I’m sure this is destined for the pit, but let’s start out here. I Hate “What Would You Do” - an ABC News segment that uses secret cameras to see what bystanders would do when some sort of public moral dilemma for bystanders situation happens. “How Would You Do It?” is even worse - viewers get to suggest the extremely contrived situations which unsuspecting strangers get exposed to.
I’m not a confrontational person in general. So I’m predisposed to not like conflict. But I can’t be the only one. And surely, the “mind your own business moral” holds some sway? So given a wide variety of moral dilemmas, there’s only a few (those that are truly life threatening) that I would choose to intervene in some dramatic public spectacle.
Hell, even with really close personal friends, it would take a lot for me to intervene. Higher threshold for strangers. Even higher threshold given a highly contrived situation that will have to be really convincing to get past the bullshit meter, especially the New Yorker’s BS meter…
So what is ABC trying to prove? Other than getting some ratings?
I watched the episode where a woman tried to pay strangers to blow into her anti-alcohol ignition interlock device so she could drive her car. Even when she acted obviously drunk, and even when there was a toddler in the back seat, there were people who agreed to blow into it for a relatively low amount of money. That was pretty eye-opening.
I’ve only seen the “Best off” episode. There were only two that really made me think, “mmm mmm mmm”, and that was the one where the black lady in the store was harrassed and the one where the mean girls were ganging up on another kid.
I don’t like “undercover camera” shows. It’s not that I think it’s unethical or anything. They just make me feel uncomfortable.
On one hand this show demonstrates that some people need to speak up in public when people are acting like dicks. On the other hand, I can’t help wanting someone to go meta on the show and tell them they shouldn’t be exploiting human nature for amusement and profit.
I hate shows where they put people into a shit situation and film it. One day and actor will be seriously injured which they have coming as far as I’m concerned for putting people in a situation to see how they react.
Look that lady slapped her child. Look she did it again.
Look the unaware it’s fake lady just hit the slap lady in the face with her food plate and broke her nose. Now someone else is pepper spraying slap lady’s face.
I started a thread on it last year, but mine was the opposite–I really love it. Yeah, it is manipulative but watching a bunch on youtube gets so addictive.
I can see not wanting to get involved if it’s something like a non physical conflict, but a lot of these are portraying things that would be really morally wrong if true. Like abuse or attempted rape. Does “mind your own business” really hold true when you see a guy dropping roofies into a girl’s unattended drink, for example?
Well, the OP did specify that he would interfere if it is life of death. That’s different than sticking your nose in when a boy is coming out of the closet to his homophobic dad, though.
Anyway, I think this program is shit. First of all, those actors aren’t good enough to convince me that anyone involved is fooled. I always believe that the good samaritans stepping in are fully aware that they are on this program and are playing it up for the ‘hidden’ cameras.
Some of them are, admittedly, kind of borderline cases. Like, the one where the bride’s mother is verbally berating her and she’s crying. I don’t know if I would have intervened but I think going up to the girl (when the mom is gone) and telling her that her mother is wrong to tell her she looks fat/slutty in the dress is OK. Though I’m pretty non confrontational, too.
And I’m not sure how convinced I’d be in real life either. Plus, so many people do know about this show now, so maybe they do figure it out.
The racial element is pretty creepy, though. Like when more people call the cops on the black vandals than on the white ones…
I know. I just hate that program more and more, though, Freud. For instance, yesterday was Ginger abuse. I didn’t watch it, but I did read a CNN article on it. They made it seem as if this was a real phenomenon that needed national attention. Seriously? They even used South Park as an example of the attack on Gingers. As if South Park’s whole deal with that wasn’t a social commentary on racism/bigotry. Geez. Annoying.
I’ve only seen the program a few times but it has a way of sucking me in. The last one I saw had a fake baby alone in a car on a hot day. Lots of people looked shocked but walked right by.
What annoys me about that program is the complete lack of middle ground. I suspect that the normal folk are cut for the sake of ratings but it’s still vexing. In the case of the baby there were folks that ignored the problem and folks that went freaking crazy.
These “good samaritans” called the cops and then spent time bawling out the “mother” instead of insisting she open the goddamned car and see if the baby was still alive. Then they’d cry for the camera and go on about how they were parents and they could NEVER leave their kid in the car.
Well fuck, I could never stand around, dick in hand, waiting for the cops when it looks like a baby is melting. Even the good people come off like assholes.