“Have a baby with a stranger” reality TV show

Aspiring TV stars lined up to have a baby with a stranger on live television for a prize of £100,000. This experiment showcased the extraordinary measures individuals will take to achieve fame.

The concept began as a challenge to create the most tasteless reality television show and push the limits of this genre.

If fame is your goal, consider the case of Brit Jade Goody, who participated in Big Brother, didn’t win, yet emerged as a multi-millionaire.

The satirical program titled “Let’s Make a Baby” nearly transformed into an actual show.

Phone lines were inundated when the program sought contestants, and countless television networks worldwide expressed interest by offering substantial sums to acquire the series rights.

“We never envisioned going this far with minimal effort,” reflects Helen Sage, the show’s producer and director.

The premise of Let’s Make a Baby involved contestants, all strangers, residing in a “fertility house,” where the least attractive among them would be eliminated each week. The two remaining couples would then compete to conceive a child to win £100,000 each.

The concept already sounds outrageous. Who in their right mind would participate? That’s the issue with some reality shows; they are designed to captivate viewers, making them oddly compelling to watch despite their low quality.

The idea was presented to focus groups, who acknowledged its moral ambiguity but expressed willingness to watch it. “It’s utterly offensive,” remarked one participant. “Would I watch it? Absolutely.”

Over 200 individuals applied to be contestants, including a gay man willing to attempt having sex with a woman. Only after auditions were they informed the show was a hoax. Why would a gay man want to engage with a woman on television? It highlights the desperation some people are experiencing.

A promotional party was organized at Europe’s foremost TV sales fair in Cannes to present the fictitious idea to global TV networks and gauge their reactions. Alarmingly, it generated significant interest, resulting in several offers.

“As a TV producer, I was intrigued by how far the industry would go to attract viewers. The answer is remarkably low,” states Ms. Sage.

Professor David Wilson, who resigned as an ethical consultant on Big Brother, condemns the premise of Let’s Make a Baby as morally abhorrent and diminishing to life, yet he is not surprised by its appeal.

A contestant from UK Big Brother 6, Kinga Karolczak, has been criticized for pushing reality TV boundaries even further. Her intoxicated antics with an empty wine bottle led to a wave of complaints. Attempting to leverage the show for her singing aspirations, she now perceives herself as a victim of reality television.

“A single poorly edited moment has ruined my life,” she laments.

The pressing question is whether the public will tire of reality TV or if producers will develop a moral compass. Likely, neither will happen, and things may spiral into more extreme territory.

It appears there are no boundaries for anyone. The more shocking and controversial a concept is, the more viewers will flock to it. A few years back, a significant online audience tuned in to a horrific video of hostages being killed, illustrating just how depraved our imaginations can become.

Regarding Let’s Make a Baby, a Dutch television company is currently producing a reality series called I Want Your Baby, Not Your Love. In this show, men compete to be the sperm donor for a single woman desiring a child but not a partner.

So, if fame is your aim, just join a reality TV show. The more outrageous it is… the more likely you are to achieve fame… if only for 15 minutes, perhaps longer.

by Sash Dubronitz