Win This Baby

www.nypost.com...

April 28, 2004 -- A giant-sized controversy is brewing over a baby adoption special on "20/20" - and sending ABC execs into a tailspin. Millions of viewers across the country watched in surprise over the weekend as the network aired a sensational promo for Friday's segment, which pits five desperate couples against each other for the privilege of adopting a 16-year-old's baby.
A very personal, intimate process was made to look like a reality-show contest, with prospective parents dubbed "winners" and "losers."

Yesterday, complaints flooded into radio stations, Web sites and even the FCC - many of them noting that host Barbara Walters is not only a respected journalist, but also an adoptive mother.

"I've already sent my outrage to [the producer of "20/20"] making a reality show out of something so personal," wrote one user on the Web site eeadopt.com.

"While I haven't seen the show, it definitely sounds like the marketing department at ABC was attempting to add a reality TV spin, which is definitely an all-time low - especially when children are at stake," says radio journalist Jane Braverman, who's adopting a child.

"My friend's teenage son, who was passing through the living room when the promotion was airing, even found it offensive. He said, 'How could a child be a prize in a reality show?'"

The program, titled "Be My Baby," set to air Friday during May sweeps, follows five couples through open adoption, which means the adoptive parents and birth mother are in contact, identities are disclosed and there is the potential for contact in the future.

The birth mother, 16-year-old Jessica, is shown in interviews with the prospective parents and in childbirth.

Jennifer Marando, co-director of A Child's Waiting adoption agency in Akron, Ohio, which participated in the show, says she and her sister and co-director, Crissy Kolarik, were completely disheartened by the teasers.

"We didn't go into this to outrage anyone," she says.

"We chose to participate in order to educate people on open adoption. But it's not an educational piece at this point - it's an entertainment piece made into a reality-show theme."

Marando confirms A Child's Waiting has received a number of complaints from distressed viewers.

For its part, ABC said it intended "Be My Baby" to be a realistic look at open adoption in America.

Amid the fury, ABC has since yanked the promo and replaced it with a toned-down version that presents the program less as a reality show and more as a documentary.

Jeffrey Schneider, head of ABC publicity, blamed the controversy on the misleading promotional spots.

"Clearly, the first promo that ran was leaving people with the wrong impression of what this hour is all about," said Schneider.

"It is a thoughtful report on the process of open adoption that we think will be of interest to the American people. We simply wanted to make sure that people understood what we would be broadcasting."

Marando hopes the positive aspects of her agency's work don't get lost amid the uproar.

"The producers shot a follow-up at the baptism," she said, "then again six months later to show that open adoption can be successful."

this makes me sick!

what else are people gunna do???





[Edited on 30-4-2004 by John bull 1]

TSA, for once I absolutely agree with you. That is pretty sick.

With so many children needing good homes, you wouldn't think people would need to compete for them, would you?

Oh, but thats right. Any child ever touched by Social Services is off limits. They would rather see them in abusive foster homes so money still filters through their system where they can get their cut. Hell, if you let decent people who don't need the states support actually adopt children, there goes the goverment funding and the social workers gravy.

Sorry for the rant on the SS but this whole situation and the attitude that's behind it just ticks me off.

Originally posted by Ambient Sound
TSA, for once I absolutely agree with you. That is pretty sick.

With so many children needing good homes, you wouldn't think people would need to compete for them, would you?

Oh, but thats right. Any child ever touched by Social Services is off limits. They would rather see them in abusive foster homes so money still filters through their system where they can get their cut. Hell, if you let decent people who don't need the states support actually adopt children, there goes the goverment funding and the social workers gravy.

Sorry for the rant on the SS but this whole situation and the attitude that's behind it just ticks me off.

i am glad you agree with me 4 once

and i forgive u 4 ranting

lol. look where her hand is holding the baby.

heheheheheheheheheheheehhehehehehehehehe.......yea........

:shk: This stuff is so degrading. It's absolutely stupid and completely horrible. I wonder how much it'd cost the US of A to get rid of their damned BS that goes on.

[quote
For its part, ABC said it intended "Be My Baby" to be a realistic look at open adoption in America.

Amid the fury, ABC has since yanked the promo and replaced it with a toned-down version that presents the program less as a reality show and more as a documentary.

Jeffrey Schneider, head of ABC publicity, blamed the controversy on the misleading promotional spots.

"Clearly, the first promo that ran was leaving people with the wrong impression of what this hour is all about," said Schneider.

"It is a thoughtful report on the process of open adoption that we think will be of interest to the American people. We simply wanted to make sure that people understood what we would be broadcasting."


Translation: Until we received the feedback we did the plan was to promote this as a reality show since they're hot in the ratings right now.

What happened to the time when we would fess up when we made a mistake? Controversy sells and the controversy generated by those ads will certainly drive up the viewership of this show, which in turn helps ratings and increases the price for ad spots.

Originally posted by silQ
lol. look where her hand is holding the baby.

heheheheheheheheheheheehhehehehehehehehe.......yea........

I didnt see that but what I did see the first time was that shes a MILF.

Adressing the topic, this is sick, now we have mini reality shows that are more depraved than their full length counter parts.

What can you say? Reality shows are sick and twisted minded. If they can have girls deciding whose gay (Playing it Straight) then certainly it is not a surprise to see babies being auctioned. I havn't seen any previews but anythings possible on reality tv

The Romans had Bread and Circus' it seems the USA has Junkfood and Reality TV.

This really is the pits.

I've been trying to think of new reality game shows for the future.I've thought of two.

ONE KIDNEY

FIVE PATIENTS ON DIALYSIS.

ONLY ONE CAN WIN AND LIVE !!!

And the other,

ONE LAWYER

FIVE INMATES ON DEATHROW

ONLY ONE CAN GET JUSTICE !!!

I sure hope they get a firestorm of protests over it and the show just *tanks* in the ratings. That will be the one thing that will cause a show to go away -- advertisers and viewers going away.

hrm. Another step in the reality television show phenomena?

They seem to be putting forth contradictory statements. They say they toned down the promo to make it look more like a documentary, but clearly state it's not education, but entertainment with a reality show theme.

Oh well. I won't be watching.

Prediction: Eighteen years from now, ABC will lose the largest law suit in its history.

Children are not for sale. How many generations does it take to lean that lesson?

[Edited on 30-4-2004 by DISQUIETED]

Does The Truman Show ring a bell? I wonder when a corporation is going to adopt a child for a 'new' reality show, and let the child grow up never knowing that Americans are happily watching his every move. :shk:

There's an obvious reality to TTS....but I never expected it would reach such a personal level. It's coming.