Ring Nation Explained

Genre:Reality
Presenter:Wanda Sykes
Crystal Cruz
Steve Patterson
Country:United States
Language:English
Runtime:30 minutes
Company:Big Fish Entertainment
Network:Syndication

Ring Nation is an American syndicated television series that premiered on September 26, 2022. Hosted by comedian Wanda Sykes, alongside Crystal Cruz and Steve Patterson as correspondents, and produced by MGM Television, the series highlights viral videos recorded via phones, home security cameras, and smart doorbells.[1] The series is co-branded with Ring, a manufacturer of such products.

Reception

Prior to its premiere, Ring Nation received a negative reaction from critics and media outlets over its premise, which they felt was "dystopian", and glorified surveillance and Amazon's vertical integration; Ring, producer Big Fish Entertainment (known for their former A&E series Live PD), and distributor MGM Television, are all subsidiaries of Amazon.com Inc.[2] Big Fish Entertainment stated that the show would not be limited to footage from Ring products, and that footage would be cleared by their owner before broadcast.

Senator Ed Markey, who had been investigating Ring's business and privacy practices, described the program as normalizing "over-policing and over-surveillance" for the purposes of entertainment. Multiple advocacy groups, including MediaJustice and a petition circulated by Daily Kos, called for the show to be cancelled.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Baum . Gary . 2022-08-25 . Senator Slams Amazon's 'Ring Nation' as Surveillance-State TV . 2022-09-27 . The Hollywood Reporter . en-US.
  2. Web site: White . Peter . 2022-08-11 . Wanda Sykes To Host Syndicated Viral Video Show Featuring Ring Doorbell Technology From MGM . 2022-08-11 . Deadline . en-US.
  3. Web site: Silberling . Amanda . 2022-09-26 . Advocacy groups slam Amazon and MGM's controversial 'Ring Nation' show ahead of its premiere . 2022-09-27 . TechCrunch . en-US.