Will no one rid the airwaves of Mike Darnell?

The head of reality television programming for Fox brings us this detritus:

Coming to Fox: a reality series in which actual companies that are struggling to stay afloat in this lousy economy agree -- presumably in exchange for money -- to let their staffs decide which among them is going to get pink-slipped to save money.

To populate its new "Lord of the Flies"-esque series, "Someone's Gotta Go," Fox has lined up actual companies -- smaller, Dunder Mifflin-esque-sized (15-20 employees) ones -- having financial difficulties.

In each case, the company's boss or owner will call all the employees together and tell them someone's going to get laid off. But rather than the boss/owner making the decision, he or she will instead give the employees all the available information about one another -- salaries, job evaluations, etc. -- and let the employees decide who will get pink-slipped.

No, Mr. Darnell, you execrable excuse of an ugly bag of mostly water, this is NOT about "wish fulfillment" - this is about pure, unadulterated sadism. What the fuck is next? Contests in soup kitchens? "Beast of the Bread Line"? "Ladles in Waiting"? Just when I thought Fox had hit the lowest it could go with the midget weddings...

Fuck off. And take your craptastic reality television programming with you.

Comments

[MD]

I love the idea....maybe this will put the death nail in reality TV........ Why don't the just call it "Lord of the maggots"

[EvilDrPuma]

Just one more reason to hate reality TV. Oh, and Fox, too.

[Monica_A: Winner Like Quinner]

I still like my "The Most Dangerous Game" idea.

[queek]

The last episode should be for Fox and Darnell gets the ax!

[Fern]

This has got to be a violation of about 12 different kinds of privacy protection legislation.

[Carol]

Maybe the bosses will go along with it, but I can't imagine any employee saying, "Go ahead, read everything in my personnel file, go a head and humiliate me on national TV". And is Fox offering anything to the employee who gets fired?

I am so glad I have a Union to back me up and don't have to worry about this kind of bullshit.

[Sandia Blanca]

Any boss who would agree to this is likely to experience a spate of resignations from disgusted employees. So, success!

[hauksdottir]

I'd love to see an office where the entire group of employees walked out rather than be co-opted into a child's cruel game. Just tell the manager that if he is too dim-witted to make a management decision, than he is unfit for his job. Maybe they can group together and buy the company.

Employment isn't sport. Coworkers are not targets of humiliation.

Usually.

I have worked for companies in macho fields such as construction and engineering and law where somebody didn't fit in (overweight, handicapped, different religion, dating someone of a different color, whatever... but totally non-work-related) and they were made miserable. Being stronger is as much as problem as being weaker. Anybody trying to get ahead by taking night courses would also be targeted by the jealous and insecure.

Unless the employee voted out was obviously problematic (so obvious that the boss should have easily made the decision), any company going this route is due for labor violation suits on multiple levels as well as civil suits. Even if the employment contracts specify arbitration, there would be legal remedies for this type of shit. As soon as the only woman or only ethnic-type or only sick person is shown the door, the lawyers would be standing right outside it with briefcases at the ready.

If *I* owned a small business with a troubled bottom-line, the last thing I'd want is national exposure of my economic difficulties... compounded by lawsuits.

[Frogspond]

I think the next thing we see is a show like "The Running Man" al la Richard Bachman (Stephen King).

[Patrick]

Fox could revive the "Hobo Fight Club" stuff that used to be all over the internet. Classy.

[JDM]

Hey, kidz, itz time to play "Monetizing Milgram"!!!!

[ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®©]

Rupert Murdoch is one of the worst things to ever happen to journalism.

And the world.
~

[DeepKarma]

Well, I can see that I'm not the only commenter who connected the dotted lines to The Running Man. The thing that kills me is that even if this show is a ratings disaster, viewership will number in the millions, and the dumbitude of America will continue to spread like a retrovirus.

[Daro]

Pig and Tiger Friends Photos!

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/pictures/2009/04/08/tiger-and-pig-friends-115875-21263408/

[FastMovingCloud]

This crap will go away when people quit watching. I'm already doing my part. I have yet to see a single reality program; and I am including American Idol or that dancing show that friends keep trying to get me to watch. YUK!

[BlakNo1]

Patrick beat me to it. They'll put 'Bumfights' on primetime, or a show called 'Dealer' seeing who can sell the most crack or heroin in one day.

[karen marie]

i went one step farther, fastmovingcloud -- i allowed my tv to go black with the changeover to DTV.

my household is no longer afflicted with the insanity formerly coming across the airwaves.

[Peter Eng]

I think the next thing might be throwing members of some minority religion to starving lions.

[FastMovingCloud]

"i allowed my tv to go black with the changeover to DTV."

Wow, karen marie. That's dedication to the cause. I couldn't give mine up because of Rachel, Keith, Jon and Stephen. Not that I'm blaming them. I just have to have my fix, is all I'm saying. Plus (and I am just slightly embarrassed to admit this) I am a fan of All My Children and have been for most of my life. I grew up with those folks so I can't just quit, cold turkey.

[kenga]

I dunno.
Mayhap the business(es) would be too small, but any reasonably intelligent group of people looking for payroll cost-savings would immediately look at the highest earner as the biggest bang for the buck.
In most cases that's boss, or the owner's overseer.
Cut payroll with no appreciable loss in productivity - sweet!

Could be fun!

[sukabi]

this will NOT end well... and will probably morph into "Shoot out at the OK Corral"

[pansypoo]

i want 'reality teevee' to die also, but i do watch biggest loser. as i eat something bad. drink soda. but i am not fat. it is nice that they are making america more healthy, slowly.

[nemo52]

I'm surprised they haven't yet brought back "Queen for a Day"

[Pissed in NYC]

Makes me happier than ever that I gave up my tv in 2004. That said, what happens when the fired co-worker shows up on the set with a gun? No doubt the bastards at FOX would say "must watch tv." Hate them. Hate Murdoch. Look at what he has done to this country. I look forward to the bottle of champagne I am going to uncork when he finally dies.

[Veritas78]

I'm looking forward to "Who Has To Sell A Kidney?"

[cbl]

They Shoot Hosers, Don't They ?

yeowza, yeowza, yeowza !

[cbl]

They Shoot Hosers, Don't They ?

yeowza, yeowza, yeowza!

[montag]

Hmm. Why am I reminded of "Sophie's Choice?"