Survival of the richest

Marxism is supposedly dead, but the allure of class warfare continues in the new reality TV show Survival of the Richest (WB, 8:00 p.m. ET Fridays).

The show pairs wealthy kids with blue-collar types who struggle to make ends meet. In two-person rich/poor teams, they perform "challenges" until they get voted off the mansion. The winning team will get $200,000. "That's dinner," says one rich kid. Another says, "Maybe I'll buy a watch."

The idle rich are excruciatingly snobbish, throwing off statements like these: "Hi, I'm 23, and I can probably buy your town!" "Why should I care where money comes from?" "I'm a little fuzzy on the whole work concept." With reality TV's penchant for creating stereotypes, the audience can root for the virtuous poor and enjoy watching the jetsetters wait tables, work at a homeless shelter, and clean toilets.

One of the rich kids on the program is Kat Moon, said to be the daughter of a "religious leader" who is worth $989 million. As confirmed on the Unification Church website, that would be Sun Myung Moon, the self-styled messiah whose goal is to save the world by establishing the "ideal family."

Ms. Moon is sullen and, judging from the number of times her words are bleeped, foul-mouthed. She says she came on the show to try to quell her "chronic boredom." She sulks, sticks to herself, and exudes gloom. Neither the rich kids nor the poor kids like her.

Sadly, what her father's cult lauds as "the ideal family" has produced a miserable young woman. Ms. Moon is, however, the closest to a real person on this reality show. She is someone to pray for.