Swindle?

[gontofe]

The Channel 4 documentary that was on the other night 'the great reality tv swindle' was a hoax documentary about a fake show, right? Please tell me people aren't *that* stupid...

[BenDToy]

I think it was genuine. Also one of the people was on a Radio show that afternoon, and although I didn't hear it, I believe it was presented as fact. While it would initially seem very naive, in their defence you need to take into account some relevant facts. 1. The people taken in wanted to believe they had been chosen to take part. All doubts would be banished by this. 2. They had no real way of assessing the credibility of the "scam". They took part in a selection process, and were sent letters from a TV production company. 3. Why should they have any doubts? Why should it not be genuine? 4. The perpetrator had nothing to gain from the hoax. Having said all that, they were still pretty stupid! The folly of the desire to be famous at all costs.

[andy hughes]

I found the worrying aspect not that people were taken in at the beginning - fair enough without the benefit of hindisght we all had as viewers, but that when it became clear that the whole thing was going nowhere, they all continued with the notion, even as far as acting out the 'Big Brother' episode they had just watched on tv - now that really is scary! It's clear from the popularity of 'reality tv' (surely an oxymoron?) that people will let their desrire for fame overdie their initial reservations, but when faced with someone who admits he's conning them, they just carry on playing the game. I must be missing that gene - i can't think of anything worse than being 'famous' for living in a goldfish bowl for a few weeks. Maybe I'm showing my age? You don't have to answer that!