Here’s a thought I just resurfaced from about 10 years ago, when the hybrid of Reality TV and Game Shows was really hot.
I’ve long thought we should solve the U.S. battles over immigration policy by crowd-sourcing the problem to the American people via mass-media game shows.
We could do a simple show, Big Brother style. Put 16 immigrants into a house for 8 weeks, let them compete in games of skill and chance, and ultimately win the hearts of the American people. America will vote out those who aren’t going to make good neighbors, and the rest get Green Cards at the well-publicized finale.
Other variations could include “Who wants to marry an American?”, “Who wants to be an American?”, and “Jose Millionaire”. Or you could do Double Dare style physical challenges, like wading races across a river, or swimming to shore from a sea-bound raft.
Such an approach would put the power back in the hands of Americans to elect our fellow citizens, what could be more democratic?
Some of you may be thinking, “that’s awful, you are humiliating immigrants, degrading them”, to which I reply…
- These are the same kinds of game shows that fame-seeking Americans go crazy to star in
- Is it really less degrading than getting hunted down by the INS, arrested in front of your whole community, and deported? Or worse, shot at the border by maverick unofficial border guards?
I think giving folks from around the world a shot at legitimate permanent resident status they so desire, and the rare opportunity to leverage the fleeting love of a TV-addicted American public into a true American dream of fame and fortune, it’d actually be a pretty good deal! I promise you’d have great contestants and an American public lining up for it.