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The Game of Death Television producer Christophe Nick was one of the creators of Game of Death, a 2010 recreation of Stanley Milgram’s experiment. Shown on French television, the show demonstrated that high levels of obedience still can occur. Eighty-one percent of the “contestants” on Game of Death obeyed the host’s order to shock another contestant who had answered a question incorrectly. In an interview, Nick explained, “Most of us think we have free thinking and so we are responsible for our acts. This experience shows that in certain circumstances, a power—the TV in this case—is able to make you do something you don’t want to do.” Contestant Jerome Pasanau agreed with Nick’s assertion. He said, “I wanted to stop the whole time, but I just couldn’t. I didn’t have the will to do it. And that goes against my nature. I haven’t really figured out why I did it” (Beardsley, 2010).
AP Photo/Christophe Ena