Fraters Libertas

A Fair & Balanced Reality Show?

It's hard to ignore the geopolitical implications in the latest rendition of the reality show Joe Millionaire (season premier October 20th). The concept behind Joe Millionaire is really quite simple. A group of fourteen women vie for the attentions of a bachelor whom they believe to be loaded with lucre. Each week he winnows the group down until only two of the fetching females are left. After he makes his last cut, the "winner" discovers that the man is actually not a prince but a pauper. Will she still want him?

This season the show has added a clever twist. The man is an American. From Texas. He's said to come from oil money. He's a cowboy. Sound familiar?

All of the women trying to woo him and his treasure are Europeans. From the commercials it appears that many are French. They also come off as greedy gold diggers not interested in a true relationship (one might call it an alliance) but rather merely chasing after the riches (commercial interests?). Hmmmm....

The premise is clearly set up for the plain speaking American cowboy to trick the sophisticated Euros and for us to gleefully watch as they discover that they've been had. One of the commercials even features the line:

"What's French for sucker?"

I don't know but you better believe I'll be tuning in to find out.

Did I mention that it will be broadcast on FOX?