I once chatted to a sociology tutor at my old sixth form college about Jeremy Kyle, Jerry Springer, etc, but I feel her reaction to those shows is still applicable. She said not only is it sad that we laugh at people because they're of a different class than us and because they break hegemony with their situations, but also that the people on it are in some utterly dire situations.
I do totally agree, I really do, but I can't help but laugh at "Why don't you take a seat over there?" and the other one-liners that totally stumps the pedophiles. Additionally, you occasionally get people who recognise him on the show who are totally mortified at their misfortune, but at the same time are inspired by the guy. I'd imagine Hansen loves it too, given it's one of the few times he will ever NOT have to say "Well I've got something to tell you, I'm Chris Hansen with Dateline NBC...".
One massive thing about the show is the way how people are screwed by the law. I'll just brush around the edges and offer an informative overview of why you DO NOT TALK TO POLICE:
- Anything you say can and will/may be held against you in court. This does not mean that your testimony or confession can EVER work in your favour.
- Even if you're telling the absolute truth and are innocent, if a misinformed witness contradicts your testimony you could be charged with lying to the police AND committing the crime you never did.
- Something illegal is bound to slip out of your mouth (e. g: "How fast do you think you were going?" "About 35 mph."; as the speed limit is 30, it's still an illegal act).
As much as I can be a mega leftist sometimes and I'm not a fan of repressive state apparatus, the fact is you should learn the law to mould it to your own amends. At least you'll make a level playing fiend between yourself and the police.
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