Yeah, but that’s more in the “bad TV” realm for me than the “Trump admin planning something nefarious” realm. At least how I read it.

It's one thing when a private media company pays a freely-willing participant to participate in a show. It's another thing when a government dangles freedom in front of a captive, scared, and desperate minority participant to participate in a show.

Agree, and knowing them, they probably want to put out a perfect, made-for-TV immigrant as the bar of worthiness or acceptability.

We have literally no evidence that was the plan. Nothing in the article says that and nothing the producer has written suggests that.

Aaron, i respect your work, but we are past the point of waiting for evidence for every move by fascists. I think immigrant families like myself have more than justifiable concerns about, at best, offensive TV pitches like upthread.

No, the history of reality TV suggests that. Look at Judge Judy. Who chooses to be on that show? People who can afford lawyers? Or disadvantaged folks who see it as their hail mary for justice that otherwise seems unattainable? Why would this be any different?

That’s an argument against the inherently exploitive nature of reality shows, not a specific concern about the actual proposal. And you know that in Judge Judy, the plaintiff gets paid no matter the outcome and the defendant never has to pay anything, right?

The government proposing a reality show about a marginalized group in a media environment where reality shows are exploitative does not deserve a benefit of the doubt about whether they'll be exploiting the marginalized group in their show. The burden of proof that it's not exploitative is on them.

Both parties actually get paid no matter what, for appearing on the show. IOW, yes, I am aware.