When I read a recent survey by Vanity Fair and 60 Minutes, it brought to mind a despicable radio and tv game show by the name of “Queen for a Day.” This extremely popular show, aired by NBC, was in essence a “sympathy show.” Four female contestants shared a personal struggle or tragedy, with the hope of eliciting a response from the audience measured by an “applause-o-meter;” the more gut-wrenching the story, the greater the applause. Depending on her story and her needs, the woman who was crowned “Queen for a Day” might win a wheelchair, a washing machine, or perhaps equipment that would improve her chronically ill child’s quality of life.
More than 50 years after “Queen for a Day” went off the air, Vanity Fair and 60 Minutes published their own version of who is the biggest victim. The public is the audience, and we get to decide who has suffered the most. One question from the poll poses this multiple choice question:
“Biggest ethical misjudgment in U.S. history?”
- African slaves
- Native Americans
- Victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
- Victims of Vietnam or Iraq wars
How is it even possible to answer this question? While the creators of the poll talk about the need for self-awareness and thoughtful reflection, this type of survey encourages us to quantify, isolate, and rank human suffering. It is counterproductive and divisive. And strangely enough, it has not been the target of considerable criticism from the public.
To make matters worse, the question above is followed by the following questions:
“Which is worse ethically when it comes to fast-food restaurants? And “Did Edward Snowden act ethically.” Transitioning from slavery to fast food restaurants and Snowden trivializes human suffering that is impossible to quantify or even grasp. 60 Minutes and Vanity Fair should remove this poll immediately. It repackages “Queen for a Day” under the guise of promoting critical thought and debate. What are your thoughts?