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Post by Knuckles on Oct 15, 2008 20:42:39 GMT
Anyone else watching this? On at 10 tonight on FX. Pretty chilling.
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Post by Balls on Oct 15, 2008 21:00:09 GMT
That show is [censored]ing awesome.
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Post by madhair60 on Oct 15, 2008 21:17:50 GMT
Disgusting and completely reprehensible television aimed at despicable people.
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Post by Retro on Oct 15, 2008 21:20:41 GMT
What exactly was it?
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Post by Mambo's Here! Look Busy! on Oct 15, 2008 21:34:29 GMT
I have a feeling Charlie Brooker mentioned this in Screenwipe. Its an awful programme that entraps people for entertainment. Not that Im condoning paedos but still... actually luring people into this for ratings is pretty grim.
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Post by Knuckles on Oct 15, 2008 21:41:09 GMT
I have a feeling Charlie Brooker mentioned this in Screenwipe. Its an awful programme that entraps people for entertainment. Not that Im condoning paedos but still... actually luring people into this for ratings is pretty grim. Yeah, gotta feel sorry for the dirty perverts who try and shag 14 year olds. Dateline NBC should issue a public apology to all paedophiles and rapists tomorrow and a fine of £1000000000000000 should be given to the PCPR (Protection of Cruelty to Perverts and Rapists).
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Post by Mambo's Here! Look Busy! on Oct 15, 2008 21:43:40 GMT
Read! Regardless, its still encouraging this kind of behaviour, using temptation in order to get them to appear on television. This really isnt the way to protect children at all.
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Post by Knuckles on Oct 15, 2008 21:58:34 GMT
Read! Regardless, its still encouraging this kind of behaviour, using temptation in order to get them to appear on television. This really isnt the way to protect children at all. Apart from the fact four out of five people who appeared on the show were arrested, and the other has a warrant out for his arrest I see your point
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Post by madhair60 on Oct 15, 2008 22:05:28 GMT
Charlie Brooker on "To Catch a Predator"
"When a TV show makes you feel sorry for potential child rapists, you know it's doing something wrong. To Catch A Predator (Mon, 10pm, FX) is that show. It hails from America, where it's not some wacky bit of far-out cable madness, but a mainstream network broadcast; a staple feature of Dateline NBC (a sort of Tonight with Sir Trevor McDonald minus Sir Trevor).
Here's the set-up for this week's episode: fearless, crusading adult volunteers for an anti-paedo watchdog group called Perverted Justice go on the internet and pretend to be 13-year-old girls. They wait until contacted by grown men, play along with the conversation when the subject turns to sex, then invite them over for an illegal fumble. When the men turn up, they're greeted by an attractive young actress (who could just about pass for 13) who leads them into the garden and asks them to wait by the hot tub while she changes into something sexier.
The men pace excitedly, awaiting Lolita's return. But oh! Out pops Dateline's Chris Hansen instead! He's male, pushing 50, and doesn't look like he wants to play. Their faces fall like the Twin Towers. They mistake him for a cop. "Did you come to have sex with a 13-year-old?" he asks. "Oh no, sir," they splutter, "nothing could be further from my mind."
Then he brings out a transcript of their original web chat and asks them a bunch of questions about it - not to titillate, no God no - but in order that we viewers might forge a better understanding of the twisted mindset of the child sex predator. And because it'll make us guffaw like cartoon donkeys when they desperately try to explain away all the references to blowjobs and penis size in their chatroom chinwag. It's the back-pedalling Olympics.
After making them sweat for several minutes, Chris reveals his camera crew and tells them they're on national television. Ta da! You're on Paedle's About! At this point their faces tend to fall still further. They start crying and begging. Some of them probably poo themselves, although they don't show that. But the worst is yet to come: at this point, Chris unexpectedly waves them goodbye, and they walk out, sighing with relief... only to walk face-first into a bunch of armed police who hurl them to the ground and arrest them. Then we get to see them being interviewed AGAIN, this time by the police, who aren't quite as debonair and charming as Chris (and are markedly less keen on poring over all the online sex talk than him).
And then it's over. Justice prevails - provided you overlook the several billion troubling aspects to the show. The overpowering whiff of entrapment, for one thing. The collusion between reporters, vigilante groups and police for another. And that "attractive young actress" who greets them by the door: make no mistake, she's hot. And at 18, she's US legal. Presumably someone at To Catch A Predator HQ sat down with a bunch of audition tapes and spooled through it, trying to find a sexy 18-year-old who could pass for 13. They'll have stared at girl after girl, umming and ahhing over their chest sizes, until they found just the right one. And like I say, she's hot. But if you fancy her, you're a paedophile.
It's a pity robot technology isn't more advanced than it is, because the ultimate To Catch A Predator show could do away with the actress altogether. Instead, the men would be greeted by a convincing 17-year-old android, who'd instantly start having sex with them. But oh! Just before they reached climax, a hatch would open in the top of her head, and a robotic version of Chris Hansen's face would emerge on a big bendy metal neck, barking accusations at them, and then the android's vagina would snap shut, trapping the pervert in position, and the robot body would transform into a steel cage from which they couldn't escape, and start delivering near-fatal electric shocks every five minutes to the delight of a self-righteous, audience, chanting Justice Prevails, Justice Prevails. Justice Prevails. Forever."
An awful show, for awful people.
Pathetic.
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Post by WinterFlames on Oct 15, 2008 22:05:54 GMT
Edit: Just read Stu's post.
Taking down bad guys doesn't mean that they're the good guys, they're only doing it for ratings and/or money, and you have to question their motives and resolutions of the incidents when considering the fact that the show keeps going only as long as there are pedoes for them to out. Sadly I doubt they're in short supply.
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Post by Mambo's Here! Look Busy! on Oct 15, 2008 22:08:13 GMT
Apart from the fact four out of five people who appeared on the show were arrested, and the other has a warrant out for his arrest I see your point Maybe so but the police should be doing that anyway. Its the manipulation and airing it on television that I find despicable. We don't need to see this and frankly people who are entertained by this show must have a vicious streak in them, themselves.
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Post by Alex on Oct 15, 2008 22:10:20 GMT
I liked the South Park episode.
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Post by Balls on Oct 15, 2008 22:15:25 GMT
While I agree with most of the quote, it occasionally has produced some lulz.
Well, one thing stands out at least.
Seeing one where a guy sees Chris Hansen, puts his hands on his face and simply says "not again..." is pretty hillarious.
But then I have a sick sense of humour.
My liking of the show, like many American shows that take themselves seriously, is rather tongue in cheek. As bad as these people are, humilliating them like that is unnecessary.
I find it especially sick the way Hansen lets them walk away as they must be thinking "that was close. [censored] doing that again, it's too risky" and then walking out the front door and finding a bunch of cops there.
I mean, unless the person had counts of paedophillia against him before this incident, he hasn't even committed a [censored]ing crime.
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Post by Lost Mercenary on Oct 15, 2008 22:16:30 GMT
I liked the South Park episode. "OH GOD IT'S CHRIS HANSEN!!" *blows head off*
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Post by Knuckles on Oct 15, 2008 22:27:10 GMT
What can I say? I'm an awful person with a vicious streak in me Stu, stop being a sanctimonious [censored]. Calling me pathetic for a sarcastic reply. Pot calling the kettle black. Jesus, I suddenly feel like a criminal for watching this show. I find it entertaining and if some kiddie fiddler is the brunt of it then cry me a [censored]ing river. I promise I'll cut Michael Jackson some slack to even it out. Maybe the next series should be "To Catch A To Catch A Predator Viewer".
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Post by Balls on Oct 15, 2008 22:47:17 GMT
What can I say? I'm an awful person with a vicious streak in me Stu, stop being a sanctimonious [censored]. Calling me pathetic for a sarcastic reply. Pot calling the kettle black. Jesus, I suddenly feel like a criminal for watching this show. I find it entertaining and if some kiddie fiddler is the brunt of it then cry me a [censored]ing river. I promise I'll cut Michael Jackson some slack to even it out. Maybe the next series should be "To Catch A To Catch A Predator Viewer". Oh, just [censored] off. You're wrong on so many levels and I can't even be bothered to explain why.
And don't think it's because I don't have valid reasons. It's because I'm tired, I don't think it's worth it and someone else will come in here and do it for me anyway.
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Post by Knuckles on Oct 15, 2008 22:53:29 GMT
What can I say? I'm an awful person with a vicious streak in me Stu, stop being a sanctimonious [censored]. Calling me pathetic for a sarcastic reply. Pot calling the kettle black. Jesus, I suddenly feel like a criminal for watching this show. I find it entertaining and if some kiddie fiddler is the brunt of it then cry me a [censored]ing river. I promise I'll cut Michael Jackson some slack to even it out. Maybe the next series should be "To Catch A To Catch A Predator Viewer". Oh, just [censored] off. You're wrong on so many levels and I can't even be bothered to explain why.
And don't think it's because I don't have valid reasons. It's because I'm tired, I don't think it's worth it and someone else will come in here and do it for me anyway.I can now see the error of my ways thanks to that outstanding post telling me to [censored] off. I now know why I love this place so much.
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Post by Balls on Oct 15, 2008 23:33:44 GMT
Alright, I was being harsh and out of line. I apologise.
Still, like, even though these guys are total weirdos and I wouldn't let them near any of my siblings, they're still human beings. For every other crime you commit, you get arrested and what have you.
What is the point of the show, you know? What does it do for them? For us? For kids?
Nothing. Just nothing. It's even more pointless than it is morally wrong.
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Post by Knuckles on Oct 15, 2008 23:40:38 GMT
Alright, I was being harsh and out of line. I apologise.
Still, like, even though these guys are total weirdos and I wouldn't let them near any of my siblings, they're still human beings. For every other crime you commit, you get arrested and what have you.
What is the point of the show, you know? What does it do for them? For us? For kids?
Nothing. Just nothing. It's even more pointless than it is morally wrong. It's cool. I also apologise for my sarcasm. It was also out of line. It dosen't do anything for them other than have them put in prison, but it raises awareness that this sort of thing still happens and believe me, there are still so many ignorant folk who STILL don't know the dangers of children using the internet without supervision. I don't want to stereotype but many parents over a certain age probably don't have a clue about the net so that show helps bring it to light. However, I agree it's all about the ratings but be honest. If no one was watching Watchdog would that have been on television? All shows are made for ratings.
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Post by Mambo's Here! Look Busy! on Oct 16, 2008 6:26:49 GMT
What can I say? I'm an awful person with a vicious streak in me Well, it depends if you feel entertained by this circus! Sure, there are a lot of "ignorant" parents but its for them to be educated about the dangers of unsupervised internet use. Personally I feel that this kind of show is part of another problem: mass hysteria. Stuff like this is why most people would avoid a crying, lost child, for fear of being labelled a paedo. I'm sure there are better ways to deal with the issue.
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Post by madhair60 on Oct 16, 2008 9:31:07 GMT
Sanctimonius? I feel vindicated in my response to your post, "Knuckles", because it was the correct response and I was right to say it. Thankfully I am aware of this, or I might have gotten quite angry. You can carry on watching your insipid, fearmongering trash TV and I'll carry on with my crusade to make the world a better place. Here's to me.
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Post by obsidian on Oct 16, 2008 10:45:27 GMT
Charlie Brooker Is Right About Everything
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Post by Charles on Oct 16, 2008 11:53:19 GMT
As I recall, there was one guy who decided against it at the last moment and the actress talked him into coming in.
Which would make that unarguably entrapment, and make it easy for him to get off, and for other lawyers to claim "look, this show does entrapment, my client isn't guilty!". ]
Counterproductive.
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Post by The Shad on Oct 16, 2008 12:44:18 GMT
Didn't someone commit suicide on this? Or because of it?
-edit-Wiki to the rescue.
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Post by Knuckles on Oct 16, 2008 15:47:08 GMT
Didn't someone commit suicide on this? Or because of it? -edit-Wiki to the rescue. If this is true, (and sorry but it'll take more than Wiki to convince me) then I change my mind and say you are right and that it goes too far. If it's not true, then I'm all for the harassment of paedo's as long as they don't end up killing themselves
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