the things in my head that must escape

[rone]

stoat's boyf Zac put the seed in my head:

Think about all the horrible, disgusting, awful things that people will do to get on TV.  Now think of all the seminal psych tests done decades ago that can no longer be done due to ethical concerns, such as the stranger electrocution test or the Stanford prison experiment.  What's the psychological establishment to do?  Why, get in league with the TV networks and stage their experiments as reality TV shows.  People will be so eager to try to reach the show that there'll be endless fodder for all these shows.  Best of all, they'll sign away their rights just so they can get on TV.  The psych people can then just buy the data off the TV networks.  No fuss, no muss.  Hell, this could spawn its own network!

Comments

[bungo.livejournal.com]

Great. The Psychological Friends Network.

[wisn.livejournal.com]

Isn't there already a reality TV channel in planning or production? I know that's not exactly what you mean, but it's close enough to chill your skin.

There's not much for reality programming I can stand. I like 'Queer Eye' because for all the hip snarkiness of the cohosts it's a surprisingly positive show about self-improvement. They're showering the subject du jour with the hottest of urban commodities but there's constant emphasis on what he's got to do to continue what they started. And it's engaging enough that we discuss which guests are going to take advantage of their opportunities and which ones are freeloaders.

Pretty much everything else since we restarted cable TV makes me rant at the screen until M complains that I'm ruining her TV time.

[rimrunner.livejournal.com]

Wasn't this a Doctor Who episode?

(Well, not quite. They just killed whoever got voted off, was all.)

[waider.livejournal.com]

Wait, you mean they're not already doing this? Didn't they do a restaging of the prisoner test only last year, for a TV show called Das Experiment?

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

That was a movie (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250258/combined).

[waider.livejournal.com]

Meh, close enough.

[sanspoof.livejournal.com]

Wow, you're right.

I'd think the results would be kind of skewed though, since you'd be preselecting for people who want desperately to be on television, which might have other repercussions. Additionally, there's the determination they'd probably be displaying... maybe they'd feel or acknowledge less pain?
LET'S FIND OUT!

[pennyhill.livejournal.com]

Brilliant!

[nyar.livejournal.com]

I'd just like to take the time to say that Phil Zimbardo is awesome!!!

[frosch.livejournal.com]

stoat's boyf Zac put the seed in my head:

that's a disquieting image, but hey, whatever, consenting adults and whatnot.