Dutch TV Show Highlights Organ Crisis (w/poll)

There is a tradition in the Netherlands of "ludieke acties", demonstrations (in the broadest sense) whose very absurdity highlights to absurdity of the status quo.  Tonight, Dutch broadcaster BNN pulled off one of the best.  The Netherlands, like most of the world, suffers from a severe shortage of donated organs.  200 people die every year in the Netherlands waiting for kidneys while healthy organs go to the grave or the crematorium.  In the US, 96,663 are currently on waiting lists for donated organs and tissues.

In response to the donor shortage, BNN broadcast De Grote Donorshow (The Great Donorshow), a reality TV show where three patients waiting for kidney transplants could compete to be chosen to receive a kidney from Lisa, a terminally-ill patient.  The three contestants would make their case to Lisa and viewers could text Lisa with advice on which contestant should receive her kidneys.  At the end, Lisa would choose one of the contestants to receive her kidneys.

(More after the flip)

The show hasn't received that much attention in the US, but it has been really big news in the European and World press for the last week.  

http://media.guardian.co.uk/...

http://www.iht.com/...

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...

http://www.volkskrant.nl/...

There has been a lot of discussion of the show with some people calling it completely unethical and others defending the show.  The Christian-Democratic parties in the Dutch government called for the show to be canceled.  The European Health Commissioner declared the show "in bad taste".  

The show's broadcaster, BNN (Bart's Neverending Network), is a little different as television networks go.  The network was founded by Bart de Graaf, who because of a car accident in his youth, suffered renal failure which led to stunted growth.  De Graaf received a kidney transplant in 1997, but died in 2002 age 35 after his body rejected the transplanted kidney.  BNN produces a lot of crazy shows oriented at youths and young adults.  One of their big hits was "Neuken, doe je zo" (Screwing, a how-to), possibly the most explicit sex-ed show ever broadcast on TV anywhere.  In honor of De Graaf, BNN has made organ donation a prominent cause in their programming.

Tonight, at the conclusion of De Grote Donorshow, the presenter revealed that the donor Lisa was fake, but the three contestants were real patients seeking kidneys who agreed to go on the show to highlight the critical need for donors.  

http://news.bbc.co.uk/...

http://www.volkskrant.nl/...

I can't think of any better way to highlight that the need is real but the donors aren't there.  This is a ludieke actie for the ages.

If you're not a registered organ donor, it's easy to sign up.  Sign up and let your loved-ones know that you are a donor.

http://www.organdonor.gov/...

•  Tip Jar (n/t)

  by ortcutt on Fri Jun 01, 2007 at 03:24:12 PM PDT

•  Pity the show was a fake ...

  I'd like to see it done here. Isn't American Idol winding down?

  by mskitty on Fri Jun 01, 2007 at 03:27:16 PM PDT

  •  Well

    I think having it be a fake actually does a better job of highlighting the need, which is the point of the show.  

    by ortcutt on Fri Jun 01, 2007 at 03:31:24 PM PDT

  •  Why not put this *into* "American Idol"?

    You win, you get a record contract. You lose... you didn't really want those organs anyway.

    by mjfgates on Sun Jun 03, 2007 at 04:23:18 AM PDT

•  In Texas, you just opt-in

  When you're getting a driver's license.  A dicourageling small number do so.

  by willb48 on Fri Jun 01, 2007 at 04:00:31 PM PDT

•  CNN just did a report on the show

  seemed like a original and well liked idea. I hope it has the effect they are hoping for, getting more donors.

  by OneCrankyDom on Fri Jun 01, 2007 at 06:11:32 PM PDT

•  I don't know if they're repeated...

  ...in Europe, or even if they have that much traction here in the U.S., but I actually had a friend in college who wouldn't sign up as an organ donor because she beleived in some whacky conspiracy theory that doctors don't work as hard to save registered organ doners.

  I really hope that's not keeping any large number of people from registering as a donor.  Becuase, really... It's an idiotic thing to think.

  by WayneNight on Sat Jun 02, 2007 at 10:18:39 PM PDT

•  I know an organ recipient

  I am humbled and grateful to still have him with us. It was an amazing gift from a greiving family.

  by elfling on Sat Jun 02, 2007 at 10:48:32 PM PDT