The Latest from Bonanza City

Kid Nation was back on the air tonight, which meant I was putting off my homework and ignoring any phone calls from about 6:30-8:00. The show has gotten progressively more interesting, as characters we barely knew at the beginning started to reveal themselves and new dynamics have began to emerge within the group. We've been introduced to DK (an older kid who is generally beloved in Bonanza City), Zack (a born leader and the founder of the Jew Crew.), Emilie (a wannabe PETA member who ironically looks like she spends a lot of time at KFC) and Jared (the comic relief and probable future Jew Crew leader). But the kid who's made the largest impact on Kid Nation aside from the group council is Greg, a cocky 15 year old who can't seem to decide whether he wants to better his society or terrorize the other kids. His long running rift with then-council member Mike created palpable tension every time they were on screen together, something you wouldn't expect from a show about a bunch of kids too young to be in Algebra I.

And the twists keep coming. Entitled snob Taylor got voted off the council in favor of the decidedly less bitchy Zach, but not before she established herself as a terrifically entertaining villain. In between reminding everyone over and over that she was a beauty queen, Taylor spent her time on the council shouting insults and orders at other kids while running away from her own responsibilities. As I said in my first Kid Nation post, the best thing about most reality shows is stupid beef and Taylor's knack for pissing people off made for great television.

Incidentally, the show's producers obviously realize the appeal of shows like this centers around the conflict and drama that insues (and usually the sex, but that probably isn't going down in Bonanza City). They pit the kids against each other in situations that are truly despicable at times. In one episode, the council consults the Old Pioneer Journal left behind by those CBS executives who apparently roamed the old west with the idea that they should write a Bonaza City owner's manual some kids could use 150 years down the line. This journal actually suggested the council cajole the other kids into having a pan-theological religious ceremony. Shockingly, that led to all kinds of conflict, including more jaw dropping anti-Semitism than a weekend with David Duke.

The powers-that-be also stir things up by putting the kids into teams and pitting them against each other in bizarre challenges. Tonight, they had to find tin cans submerged under gallons of baked beans in a giant vat filled with pigs. No, really. Even better than the actual challenges are the prizes the kids earn from victory. They get to choose between two rewards, one of which is always useful and practical, the other a ridiculous luxury item only a child would pick in that situation. Surprisingly, they've been pretty responsible. Good for them, because if they had taken the heated water slide over the outhouse, it would have caused even more wailing and gnashing of teeth. Bad for me, because that's what I want out of a show like this. Kid Nation continues to pull out all the stops for the benefit of the viewer. Stripping children of their dignity has never been so fun.