'Lord of the Flies' Style Show Raises Ethical Concerns

According to Robert Thompson, a professor of media and popular culture at Syracuse University, despite -- or because of -- the show's ethical ambiguities, it should make for "compelling" television.

Thompson also said that previous reality shows like "Survivor," "Amish in the City" and "Extreme Makeover" were met with skepticism and derision before they aired, despite being considered harmless in retrospect.

"It sounds as though they have come really close to crossing the line, but it also sounds like it might be really interesting," he said.

"I'm a big defender of reality television, and ultimately these shows prove not to be the cataclysmic cultural events that we thought."

Thompson, however, said there were concerns about the way the production skirted industry standards, filming in a state with lax labor laws and declaring the production a summer camp.

New Mexico officials have since closed the loopholes that allowed the children to work onscreen for long hours but cannot help but believe the show's producers took advantage of the state by skirting their own industry's standards and regulations.

"We trust that networks or production companies are going to abide by industry guidelines," said Carlos Castaneda of the New Mexico Department of Labor. "There were loopholes that they took advantage of.

"I don't think they could successfully film the same way for another year in New Mexico, since we changed the law. This is why we changed the rules to protect children."