SOCIAL EXPERIMENT

[Duchess]

I don't have nice feelings about my fellow man much but I did after watching this. The ending with the soldier is seriously cool.

[Midwest Spy]

I think the people that stood up for the clerk were very admirable.

I also thought the intro to the piece was pretty funny, comparing spray-painting a mosque with graffiti to detonating a bomb which killed and maimed American civilians. Or flying planes into buildings.

Islam is scary. We have the right to mistrust everything about it, and shame on ABC trying to guilt Americans into how they should feel about it.

Wonder if this little exercise is carried out on network TV in places like Pakistan, Iran or Saudi Arabia, wondering if a Muslim would stand up for a Jew, Christian, Kurd or Yazidi? Of course the difference there is those religions don't have a history of carrying out atrocities against Muslims, so there's little reason to fear them.

[Blindgreed1]

I think the people that stood up for the clerk were very admirable.

I also thought the intro to the piece was pretty funny, comparing spray-painting a mosque with graffiti to detonating a bomb which killed and maimed American civilians. Or flying planes into buildings.

Islam is scary. We have the right to mistrust everything about it, and shame on ABC trying to guilt Americans into how they should feel about it.

Wonder if this little exercise is carried out on network TV in places like Pakistan, Iran or Saudi Arabia, wondering if a Muslim would stand up for a Jew, Christian, Kurd or Yazidi? Of course the difference there is those religions don't have a history of carrying out atrocities against Muslims, so there's little reason to fear them.

[Duchess]

Cool smilies!

[crash]

Anyone else get the impression that the whole thing was a little 'too staged'? It almost seemed like reverse propaganda..

[HairOfTheDog]

Anyone else get the impression that the whole thing was a little 'too staged'? It almost seemed like reverse propaganda..

I see what you mean; it did have kind of a staged feel about it.

I didn't get the sense that the non-actors involved were part of staging or anything; more like the presentation/production for the broadcast gave it that staged feel.

[crash]

The 5 or 6 (high quality) camera angles didn't kind of tip you off? That wasn't your average hidden camera or go pro type footage. Those people would have had to have been blind or stupid to not notice those cameras.

[HairOfTheDog]

I don't know. I never look around for hidden cameras at the deli or anything.

Meh, doesn't matter much to me either way.

[crash]

Yeah. That was my point; I don't think they were the type of cameras that are easily hidden, nor were they attempted to be. But yeah, I too really don't care either way. It hasn't changed my thinking in any way..

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, you know way more about the camera stuff than I do, crash.

I figure ABC's got a big budget for a prime time show, they've got hidden cameras around the room, and they can edit the footage to zoom in and out and crop for focus and all that jazz. If that's not technically possible, I guess the show is a fraud or the non-actors featured on the different hidden camera shows are all stupid or blind.

I didn't really give much thought to the social experiment angle at all. Assuming the participants were unaware of the cameras and responding naturally, I think the reactions would be vastly different depending on a lot of factors; the location of the experiment being one of them.

[Maggot]

I cant watch it the tears will flow, not sure what side to cry for. I'm on the fence with my tears though, I have a very cold, cold wretched heart.

[Duchess]

It made me wonder if I would speak up or would I ignore it like I do so much of what I see out in the world.

[crash]

Well, you know way more about the camera stuff than I do, crash.

I figure ABC's got a big budget for a prime time show, they've got hidden cameras around the room, and they can edit the footage to zoom in and out and crop for focus and all that jazz. If that's not technically possible, I guess the show is a fraud or the non-actors featured on the different hidden camera shows are all stupid or blind.

I didn't really give much thought to the social experiment angle at all. Assuming the participants were unaware of the cameras and responding naturally, I think the reactions would be vastly different depending on a lot of factors; the location of the experiment being one of them.

Maybe it is technically possible, but it just seemed awfully convenient that the people were standing in all the right places at all the right times for the shots over the shoulders, the pan shots from the side etc etc

Like you say, the social experiment side of it is very limited anyway. The location, demographic, social mix.. all those things would need to be thrown in.

I would like to think that the majority of people would behave like the people in the clip did. I found it funny that the guy that was shown to be an asshole was wearing a NASCAR hat. Stereotyping or stereotype come true?

[Maggot]

I don't like the what would you do series. The scenarios are over the top and sensational for ratings.

[Cutz]

I was in a Psych experiment kinda similar, except it was a chat room and "someone else in the room" (actually a running program) said something about not wanting women in our group because they were stupid. I'm a non-confrontational person, so I ignored the comment and focused on the assigned task. Does that mean I tolerate sexism? Probably in the eyes of the experiment. When in reality, I just know that 1) I'm not going to change his mind 2) starting an argument is the opposite of professional 3) Debating sexism doesn't accomplish the task.

In that respect, I'm glad the show didn't focus on the probably dozens of people who said nothing to the guy. They could have taken the angle of "all these people did nothing," but they didn't. I've actually seen the clip before, and I remember feeling proud of Americans at the time, but I know what I'd do. I saw another WWYD where it was like, a muslim changing a tire, asking people on the street for help. I'm not gonna help a stranger fix a tire no matter what nationality they are! I'm busy, I got shit to do, wheel your broken ass car to NTB.

[HairOfTheDog]

I don't argue every point that comes up with which I don't agree. Depends on the significance, the environment, the impact...

But, no doubt I would say something if someone was going off on somebody who was just trying to do their job, based only on the worker's religion or race or looks. In the OP scenario, it wasn't just a snide comment or the customer being rude and then leaving. I probably wouldn't say anything if that were the case. Instead, it was a customer harassing the worker incessantly, spouting at others to join in his shit, holding up the damned line...

So, yeah, I'd speak up -- not only because I think the customer's rant was off-base (he has a right to speak his narrow mind), but also because he would have been harshing my lunch break and everybody else's for no gain. Step aside...