TVSquad

I've never been a fan of Dateline's "To Catch A Predator." Despite helping to put sexual predators behind bars, the series is tainted by egregious spectacle, and recently resulted in the suicide of one man in Murphy, Texas. Consequently, the district attorney has refused to prosecute the other twenty-four men who were caught in the sting.

Readers can discuss in the comments the value of one man's life over that of anyone else's, but that's not the point I'm trying to make. What I'm saying is, despite selling the show as some kind of humanitarian crusade, reporter Chris Hansen and the producers behind "To Catch A Predator" both want and need that moment of public humiliation for the show to work and for people to watch. They're putting out a fire, yes, but they're doing it by throwing manure on it.

This Just In has a new video up featuring some hysterical outtakes from Dateline's "To Catch A Predator" series.

Okay, it's not really Dateline, and that's not really Chris Hansen, but it is really, really funny. The swearing is bleeped, but you might want to be careful about watching it at work or church anyway. Also, you shouldn't bring your wireless laptop to church, that's just rude. Jesus doesn't come to your house and play his banjo* while you're trying to watch TV, does he? That's right, they don't**.

Anyway, I placed the video after the jump.

[via CC Insider]

*I belong to a religious sect that believes Jesus was in an folk band

**This sect also believes Jesus was made of several smaller Jesuses, like Voltron

Dateline NBC will add an extra element to its broadcast on Friday night, an online chat. It's fitting, considering the subject matter. The news magazine will feature its third report to scare the crap out of parents about sexual predators on the internet. Reporter Chris Hansen and members of the vigilante group Perverted Justice will lure sexual predators from internet chat rooms to a house in which they are hiding. When the predator knocks on the door, Hansen and a camera crew will be there to confront the sicko (they do these undercover reports on the local news here in Portland, and they're pretty darn terrifying).

During Friday night's broadcast of Dateline NBC, reporter Chris Hansen will be hosting a live chat to answer questions and tell stories about the sexual predators that didn't make it into the final cut. Of course, this live chat is only for the East coast airing of Dateline from 9-11 pm.