30 Days of Minimum Wage, Jail Time, and Life in a Wheelchair
NEIRAD enilno edition
“30 Days” is brought to you by the creative mind behind “Super Size Me,” and his use of a 30-day timeframe to examine the effects of McDonald's foods on the body fits perfectly with other 30-day experiences featured in the show. Although the airdate for the fourth season is still to be determined by FX, the network it airs on, DVDs for both seasons one and two are available for purchase.
The most notable episodes feature the creator himself, Morgan Spurlock, or another person living the life of being in a wheelchair; working as a coal miner or living life on an Indian reservation.
Each installment places the viewer alongside the protagonist venturing forth on his or her “30 Days” challenge. As the person begins to understand more about what they are involved, the viewer too begins to understand how a man without the use of their legs goes about everyday life, or how a coal miner in West Virginia braves the deep mines for work every morning.
Morgan showcases his ability to adapt to a different lifestyle when he returns home to West Virginia to work as a coal miner. During his 30-day stay Morgan lives with a coal mining family studying the effects of coal mining on the environment, and of course, works deep in the bowels of the earth ferreting out coal.
As a coal miner on the show says, “All you need is a weak mind and a strong back.” Coal mining is one of the most financially-rewarding jobs in struggling state. The men ignore the constant threat of contracting black lung disease from the coal dust they inhale to secure the $65,000 a year paycheck.
The show is not all about Morgan however, and the majority of the episodes revolve around others who want to experience 30 days in someone else’s shoes. The life in a wheelchair episode is a prime example. Former NFL star Ray Crockett was placed in a wheelchair for one month. Having participated in sports all his life, Ray found this challenge to be especially hard.
Why would such an athletic powerhouse as Ray undertake such a task? The answer lies within a memory of one of his former teammates, Mike Utley, who was part of a play during an NFL game that left him paralyzed from the chest down. Ray wanted to experience what his close friend had been struck with, and getting involved with “30 Days” gave him that experience.
The show is not only about him attempting his daily routine in a wheelchair. Ray seeks out others affected by paralysis within his community of Southlake Texas and becomes actively involved with their lifestyles. Ray joins a wheelchair rugby league, helps a woman with her rehabilitation progress, and sees the challenges faced by those afflicted with paralysis.
Ray's journey is but a small sample when compared to the broad spectrum of topics the show covers, and with two seasons already in the books, “30 Days” looks to be a show to put viewers into the shoes of the life of another to help experience the trauma and tragedy many people on this planet must overcome.
