Having exhausted the various permutations of their long-running ‘To Catch a Predator’ series, NBC is now
launching a new one called, ‘To Catch a Contractor.’
The promo heralds a show that will uncover all sorts of sleazy, diabolical and even criminal practices being perpetrated by those always perplexing, always behind schedule and always over budget contractors. Fair enough. Who hasn’t had a bad experience with a contractor? In fact, it’s almost a rite of passage to be a homeowner.
But, I draw the line with NBC’s tactics. I never liked ‘Predator’ because I thought it crossed over into entrapment. And, something tells me the same will be true with contractors.
I can just imagine the various ways in which NBC and some ‘social justice’ group will ensnare some unsuspecting, but altogether sleazy, contractor. We’ll hear an NBC ‘plant,’ posing as a sultry, seductive housewife call out: ‘The door’s open, c’mon in. I’m just folding some wash in the nude. I made some brownies and iced tea. Put your tape measure down and have some.’
In my opinion, the whole thing stinks.
And, where will this mindless content end? Will we see future shows aimed at ‘catching’ cleaning ladies? How about the mailman? The FedEx delivery guy? You know a country’s moral fiber is scraping the bottom when we sit around at night watching one strata of society entrap another. Get a life, America.
In the “To Catch a Predator” series, I am going to side with NBC and the children. Do whatever it takes to get these men off the internet and away from children.
And, if they are indeed entrapped by someone involved with the show, well they didn’t tell these molesters to sign on, they didn’t have them enter the chat room, they didn’t tell them to drive hours for this supposed encounter. I could go on and on.
What they did is get another monster away from children. I welcome the show for what it does: it scares the hell out of me as a parent, opens the lines of communication about the topic with my family and puts bad guys behind bars.
If this new show helps unsuspecting homeowners, I would welcome that, too. If it boosts NBC’s ratings, so what? At least it’s not Big Brother XXI.
Ever since 9/11, we’ve been turning a blind eye towards ever-more menacing infringements into our First Amendment rights. I don’t like big brother watching over me. The “to catch…..” series is a classic example of a good idea taken too far. I’m all for capturing the bad guys. But, isn’t someone innocent until proven guilty? And, if one waves a red flag in front of a bull, will it not charge? Seems to me that, in some cases, the Predator series waves a red flag in front of unsuspecting, borderline individuals and pushes them over the edge. That’s entrapment. And, it’s not right. Entertaining maybe, but not right.
I love “To Catch a Predator” purely for its entertainment value. Chris Hanson is priceless. And soliciting sex from a minor online is a crime, so is it entrapment or are these guys just showing up for their own arrests?
My personal favorite is “Cheaters…” but all these shows are pretty lame.
“Nanny Cams” have caught a lot of caregivers abusing children. Radar guns catch speeders. I don’t care how they were captured, the ‘Predator’ series caught a lot of sick men. An age-old moral dilemma is whether people do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do, or because they are afraid of getting caught. In this case, if the fear of being found out makes some, as you say “sleazy” contractor do not do something illegal, then more power to them. Personally, I think these shows are head and shoulders above most of the garbage that’s on. The reality shows are nothing more than Jerry Springer without a host. At least the predator shows have some redeeming social value.