlers (ie. 2 year olds), school age, teenage, and then ... further boggling my mind ... seniors.

They are "on their own" taking responsibility for the care of these children and seniors. They will have a "sponsor or coach" to help "guide" them, but the parents leave the house (to watch on close circuit tv). From what I understand (and I could be wrong on a few facts - I was simply too flabbergasted to believe the premise I was being shown) these teenagers have "little to none" experience with caring for children and not much more with actually working with seniors.

Okay ... who the heck thinks up this drivel and crap???? Seriously!!

AND WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND ALLOWS A TELEVISION PROGRAM TO BE MADE SHOWCASING THIS?????

I mean honestly ... I'm watching part of the "promo" and one of the teenagers says the "f" word as she's trying to feed an infant and then withholds the infants meals all day because he's being stubborn about eating. She finally screws up to the point that the mother watching has to march herself over to the house and take matters into her own hands.

Like the stupid woman should have ever let the matter AND HER CHILD go out of her hands!!

I'm terrified to think how these young people will handle the older kids, not to mention the seniors and their medication - oh yes - let's get that one screwed up for national television. Nothing spells ratings better than a senior citizen who's meds are forgotten or messed up.

I am simply and completely in awe of the scope of idiocy that allows even the notion of a program such as this to occur, let alone actually produce and air on national television. Thank goodness it is my choice as to whether or not to view such inanity. I just pray that the American viewing public will have the sense to understand this is not entertainment. It's just a situation where NBC moguls have determined to give stupid people their chance at being on television.

Meanwhile ... the writers strike goes on.

Heaven forbid we give the television public something of quality and substance to view.

Final word? NBC putting on a show like this and expecting the television viewers to accept it as entertainment is like a designer such as Armani to design a line of trashbag dresses and expect women to accept them as the latest fashion.