Netherland TV Plays With People's Organs

The government of the Netherlands has decided to not stop a reality show from broadcast, where a woman who has an inoperable brain tumour donates her kidneys to one of three lucky contestants:

The network said the woman will hear interviews with the three candidates, their families and friends, before choosing who'll get her kidney. Viewers will be able to cast votes, but the final say will be up to the woman.

The government was asked to stop the show, but said it won't because that would be censorship.

Opponents of the show are furious, calling it unethical, tasteless and morally irresponsible. On the surface that may seem true, but upon further reflection, I think the show is a great idea.

The woman who has the inoperable brain tumour is going to die and she wants someone to benefit from her kidneys. To me that's altruistic. It's a win-win for the lady with the tumour and the kidney recipient.

There is a shortage of organ donors in the Netherlands (and every other country in the world), so if they can portray this show in the right light--tastefully--it might give other people the right idea to fill out their organ donor cards.

This isn't a show about harvesting parts, Fenris already has the rights for that show, this is about a show where someone who is terminally sick is doing the right thing and giving a sick person a chance to heal. To me, that's amazing.

The only thing in my mind that could go wrong is if the producers of the show cheese it up to the point where the actual reason for the good deed becomes lost. That very well may happen, producers are hounds and snakes. Hopefully that won't happen though, hopefully we'll see human kindness in all its glory.