(no subject)
Oct. 5th, 2003 09:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
turpsBritish tv is getting worse. There's a show on now with a man playing russian roulette live. With a gun, real bullets. There's no need for that. I'm feeling sick each time he pulls the trigger.
He survived. I don't *ever* want to see something like that again.
He survived. I don't *ever* want to see something like that again.
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Date: 2003-10-05 02:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-05 02:43 pm (UTC)This is their power. Those shows seem to 'make us watch', you know? As appalling as we may think the subject is, most of us just watch. It's like they're appealing to the darkest part of our mind- the peeping Tom, the little voyeur who just wants more, even though He's feeling sick because of the ugliness of what he's watching.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-05 03:51 pm (UTC)Was the show on in France too?
It *was* clever how he did it. All the psychology of picking the person who loaded the gun,knowing what chamber the volunteer would pick and I understand your point about the voyeurism, because despite how it made me feel I still watched. I just think that messing with something like that was asking for trouble. He could have died so easily. For what? An hours tv show.
Some people are crazy!
no subject
Date: 2003-10-05 03:55 pm (UTC)It was horrible! It was based on the guy using psychology to know what chamber the volunteer would put the bullet in. But one mistake and he would have had his head blown off on live tv.
The show had to be broadcast on a ten second delay, but still...imagine what the poor volunteer would have felt like if the worst happened.
I just think entertainment pushes things too far at times.
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Date: 2003-10-05 03:58 pm (UTC)I'm glad to see you around again. I thought you'd disappeared *g*
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Date: 2003-10-05 04:05 pm (UTC)I really have to start commenting immediately upon seeing a post -- I don't want anyone worrying and thinking I've disappeared or worse, ignoring them!
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Date: 2003-10-05 04:09 pm (UTC)Not that I watched it, but I very much suspect the point here would be 'magic trick'. No TV company is going to risk having someone shoot themselves in the head on their channel, not even on a 10 second delay. If he was ever in any actual danger, I would be *stunned*.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-05 04:09 pm (UTC)No, thank God, we don't have this kind of trash reality show- yet.
I just have some trouble believing he was really risking his life. There must have been some trick involved. I mean, take the risk to fucking *die*? On live? For a *show*?!
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Date: 2003-10-05 04:28 pm (UTC)I can't even begin to imagine the psychological scarring anyone working in that studio would have after witnessing that.
I just think entertainment pushes things too far at times.
Oh absolutely. As a general rule, I don't like violence very much, but I can watch it if it's within the bounds of movie/tv storytelling. The fact that this man could have actually blown his head off on national television in a reality show context (instead of a "fake" movie/tv context) is deeply disturbing.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-06 01:45 am (UTC)I didn't think that you were ignoring people, just hoping you were okay. Which obviously you are *g*
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Date: 2003-10-06 01:49 am (UTC)I suspect it was a mix of mind games and slight of hand. He was *very* focused, muttering words which distract the viewer. But it was billed as live, and there'd been a lot of publicity about the stunt which helped you buy into the illusion.
I suspect everyone is right though, I doubt he could have killed himself.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-06 01:52 am (UTC)TV keeps pushing the envelope, and even if it's just an illusion, it's getting too much.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-06 02:25 am (UTC)TV keeps pushing the envelope, and even if it's just an illusion, it's getting too much.
Come to think of it, people *have* been hurt and killed doing the 'catch a bullet in the teeth' trick, although I don't know if anyone has actually fucked it up that badly on TV. It's nowhere *near* as dangerous as 'one in six' -- I think most accidents happen while people are practising.
BTW, I did a Google search for the guy, and found a page pointing out a couple of his other 'psychology' feats are actually pretty basic tricks. It is *very* annoying when performers don't just *say* 'this is trickery'.
I think the thing on TV at the moment that makes me angriest is the mediumship stuff, like The sixth Sense and Crossing Over. That's just exploitation of the grieving and I think that's a lot sicker that someone voluntarily doing dangerous tricks. The people who make those programmes should be ashamed.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-07 03:09 am (UTC)The thing is, the majority of illusionists I'd admire them for their skills at trickery without them pretending it's something that it's not.
John Edwards and his like make me steam. I've researched them before, how they cold read the people they're reading. Add in the editing that happens for tv and the way that they talk so fast, steaming over any missed hits and it's obvious they're nothing more than skilled fakes. Which is all very well when you're tricking people with magic, but when you're dealing with people in the depths of grief it's disgusting.
Yet people like him make millions and are featured on tv for hours at a time. Being awarded for cashing in on death.