Fox's New "Reality" Show Is Just Plain Evil

Fox Television debuted its new "reality" show last night and I determined to watch the first episode, at least part of it, precisely for this commentary. The premise of the show is that the contestant who tells the truth through all 21 questions wins a half a million dollars. In the pre-game screening the contestant has been wired to a lie detector and is asked a series of 50 questions from which are taken the 21 questions actually used on the show.

In other words, once a contestant makes it on the show, they are keenly aware of what questions "may" be posed. This is stupefying to me. I watched only the first 40 minutes or so of the first show. In the early going, some of the questions are rather benign; slightly embarrassing perhaps, in a silly way, but as the money gets larger, the questions become more difficult; more destructive.

But here's the thing; as I said I only watched the very first couple of tiers of questions--in other words, the "easy" ones. With the first contestant's wife and two friends sitting there to add to the pressure and awkwardness of the situation, the man is asked something close to, "Have you not had children yet because you don't think your wife is the woman you want to start a family with?"

The contestant, squirming, lied but the polygraph revealed it was true. So there sits his wife of two years, nationally embarrassed, personally devastated, and because he lied, he walks away with zilch. Great fun eh?

Honestly I don't know who is worse; the creators of this evil show or the people who are foolish enough to sell their self respect, their privacy, their friends their family and their marriage for the chance to make some quick cash.

"He who diligently seeks good seeks favor, but he who searches after evil, it will come to him. He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like the green leaf." Proverbs 11:27-28

If you watched this show's debut, I hope you will never watch it again; it is inspired by the devil himself and God's people have no business reveling in the sin of others.