Do you think it's irresponsible for Discovery Channel to air Nik Wallenda's "sky wire" walk live on television?

That is the whole point of Mr. Wallenda’s sky wire walk. To make money.
If Discovery Channel didn’t do it, someone else would.
I don’t even know what “emotional pornography” means.

I can not wait for that tremendous feeling of Schadenfreude when he turns into a pretty red stain at the bottom of the canyon

Irresponsible of Discovery Channel? No.

It was an irresponsible stunt and we don’t need to be constantly coddled by television editing making us ignore that bad things can happen to people who behave stupidly.

Nope. This is pretty cool. :0)

We live in a voyeuristic society. Discovery wouldn’t air it if people didn’t want to watch it. Discovery Channel is not my my mother or my father. I don’t want them, or anyone else, to be censoring what I can or cannot see.

TV stations and cable channels have no altruistic responsibility to save us from grossness or from ourselves. If it’s legal they can show it, no matter how repulsive it may be. (After all, my cable company airs around 12 religious channels).

If you don’t want to watch it, then don’t. If you don’t want to have your kids watch some idiot fall to his death, then turn off the TV.

Broadcasters don’t have the responsibility to make that decision. YOU do.

I don’t mean this in a brash manner but what have you done in your life so far @rockfan that Discover would have you on their channel for? <This question will answer yours

It makes as much sense to me as the whole tight rope walking thing.

@_Whitetigress No I haven’t done anything particularly amazing in my life, but I don’t see what that has to do with anything.

@rockfan Were on the same boat. We aren’t going to defy gravity, we aren’t going to do anything frankly that would have Discovery knocking on our door willing to sponsor us and give us money.

I think this is more about the “live” aspect. If he makes it that is great and good TV. But if he falls then it is very bad TV. I would bet a fair amount of money that there is at least a delay of a few minutes so that if he does fall they can switch to something else so it isn’t shown.

It was due to be screened “live” here yesterday 1:00PM BST & it was pulled.
My son & I were looking forward to watching it & came to the conclusion he either bailed out or fell.
Turns out he made it across unscathed & it’ll be shown tonight 8PM.
Strange decision to alter the scheduled programming, but there you go.

It gets aired because people want to watch it. People want to watch it because of the excitement, the risk, and maybe they think they want to see someone die on live TV. I don’t think that would happen though. There’s usually a delay even on live broadcasts, so if anything happened they’d switch to something else.

I think it’s kind of disturbing.. I don’t think I’d watch it.

The whole idea is to do it for fame and fortune.

Well heck, @ucme, now there’s no reason to watch!
Don’t most ‘live’ shows have a short delay?

@ccrow That’s my point, although might just watch the high lights.

@ucme that was a bad pun, even for you

That was a pointless remark, even for you.

someone has to remind you of your constant failures.

yawn, they’re meant to be piss poor, you fucking idiot.

i love you, too, honey bear