Please - DO NOT WATCH THIS TELEVISION SHOW!!!!!!!

[kcass1954]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/03/business/media/03adco.html?th&emc=th

Wal-Mart, seeking additional ways to burnish its tarnished image, is turning to a new realm: reality TV.

For the first time, Wal-Mart Stores is becoming a major sponsor of a reality television show, by signing a branded-entertainment agreement with ABC for "The Scholar," a summer series that begins a six-week run on Monday night. Wal-Mart will be woven into the plots of episodes of the show, which is centered on a competition among 10 high school seniors from across the country for a grand prize of a full college scholarship, valued at $250,000, covering tuition and expenses.

<snip>

"In the battleground Wal-Mart is now part of, they're recognizing it's time they speak up for themselves," said Wendy Liebmann, president of WSL Strategic Retail, a consulting company in New York. "They have to tell their own story, or otherwise people will tell it for them."

<snip>

"Sears gets letters from viewers saying, 'We're going to shop at Sears because you do so much good for people,' " Ms. Momoda said.

Imagine how happy Wal-Mart would be to get even a postcard to that effect.

[RockaFowler]

1. The Show Looked Bad Anyway

[Bluebear]

2. No, please watch!

The message could be "study hard, educate yourself as much as possible and you too could be a non-union Wal-Mart greeter as your skilled job is outsourced to one of Poppy's Chinese connections!" :crazy:

[bertha katzenengel]

3. Oh, jesus fuck, don't worry.

It's a hideous premise anyway. As are most reality shows.

[Dover]

Oh, so this is the new education policy...this and vouchers

Corporate sponsorship taken to a new height..educational competitions that actually put money in the pockets of their sponsors.

All the sponsors for these 'reality' shows are apparently gaining prestige and loyalty for their on air 'good deeds'.

Another good reason to toss the tube.

[kaygore]

4. They have to go a lot further to improve their image

A TV show, no matter how compelling (which this one isn't) can't fix what is broken with Wal-Mart (their very souls).

Wal-Mart is bad to the bone.

[Deja Q]

5. And the more people hype up themselves,

the more others who are cynical or determined enough will find ways to knock them down.

Given today's uber-cynical society, wal-mart is wasting its time.

[Rex]

6. So which Wal-Mart school district do you live in?

Just replace the school board with Wal-Mart CEOs!

[SoCalDem]

7. I saw the ad, and almost lost my lunch

What a perfectly HORRID idea for a "show". It's one thing to pit grown ups against each other for a "prize", but to pit vulnerable young students against each other, and only ONE gets the full ride scholarship....Peeee-Yoooooo..

These kids have competed aginst each other for grades, their whole lives, and now they get the "bonus cut-throat round"...UGH..

I hope they did psychological tests on all of them.. I can actually see a suicide coming out of this "show"..:cry:

[China_cat]

8. I don't ever watch ANY of these so-called 'reality' shows.

And if WalMart really wants to fix its image, it can start treating its employees like human beings instead of walking garbage.

[Dover]

9. Hmmm....which do you choose. REAL change or "real" t.v.?

If Wal-Mart wants to improve its image, all it needs to do is change
it's lecherous ways toward communities and employees. Apparently REAL change is too hard, so they work on image instead by sponsoring "real" t.v.

[hlthe2b]

10. better yet, join me in being TV-Free this summer....

I cut the cable two weeks ago and counting-- not missing so far at all.

Why watch all that summer crap, low cost cheesy reality shows and repeats?

When I've saved enough from my previous cable bill (about 3 more weeks) I'll splurge on the MYFI XM2GO so I can listen to satellite radio, including AAR in and outside getting things done or just getting outside for exercise. No more summer couch potato for me....