Dear Food Network, Stop Junioring Things

Food Network’s “Kids Baking Championship” contestants.

Kids are Cheap

In terms of prize money, kids are certainly cheaper than their adult counterparts. Although it’s not a Food Network show, Master Chef awards it’s winner $250,000. The Master Chef Jr. winner gets $100,000.

Cupcake Wars winners get $10,000. On an upcoming kiddie version of the same show, the winner will receive half that.

The Holiday Baking Championship winner receives $50,000 in prize money, whereas Kids Baking Championship awards $10,000.

Although filming and production can take longer with children contestants due to child labor laws and the fact that they are kids and must, you know, do school work and stuff like that, in the long run, Food Network doesn’t have to fork up as much cash up front for these shows. And people end up watching, which awards them with ratings.

The other thing most people don’t know about reality TV is that the people on the shows aren’t necessarily getting paid for their time on camera. According to a Reader’s Digest article on the secrets of reality TV, contestants get their daily expenses covered and MAYBE a small daily stipend, but that’s it. There’s no fat/phat paycheck at the end.

Unless you’re the winner, of course. But if you’re a kid, expect it to be half of what you’d make as an adult.

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