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Zenow · Jun 1, 2007

So... erhm.. what were you all saying?

Order2Chaos · Jun 1, 2007

Turns out it was a raising-awareness hoax: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18985913/

Dutch kidney-donor reality show a hoax
Supposed donor was actually healthy actress; contestants were in on it

Updated: 1 hour ago
AMSTERDAM - A television show in which a woman would donate a kidney to a contestants was revealed as a hoax Friday, with presenters saying they were trying to pressure the government into reforming organ donation laws.

Shortly before the controversial program was to air, Patrick Lodiers of the “Big Donor Show” said the woman was not actually dying of a brain tumor as claimed and the entire exercise was intended to add pressure on the government and to raise public awareness of the need for organs.

The three prospective recipients were real patients in need of transplants and had been in on the hoax, the show said.

The program concept had received widespread criticism for being tasteless and unethical.

But Lodiers said that it was “reality that was shocking” because around 200 people die annually in the Netherlands while waiting for a kidney, and the average waiting time is more than four years. Under Dutch rules, donors must be friends, or preferably, family of the recipient. Meeting on a TV show wouldn’t qualify.

“I thought it was brilliant, really,” said Caroline Klingers, a kidney patient who was watching the show at a kidney treatment center in Bussum, Netherlands.

“I know these transplant doctors, and I thought they’ll never go and actually do it. But it’s good for the publicity and there are no losers.”

During the show, viewers were called on to express an opinion or vote for their favorite candidate by SMS text message for 47 cents.

The show was produced by Endemol, which created “Big Brother” in 1999.

The Royal Netherlands Medical Association, known by its Dutch acronym KNM, had urged its members not to participate and questioned whether the program might just be a publicity stunt.

“Given the large medical, psychological, and legal uncertainties around this case, the KNMG considers the chance extremely small that it will ever come to an organ transplant,” it said.

All seven of the country’s transplant centers had said they not cooperating with the program, KNMG spokeswoman Saskia van der Ree.

Earlier in the week, the Cabinet declined suggestions from lawmakers to ban the program, saying that would amount to censorship.

© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Spider · Jun 1, 2007

Uncle Albert said: ↑

What kind of idiot are you?
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So answer the question.
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I guess I'll go with idiotic wanker, then.

Zenow · Jun 1, 2007

I think it was brilliantly played. It got worldwide coverage, was in the news here the entire week and no doubt made an enormous number of people think about whether or not they should become a donor. A hell of a lot more than a simple commercial could have achieved. Christ, it even got a thread on WF!
By the way, for those who didn't know - the founder of BNN, the network behind all of this, Bart de Graaff, died 5 years and one week ago at the age of 35 - he suffered from kidney failure and after a first transplant failed, he waited more than 13 years for a new one - only to find his body reject that one as well.

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