One nation under studio lighting

A new pitch for a reality show on the process of immigration reveals just how far American culture is willing to rebrand itself for entertainment and ratings.

By J.A. Aleman

Reality television and competitive television shows have been on the decline in America. There are long running game shows such as the Price is Right, Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and Family Feud to name some. 

We can see the decline in shows like Survivor, which no longer fits the name because competitors don’t really have to survive anything anymore. It’s just a game show about competing in glorified summer camp games with the backdrop of an island. 

Hollywood Squares was canceled in 1984 but made a comeback in January 2025 with Nate Burleson and Drew Barrymore. On its premiere episode the series saw over 7 million viewers but its last episode on May 9, just over 2 million views, according to TV Series Finale.  

This could either indicate the celebrities they have filling the squares aren’t famous enough, or no one really cares what celebrities have to say outside of their acting.     

Reality television usually features shows about competing to win a prize like vacations, money or something like a car. There’s a new game show in the works that could say much more about American culture than any other to date. 

The Daily Mail was first to break the news on a game show where immigrants would compete for citizenship. Yes, let that sink in. This says more about American culture because it shows lack of respect for what citizenship means and disgraces those that work and study very hard to become legal citizens. 

My notion of how important citizenship is and its meaning won’t stop this show from being filmed. I honestly never thought something like this would be a prize in a competition, but this is America, that land of opportunity. This game show will definitely prove that to be true. 

Daily Mail also mentioned they have an exclusive 35-page pitch that was put together with help from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) but have not released it yet. 

“DHS receives hundreds of television show pitches a year, ranging from documentaries surrounding ICE and CBP border operations to white collar investigations by HIS,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a press release for DHS. “Each proposal undergoes a thorough vetting process prior to denial or approval. This pitch has not received approval or rejection by staff.” 

Writer and producer Rob Worsoff, known for Duck Dynasty and Dating Naked told CNN, “I’m pitching the journey. I’m pitching the face to immigration. This is a great celebration of America.” 

Is it? I would think putting a series together following multiple families becoming citizens would make for a more meaningful experience and educate those that will never have to go through it. 

Worsoff is a Canadian immigrant and pitched the concept of the show to the Obama and Biden Administrations and both were receptive, but the idea was not publicized. He’s hopeful and feels the idea is trending in a good way because in his interview with CNN he mentions having multiple studios having interest. 

I think that’s a lie and he’s saying it to give the idea more allure. But if he’s telling the truth, God bless and keep America.  

Worsoff added, “I want everyone to understand the process. Most Americans can’t even pass a basic civics test, and I want to bring people born in America to face off against our future Americans and see how well they would do.” 

It almost doesn’t matter what the competitors would have to do because this is completely tone deaf and flat out offensive. America is all about consumerism as I’ve stated in an article I wrote for The Ledger a few weeks ago, and that is realistically what the country will always be about. 

It’s no surprise that only 1 in 3 Americans could actually pass the citizenship test, according to a 2018 survey done by the Institute of Citizens & Scholars. If anything, this demonstrates that natural born Americans aren’t willing to work or educate themselves enough to understand their own country. 

It’s of little importance what side of the political aisle we’re standing on. We can get up and complain about something that could be hurting our experience in the U.S., but we must have an understanding of the framework of America first. Otherwise, what are we complaining about? 

So far with this news, I’ve seen multiple news outlets point a finger at the Trump Administration and saying how horrible this is, making it a right vs left issue. That’s nonsense and clearly misses the bigger problem with the premise of the game show. 

Worsoff compared this show to the Biggest Loser, which was a series where overweight people competed to see how much weight they could lose. This series gave America an insight into what it means to be overweight and why people are overweight and were also able to help many of the contestants. That show was not about glorifying obesity, but signaling it was an issue. 

I can get behind a show that wants to give the real struggle of what becoming a U.S. citizen takes. But this is America and there is always the almighty dollar to make, which means this can turn into a program solely based on entertainment and not valid human stories with genuine emotion. It’s a joke and could make for a televised appropriation of various cultures and how they live the immigrant experience. 

According to an article by Go2Tutor, The Jerry Springer Show was completely fake because actors were hired to play those exaggerated dramatic roles of extreme domestic issues bordering on comical. Looking back, I’m ashamed to admit I fell for it. Worsoff’s show has the same potential because reality tv is not reality. Who would have guessed? 

Perhaps a game show competing for U.S. citizenship is a compelling gimmick—but that’s exactly the problem. It turns citizenship into a spectacle. And in the end, that hurts the American public, because game shows aren’t meant for education. Yet that’s where many will get their understanding of American culture and history. 

Look at the trends that happened with people celebrating obesity because of The Biggest Loser. There are multiple TikTokers who have died from being overweight because it was a gimmick to a quick buck. Some could say that it was the America Dream at work. I say it’s a lack of understanding what the American Dream tangibly is. 

The dream is not about celebrating everything and everyone and doing whatever we want just because we can. The dream is about making a life that is better for ourselves and those who come after us.