by brb » Sun Dec 09, 2012 1:24 pm
I do not read the tabloids and on seeing the original story about the hoax on SKY News, it sort of did not really gain my mental attention. However, you could not fail to miss via tv media the sad turn of events that followed. What relation the hoax bare to the following suicide is impossible to know unless you knew the nurse personally or until subsequent investigations are completed.
I first turn to Gills1066 comments about Candid Camera, I guess with programmes of that nature a certain amount of research is done beforehand, if not least to check that any potential victim is not going to knock the living daylights out of the presenter, when the stunt is eventually revealed.
Today people such as Don Joly still play out Candid Camera style stunts on unwitting victims, again though these are in pre recorded situations and the plug can be pulled at any time dependent on the reaction, there are probably many clips we never see (assumption).
Does a hoax lead to ridicule, does the ridicule then become the tipping point and not the hoax in question. The hoax might only have been the starting block if ridicule followed in any form. Ridicule does not have too or may not be intentional but it how it is deemed in the mind of the recipient.
Although I do go along slightly in agreement with Posh's words, by saying myself that everything is dependent on the victims current emotional and fragile state as well as there upstanding beliefs and sensitivity towards such situations and if the hoax was in any way partly to blame for the death of the nurse, what were if any all the other life events that led up to it?
Which leads me to ask, since when have we taken to giving innocent, private, hard working individuals World Wide air time as part of a prank, without their permission, if that was the turn of events?
Personally In life I tend to follow in the words of the humorous Karl Pilkington by saying 'You're not allowed to laugh anymore. Laughing is dying out. Crying is the new thing'
Sadly in this case, are tears as a consequence of the laughter.
True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing.