December 02, 2008
'Secret Millionaire': What Message Will New Show Send About Charity?
Picture this: A millionaire goes undercover, posing as a minimum-wage worker to get a taste of what it’s like to be one of America’s working poor.
Along the way, the millionaire is so moved by the experience that he gives away some of his wealth to a person he meets on his journey.
Reality? Not really.
But it is the premise behind a new reality television series, The Secret Millionaire, which debuts Wednesday night on Fox.
The new series is the latest in a string of network offerings with a charitable bent — a trend that includes shows like Oprah’s Big Give, ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and NBC’s The Celebrity Apprentice.
Some of the shows have been quite popular, offering feel-good stories while raising money for charity.
“The shows are praised by some scholars and charity officials for inspiring viewers to help the less fortunate and raising money for charitable causes,” wrote Chronicle reporter Ian Wilhelm in a recent story on the trend. “Extreme Makeover, for example, has donated part of the proceeds from the sale of its first-season DVD to Habitat for Humanity International, garnering about $50,000 for the Americus, Ga., nonprofit organization.”
But they have also been criticized as exploitative and as giving viewers a skewed vision of how charity really works.
For example, Joshua Horwitz, executive director of the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, in Washington, was highly critical of celebrity Oprah Winfrey‘s reality show in a recent Chronicle essay.
“Television offers a great opportunity to educate and to make people passionate about causes — especially when a philanthropist and television personality as popular as Oprah Winfrey is sponsoring the lessons,” Mr. Horwitz wrote.
“But the show ended up featuring amateur and embarrassing efforts at giving. It passed off as entertainment people wasting thousands of dollars of donated money and did little to help the American public learn what it really takes to change the lives of other people.”
Where will Secret Millionaire fall in this debate? Will it inspire more Americans to give? Or will it exploit those it sets out to help?
Check out a preview of the show below and click on the comments link below to share your impressions.
Comments
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The wife of the CEO of our local utility is taking part in this. Unfortunately, the husband has driven this company, and another very well-respected company, into the ground.
The result is that so many workers at this utility will not be able to retire as they had hoped. The stock went from $142 to $26 because of this man.
The wife ought to be giving money here, where she lives, and not to some strangers.
It’s really raised a firestorm here.
— Fairfax Dec 2, 01:07 PM #
How can you register to be on the show
— JoAnne Thomas Dec 3, 11:24 AM #
How can I register for the secret millionare show. God, I have been struggling for so long.
— Rhonda Wise Dec 3, 07:07 PM #
Great Idea! Thhis country was built on the honesty, integrity and generousity of ordinary Americans. I am so glad the younger, wealthy of the show get to experience the reality many of us grow up with- I can’t say enough, how glad I am you all created this show.
I try to give what I can- I could never give away $100,000- but I would sure like to try!!
Thanks, thanks thanks.
DonnaMSabb
VP Wealth Management
Smith Barney
— Donna M Sabb Dec 3, 07:36 PM #
Like the idea of helping people. I work for Habitat for Humanity when I can. I’m a full time paramedic and help people everyday. I think the show is a little contrived and fake. One Millionare says she’s afraid for her safety. Hey, if you get into trouble, ask the producers, sound people and cameramen to help you. What do they tell people why several cameras are following them around. And the ‘normal’ people are ‘miced up’. How real is it really? I hope the show is throwing some of their money around too.
— Mark Dewey Dec 3, 08:14 PM #
i am writening to you about this family mom just one the battle of cancer. they also lost everthing in tropical storm fay this family really needs are help
— sherrie Dimarsico Dec 3, 08:18 PM #
I am so proud of the people who came up w/this show, I wrote to a production co. one week ago and asked why are all the reality shows are with rich people, they wrote back and said because people want to watch the rich, I wrote to them saying why not give the blue collar people a chance we have real stories to tell, and we can use the money, blue collar people work so hard for what we have and the stories behind our doors are real and very touching, so you can see why I am over joyed tonight to see this on TV, I want to thank all the people who came up with this show and to all those ANGELS out there who are giving, you are true to the word ANGEL as you are human, may god bless you always.
Love Janice Power North Reading mass
— janice power Dec 3, 08:20 PM #
I think that what the show is doing is wonderful and it would be nice if more millionares would give some money away, after all you cant take it with you when you die and do you really need that much to begin with. Also I think that people should stop saying America’s working poor when in reality this is the norm.
— jenny Dec 4, 10:02 AM #
I loved the show and was really taken back by it all. Our story isn’t as bad as the ones on the show but it is bad. My wonderful,honest,hardworking,kind husband was fired almost 5 yrs. ago from a job he had almost 10 yrs. It was premeditated, something we later found out to make the Supervisor look good. The Co. was shocked and truely as devastated as us. He hasn’t found a fulltime,permanent job since. He is 60 and doesn’t want to reitre anytime soon. We used up all his retirement.We have an equity loan and a PARENT’S college loan from when our youngest was in college that we can’t pay. Our bills are late and we are almost being thrown out of our house. We want our good credit status back and our life. We are simple middle class people that want a chance at being happy again.We’d like to be able to take a trip now & then,help our 2 loving daughters when they get married and have OUR grandkids,be able to extend our kitchen so we can have a real stove,extend our attic and get repairs done,find a legal easy work at home pt job we can do till my man gets a new job. Once the market is better and our credit is back to normal, then we could think about getting help with our mortgage or selling our house and moving closer to the shore and buying a house in a senior area that is wonderful and very liveable and less taxes and cheaper all around. I was laid off 11/07 and do Companion/elder care at clients homes. It is very rewarding but it isn’t totally fulltime and without my husband having a job it isn’t ehough money to get caught up or just pay our bills on time. We lost our health insurance that is very important to us as we need different tests and exams done. We have tried to get help for years from the GVT. and we got scamed, congressmen/women,tv,ads,radio,newspapers and we even tried to get a FREE no pay back Grant and got scamed of $200. So you see why we are at wits end begging for an ANGEL to come and get us back on our feet. Thanks, LC
— LC Dec 7, 09:47 AM #
How do you apply to nominate someone for the show that could use the Millionaires Help?
— Joyce Taylor Dec 8, 04:04 PM #
I’m trying to figure out if all these positive reviews are being sarcastic or not. Really? “Angels”? You give away a tiny portion of your fortune and sail off back to your mansion – angel? I think not. These are the very people who would vote against health care for the lower classes because they don’t want to pay higher taxes; the very people who would vote to cut funding for public schools for that same reason. You want to help the “poor folk”? Pull out the roots of poverty and underdevelopment and work to eliminate them.
Charity, while still important, should be done on top of these efforts, not in lieu of them.
— eirracoes Dec 10, 02:18 PM #
why are you going to make a show and give already well to do people more money for giving up there time for a service they should already be providing on a weekly basis.
honestly your trying to give these people a moral pass when morally they are already out of touch with reality.
the creator of this show among so many other shows need to have these shows taken of the air and the money invested they would apply to thease shows into neighborhoods.
just the basic thought of this is im better than you. wake up world!
— tholbar Dec 10, 07:24 PM #
hi love the show i dreamt that was me winning the money. it would help us out alot we are in our late 57 58 christmas birthday my husband has 2 new knee replacemants we are retired half money per month we still have a 210,0000 mg car payent 400.00 month to pay off our car in 4 years 28000. we need the car other payments i volunteer do some daycare work. each month is hard stress , the lord does provide. we aretrying i worry more. we have our grand daught 6 dec 30 daught her husband. they are trying to save there money to buy a house we try to help out.. but each day we are so blessed/ this would be nice if could be on the list for the secret millionare. blessings alexis stel 19469 115 a ave pitt meadows bc v3y 1r4. bc canada cell phone 1 778 8280898 home phone 1 604 465 9252. can leave message phone thankyou
— alexis stel Dec 10, 09:22 PM #
There is a lot to be learned from this show. But I was very put-off by the way the money was conveyed. I believe the Millionaire couple should have remained in the clothing that fit into the neighborhood where the show was filmed. The flashy clothes & car seemed like a slap at the less fortunate folks the Millionaires had grown to admire. To me, the message of the show would be stronger if it emphasized that we are all alike. We all have the same wants, needs, hurts, desires — and we give to others are we are able. The flashy car and clothes in the middle of an impoverished neighborhood seemed like a slap at the local residents. “See me… I’m really a lot better than you are.” It belied the wonderful gift that was given from the heart. I think the producers might reconsider the tone in which the gift is conveyed — but overall the show is a wonderful concept.
— Kathryn Dec 11, 02:31 PM #
I was angry after the first show. I thought, what a great idea! Multi-millionares giving to those who need it! On the first show they have a man who has made his millions off people being forclosed on with their homes. He and his son meet people who have pulled themselves up with their own bootstraps and are not anywhere near rich, but willing to help those they believe need it. They meet people willing to take in the homeless to give then a base to work from, an address, telephone number for work applications, etc., and a little girl who has blood cancer. What do they do? They split 100,000.00 between the 3. How far out of touch are they when they don’t understand that the little girl with cancers medical bills will top 300,000.00 by themselves! How selfish are they to give 25K to a lady who lost her house when she became disabled and lost her job. They probably made that much on just her house when it was forclosed on.
I was not impressed at all. They also had the gall to say that we should all live our lives like these people (meaning willingness to help the down trodden and being generous). trouble is….we do…each and every day there are millions of people around the world that try to make this world a better place one random act of kindness at a time. The show sucks.
— Ruth McDonald Dec 11, 07:23 PM #
I AGREE with all who think this show has good points, but FAILS miserably in so many ways. The millionaires should NOT be wearing their super-expensive flashy clothes, or driving their ridiculous cars when they go to give their gifts. They should be humbled by this experience, and feel that it is hurtful to flash their wealth at the end of the show. If they truly cared about these people that they say they have been blessed to meet, they would refuse to make this showy display. It really is rubbing salt in the impoverished people’s emotional wounds, who don’t even own a vehicle! And wait until you all see the episode that airs tonight, starring “G”. The cheap loser only gives away $90,000! When at the beginning of each episode, it clearly states, that each millionaire will “give AT LEAST $100,000 of their own money away!” What a cheap, pompous, arrogant materialistic person! Then he goes back to his ‘wonderful’ life, back to his family, and looks like this selfless saint. C’mon! I pray he watches this episode (no doubt, he will love to watch himself) and sees what a cheap bastard he his compared to the others that have gone on this show. What I want to know is…..how did “G” get away with not spending the full $100,000?
— s.k Dec 11, 11:21 PM #
i think its great if its true for the rich to help the poor, i have worked all my life, and i end up to pay all my bills on 877.00 a month, i really know what poor is so don’t my kids, i could never give them nice things, so if its true then thank god for thrm people. ellen
— ellen nicholas Dec 12, 05:35 PM #
This show really made me cry and touch my heart because it’s amazing that there is millionaire out there who is welling to help the poor. I just want to say and wish that you can help my parents they are really in need of help with there life, they have been parents who work and try to keep up with there kids, they are hard working surviving parents, my mom who has no education struggle to find a great paying job, and my dad who had a by-pass last year is not allow to go back to work, and who still fight to find work and money to support this house and family. Please let me know how to nominate my parents, because if this is really true it’s a miracle, and god bless.
I well look forward to hearing for you, thanks!
— CNYH Dec 12, 09:31 PM #
Just saw this show for the first time & found it truly offensive. The young millionaire know as “G” actually had $300 Million dollars!!!! And when it came time to give, he dressed in an incredibly expensive suit, donned a diamond encrusted Cartier watch & donated 2 checks of $35,000 (mere chump chain) to two seperate shelters in San Francisco as well as giving 2 – $10,000 checks to two different individuals. I thought he came across very egotistical, making himself appear more superior by how he dressed, somewhat creating this image that he was GOD…Give me a Break…that was truly offensive to those poor struggling people. Besides, his donation relieves some of his tax burden. Geniune?? Not in the least!!
— Linn Dec 13, 05:59 PM #
I think this show is insulting to the poor. I am poor How wrong is it to show off your wealth by drinking fine wines driving in their big cars and helping 3 people. Some people would just be satisfied for a meal with meat and a vegetable and maybe bread. Some people live on less then nine hundred dollars a month for life. By the time they pay for shelter and heat there is not much for food.
— jack Dec 16, 04:23 PM #
What a stupid show & an insult to ALL inolved.
If they cared so much for the poor, why did the rip them off in the first place. FOX take this garage off TV!!!!
— Joe Dec 17, 08:09 PM #
i have read the comments on the show..both good and bad. i think the show has a great message over all. although they could lose the flashy end. it really makes one think about their own lives and how much of an effect we have on people. Are we doing our best to help mankind…I enjoy this show because it shows real people who struggle and are given an opportunity to make more of their lives. I really want to strive to help more people in any way I can
— sally Dec 17, 09:01 PM #
How can you register to be on the show
— Magen Dec 17, 11:34 PM #
I have been reading the posts on this site. No the show isn’t perfect, but if they showed up at any of the doors of the people complaining, you would gladly accept the money! Shame on you for putting people down. there are people that dont know how to give, do you realize that? I live on $800. a month and I never have any money left nor any health insurance, but even if they are making mistakes, they are trying. They don’t have to give at all. God Bless them and the people that they are helping. Please keep it up, and a little at a time, maybe we can all make it a better world.
— Karen Dec 18, 08:39 PM #