Tonight I had the opportunity to see a preview of the 1st episode of
30 Days, the new show by Morgan Spurlock of
Supersize Me fame. The preview was co-sponsored by the
Center for American Progress and
ACORN and was held at a movie theater in Washington DC. The film was introduced by Sen. Ted Kennedy (more on this after the flip).
I usually hate reality shows and refuse to watch any of them, but '30 Days' is definitely worth a look. The premiere episode is about the minimum wage: Morgan and his fiancee Alex leave all their money, credit cards and even their health insurance behind to live for 30 days earning nothing but minimum wage. This episode should be required viewing for anyone (especially Republicans!) who thinks we don't need to raise the minimum wage in this country.
The show premieres tomorrow (Wednesday)@ 10 PM on FX.
More on the flip.
Of course, no reality show can truly convey the experience of living from paycheck to paycheck for years, but the show does show glimpses of what it's like. During the 30 days, Alex suffers a medical condition that requires to go to the emergency room and miss a couple of days of work. Without health insurance, Morgan and Alex see their savings eaten up by the hospital bill--the ER fee alone is $300!
One the evening's treats was getting to see Sen. Ted Kennedy delivery a short but fiery speech on the minimum wage. He's clearly very passionate about the issue, and framed it terms of fairness, a value that most Americans can understand. Kennedy also made a plug for his minimum wage bill:
Senator Kennedy's proposal would raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour in three steps. The current minimum of wage is $5.15 is grossly inadequate to live on in this economy with nearly 36 million people live in poverty, including 13 million children. An American who works full-time, year-round at the current minimum wage earns $10,700 a year -- $5,000 below the poverty line for a family of three. In the past eight years Congress has raised their own pay seven times, yet has refused to offer minimum wage earners a single raise.
This bill will probably not pass this year, but the issue of minimum wage is gaining momentum elsewhere. For example, ACORN successfully organized voters in Florida and helped pass a minimum wage increase ballot initiative--with 72% of the vote. ACORN is now trying to achieve a similar victory in Ohio (where the premiere episode of '30 Days' takes place).
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised byt this show. It's a great example of how liberals can find compelling and entertaining ways to convey their message without coming off as dour of preachy. The episode I saw was managed to be funny, informative and moving, while conveying a solid progressive message that favors the working class of America.
Again, show premieres tomorrow (Wednesday) @ 10 PM on FX.