Source: USA Today
“Days after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, President George W. Bush gave the world a now-infamous ultimatum: ‘Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.’ Thus began the forever war on terror and a shift in the American psyche that sought the destruction of any perceived enemy as some sort of divine retribution for the horrific acts witnessed on 9/11. This thirst for justice led to the popularity of ‘To Catch a Predator,’ an early 2000s reality TV series on ‘Dateline NBC’ that used hidden-camera sting operations to catch adults who showed up to meet underage decoys for sex. It was unobjectionable on its surface. The objectively abhorrent people depicted on the show deserve to be held accountable for their perversion. But the show existed in a bevy of contradictions, particularly in how it blurred the line between entertainment and justice, ultimately collapsing in on itself.” (10/01/26)