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The title of this column is a quote from Ed Asner's character on "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." The character, a hardened businessman, had just returned from a trip to Macau, China, where Chinese and American businessmen are building a bigger, badder Chinese-version of Las Vegas. But it's a version of Las Vegas that could serve a market of billions, not just a few hundred million.
Which got me thinking... Perhaps there's something to his sentiment. Anyone not living under a rock knows China and India are the new kids on the superpower block.
The recent surge of reality television shows really becomes a mirror into the collective psyche of where Americans are as a society, what is important to us, and where we want to go. I am not a reality TV show fanatic so please excuse any hint of consternation in my tone (even though your implications are probably not without warrant).
Ok, what is the most popular reality TV show? I'm going to guess and say it's a toss up between American Idol and the blockbuster that started it all -- Survivor. (Now, ok, I know Survivor was not the first reality TV show. I used to watch MTV's The Real World and Road Rules and those preceded Survivor and the current run of reality shows by a decade.)
Well, let's run down a list of the some of the more famous, or infamous, ones:
American Idol -- outlast your opponents by singing and dancing better
Survivor -- a test of wills, strength and collaboration
Apprentice -- cutthroat business tactics 101
The Bachelor/Bachelorette -- good times
Big Brother -- never seen it
Dancing with the Stars -- oh god....Emmett no.
The Benefactor -- Cuban's not-so-golden child
My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss -- sometimes I just hate FOX
Celebrity Duets -- Little Carlton, we hardly knew ye, and Chris Jericho?!? I'm officially moving to France.
Fear Factor -- TMI my friend TMI. Didn't need to know about the horse testicles.
Amazing Race -- It's a mad mad mad mad mad mad reality tv world
America's Next Top Model -- the show that turned Tyra Banks into a has-been
Joe Millionaire -- Providing homeless people and golddiggers jobs since 2003...
Skating with the Stars -- We have officially Jumped the Shark...
Well, you get the gist of this list. Sorry if I have offended any of you by leaving off your favorite shows.
I must admit that there are some interesting and entertaining premises. I just got tired of the incessant commercials hyping the predictable nature of deplorable human actions. There's nothing like the combination of bile-laden Temptation Island with massive dollar signs for News Corp. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.
But alas, take a look at one of the more popular reality television shows in China. It's called "Win Big in China."
Now, the amazing thing about this show isn't that it's the first business-related TV show. The Donald, Martha Stewart and Mark Cuban already took care of that.
But it's a show based on 108 aspiring entrepreneurs trying to get several of China's more formidable venture capitalists to invest in their business plan (think a successful Paula Abdul). As the 108 competitors are reduced through competitions to sharpen their managerial skills and business plans, they also meet regularly with business consultants and are judged by panels of experts with private-sector backgrounds.
The eventual winner receives approximately $1.2 million to invest in their business plan, they receive stock in their eventual business, and viewers who voted for the winner also can receive shares in the winning business. Not a bad way to prepare for the world of business eh?
Now, it's easy to stand back and take cheap shots at the "Joe Millionaires" and "Dancing with the Stars" of the world. But those shows rate well among viewers and generate revenue for their parent companies. That's the free market at work--selling goods or services people want and are willing to pay for.
But step back for a moment and take in the entire scope of what we focus on for entertainment versus this example of a Chinese game show. The differences are fundamental. I'm sure China has their own versions of "Survivor" and "The Real World" too, so no one's perfect here.
But the "Win in China" game show producers had to pick 108 entrepreneurs out of well over 100,000 initial respondents. That's 100,000 entrepreneurs itching to get their businesses into the market. And that's but a mere fraction of the possibilities that lie ahead over the next few years if Chinese economic growth remains strong.
And whether or not the United States remains the only economic superpower over the next 25 years is irrelevant because our entrepreneurs and businesses, if they want to hit it big on a global scale, will have millions upon millions of potential clients and business partners who already speak Mandarin.
