Brazilian authorities say drug dealers and other hoodlums were dying to get on Wallace Souza’s TV program. Literally.
Souza, a state legislator and former host of a police TV show called “Canal Livre,” also was a drug trafficker, officials say. And to get rid of the competition — and drive up ratings — he would order that criminal rivals be killed and then would have his camera crews arrive first on the scene, authorities say.“In truth, they went as far as creating acts,” said Thomas Augusto Vasconcelos, intelligence secretary for Amazonas state. “It’s been determined that the crimes were committed in order to generate news for the program.”
This is the natural end of all that reality television so many people lap up. Don’t feed the beast.
(I also take this as an opportunity to recommend Ian MacDonald’s Brasyl.)