China has found its answer to Survivor. Emphasizing a strength, the latest television sensation is Interviews Before Execution where condemned prisoners breakdown in confessions before being led off to be executed.
The show is setting records in popularity with 40 million viewers every Saturday night. The show has a market advantage of a country that can supply an endless line of subjects. The hostess of the show offers to convey messages to family and friends as well as taping a final message. Now the show will begin to appear in Britain. While there are 55 capital crimes in China, the show focuses on murderers and cases determined by the officials to be “educational.”
There is an obvious “Running Man” feel about this show that is entirely creepy. The crossover of criminal law into television entertainment has long been featured in movies and literature as the ultimate sign of social and moral breakdown. While Communist officials may insist that they are merely “educating” the viewer, the voyeuristic element is obvious. The show appeals to our most base impulses and desires. It is likely to increase pressure to “see more” like the execution itself as reality tv becomes truly lethal.
Source: Daily Mail
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Why not? We are preparing a whole generation to watch something like that and merely see it as an extension of the “games” they play on their computer, Ipads, etc It used to be only psychopaths who like this kind of gore and feel nothing (or excited).
All you need to do is watch the Today show or GMA, this orning the first half hour had stories about murders. It used to be at least the first hour, nd then only first half hour, was for the real news of the day. Now it is for titillation. We are not that far from the Sun kind of ‘reporting’ for all our “news”.
I was in Riyadh a few times. Often to the souk near the execution square.
Every Friday PM. Never went there to see it.
But it’s no worse than what the Bushies do, to all the young people sacrificed in Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Think, poppy(?) did in Nixon. And Cheney and Rummis are old hatchet men. No surprise. Did in a few million by now, in terms of civilians in Iraq, etc.
Try this.
http://www.pulitzer.org/archives/6809
Historically anywhere, public execution has been a spectator sport. Many human’s would get a thrill from something like this, just as horror movies are popular. “Running Man”, though poorly written was a look into a future that has great potential to happen. The original “Rollerball” with James Caan, was also a flawed movie that presaged the future. Both movies were chilling in their predictions, but spot on in their depiction of how current trends could affect the future. FOX TV would license such a show in the US in a heartbeat and be rewarded by huge ratings.
We suck up to a Communist totalitarian regime that kills its people in violation of the Sixth Commandment and has killed millions by starvation or mass murder over the past 80 years or so. I am sure that they would license the show to Fox.
dar:
drugs, end the war on drugs and let those people go. Let people grow pot as a cash crop and put a little tax on it like they do booze. End of high rates of incarceration, end of drug wars, end of killings, end of a lot of things.
What if the person doesn’t confess and the legal system screws up like it does so often in the U.S. and murders someone, later to be found innocent.
Or is it a faked reality show like half the games shows and realty shows in America are; knowing the guy is going to confess in advance.
I think any execution order should be under the same guidelines as any other form of murder. The procecutor, the jury, the judge, the executioner and the person who signed the execution order should all go to jail when an innocent person is put to death. Is it not murder? To me it is murder of the worst type. Just because it is either based on stupidity or corruption doesn’t make it any lessor of a crime.
@Bron
-kindly check out these ball and chain graphics
‘Prison rates in the US are the world’s highest, at 724 people per 100,000. ‘
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/uk/06/prisons/html/nn2page1.stm
‘This infographic starts off with a shocking fact – that the U.S. has 25% of the world’s prison population, but only 5% of the world population. That’s sort of mind-boggling, when you stop to think about it. ‘
http://www.infographicsshowcase.com/combating-mass-incarceration-infographic/
This would work on American TV.
Oh, and Bron? China, despite keeping the name has had nothing to do with Communism for 30 years. Authoritarian oligarchy with a huge helping of capitalistic greed. They have a stock market, company owners etc the same trappings of capitalism we have here & none of their old economic systems in place. Thats not to defend the excesses of communism but lets call a spade a spade
I am heartened that out of a country of 1.7 billion people only 40 million are watching it. That is only 2.4% of the population. That would only be 7.34 million people in this country.
Hopefully it doesnt come to this country.
Communism is some really sick shit and degrades human beings.
Next Texas will have Rock Perry hosting….. How to execute even the innocent based on bad forensics…..
Anon
Only with better music.
Although eating my lunch, I’ll take this on. Thisot me going:
“There is an obvious “Running Man” feel about this show that is entirely creepy. The crossover of criminal law into television entertainment has long been featured in movies and literature as the ultimate sign of social and moral breakdown.?
I gather that that means it’s a problem in the USA. Not saying we are better, here, just no capital punishment, but who knows, one could “get off” on vicarious enjoyment (?) of Chinese programs.
We’ve got video games, so our kids are being slowly trained for mayhem and general war crimes, civilian slaughter, etc.
Good luck, America. We look to you always to show us the way to life (sometimes), liberty (restricted when they say so) and pursuit of happiness (in enjoying the misfortune of others).
PS Perry Mason is tuning over…….!
Reminds me of Brazil…