Secret Undercover Bossy Millionaires

Time for a rant - 

Last year, CBS touted a new show called Undercover Boss - a show where executives spend a few days with the huddled masses and are magically changed into better people with better businesses.  I expected it to bomb. I was wrong.  It was a huge success.  Now ABC has followed suit and brought back Secret Millionaire - a show where millionaires go out among the huddled masses and are magically changed into better people.

Can't anyone else see that the emperor isn't wearing any clothes?

At a time when CEOs are being raked over the coals for receiving outlandish bonuses and putting profit over people, suddenly there is a show where the executives are the good guys and we just don't understand how hard it is for them and they don't understand how hard it is for us.  But wow!  An hour of television later, we're all so much better than we were before.  A few benevolent gifts from the master before he heads back up to the big house, and we're all supposed to ooh and ahh over his kindness?  Wake up, people!  They know we outnumber them, and they're afraid we're going to realize this some day, too.

This show (and Secret Millionaire) are nothing but propaganda put out by the corporations that run our country and our networks.  It's the classic slight-of-hand - look what we're putting into your hands while we take everything you own from your wallet.

These companies are not doing this out of goodwill; these shows are all about greed and finding new ways to fleece consumers.  Why would a CEO put his company name out there if there was any chance he might damage his corporate brand?  He wouldn't.  They know up front that they are going to be portrayed in a positive light.  

They get an hour of free publicity for their brands (and since no one is watching commercials any more this is invaluable), and they garner sympathy and good feelings towards that make people want to go out and shop for their products or eat at their restaurants.  Not to mention, maybe it will dilute some of the anger at CEOs when we hear about all of their bonuses.

In other words, they're laughing all the way to the bank.

Don't buy the hype.  We're smarter than this!  If you must watch these shows, do so objectively and realize the end results they are hoping for.  Better yet, turn them off!!!