Kid Nation was Filmed in My Neighborhood
New Fall TV Reality Show Sparks Controversy Before it Debuts
My husband met with the low-key, congenial Forman one day last spring at a local café and gave him information about the area's rich history. Forman briefly described the premise of the show and requested that he sign a nondisclosure agreement that allowed him to talk to only his spouse about it for the duration of the shooting, which had already begun. The show, tentatively called "Bonanza City" at the time, didn't sound like something we'd consider watching, as seniors with no children and little interest in reality shows, and so we thought nothing more about it. In fact, it sounded a little ominous: placing Computer Age kids in a 19th century environment and letting them create a world of their own. It reminded me of "Lord of the Flies", William Golding's fictional and sinister take on a society of children gone terribly wrong.
We live in a scenic, relatively unspoiled rural area south of the city of Santa Fe where a lot of movie and TV filming has taken place for many years on permanent "movie ranches" and land leased by local ranchers and the state to film companies for their productions. "Kid Nation" was filmed at the Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch. There are permanent movie sets in several locations that have been used repeatedly for TV and film productions. Many years ago scenes from the classic musical "Oklahoma" were shot on one of these sets, still visible to passing drivers. Shooting of the more recent "Wild Hogs" took place in the nearby town of Madrid and neighboring locations. By offering tax breaks to film companies, Governor Bill Richardson has greatly increased the number of TV and movie productions all over New Mexico. It's very common to see cardboard signs posted along the road with the initials of a show in production and an arrow directing participants to the set.
But "Kid Nation" is the first TV reality show filmed in New Mexico. The set is located several miles from the main road and totally hidden from view. The only indications that filming was going on were security guards and vehicles parked near the roadside gates. "Kid Nation" was, as it turned out, a highly secretive production that was unknown to most state and county officials and the general public until after filming was completed.
This summer, there was a brouhaha about the "Kid Nation" producers allegedly choosing New Mexico because it had lax child labor laws and they could get away with making the kids work long days. There were also allegations from one of the parents that children had been injured during the production. CBS and the producers countered with the argument that there had been plenty of adults present on the set at all times, and that they had instant access to medical and psychological care and an animal safety expert. They pointed out that the children were not legally employees, that they were volunteer participants and didn't need work permits. Our county sheriff, Greg Solano, investigated the allegations and found no evidence of neglect or abuse of the children. At any rate, the loopholes in New Mexico's child labor laws were removed in June, after filming of "Kid Nation" was completed.
Despite all the controversy and the reported difficulty attracting advertisers because of the notoriety of "Kid Nation", the reality of this particular reality show is that most of the kids seem to have had a good time. Their parents, who no doubt hope to see their children become stars through this national exposure, have had few complaints about the production. All that my husband and I wish is that Tom Forman and the other "Kid Nation" producers present the fascinating historical background of our neighborhood accurately, and that they'll use it with the honesty and integrity it deserves. And I certainly hope that no animals were tormented and killed in its production, as has unfortunately happened in other reality shows.
Published by Barbara Joan Baxter
Barbara Joan is a freelance writer/editor/publisher/webhead and the proud guardian of ten dogs and cats. Books of poems and a memoir are in the works. View profile
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29 Comments
Post a CommentTo me it looked like the chicken was killed for its food source, you know, just like in real life.
I'm a former New Mexican, born and raised. I was wondering when Kid Nation was filmed? You mentioned spring which makes sense with the fickle weather they had to endure, but what about school? If they were out there for over a month, it sure wasn't thru spring break.
Jamie, Also, those kids were given an impossible choice by the producers: kill animals or you won't get any meat, i.e., they were definitely coerced into making the choice to kill. Because unfortunately, most parents as well as their kids are brainwashed at an early age that you need meat protein to thrive, which is, of course, a lie.
Jamie, have you ever considered that maybe there are too many humans on the planet and it's us who are crowding out other species? Why do hunters act like their job is to keep wildlife in check? What about keeping the human population down instead of claiming that wild animals, like deer, are too numerous because they have the annoying habit of running in front of our way-too-numerous cars, and hunters are showing compassion by slaughtering them? Oh, please! Talk about twisted ethics! BTW, if you're a hunter, you should know that there are a very small percentage of hunters left in the U.S. today. It's a dying "sport", and thank god for that.
I was enjoying your article until you turned so bitter. I think you need to think about the world we live in today. Kids think freely and openly. If they didn't want to kill the chicken, they didn't have to. I don't believe anyone is forcing them to do anything. People have been on this planet a long time and have always been hunters/gatherers. It's natural. I love animals a lot and I want them protected, BUT there is a time when too many isn't a good thing. My family loves to hunt and fish. In our neck of the woods, deer can over-run a place. If they are not kept in check - by hunting - there are too many. Every day one gets hit by a car - sometimes really hurting the passengers. So that makes to many of them a danger to society. Also, if there are too many deer, there won't be enough food. They start to get sick and spread diseases and suffer and die. So - is it okay to stand by and watch them suffer before they die? Or is it better to keep the population in check by
Julie, Don't you consider killing chickens violent? It's OK with you that your kids are being taught that killing animals for food for a TV show is acceptable?
My husband was recently asked by the producers to participate in a book being put together about Kid Nation. He said no, and his main reason was the food issue, i.e., killing animals for entertainment purposes and claiming that they need to do it for the protein. He's not even a vegan, like I am, but he's disturbed by it nonetheless, and every viewer should be, particularly a parent.
My family looks forward to Kid Nation every week. It's one of the few shows that I can watch with my children without worrying about scenes with sex, violence or bad language. I do feel, however, that they should have provided the kids with more food options and toothbrushes instead making them win challenges to get these necessities.
As I feared, in the second episode, the kids were pressured into killing a chicken for food. Why? Because CBS claims that eating flesh is the only way to obtain protein: "The Kids come closer to the realities of the food pyramid when they realize they'll have to kill town livestock if they want protein in their food." In fact, children can do just fine as vegans, getting all their protein from vegetal matter. But if that's too rad a concept for primetime TV, they can throw in hen's eggs and cow's or goat's milk if they're worried about the ire of viewers who are also, sadly, largely ignorant of human nutritional needs. Shame on you, CBS and KN producers, for teaching kids that it's cool to kill animals for a TV show, and for perpetuating the myth that they need to eat flesh to survive.
Former New Mexican: Thanks. Hey, you can move back any time. I tried to resist the allure of this state for most of my life, and I'm happy to say that I ultimately failed. As you know, NM has its issues, but "Land of Enchantment" is not really an exaggeration.
I know the area you are writing about, and it is beautiful. I still miss the New Mexico sunsets and the ever-changing landscapes. Good article.