{"id":2214318,"date":"2025-12-28T05:12:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T05:12:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2214318"},"modified":"2025-12-28T05:12:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T05:12:17","slug":"i-used-to-see-to-catch-a-predator-as-entertainment-but-this-new-documentary-has-completely-changed-that","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/i-used-to-see-to-catch-a-predator-as-entertainment-but-this-new-documentary-has-completely-changed-that\/","title":{"rendered":"I Used To See To Catch A Predator As Entertainment, But This New Documentary Has Completely Changed That"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><i>When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.<\/i><\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Credit: Paramount+<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Back in the early-to-mid 2000s, around the time I was finishing high school and starting college, I would watch <em>To Catch a Predator<\/em> for hours on end. At the time, I saw it as nothing more than an entertaining reality show about alleged pedophiles being caught, embarrassed and arrested. When one guy would get arrested, his story would end, and the next would come in&#8230; or so I thought.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">I recently watched the documentary <em>Predators<\/em> with my <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/paramount-plus-price-plans-other-134445994.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Paramount+ subscription;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">Paramount+ subscription<\/a>, and I\u2019m not going to lie, it made me feel gross in a number of ways. From some seriously distressing moments from the infamous reality series to the copycats that followed, to questions about empathy and morality, this <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/upcoming-movies-2025-movie-release-130453990.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:2025 film;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">2025 film<\/a> changed the way I see the show and my idea of entertainment. I&#8217;ll explain\u2026<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Chris Hansen in Predators\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/qhScaef.WA1Ut25eaMlDPw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/cinemablend_388\/ab75baee895175970b41dfc358582c1c\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Credit: Paramount+<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">The Predators Documentary Has Me Looking At The Infamous Show In A Night Light<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">For those who aren\u2019t aware, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ibVZkvpAJjI&amp;pp=ygUVcHJlZGF0b3JzIGRvY3VtZW50YXJ5\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:David Osit\u2019s Predators;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">David Osit\u2019s <em>Predators<\/em><\/a>, which is one of the best documentaries of 2025, takes a deep dive into the origins and initial run of <em>To Catch a Predator<\/em>, the various copycats that it has inspired over the years, and how the show has impacted the lives of the crew, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cinemablend.com\/television\/Weirdest-Catch-Predator-Reaction-According-Chris-Hansen-71507.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:including host Chris Hansen;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">including host Chris Hansen<\/a>. At first, I saw it as nothing more than a detailed look at one of the biggest <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/30-reality-tv-shows-didnt-200447755.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:media phenomena of the reality TV era;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">media phenomena of the reality TV era<\/a> and its impact on pop culture. I left with an entirely different point of view.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Watching how the <em>To Catch a Predator<\/em> crew and various law enforcement agencies carried out countless sting operations (including one that led to the suicide of a Texas prosecutor), and how they seemingly were more interested in good TV than protecting minors, put a bad taste in my mouth. Don\u2019t get me wrong, the men targeted on this show were very much breaking the law and needed serious help, but the cavalier attitude and lack of empathy shown by the producers didn\u2019t help anything.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">While watching <em>Predators<\/em>, I kept thinking about how so many people were obsessed with watching this show back in the day (myself included), and how it\u2019s messed up that we were seeking entertainment from a series that\u2019s about a very serious topic. I felt kind of gross\u2026<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Footage of cops arresting a suspect in Predators\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/ZFQROtzT1rPKeYBs8QCnuA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/cinemablend_388\/7ed99ec42cc4c1e1c8d76e078ab1542b\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Credit: Paramount+<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">In Fact, It Led To Some Soul-Searching About Another One Of My Favorite 2000s Shows<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">After I finished <em>Predators<\/em>, I found myself doing a lot of soul-searching as I thought back on some of the shows that I used to watch for some twisted form of entertainment 20 years ago. I wish I could say <em>To Catch a Predator<\/em> was the only such program, but it\u2019s just one of many. The other big one that I spent dozens upon dozens of hours watching back in high school was <em>Lockup<\/em>. This series, which was released with various subtitles \u2013 <em>Extended Stay<\/em>, <em>Raw<\/em>, <em>World Tour<\/em>, etc. \u2013 on MSNBC from 2005 to 2017, was one of my go-to binge shows during my high school and college days.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Unlike the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/movies\/articles\/just-watched-hbos-latest-documentary-130400425.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:incredibly moving The Alabama Solution documentary;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">incredibly moving <em>The Alabama Solution<\/em> documentary<\/a> that came out this year, <em>Lockup<\/em> feels less interested in understanding inmates than it does in turning their punishment into entertainment. The past few days, I\u2019ve been thinking a lot about my one-time obsession with the show and what it says about me.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">I don\u2019t know if David Osit set out to make a generation of TV viewers question one of the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/most-popular-tv-show-every-180410563.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:most popular shows of the 2000s;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">most popular shows of the 2000s<\/a>, but this documentary did a number on me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Paramount+ Back in the early-to-mid 2000s, around the time I was finishing high school and starting college, I would watch To Catch a Predator for hours on end. At the time, I saw it as nothing more [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2214319,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[21741,350895],"class_list":["post-2214318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-entertainment","tag-to-catch-a-predator"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/I-Used-To-See-To-Catch-A-Predator-As-Entertainment.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2214318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2214318"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2214318\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2214320,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2214318\/revisions\/2214320"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2214319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2214318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2214318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2214318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}