http://www.badidea.co.uk/2009/04/fox-and-endemol-capitalise-on-misery-of-unemployment-with-new-reality-show/Fox And Endemol Capitalise On Misery Of Unemployment With New Reality Show
In the style of a media-driven dystopia the likes of which Alan Moore and Terry Gilliam could only hint at, Fox has commissioned the Endemol-conceived show “Someone’s Gotta Go!”, which tastelessly cashes in on the recession and its attendant misery.
Each week a small business is featured, and “helped” to make cuts by pitting employees against one another to vote for whose livelihood is to be destroyed. Added drama comes with the fact that employees will be allowed to inspect their company’s books, therefore revealing any (highly likely) pay discrepancies, and thus tapping the audience’s current anti-bonus hatred. Expect latent prejudices, minor annoyances, and shows dedicated to Kevin not refilling the photocopier, creating what Endemol suggest is “great TV”.
Surprisingly, there’s been a host of companies too yellow to fire their own staff, who are more than happy to let someone from Fox TV show up and orchestrate their workers’ demise for them. Endemol’s North American Director, David Goldberg, stated: “We’re always trying to find the next thing that is topical and timely in the zeitgeist. For a lot of people, it takes the pressure off them. As a boss myself, I don’t want to have to make those decisions. It’s safe to say it hasn’t been difficult to find companies willing to participate.”
In terms of resources the shows creators are onto a winner - US unemployment spiked at a 25 year high of 8.5% in March, and if something isn’t done about the auto industry, it looks to keep on creeping. if General Motors are allowed to go bankrupt, there could be as many as 1 million more jobs lost, sending the unemployment rate soaring to 11%.
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