and I thought I've seen it all....

[RickM]

This just blows my mind...... http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/19700.htm/

I can't think of anything lower.

[trj911]

That ain't right man!

[SilverPoly]

That is just wrong. Reality TV is getting ridiculous.

[RickM]

They're bassically raffling off a baby. The pic of them smiling is pathetic.
I'm surprised this is legal.

[island911]

ssshhh, don't tell; in the end, the dingo gets the baby.

[mattdavis11]

I hope that the 16 year old mother is aware that she is going to be deserving of a huge ass whoopin when that child gets older. Everyone else invloved too. That's very irritating to me.

[DonDavis]

speechless....

But my heart screams if this is really happening.

[djmcmath]

I imagine if they had waited 5 years to do the same thing, we'd be a lot more open to the idea. I suspect it's just an idea before it's time. I mean, it wasn't that long ago the "First Frontal Nudity on PrimeTime TV" happened. Now it's almost cliche. I am encouraged that our culture still musters up some semblance of outrage at this sort of thing, but discouraged at the fact that we've fallen this far, as well as at the future potential. (sigh)

Dan

[Mike Bonkalski]

I thought in adoption situations the birth mother has no contact with the child immediately after the birth to prevent mother-child bonding.

I see this girl in about two years realizing she made a mistake and suing to adoptive parents for custody.

What about the birth father, does he have any say in all of this?

All in all, its just sad.

--Mike

[RickM]

Originally posted by Mike Bonkalski
I see this girl in about two years realizing she made a mistake and suing to adoptive parents for custody.

...and the network and Barbara Walters and her therapist and....

The father could probably be dead set against it and have zero say.

I wonder what compensation this girl is getting.

[RANDY P]

"We chose to participate in order to educate people on open adoption. But it's not an educational piece at this point - it's an entertainment piece made into a reality-show theme."

Absolutely tasteless, and insulting to think that a serious topic like this can be trivialized by turning it into a popular game show format. It's money that the TV networks make, and the Mother gets to foot the blame.

Pretty sick minded to be sitting there (Mother) with that silly smile on her face. What it really comes down to is that you traded your kid in for some cash and some publicity.

Decency in this country went out the window in the name of profits. Sad.

[Rot 911]

I bet the ratings go through the roof. Just giving the masses what they want. Anyone remember the original Rollerball and Death Race 2000 movies from the 70's. We all laughed at them and commented on how unrealistic they were. No one could possibly want to see that kind of reality violence based tv. Are we that far away from it now?

[RickM]

I really don't think this is what the masses want. But then again people will back traffic up for hours to gawk and dismembered or burnt bodies in a car accident.

Outrageous subjects involving adults typically become more accepted as times go on. But with kids it's a different set of rules.

I really feel sorry for the little kid. Like she's a game prize. Well, actually she is.

I'll bet the spin is that the proceeds will go to her college education etc etc.

[UconnTim97]

I saw an ad for that, and it is just wrong....

[HarryD]

As an adoptive parent (one closed, one sort of open), I find this disgusting.

Please vote with your remote.

[dd74]

What's interesting about this is Barbara Walters is an adoptive parent, too, and a huge advocate of the process. But this is far beyond what a normal adoption is.

I truly wonder if this was her idea or the Network's? Everyone's buzzing for ratings now.

Also on ABC, Ted Koppel plans to read the names and show the faces of the 500 dead U.S. soldiers on television tomorrow night. Do we need that?

[damouth]

That is just about the most disgusting thing I have ever seen. Some day that poor kid may very well see that show... think on it.

Complete moral bankruptcy.... The only way to salvage this is to make the mother get sterilized afterwards.... ...and every penny she earns on the talk show circuit should go to the baby.

[pwd72s]

FWIW...I'm an adopted kid, born in 1943. I have ZERO interest in connecting with a birth family. I won't be watching this piece of trash on network TV either. I know who my parents are, and that's the couple, male and female, who fed, loved, and raised me. Far as I'm concerned, the best part of the deal is no command performances at family reunions...

[on-ramp]

This is a new low for Barbara Walters......if you look at that picture, the only one that looks worried is that baby!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I dunno, the kid will probably be better off than trying to have a 16 year old raise her!