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Episode Recap: "Bonanza Is Disgusting"
This week on Kid Nation, "The Taylor & DK Show."
This is truly getting out of hand with Taylor. The only way you can possibly like this girl is if you too are a lazy, whiny 10-year-old beauty queen. Every time I see her that song pops into my head, you know that one that goes, “If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife.... ” Can you just picture what this is leading to? Six years from now we’re going to see Taylor on that sweet-16 birthday show complaining about how she got an Escalade instead of the BMW that she wanted. Then a few years later, if she keeps her looks, she’ll win the heart of some 44-year-old man at one of her pageants and maybe she’ll get to be on a “reality stars” season of Real World/Road Rules Challenge. OK, I’m putting way too much thought into a girl I will thankfully never see again in a few months, but you see where I’m going.
Back to present day. I hope that she is watching this with her parents right now and seeing what a total debacle she is becoming. But of course, she has to be watching with someone who doesn’t believe her theory that beauty queens do nothing, so maybe her parents aren't the right audience, either.
I do love that the council tried to force her to do stuff and then punish her, but even then nothing seemed to work. When she flipped over the buckets of water and said, “Oops, my bad,” I’m surprised the kids didn’t go ballistic. I wanted to jump through the screen. I really hope Zach sticks to his plan of not paying her. In fact, I wish all business worked like that. You only get paid if you do your job. And speaking of going ballistic, when Anjay was holding the door shut, didn’t she try to kick him? On any adult reality show she would have been booted off or at least given a stern talking-to by the producers. But on this, one kids are allowed to attack other kids. I know, I know — kids will be kids. This is what kids do. I get it. Not the same thing as some Real World dude threatening to kill another guy, but still.
I was so disappointed when she decided to stay. But I was laughing when DK stood up and told the rest of the gang they needed to stop picking on Taylor and be more positive. Taylor took this like DK was her best friend and was supporting her. DK wasn’t standing behind her, he was just tired of all the crap, and it so happens that the doodoo was being laid on thick in the direction of Taylor. He would have said the same thing if anyone else was the target of the hatred. But let Taylor think what she wants. Clearly she does anyway.
The first half focused on Taylor and the second half focused on DK His “just chill” vibe is what more of these kids need to adopt. He got the kids moving to fill the water tank and has people looking up to him now. It’s a shame that these kids annoyed him so much that he almost left sans 20K, but it was nice to see someone other than Taylor on screen for a moment in any capacity. It’s truly as if 30 or so of these kids don’t even exist. There was a girl sitting next to DK in the award ceremony that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before.
Some points of interest for me this week:
• Guylan sounds really fake when he’s speaking to the camera. Almost like everything he says is off a cue card or it’s take No. 63. Fake or not, I loved it when he was talking about Taylor and said that they are going to show her what happens when you don’t do work — you get harder work. That’s Management 101 right there, baby. Give the harder work to the slackers. It either lights a fire under their butt or it moves them out the door. Win-win!
• The book told them to “clean out the trash bin.” What insight. I don’t know how they would have gotten by without that advice. The rats didn’t give it away, I guess.
• During the challenge, Anjay points out that he’s “not good at physical work because my bones are still forming.” Understood. But what does this have to do with shoving your hands in a pile of beans looking for a can? The kid wasn’t lifting bags of concrete, he was kneeling in beans.
• If Taylor goes home at some point, we have a new drama queen in waiting: Mike! He was a little overly dramatic about how nasty the pig thing was and later on he was screaming about something else. This kid has no filter, does he? If I were 12, I would totally beat this kid up at school.
• This was finally the week where they could choose the fun prize instead of the sensible one and not lose too much. So of course they chose what you could call the “right” one again. I’ve never seen kids this excited about a radish before. They really need something fun to do to get a little bit of the edge off, and I think the ATVs would have been a much better choice at this stage of the game. They still had food either way. Toothbrush, yes. Pomegranate, no.
Next week I think I’m going to go in trying to find something positive to say about Taylor. T-R-Y. Try.
Until next week, friends.
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Oct 24, 2007 10:59 PM
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I pretty much watch this show because of Taylor -- to tune in to see how much of a brat she is being this week. That's gotta be why the producers chose her. She is one of the most awful kids I've ever seen. Now that DK has stood up for her, I hope he will offer her some advice. She might be more willing to listen to him.
I do feel bad for the other kids, though, who don't get any attention on the show. They might as well be extras.
By the way, David, you asked whether the town council got paid, and I was on the message boards earlier today, and apparently all the kids received 5000 for being on the show.
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Oct 24, 2007 11:31 PM
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You're missing the boat with all the Taylor hatred. Her attitude serves as a great example of the pitfalls in establishing a new society and how to govern it. Not everybody is going to be cooperative and acquiesce to something as toothless as peer pressure. At least go so far as to institute some old school shunning, if that's your angle.
The actual television show production is the bad guy here. At this point, the council is a governing body in name only. Their economy is a joke and provides someone like Taylor with zero incentive to do anything.
On a personal level, I feel like Taylor reached a point where she was justified in her reactions. It got to a point where it was no longer about getting her to contribute, but rather to just harass and humiliate her - to get even. Under those circumstances, I can't blame her for fighting back.
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Oct 25, 2007 2:39 AM
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Yeah, I agree with the previous poster that the artificially imposed system is breaking down. People should be doing jobs that they want to do or they are good at, not have a skinny 10-year old carry tons of buckets of water to fill a 50 gallon tank for punishment. Not the best way to motivate someone. Should have just let her cut the fruit up as long as she is doing something useful let her be.
My biggest problem with the show so far is that it's gotten away from its premise. These 40 kids aren't building a better society, they aren't even given a chance to. They are just jumping through the hoops, tests, and class challenges posed by the grown-ups. There's no attempt at initiative, to construct things, to think up a better system of laws. It's just kids facing the pressures of being in a competition with each other and hopefully working hard or being popular enough to win the gold star.
I could see why DK wanted to leave. Because nothing was really improving in Bonanza. They're just doing the same thing they did before and reacting to new prizes and journal tasks rather than doing something of their own initiative. DK didn't see a method or way to make the town better, because they're not given a chance to. That's not the point, instead it's the bratty Taylor show.
Sad. But I guess that kind of show would be too experimental and away from the reality Survivor model that the show is emulating. But at least let's be honest about what the show is. It's not about 40 kids making a better society, it's about 40 kids facing a society challenge set up by grown-ups.
On a sidenote: after 19 days without any fruits or vegetables, and eating only hash browns with barely any meat and only cocoa. I would totally go for the fruits and veggies. Better a full stomach and basic nutrition for the next few weeks, than taking a 30 minute ride on the two dune buggies circling the city. That would get old fast.
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Oct 25, 2007 7:27 AM
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It is really too bad that these kids can't vote off another kid once in a while. Or, at least, send one of them to get a major spanking when they need it...TAYLOR!!
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Oct 25, 2007 8:17 AM
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I think the town needs a jail, or some way to hold the kids, ok Taylor, responsible for not contributing towards the group. 
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Oct 25, 2007 9:32 AM
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David, I totally said the same thing about the girl sitting next to DK. There were about 4 kids shown last night that I said that about. I don't get it, these kids all signed on to be on TV and they picked them, what happened, did they not show well once they had a camera in thier face?
Didn't it seem a little too much of a coincidence that Guylan took DK outside and they only showed about 10 seconds of what he said. Could it be that he actually told DK to stay because he was getting the gold star? Which if I was him, no matter how much I hated it I would stick it out a few more days to get the 20K.
I also think they took it too far on Taylor. Sure make her work, but filling the water all by herself was too much. She's not going to take to punishment. What now, will they make her build the gallows so they can hang her in front of all the towns people for not working? I don't agree with how she acts, but this week they were just piling it on too much. That's not going to get her to come around. While they are at it why didn't they pile it on Mike too, he never did much as a leader, why not make him do a little extra now
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Oct 25, 2007 9:47 AM
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I am appalled by some of your defenses of Taylor. Her attitude is definetley what is wrong with our young people in this country.
I think she needs a good old fashioned ass-whooping. Funny how that used to straighten kids out back in my day!!
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Oct 25, 2007 10:39 AM
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David, David, David, I just love you so much - only you could come up with "never make a pretty woman your wife" to refer to Taylor. I'm still laughing...I too was terribly disappointed she stayed although the fun factor of watching certainly would have gone down. I like DK and was glad he got the star but telling all the other kids to leave Taylor alone - no I really couldn't get behind him on that one. The town seriously needs a jail and Taylor needs solitary confinement. She keeps saying she'll try and never does.
Was very impressed with both our new town council members. Both Zach and Guylen showed good leadership skills. I was so glad Guylen was able to convince DK to stay and that he didn't resort to telling him the star was his if he stayed. How sad would it have been if he left and we all knew what that choice meant to his future? He would know too now only from watching the show. Ugh, terrible thought.
Totally with you on the Guylen speaking thing - I thought the same thing a couple of times last night and the week before.
I'll tell you what is getting on my nerves and that is foreshadowing each episode that just happens to fall right in line with what the council later reads in the book. Just show us the book thing and then kids speaking about the topic. The producers aren't fooling anyone. The kids just happen to have conversations about religion at the time the council gets to the part of the book about religion, they just happen to notice the filth when the council gets to the part about trash, come on. I sort of have a problem with the book thing anyway but to attempt to make it look as though the book is somehow prescient about the needs and wants of the town is just irritating.
I was glad they chose the fruits and veggies over the buggies. I'm curious though whether the FV means they will always have FV available in their kitchen or if once these are gone or spoiled there will be no more. The buggies would have been fun but there are 40 kids there and only 2 buggies so I'm thinking only a few would get the benefit of that and I don't even want to think about the possibility of an accident. We already know the camera people aren't going to step in [anyone remember Colton and the bull?] so I can just see some brat mowing down a row of kids [accidentally of course  ].
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Oct 25, 2007 10:49 AM
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I agree with you Adshin and well said- the kids can't make a new town run properly because they are following adult ideals of what is necessary in a properly run town. What is ironic is that they are supposedly taking advice from the founders of the town that went bust presumably due to poor leadership.
Amarty33, they tried to get Taylor to work with the group removing the trash, she refused. It was only then that she was made to haul water. If she had made a valid attempt I'm sure the rest of the council would have pitched in, but instead she just hauls two buckets and dumps them accomplishing absolutely nothing. The kid is a spoiled brat and needs to be taught a lesson. Unfortunately she been raised to feel superior to others so having a bunch of kids yell at her isn't going to do it. A jail is a great idea. Stick her in there with nothing to keep herself busy for a few hours and don't let any of the other kids come over and talk to her and make it clear that each and every time she refuses to do a job that is requested of her she'll be put in the cell again. 'Course the same would have to be done to anyone that didn't help out when asked.
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Oct 25, 2007 11:03 AM
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What a great review! Here's a thought, when are they going to hire a sheriff and make some laws so for instance,
certain beauty queens to abide by or be sent to jail to "chill out"??!! When she said the town council was not the boss of her that's when a night in jail would've been the PERFECT solution. Oh well, we'll see if she will really "try" harder next week!!
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Oct 25, 2007 11:53 AM
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What a great review! Here's a thought, when are they going to hire a sheriff and make some laws so for instance,
certain beauty queens to abide by or be sent to jail to "chill out"??!! When she said the town council was not the boss of her that's when a night in jail would've been the PERFECT solution. Oh well, we'll see if she will really "try" harder next week!!
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Oct 25, 2007 11:54 AM
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Every week, I can't wait to see what will happen next.
Taylor has got to go! I mean really go. Her attitude, her mouthing off, her refusal to do any meaningful work. After the incident with Anjay, she should have been told to leave. I know this is certainly not a realistic situation (kids building a town) but there should be consequences for this kind of behavior. Public humiliation might just do the trick. Her parents must be so proud.
Was happy for DK. He deserved the star. Wonder if the red team isn't a little sorry they didn't elect him to the council.
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Oct 25, 2007 12:30 PM
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Bravo, David, Bravo. I think after reading your blog(s) over the past year... this was my favorite! I'm still giggling.
Witty as ever, thank you!
Odd Side note: I just finished listening to Jimmy Soul's If You Wanna Be Happy a few minutes before reading this (it's on My Best Friend's Wedding soundtrack on my iPod). Eerie...
I agree about the background kids... they kinda remind me of the rest of the victims of Flight 815 on LOST. Every so often, you'll see one interact with the "main" characters and think: "Was this person always there? Where the hell did THEY come from?"
So, does that mean we'll be seeing a Nikki/Paulo flashback where we shall see these previously anonymous kids were really the masterminds in all the malicious wrong-doings in the town?
Wait... Is is February yet? No? Damn.
About Taylor... I couldn't help but think when I was watching last night...
Wow, this girl's life at home is gonna be hell, if it isn't already. Can you imagine the neighbors, teachers, friends, parents, family, students... and above all PAGEANT JUDGES that are watching this and seeing The Bad Seed redux on this show? She'll never win Miss Congeniality, that's for sure!
I almost feel sorry for her.
Almost.
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Oct 25, 2007 1:02 PM
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DK is amazing kid and is the kind of calm balancing pressence that the town needs.
I wish the kids really did get to run the town instead of the producers with their book, their competitions, their town meeting.
There were many things that annoyed me about the garbage and recycling theme of this episode. While it was good that the kids moved the garbage out of the center of town, that is all they did about the garbage problem. They did nothing to set up a better system going forward ... no recycling, no composting, nothing to keep the rats away. Plenty of these kids have grown up on farms so they should know about some of this stuff.
Baked beans and painted cans have nothing to do with recycling. It was just weird. But I can totally understand why the kids chose the fruits and vegetables. If you've ever been without them for weeks at a time, you would know too. I bet the producers were hoping the kids would pick the dune buggies because then there truly would have been mayhem.
IF DK had gone home, would the producers have had a camera crew in place at the parents of the hastely chosen substitute gold star recipient?
Don't know why I keep watching, but somehow I can't stop.
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Oct 25, 2007 1:47 PM
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