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Sal[Au]pian 
"Four ever European"
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 Posted - 09/20/2007 : 15:28:40
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There have been loads of scandals in Britain lately about television competitions being falsified, but here is the most ridiculous one to date.  |
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Downtown 
"Welcome back, Billy Buck"
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Posted - 09/20/2007 : 16:04:44
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I don't understand why that's something anybody should be fined over. If I watch a television show thinking it's real but it turns out it's not, how have I or anybody else been injured? Manipulating a poll to name a CAT on a kids' show is considered scandalous or even newsworthy?
This reminds me of about 10 years ago when Jerry Springer was accused of faking his whole show, that all the "guests" were actors. His response in an interview? It was basically:
"No way would I do that on my show. If anybody's doing this, it's certainly without my knowledge or approval. But let's assume it's true. Who cares? It's just a stupid television show." |
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Sal[Au]pian
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 09/20/2007 : 16:43:52
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It's become a big issue here, because there were lots of cases of people entering expensive phone-in competitions after the winner had secretly been chosen.
Blue Peter was involved in one of the cases (plucking a random child from the studio to be the winner) and had to apologise to the children for that. The viewers will be more annoyed by this, I think. It's definitely news-worthy. Perhaps our television ethics are just higher than yours?  The point is - why ask the children to name the cat and then reject their choice in favour of an even naffer one? |
Edited by - Sal[Au]pian on 09/20/2007 16:44:27 |
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thefoxboy 
"Four your eyes only."
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Posted - 09/21/2007 : 00:57:20
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Aren't all the phone-in shows rigged?
Idol, Dancing With The Stars etc? You never get to see the number of votes. |
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Sean 
"Necrosphenisciform anthropophagist."
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Posted - 09/21/2007 : 01:37:20
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quote:
Originally posted by Downtown
I don't understand why that's something anybody should be fined over. If I watch a television show thinking it's real but it turns out it's not, how have I or anybody else been injured?
Yep, lying isn't a crime. But lying so that you can take someone's money off them generally is. Although lying and thereby wasting someone's time gets into dubious moral ground, i.e., whether there's a victim or not.
The best thing is to detect this kind of fraud, publicise it, then hope people start doing something better with their time than watching this kind of garbage, so that it becomes self-policing. But if people continue watching these shows knowing that they're probably fake, then there's obviously no problem as there's no victim.  |
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duh 
"catpurrs"
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Posted - 09/21/2007 : 04:25:33
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I watch one reality show, HGTV's "Design Star."
Even it had a scandal. Word got around that Kim is the hairdresser for one of the In Design magazine's staffers; some people assumed he must have pulled strings for her. (I don't think he did.)
I have no way of knowing if any of the judge's selections as to who got canceled along the way were unduly influenced. But it was great fun and several minor celebrities emerged from the contest, such as the talented and affable Will, and the glamourous, funny, self-effacing southern he-queen, Sparkle Josh!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love those dimples! And he's so NICE! |
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Downtown
"Welcome back, Billy Buck"
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Posted - 09/21/2007 : 06:01:49
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quote:
Originally posted by Salopian
It's become a big issue here, because there were lots of cases of people entering expensive phone-in competitions after the winner had secretly been chosen.
Ah. Well that changes everything. |
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ChocolateLady
"500 Chocolate Delights"
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Posted - 09/21/2007 : 08:21:53
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quote:
Originally posted by duh
I watch one reality show, HGTV's "Design Star."
Even it had a scandal. Word got around that Kim is the hairdresser for one of the In Design magazine's staffers; some people assumed he must have pulled strings for her. (I don't think he did.)
Sorry, but after looking at that site, the biggest scandal is that she won after designing all those horrid rooms - especially the kitchen. UGH! |
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Sal[Au]pian
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 09/21/2007 : 09:35:57
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| N.B. There haven't been any scandals with reality show phone-ins here - the competitions have been of the type where the people phoning are entering (e.g. to participate in an on-air quiz) rather than voting (apart from the name of the cat on the children's programme - and that was online and so essentially free). |
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Puss in cahoots
