Well… it wouldn’t. Possibly. Depending on what criteria you optimize for, of course. But if it is a Pareto analysis of preference, it wouldn’t.
But Pareto efficiency makes for a lousy criterion used on its own since it pretty much always favors the status quo.
Yes. We are in accord.
It seems to have escaped everyone’s notice that ANW is an NBC property. I think we watched a couple episodes when it first aired, and immediately picked up on the profiles being of the same type we see in US coverage of Olympic games. I watch the Olympics on CBC (it’s really nice to have that option) because of the damned sob stories on NBC instead of the actual competition.
On topic, this country is a bigger shithole every year. This new game show is another symptom of the greater disease, as noted above, Late Stage Capitalism.
Or Pohl and Kornbluth.
Some people haven’t heard the news. Or even a single new.
How about Black Mirror?
“Cancer boy is just holding on long enough to see me compete in the final!”
<SPLASH>
Haven’t gone in to look for myself, but reports I’ve heard elsewhere say they at least make the right noises, ending each episode with an exhortation to viewers to contact their Congressfolks to see about fixing the debt problem for real.
Seems tasteless and immortal to exploit others suffering for profit but, it seems to be a common theme in the US.
Kornbluth is also the author of “The Marching Morons”, from which the “I’d buy that for a dollar!” Robocop TV show seems to be cribbed.
I’ll admit it was hard to find this without specially looking for a reference to the show making a political statement, but you’re right:
http://thehill.com/homenews/news/396154-new-reality-game-show-will-help-pay-off-student-loans
“One of the mantras is ‘an absurd show to match an absurd crisis,’ ” Torpey, who also hosts the program, said. “A game show feels really apt because this is the state of things right now.”
…
“Call your representatives right now and tell them you need a better solution than this game show," Torpey says at the end of each episode.
…
The struggle hits close to home for Torpey, who struggled to help pay off his wife’s debt from her undergraduate and graduate degrees.
It wasn’t until he made money from an underwear ad that they were able to pay off her outstanding debt.
“I know what we are doing is a little ridiculous,” Torpey said. “But, in a way, the show matched my family’s story. The only way we could pay off student loans was because I booked an underpants ad? That’s insane.”
That doesn’t sound like the American way to me!
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