The title of this, the Fox “reality” show about an adoptee’s reunion with her natural father, is absolutely stupid and insulting, yes.
But I look with savage amusement at the type of people who are protesting this show – organizations like The Gladney Center, the adoption agency that founded and largely underwrites the National Council for Adoption (NCFA), the primary organization that lobbies against giving adult adoptees access to their records (http://www.txcare.org/atforum/gladneywknd.html).
Adoption advocates have been complaining that the show is crass and materialistic. Ironic that they don’t like to think of their “noble” life’s work as all about the money – but it is, obviously.
Count me as one adoptee in favor of Fox’s decision to produce and air the first of this 6-part mini-series/game/reality show.
I figure, if even a couple of adoptees can cash in on their involuntary servitude – and meet their fathers besides – how bad is that?
Most of us adoptees will never know who are fathers are/were. That info is generally not provided on birth certificates – if we are even lucky enough to even see our actual birth certificates.
Besides, raising public consciousness about the natural desire of people to know their origins is a good thing.
The media, of course, isn’t covering the benefits of reunion; rather, they are obsessed with the fact that one yahoo station out of 186 Fox affiliates refused to air the program.
I missed seeing it last night, didn’t keep track of the date/time, but I was gratified to read that the adoptee did, in fact, pick out her father among the several male contestants.
Maybe blood is thicker than the tut-tutting of the baby sellers after all.
For a top-notch summary of Episode 1, please click through to Reality World.