French television audiences were shocked this week by a documentary in which 80 people, tricked into thinking they were shooting a pilot for a reality TV show, proved they were willing to "kill their countrymen for 15 minutes of fame." In a set-up based on the famous Milgram experiment from the 1960s, the 80 were urged to "electrocute" a fellow contestant - actually an actor - if he got answers wrong. All but 16 of the volunteers punished the contestant until he appeared to die. It's a clever idea, says Bruce Crumley in Time. But this documentary would be more intelligent if it didn't rely "on the same reality TV techniques it is denouncing." Still, it makes a good point, says Archie Bland at the Independent. If the "hideous implications" of this experiment become "widely known," perhaps future generations tested in the same manner might "pause before pushing the button." Watch a video report on France's "Game of Death":
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
5 artfully drawn cartoons about Donald Trump's Epstein doodleCartoons Artists take on a mountainous legacy, creepy art, and more
-
Violent videos of Charlie Kirk’s death are renewing debate over online censorshipTalking Points Social media ‘promises unfiltered access, but without guarantees of truth and without protection from harm’
-
What led to Poland invoking NATO’s Article 4 and where could it lead?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION After a Russian drone blitz, Warsaw’s rare move to invoke the important NATO statute has potentially moved Europe closer to continent-wide warfare
