Lockup on MSNBC: education or explotation?

[hedgehog]

I've never watched an entire episode, but it strikes me as very educational.

1. I think it eliminates the notion that going to prison, any prison, means getting a cushy ride at the honest tax payer's expense.


2. I think it confronts people with the faces of those in prison. I think most middle class people have no idea who ends up in prison.

[femmocrat]

1. You are probably right, but....

I will never watch it to find out. As soon as I see it, I click. Who watches it???

[Cleita]

2. Apparently the ratings are high for the prison programs, not

just "Lockup", but since I think the appeal is to voyeurism, I would say they are exploitation.

[Rex]

3. Infotainment. nt

nt

[MADem]

4. It's voyeuristic, it shines a light on a closed and "dangerous" society; it's TV's equivalent of

clickbait.

It's also a HUGE moneymaker--cheap to make, all that B roll can be repackaged into different formats with the same prison theme and the ad revenue it generates is PURE profit.

All you need is one guy pushing buttons to put that puppy on the air. No lighting, no anchor, no cameraman, no sound engineer, no producer, no directors, no make-up/hair stylist....just one buttscratcher who can push a button or two and make sure it goes out. And if you keep them spaced out enough in the rotation, you can get several showings out of 'em and most people won't even realize it's a rerun.

Ka-ching!!!!

If people get a "prison education" out of it, that's a bonus...but that's not the purpose, I don't think--I think they're after the dough!

[monmouth3]

5. I would imagine the prisoners love it.."Look Ma, I'm on TV."....n/t

[fredamae]

6. Desensitizing, perhaps?

How else would we "accept" the Prison Industrial Complex? Constant exposure=normalizing.

I don't/Won't watch-but do they ever show those who are in these facilities who are there for non-violent crimes?

[AngryAmish]

7. yes

[hedgehog]

8. I thik you have the proper answer.

[YvonneCa]

9. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$...

....ratings. So exploitation for $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.