Recently Q Ideas, in conjunction with Halogen TV, played host to a debate between the award-winning Harvard and Columbia University teams in New York City at The Crosby Street Hotel in Soho. The debaters’ subject: “Is Reality Television More Harmful Than Good?”

The teams duked it out mentioning everything from the role of “Snookie” & “The Situation” from MTV’s reality show, “The Jersey Shore” to discussing the importance of exposing societal issues in other series such as TLC’s show “Hoarding.” Though some might consider a debate to be a stuffy or boring event, this was far from a pious monologue of discussion. The room was filled with laughter, jokes and thought-provoking banter along with real questions any tv-watcher could ponder.

Check out the current video from the evening, and stay tuned to watch the entire debate premiering next week.

See the The New York Times coverage of the event: “An Old-Fashioned Date Can’t Beat a Night Out Debating Reality TV.”

Can entertainment television bring focus to critical issues and help address global problems? Or does it contribute to social ill? Weigh in with your comments below.

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