Of course, establishing an economy invites bigger questions. Do the kids pick outhouses or a TV? Crappers. (These children understand the importance of good colon health. See? Katie Couric does contribute to society!) Do the cooks wash plates? Hell, no. (Says Pageant Princess Taylor, ''I'm a beauty queen. I don't do dishes.'') And what, pray tell, does one do when one wants a $3 bike on a 10-cent salary? According to Sophia, you shimmy for nickels.

We have to pause right there for a second, America, because you know where I'm going with this. How troubling was it to see a 14-year-old learnin' the wee ones on ''the three dance moves that will get you through life''? How soon till she escalates from nickels to dollars, and graduates from the street to the pole? Don't look at me like that. I'm not the one who taught that child to dance for money.

Thank God the first town-council meeting was close at hand, and it was Sophia who earned Kid Nation's first ''beautiful, gorgeous gold star,'' which just happens to be worth $20K. You get the lesson, honey? Shake your moneymaker in the streets? Three dollars. Work hard and impress the overseers? Twenty thousand dollars. I'm not saying you can't sell out, I'm just saying don't sell cheap. And that's one to grow on.

Greed being the great motivator, the rest of the kids vowed to work hard, schmooze their fellow citizens, and win their own beautiful, gorgeous gold stars. Even Pageant Princess Taylor decided she'd stick it out. (Yay?) On a happy/sad note, poor 8-year-old Jimmy, displaying more sense than God gave his parents — and overcoming the peer pressure of the entire town — decided he was too young and wanted to go home. Godspeed, little Jimbo. Now Good Laurel Hunting won't have to be your surrogate parent, and there'll be more beautiful, gorgeous gold stars for the rest of the contractually obligated urchins.

All in all, not a bad first couple of days in Kid Nation. But of course, this show's already got EW chattering amongst ourselves. What about you? How scripted do you think Nation is? Who's your favorite tyke? Why isn't Michael on the council? Was that a black eye on Pageant Princess Taylor by the end of day 1, and how come we don't know how she got it? Is Jared Who Will Not Poo weird? I mean, what kind of 11-year-old buys Shakespeare with his measly salary? Talk to me.

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