# Televised Executions: Yes or No? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 14, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382 "2006-11-14T14:45:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382/1 "2006-11-14T14:45:27Z")
If you could vote for or against televised executions, which way would you vote? If you vote yes, executions will be televised on Saturday nights at 9:00 PM (EST). The weekly 1-hour broadcast will feature a dramatic re-enactment of the crime(s) (I’m thinking _John Walsh_), a brief recap of the court proceedings, and the Prisoner’s last words. The final segment will feature the actual execution. A portion of the profits will benefit the families of the victims. Voting “Yes” now will garner you an _Associate Producer Credit_ in the Pilot. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382/2 "2006-11-14T14:49:35Z")
No. There are certain things that children don’t need to see – indeed, should NOT see. Not even a late night time slot would prevent that from happening. ---
**Author:** ![seenidog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@seenidog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seenidog)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382/3 "2006-11-14T14:52:44Z")
No. Not. Never. Death as entertainment doesn’t work for me. Not in the movies, not for real. Just my point of view. I have seen plenty of death, natural, accidental, suicide, homocide. It is not entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382/4 "2006-11-14T14:53:29Z")
No, absolutely not! I’m still pretty for the death penalty, although only in very specific cases, but there is no reason to whore it out like that. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382/5 "2006-11-14T14:58:05Z")
No please, lets not go there, I trust corporate media conglomerates less than I trust politicians. That is to say, I expect them to turn it into some highly distasteful event eventually and to start pushing for more executions. Heck, there are probably Network Execs that like the media setup of the Running Man and would try to push for something similar. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382/6 "2006-11-14T15:02:20Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] No please, lets not go there, I trust corporate media conglomerates less than I trust politicians. That is to say, I expect them to turn it into some highly distasteful event eventually and to start pushing for more executions. [/QUOTE] This execution brought to you by…Pepsi! When you only get one last meal, make it Pepsi to drink! ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382/7 "2006-11-14T15:05:12Z")
No way. Our society is drenched in enough blood and violence. If anybody thinks this will be a deterent… it won’t. It will induce the twisted minds of some criminals to kill and seek out the ultimate attention-getting: a public execution. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382/8 "2006-11-14T15:05:54Z")
No. A few years back some bigwig ate a pistol while recording it on video - it was all over the news. My idiot cousin’s reactions was “WOAH, COOOOOOOL!!!11!!!” (he may have used more exclamation points). Made me want to throttle him, which is Not A Good Thing even if it would have increased the species’ average IQ. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382/9 "2006-11-14T15:05:55Z")
Isn’t this a new cultural taboo, though? I mean, weren’t public executions the mainstay of civic entertainment up until 100 years ago (give or take)? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382/10 "2006-11-14T15:07:01Z")
[QUOTE=Winston Smith] Isn’t this a new cultural taboo, though? I mean, weren’t public executions the mainstay of civic entertainment up until 100 years ago (give or take)? [/QUOTE] Yes well… and telling your daughter that she wasn’t allowed to marry because she had to take care of you was also common, so? Doesn’t make it right. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382/11 "2006-11-14T15:07:11Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] This execution brought to you by…Pepsi! When you only get one last meal, make it Pepsi to drink! [/QUOTE] Next week’s execution is brought to you by Red Bull. It gives you wings. Wasn’t that obvious? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![shizaru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@shizaru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shizaru)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382/12 "2006-11-14T15:10:14Z")
Damn, someone beat me to the Running Man joke. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382/13 "2006-11-14T15:11:13Z")
The present rules could use revision Make the obvious decision: Put it all on television. Let’s bring back the chair. Slap a little makeup to 'em As the juices sizzle through 'em Howard Cosell\* could interview 'em! Let’s bring back the chair From Tom Paxton’s “Bring Back the Chair.” \*Yes, it’s a very old song. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382/14 "2006-11-14T15:14:03Z")
[QUOTE=Winston Smith] Isn’t this a new cultural taboo, though? I mean, weren’t public executions the mainstay of civic entertainment up until 100 years ago (give or take)? [/QUOTE] Isn’t the whole idea that we have matured as a society from those times. Do you want to bring back public stonings and gladitorial fights and lynch mobs? I do not even want to see minstrel shows brought back and that was passive at least. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382/15 "2006-11-14T15:33:44Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] Isn’t the whole idea that we have matured as a society from those times. Do you want to bring back public stonings and gladitorial fights and lynch mobs? I do not even want to see minstrel shows brought back and that was passive at least. Jim [/QUOTE] Have we really matured, or just have we just turned those instincts inward in a self-defeating and self-deluding attempt to deny them? I don’t think we’ve come as far from stonings and gladiatorial combat as perhaps you’re suggesting. I cite boxing, UFC and the Food Network as evidence. They don’t tote dead bodies off the field at Half Time, but our collective appetite for violence-as-entertainment is still alive and well. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382/16 "2006-11-14T15:38:22Z")
Lethal injection? _Boring_. Now, a good guillotining–_that_ I’d watch. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382/17 "2006-11-14T15:59:17Z")
[QUOTE=Winston Smith] Have we really matured, or just have we just turned those instincts inward in a self-defeating and self-deluding attempt to deny them? I don’t think we’ve come as far from stonings and gladiatorial combat as perhaps you’re suggesting. I cite boxing, UFC and the Food Network as evidence. They don’t tote dead bodies off the field at Half Time, but our collective appetite for violence-as-entertainment is still alive and well. [/QUOTE] What is UFC? I assume Food network is a joke, so I do not know how to answer you. I will assume you are serious and say, yes, I think we have gotten better, but we are far from perfect. Many Nascar fans have actually admitted they watch for the explosions. Many footballs love very hard hitting games. (I am one of these fans.) Jim ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382/18 "2006-11-14T16:04:39Z")
Sure, why not? Let the pro-capital punishment people get a gander at what they’re supporting. I say if you’re going to support something like that, you should have to do the dirty work out in the open. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382/19 "2006-11-14T16:06:02Z")
**Dio** did my post for me. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382/20 "2006-11-14T16:06:54Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] What is UFC? [/quote] Ultimate Fighting Championship. > [@](#): > > I assume Food network is a joke, so I do not know how to answer you. Not a joke. It’s a real network. popular one too. All cooking all the time. Have you ever heard of Emeril or Iron Chef? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/televised-executions-yes-or-no/380382.md?page=2)