Ksyrup
10-06-2003, 01:34 PM
At least it's not in this country...yet.
Russian roulette stunt set for TV
Sunday, October 5, 2003 Posted: 3:41 PM EDT (1941 GMT)
LONDON, England -- A British illusionist plans to conduct a Russian roulette stunt on television despite police and other critics calling it irresponsible.
Self-proclaimed mind control expert Derren Brown plans to point a loaded pistol at his head and pull the trigger until he comes to the live chamber.
Britain's Channel 4 television plans to show the stunt "as live" with a short time delay in case it goes horribly wrong.
A volunteer from among 12,000 applicants will load the bullet in one of six numbered chambers of the Smith & Wesson hand gun to be used.
Brown, 32, will ask the volunteer to count from one to six. Brown claims that by using "sophisticated psychological techniques" he will be able to tell from their voice which chamber contains the bullet.
But Rick Naylor, chief superintendent of South Yorkshire Police and vice president of the Police Superintendents' Association, said the show was irresponsible.
"I'm flabbergasted," he said. "It sends entirely the wrong message. This is just a stunt. You're going to get copycat kids doing this and we're possibly going to end up with some tragedies."
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy also said the stunt could encourage vulnerable persons to consider suicide.
"The subliminal message that will be carried to young men is that guns are glamorous, risk-taking is masculine, depression is cool and suicide is sexy," a spokesman said.
Brown insisted the stunt is not irresponsible: "There could not be any more warnings on the show. We explain that it was done in a controlled environment and under the supervision of firearms experts.
"It's all about non gun violence, about not getting hurt. There are things that glamorize violence much more than this."
The stunt is to take place at a secret foreign location because of the UK's strict gun laws.
The volunteer will be the only person in the room with Brown and will speak with his or her back to Brown, protected by bulletproof glass.
Brown, a former law student, claimed he was "terrified" at the thought it may go wrong.
"There's a limit to what I can do. There's no 100 percent guarantee," he said. "If I'm not 100 percent sure I will not pull the trigger. It will be humiliating but preferable to the other option."
Russian roulette stunt set for TV
Sunday, October 5, 2003 Posted: 3:41 PM EDT (1941 GMT)
LONDON, England -- A British illusionist plans to conduct a Russian roulette stunt on television despite police and other critics calling it irresponsible.
Self-proclaimed mind control expert Derren Brown plans to point a loaded pistol at his head and pull the trigger until he comes to the live chamber.
Britain's Channel 4 television plans to show the stunt "as live" with a short time delay in case it goes horribly wrong.
A volunteer from among 12,000 applicants will load the bullet in one of six numbered chambers of the Smith & Wesson hand gun to be used.
Brown, 32, will ask the volunteer to count from one to six. Brown claims that by using "sophisticated psychological techniques" he will be able to tell from their voice which chamber contains the bullet.
But Rick Naylor, chief superintendent of South Yorkshire Police and vice president of the Police Superintendents' Association, said the show was irresponsible.
"I'm flabbergasted," he said. "It sends entirely the wrong message. This is just a stunt. You're going to get copycat kids doing this and we're possibly going to end up with some tragedies."
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy also said the stunt could encourage vulnerable persons to consider suicide.
"The subliminal message that will be carried to young men is that guns are glamorous, risk-taking is masculine, depression is cool and suicide is sexy," a spokesman said.
Brown insisted the stunt is not irresponsible: "There could not be any more warnings on the show. We explain that it was done in a controlled environment and under the supervision of firearms experts.
"It's all about non gun violence, about not getting hurt. There are things that glamorize violence much more than this."
The stunt is to take place at a secret foreign location because of the UK's strict gun laws.
The volunteer will be the only person in the room with Brown and will speak with his or her back to Brown, protected by bulletproof glass.
Brown, a former law student, claimed he was "terrified" at the thought it may go wrong.
"There's a limit to what I can do. There's no 100 percent guarantee," he said. "If I'm not 100 percent sure I will not pull the trigger. It will be humiliating but preferable to the other option."