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There are all kinds of reality television shows out there – something for everyone, and most of us have at least one guilty pleasure.
Why not, then, have a show where rich people tried to live on what’s being proposed as a minimum wage? It’s bound to be funny, and you never know – they might learn something.
Would you watch a TV show where rich people have to live on $15/hr?
by inNoStupidQuestions
These 17 people are weighing in on whether or not they would watch!
17. Can they find their own bootstraps?
What about a show where rich people started off homeless and race to earn a roof over their head. Have to compete in mental illness and socioeconomic obstacle challenges?
16. So they DO learn lessons?!
There is already a program like this on BBC. I can’t remember what it’s called. But it takes families who are wealthy and ones living in poverty and switch them. It’s very entertaining, but not like “ha ha” or outrageous like US reality programs. It’s actually more real reality.
Most of the time the rich family admits that they really had no idea how hard it was to live like that, and often they offer to help get the poverty family a better job and stuff. One even funded the startup costs for the husband in the poverty family to start his own business, and that made a huge difference in their life.
15. A few people made this suggestion.
Nah $15/hr is too generous. Make it $7.25 and I wouldn’t miss an episode.
14. They can never really know what it’s like.
This might backfire. It’s like the song “Common People”. They have no real risk because they can go back. Part of poverty is the constant anxiety that if something goes wrong (the refrigerator breaks, the car crashes, you lose your apartment, you need a minor but expensive surgery) it is disastrous.
They wouldn’t have that. They would still think in the end “well they can just change to a different better job” or “they should just go to college”.
13. But no overtime pay, friend.
I would watch but let’s throw in closing and opening shifts back to back as well as mandatory overtime.
12. It’s not funny because it’s true.
I’d rather watch a show where rich people got to live on $7.25.
Sometimes they can even make them be a single parent. With no maternity leave or healthcare. And no affordable daycare in sight. With no family around to help. Boy those were the days…. not. I guess I should have pulled myself up by my bootstraps but unfortunately the straps broke and I couldn’t afford to replace them.
11. And it’s not fun.
This was asked countless, countless times and the real answer is no, it would be way too artificial, because they do it for fun. They can be more risky, they can cheat, but even if they dont, they dont have that pressure of knowing that if it goes wrong they still have to live the rest of their lifes… is just a show and after its done, they still have their money.
Its the same way as when you do tourism…. its entitled and ignorant af to claim you know how living in the country is, because you dont ,even if you do the same stuff
10. They still have a way out.
I would totally watch it, but it’s kinda like The Last Temptation of Christ… I mean, they know they’re going back to their real life, so the true despair that those who live in poverty will never set it.
It’s a whole different thing when you know you have a way out
9. Maybe they could do it this way…
What if they don’t get a way out?
If they can’t get to the end of the week without skipping meals/skipping bills/postponing a repair or medical appointment/you get the idea, they have to keep playing until they do or quit. And if they quit, they have to forfeit one of their homes to the poor family.
You’ll never erase their perfect comfort in this world but we can make them pay for it, at least.
8. Eat the rich.
Not in the slightest. I’m not interesting in watching rich people throw us an entertainment bone only to go back to being mega-rich once it’s over.
Not to mention the fact that they’ll likely just make more money from being on the show and continue to not give a f*ck about people on the bottom.
I don’t want to be a part of giving those people any more money or good press.
7. Maybe six months.
Not unless it was for a full month or more. If they aren’t paying rent, buying all their own food or going to food banks, riding the bus or driving a completely busted PoS that needs mechanic work they can’t afford, and ditching everything else they own in order to genuinely experience poverty for at least a month, then it’s a worthless stunt designed to gain them PR points, and I would refuse to acknowledge it in any way.
6. Because everything is a competition in America.
If you could somehow make it competitive, we could call it Wage War. Who has the best life at $15/hour? And it can be an entertaining PSA that will help us continue to change opinions on a livable wage.
5. That’s how reality shows work.
People working for the show will intentionally let rude/asshole customers in and the supervisor will be an asshole (to make the experience realistic).
Everything will be manipulated so, uh, it’ll be realistic?How about just reading Nickel and Dimed? Or watching the first 30 Days episode, or anything better than shitty “reality” shows?
4. It’s like a game you can’t win.
Would be better if they weren’t guaranteed hours and go from having a 40 hour week to a 12 hour week to a 8 hour week to a 30 hour week.
All at different times during the day too so they can’t get a 2nd job.
3. Maybe it would fly.
I watched Undercover Boss and laughed my guts out at how clueless they were, so yeah, this show sounds like a winner.
2. No one can survive…the customers.
Why “simulated”? Let ’em work an ACTUAL minimum wage job. ($8.55/hr here in Ohio) Make sure it’s customer-facing and that there are plenty of local, feral Karens in the indigenous population.
Hells yeah I’d watch it. I’d binge watch the entire season in a day.
1. Ridiculous is one word for it.
Hasn’t this already been done with Paris Hilton in the 90’s? I remember her saying that she thought people that worked fast food just did it for fun and didn’t know it was their actual job.
It was ridiculous and I’m sure a show like that would piss me off.
I think I would check it out.
Would you tune in? Tell us why or why not in the comments!
