Dutch reality show provokes riot

[emad]

Guardian

John Plunkett
Thursday April 14, 2005

A Dutch reality TV show has been pulled after one of its participants admitted sexually abusing his daughter, provoking a riot among viewers that ended with 40 people being arrested.

More than 100 police in riot gear were called to the city of Den Bosch after the claim was made in an episode of a reality show called Probleemwijken, or Problem Neighbourhoods.

Local authorities demanded that broadcaster SBS 6 stop broadcasting the show, a docusoap about people "living on the fringes" of Dutch society.

Channel bosses have shelved the final instalment of the series, which was due to air tonight, and replaced it with a special edition looking at the media reaction to the show.

http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1459670,00.html

[whirlygigspin]

1. alrighty now,

no more gin for you young man.

[rodeodance]

2. good grief

[DemBeans]

3. this is sick

Talk about exploitation! They broadcast a show called "Problem Neighborhoods" about people "living on the fringes". Nothing like using poor people to entertain the middle class - but then, that's what our daytime talk shows have been doing for at least a decade.

Sick.

[XemaSab]

5. Bread and Circus

n/t

[Voltaire99]

10. Also the essence of COPS and its progeny.

Exactly right.

Brutalizing the poor is both a form of middle class entertainment and an effective means of social control.

[Freddie Stubbs]

13. Don't forget 'Cops'

Bad boys, bad boys
Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do
When they come for you?

[AngryAmish]

14. Cops? Jerry Springer?

Jenny Jones? That loud woman with the glasses? Cheaters? Any of the judge shows?

Well, it just goes to show that not all Europeans are sophisticated.

[redqueen]

4. His own 8 year old daughter...

My God... how I wish all these monsters could be exposed... so we'd know just how common this is.

:cry:

[Quakerfriend]

6. I hate to say it, but this is the type of situation where

I feel the death penalty would be warranted.

[Mizmoon]

7. I hate them too

with a passionate hatred I reserve for a select few. However, I know KNOW that we are better than the kind of scum who would do this. HE is the kind who does vile, repulsive things. "We" do not.

or we "should not", anyway.

[redqueen]

8. I disagree with you both.

Although for my own personal reasons, I often feel a burning rage about these people (whom I usually call 'monsters')... I still have to try to love the sinner but hate the sin.

I think they should all be locked up for life. IMO death is release, anyway - and a release from the suffering that is part of life isn't a punishment that does much to punish them, other than the fear they feel. I think making them live in prison and have to attend group counseling sessions where they're forced to face the reality of what they've done, over and over, always with a counselor there to make sure they understand the victim's (victims'?) point of view is a MUCH more fitting punishment.

Plus, one day, when we understand what's wrong with their brains that makes them predisposed to this sort of sickness, maybe we can cure it. For now, though, I'm a big advocate of life in prison for the FIRST offense.

[Quakerfriend]

9. Very good points, redqueen

I have to agree with you, really.

[dutchdoctor]

11. I'd have to disagree with you

This guy was "exposed" by a TV crew looking for an easy way to get their ratings up. On the evening the show was aired the entire family had to flee, accompanied by the police while their house was destroyed, looted and set fire to by their neighbors. The family had to move three times in three consecutive days because of death threats.

I understand how you feel about child molestation, but this guys had been arrested for that and he served his sentence. If you believe that's not enough you should vote for a party that advocates bigger sentences, but taking matters in your own hand is not the way a civilized society works.

[redqueen]

12. What I meant was I wish they would all have their secrets out

so people would really begin to understand how very common it is.

And yes, I do believe a life sentence should be mandatory for the first offense.