Secret Millionaire

Secret Millionaire was launched on Fox on Dec 3rd, 2008. The concept seems simple enough (started in England). http://www.fox.com/secretmillionaire/ Wealthy people appear poor so that they can discover people who are worthy of their philanthropy. And they do.

There are things about this show that may seem offensive and there may also be the potential for good derived from the exercise. In our mediated spectacle of modern times we must see through this reality television to the reality.

Money is given to people who need it.
A financially struggling construction worker is given 25k to help her get back on her feet after a medical emergency got her into financial difficulty.

The sums of money given are a minuscule fraction of the wealth of the giver.
Should we care as long as the giving is done? But 100k from the funds of a multi-millionaire? It is an inexpensive lesson.

The wealthy one is always going back to his or her status quo.
At the close of episode 1 the millionaire says that, "This experience has changed my life forever," as he captains his expensive boat back home.

While one may appreciate the giving of 50k to a woman who takes in homeless people, one may wonder if there could be more done by the wealth of this philanthropist.
While 25k is a nice start towards getting a humble, giving, construction worker out of her financial difficulty, is it enough?
And is the health/treatment of a child suffering from cancer worthy of more than the 25k that was given to her parents?

I don't wish to take away from the generosity of the giver but the viewer must be aware of these questions:
Can money really fix everything?
Will the millionaires really change?
Is this show perpetuating the ideology that money is power as the millionaires decide who to help out financially?
What exactly can money buy?
Why did the producers have the millionaire NOT enter the receivers' homes when he had exposed the truth about himself?

In reference to the production itself, the dialogue seemed forced and at times scripted. In short the flow of the show was not easy/smooth.

Many commercials focused on Christmas shopping and on upcoming shows. American Idol was featured in the commercials. Here, the ideology of success,happiness, fame and fortune is supposedly available through FOX reality TV once more.

And maybe it is, and maybe it is not. For now we have three grateful recipients of the generosity of a millionaire who is gone home. And they probably understand his desire to return home.