First off, let me establish something; I love practical jokes, and I enjoy good reality TV and good horror movies. I love theme parks, I get a real buzz out of dark humour, and I'm as politically incorrect as they come. I'm not a human rights nut, nor am I religious, and I'm between the ages of 18 and 25, so I'm neither a stupid kid nor a little old lady.
But holy Hera; what is going on in this show?! When did society become such that scaring people to this extent became funny? I've seen people in tears, I've seen people become violent, I've seen people begging for their lives...does everyone watching REALLY think that those people will walk away unscarred? Sure, most will laugh it off, and some probably know it's a set up...but seriously?
I'm now going to mention a few episode in particular, so please be warned that there are spoilers if such things are possible for this type of show.
One I watched recently had a young man believe he witnessed a murder, and then was confronted with said murderer. In that show, he tells the man "I'm just a kid!" and begs for his life, near tears. In another, a young woman is made to believe she's just been sold at auction and is about to be thrown into the back of a van by a group of men. You see her GO INTO SHOCK on screen. THAT CAN KILL YOU. Another young woman is made to believe she's just witnessed a woman die in childbirth; that woman screaming will probably stick with her for a while.
They don't use older people for the show because they're worried about lawsuits for heart-failure, but what about when someone walks away with shock, PTSD or agoraphobia? What happens when someone sets up their child, and that child loses trust in their parents? What happens when a young otherwise healthy person suffers a panic attack? In a world where 1/3 of women and 1/5 of men are victims of sexual violence, who decided it was appropriate to put young men and women in situations of perceived threat of sexual violence? What happens when they get a rape victim? What happens when they take a swing at a war vet and someone gets seriously hurt? Killed?
Car crash TV and schadenfreude are great, and making someone jump when they've had a couple of drinks is a hoot...but potentially damaging someone long term? Altering their lives, perhaps for the worse? When did we decide that was appropriate entertainment?
But holy Hera; what is going on in this show?! When did society become such that scaring people to this extent became funny? I've seen people in tears, I've seen people become violent, I've seen people begging for their lives...does everyone watching REALLY think that those people will walk away unscarred? Sure, most will laugh it off, and some probably know it's a set up...but seriously?
I'm now going to mention a few episode in particular, so please be warned that there are spoilers if such things are possible for this type of show.
One I watched recently had a young man believe he witnessed a murder, and then was confronted with said murderer. In that show, he tells the man "I'm just a kid!" and begs for his life, near tears. In another, a young woman is made to believe she's just been sold at auction and is about to be thrown into the back of a van by a group of men. You see her GO INTO SHOCK on screen. THAT CAN KILL YOU. Another young woman is made to believe she's just witnessed a woman die in childbirth; that woman screaming will probably stick with her for a while.
They don't use older people for the show because they're worried about lawsuits for heart-failure, but what about when someone walks away with shock, PTSD or agoraphobia? What happens when someone sets up their child, and that child loses trust in their parents? What happens when a young otherwise healthy person suffers a panic attack? In a world where 1/3 of women and 1/5 of men are victims of sexual violence, who decided it was appropriate to put young men and women in situations of perceived threat of sexual violence? What happens when they get a rape victim? What happens when they take a swing at a war vet and someone gets seriously hurt? Killed?
Car crash TV and schadenfreude are great, and making someone jump when they've had a couple of drinks is a hoot...but potentially damaging someone long term? Altering their lives, perhaps for the worse? When did we decide that was appropriate entertainment?