Television sinks even lower... "Who's your Daddy" reality TV????

[SirFozzie]

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Fox network said Tuesday it will air a special next month, "Who's Your Daddy?", where a daughter given up for adoption as an infant attempts to guess the identity of her birth father for a $100,000 prize.

Activists in the adoption community immediately attacked the special, which will air for 90 minutes on January 3.

"This is really perverse," said Adam Pertman, executive director of the Evan P. Donaldson Adoption Institute, a research and policy organization. "It takes a deeply personal and important experience and turns it into a money-grubbing game show. I think it is despicable."

A Fox network spokesman would not comment on the special, referring all calls to the producers, who said people shouldn't judge before watching.

"I find it curious that people are calling it that without having seen an episode," said Scott Hallock, one of three executive producers of the series for the Fox Television Studios. "You might get the impression from the title that it is somehow salacious or exploitive. But nothing could be further from the truth."
The woman who is the focus of the show, not identified by Fox, and her birth father were both involved in simultaneous searches for each other.

Her natural dad will be one of eight men presented to her, all claiming to be her father. She will be given opportunities to observe and interview the men to narrow the field, the network announced.

If she correctly guesses which man is her father, the woman can win as much as $100,000. If she is incorrect, the imposter that she chose will win the money, Fox said.

Either way, the special will end with the father and daughter being reunited.

Joseph Kroll, executive director of the North American Council on Adoptable Children, called the idea "repulsive." He said his own 29-year-old daughter is searching for her birth father.

"If someone were to try doing that to my daughter, what I consider to be abuse, I would not behave appropriately," Kroll said.

Pertman, a former Boston Globe reporter and author of the book "Adoption Nation," predicted the television show would denigrate the experiences of families who have gone through adoption.

"It really is sort of one-stop shopping for insulting millions of people, maybe tens of millions," he said.

Producers have already filmed six "Who's Your Daddy?" episodes, although Fox has only scheduled one of them for air at this point. Hallock said participants were sought through ads that made it clear the solicitation was part of a TV production.

Viewers are invited to play the game along with the adoptive daughter; the father's real identity will not be made clear until the end of the show.

All the participants felt it was a positive experience, said Kevin Healey, another executive producer.

"Our main focus was to see that it would be a positive experience and we were determined not to go forward with it if that was not the case," Healey said.

Fox had been known to be working on the show for months. This past summer, in a public tiff with Fox over competing boxing reality shows, NBC chief executive Jeff Zucker revealed Fox was working on the concept. Angry that Zucker had discussed their internal plans, Fox executives wouldn't comment on it.

[sachmo71]

Seemed sort of wrong to me, also, although they did sign up for it.

[stevew]

This is gonna be awesome.

[Crapshoot]

wow. PT barnum may be right when he said that no one ever lost money underestimating the intelligence of the American public...

[Suicane75]

They should do this with The Bachelor, have 4 or 5 suave and good looking 50 something men, and a field of 15-20 young girls. The catch? Each of the dudes has a daughter he gave up for adoption in the field of women, at the end of the show Each bachelor gets to pick a girl he wants to marry, the host then comes on and explains what going on and reveals if any of the hooked up couples are in fact, father/daughter. Now thats money.

[oliegirl]

I don't necessarily have a problem with the show, although I think it's incredibly tacky and perverse, but as someone who is adopted and is pro-life, I think it's sad that they are "trivializing" a decision that many people wrestle with. They make it sound like this is a simple thing to do, just decide to find your birth parents...that bothers me, but not enough to get upset, just enough to not watch the show.

[Raven Hawk]

How many episodes will Pedro Martinez appear in?

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by Suicane75

They should do this with The Bachelor, have 4 or 5 suave and good looking 50 something men, and a field of 15-20 young girls. The catch? Each of the dudes has a daughter he gave up for adoption in the field of women, at the end of the show Each bachelor gets to pick a girl he wants to marry, the host then comes on and explains what going on and reveals if any of the hooked up couples are in fact, father/daughter. Now thats money.

I would definitely watch that. Pitch it to Fox.

[johnnyshaka]

Originally Posted by oliegirl

I don't necessarily have a problem with the show, although I think it's incredibly tacky and perverse, but as someone who is adopted and is pro-life, I think it's sad that they are "trivializing" a decision that many people wrestle with. They make it sound like this is a simple thing to do, just decide to find your birth parents...that bothers me, but not enough to get upset, just enough to not watch the show.

Ditto...as a fellow adoptee...I kind of felt a little sick to my stomach after reading this.

I have met my birthmother and my birthfather's family (he's passed away) and let me tell you, those were some very tense and emotional times in my life. I can't possibly imagine it being trivialized on FOX the way they plan to.

On the otherhand...all parties are consenting adults...so, who am I to pass judgement??

[sterlingice]

You can never go wrong with a guess of "Shawn Kemp"

SI

[Lathum]

I am adopted as well and I think a show like this is an insult to parents who adopt children and give them an opritunity at a better life. The "contestant" should be ashamed of herself because she is isnulting and dissrespecting the people that raised her.

[TLK]

oh my....

[SunDancer]

Fox sucks. They have the Swan (which is totally disrespecting to me, because I have serious facial problems that due to birth sydrome, which has undergone prolly about 6-7 surgeries (including one as I speak-not the surgery, but being treated, but its the first success) and these people are "ugly" and whinners).