What Would you do?

I would like to start off by saying that I’m not the most cynical of person[1]…

In fact, I believe that one good deed can often lead to another.  It’s like that one movie with Kevin Spacey where good deeds are rewarded[2].

I recently viewed a television show called, “What Would You Do?” which can best be described as Candid Camera meets the movie “Crash.” [3]

The show puts ordinary simple folk like you in scenarios of civic morality that test the boundaries of how far the public will go before stepping in on a situation.[4]

For instance take Scenario A’: Two paid actors, a male and a female, are sitting at a bar as if they were on a first date.  The woman slips out to powder her nose.[5]  Meanwhile the man drugs her drink in front of a few ordinary joe/jane witnesses.

The show then passes judgment on who is a “Hero” for stepping up and stopping the sleaze-bag, and who is a “Terrible and Appalling Human Beings Who Should Be Painted in Red and Placed in Front of a Firing Squad While Fire Ants Crawl Up Their Colon”[6].

Now most of us, when in front of our friends and loved ones would say “Of course I’d step in, I would never let anything like that happen if I saw it.” And to those people I say, “Kudos” my brethren.

But we all know that a lot of people, even those of us who say we would intervene, when it comes to the moment, we often let our doubts and insecurities get in the way of our actions.[7]

That’s what I love about a show like “What Would You Do.”  It uses public spectacle as an influence for people to do good deeds!  Because as much of a cynic as I am,[8] I believe that people are capable of good when they fear of becoming the so-called “Monsters” that are portrayed on TV.

Which is why, “What Would You Do” gets my Thumbs Up’ for the week.

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[1] Which is why I always leave my car doors unlocked, and my wallet and Social Security Card in the glove.

[2] Se7en

[3] Which is WAY better than the show I pitched, Candid Camera meets “Brokeback Mountain.”

[4] It’s seriously just “Awkward Comedy”, without the ‘Comedy’…

[5] side note: women, this isn’t the Victorian era, we know your not powdering up, just admit your letting one rip in private.

[6] Another pitch I failed at…Damn you ABC!

[7] That’s why I didn’t ask that guy who could have been Wayne Brady for a picture…

[8] My first statement was just a decoy bitches!