October 10, 2007
To Catch a 'To Catch A Pretator' PredatorPosted by Bryan
Fast Company, one of four magazines I actually pay to read, offers a daily "FC Now" online feature that presents fresh Fast Company content hot off the Internet griddle. In today's offering, they link to an Esquire Magazine article about the Texas prosecutor who took his own life rather than face the Chris Hansen microphone once he was caught trying to entice a person who he thought to be a teenage lolita (or lolito...I'm not sure).
The story is a year old, so it is a little curious cropping up again. Perhaps it is because of a similar case, with a similar denouement, abeit without the Hansentastic flavor added. Confessionally, I have not read the referential Esquire article. It's 12 Internet pages long, which I think translates to an 84-page manuscript in dog years, and I don't have the time for that sort of commitment.
In fact, I probably would not even blog about it, because my mercy-meter seems to malfunction when it approaches the proximity of those who hurt children, but the FC article is worth the read because the NBC newsman breaks the fourth wall by contributing to the comments section. And that, my friend, fascinates me.
And it isn't so much that he chimes in. I mean who can forget when Benji's "mom" rebuked my criticism of the pooch's latest cinematic tail of biting adventure and distempered family relationships? (You mean you actually forgot? Well, I guess I can understand).
What I find so interesting is what he chooses to say when he knocks down the barrier and becomes part of the story...or at least acknowledges that yes, all along, he is very much part of the story. Hansen decides to chastise the FC blogger with this rhetorical gem:
Of course, there is the possibility that this is not the Real Mr. Hansen, who very well may be too busy setting additional snares for predators, in which case there's nothing to see here, please move along. However, if the reporter did pause long enough to defend himself and carelessly accuse a colleague for attempting to hold him accountable for his part in the drama, at the least the Dateliner is guilty of a lapse of professionalism.
Upon slightly more in-depth review, MSNBC has set up a site for the series emphasis. In it, they respond to ABC's recent effort to call out attention to Dateline's provocative efforts. Fact: reading this response in the voice of Dwight Schrute makes it immensely more enjoyable.
I understand the fascination with this show, though I don't watch it myself. I recommend bookmarking the Family Watchdog site, rather than DVR'ing Dateline. Better, more relevant information, continually updated, and verified Hansen-free.
October 10, 2007 7:18 AM | TrackBack