Why do people want to watch videos of other people being beheaded?

Barely There · 20-08-2014 11:22AM #1

I don't get it.

Morbid fascination?
Desensitisation to violence?

Can someone explain/justify why you would want to watch a video of a fellow human, being viciously murdered in front of a camera?

o1s1n · 20-08-2014 11:24AM

I don't think those videos are put out for entertainment purposes...

donegal__road · 20-08-2014 11:26AM

why did the christians being fed to the lions attract 1,000's to the Colosseum in Rome?

MagicIRL · 20-08-2014 11:26AM

I imagine it's the thrill and shock factor of seeing something you know you shouldn't be seeing.

I don't subscribe to the idea myself, but I guess it's a more extreme version of watching videos of people getting hurt doing stupid things.

pablomakaveli · 20-08-2014 11:26AM

Just morbid curiosity for the most part. Like when people rubber neck when passing a crash site on the road.

Though there are some sick individuals who enjoy that kind of stuff as well.

Larbre34 · 20-08-2014 11:27AM

Its a natural human reaction to see the evidence for anything for oneself. Some of the medieval goings on in the middle east have sounded so outlandish that people in other parts of the world need to see it to believe it.

Its horrific stuff though, what is seen cannot be unseen.

FURET · 20-08-2014 11:27AM

I watched one because I wanted to be confronted with the reality of how savage and bloodthirsty mankind can be. Doing so deepened my already high levels of misanthropy.

Playboy · 20-08-2014 11:29AM

Barely There wrote: »

I don't get it.

Morbid fascination?
Desensitisation to violence?

Can someone explain/justify why you would want to watch a video of a fellow human, being viciously murdered in front of a camera?

I feel like a have a duty to watch it. You cant pretend everything in the world is ok if you watch something like that. We need to be confronted with the horror of what goes on because then it may force us to do something. I dont enjoy watching it, it's going to give me sleepless nights but that poor man deserves more than our disinterest.

BeerWolf · 20-08-2014 11:30AM

Often just morbid curiosity - think most people would try seeing something like that once and that's that... never again.

donegal__road · 20-08-2014 11:31AM

FURET wrote: »

I watched one because I wanted to be confronted with the reality of how savage and bloodthirsty mankind can be. Doing so deepened my already high levels of misanthropy.

I watched one 9 years ago and I couldn't sleep for about 2 weeks.

I think people have a morbid fascination with this type of stuff as it questions our mortality, and our morality.

anncoates · 20-08-2014 11:47AM

They're perfect for people that like watching gore because they can solemnity excuse their viewing tastes as a vital, if unpleasant, part of being versed in current affairs

KungPao · 20-08-2014 11:51AM

Watched one back in about 2003, wish I didn't, can still see him sitting there scared not seeing the sick pricks taking out big daggers behind him. I'm just "glad" it was before everyone had HD cameras...the quality was pretty terrible so I was shielded somewhat from the brutality of it. I'd say the recent ones are such good quality video that you can see much more

FloatingVoter · 20-08-2014 11:55AM

People watch them because they are there. People are curious animals by nature. Its why we're sitting here typing twaddle and not sitting up a tree throwing bananas at each other.

Dr Strange · 20-08-2014 12:00PM

Maybe in some it is about their own mortality, watching the moment of death in someone else can be like that pull when standing on top of a high building or cliff.

Grayditch · 20-08-2014 12:01PM

Playboy wrote: »

I feel like a have a duty to watch it. You cant pretend everything in the world is ok if you watch something like that. We need to be confronted with the horror of what goes on because then it may force us to do something. I dont enjoy watching it, it's going to give me sleepless nights but that poor man deserves more than our disinterest.

I think he deserves that you don't watch the final moment of him at his most terrified and helpless. I don't buy your reasoning that you do it as some sort of duty. The report of "Man beheadded' clearly isn't enough for some people. There's a fascination there.

Rothko · 20-08-2014 12:07PM

Playboy wrote: »

I feel like a have a duty to watch it. You cant pretend everything in the world is ok if you watch something like that. We need to be confronted with the horror of what goes on because then it may force us to do something. I dont enjoy watching it, it's going to give me sleepless nights but that poor man deserves more than our disinterest.

It's nobody's duty to watch it and you don't have to see something like that to know that everything in the world is not ok.

calanus · 20-08-2014 12:11PM

I automatically remove those dingleberries from my friendlist that will upload those links to facebook with a little (large) thumbnail showing some kind of barbaric act - beheading, stoning, kids dead on the street together with a helpful comment like "OMG, I can't believe this is happening in the world please share". How about you go F*ck yourself, I'm having me breakfast

guttenberg · 20-08-2014 12:12PM

Suas11 wrote: »

It's nobody's duty to watch it and you don't have to see something like that to know that to know that everything in the world is not ok.

Do you think it's right for social media companies to be able to dictate/censor what world tragedies we are allowed to see? It's a horrible thing to happen yes, but nobody should be allowed to filter what the rest of us can and can't see. For the record, I have not, nor have I any inclination to view it.

Barely There · 20-08-2014 12:13PM

Playboy wrote: »

I feel like a have a duty to watch it. You cant pretend everything in the world is ok if you watch something like that. We need to be confronted with the horror of what goes on because then it may force us to do something. I dont enjoy watching it, it's going to give me sleepless nights but that poor man deserves more than our disinterest.

Hmmm,

Sounds like the kind of arguments people make when they download illegally - they're really just sticking it to the big corporations.

Or when they refuse to pay their taxes on the basis that they don't agree with Govt policy

Some people do certain stuff because they want to or it suits them, but then feel compelled to invent a moral argument to try to justify their position.
Your argument sounds remarkably similar to such bolloxology.

I'd have more respect for someone who just said 'I have a morbid fascination with watching someone have their head chopped off'.

Grayditch · 20-08-2014 12:19PM

Do people have to watch the act of rape on video to sympathise with a victim?

What the hell is wrong with people, just admit you like the creepy video cause you were curious, and stop all this "I did it for awareness" shtick.

suicide_circus · 20-08-2014 12:27PM

Watched one around 2003 and regretted it instantly. Beheading is a much slower process than you'd think.

Shiraz 4.99 · 20-08-2014 12:33PM

suicide_circus wrote: »

Watched one around 2003 and regretted it instantly. Beheading is a much slower process than you'd think.

I watched the Nick Berg one from around that time, the gurgling, screaming, whimpering goes on for over 30 seconds, takes over a minute to remove the head as they hack at the spine.

Reading that is bad enough, now imagine watching it.

Vandango · 20-08-2014 12:37PM

As horrific as these videos are, the camera lense does dull a lot of the horror. I witnessed a motorbike accident several years ago. Standing over the severed leg of a dead motorcyclist was a very disturbing experience. I can still smell that smell. These videos are disgusting, voyeuristic and while it is impractical. I would loved to see them banned from the internet.

Ash.J.Williams · 20-08-2014 12:40PM

Barely There wrote: »

I don't get it.

Morbid fascination?
Desensitisation to violence?

Can someone explain/justify why you would want to watch a video of a fellow human, being viciously murdered in front of a camera?

that's life unfortunately....if people want to see what's going on in the world it's nobody elses business....

FloatingVoter · 20-08-2014 12:41PM

Vandango wrote: »

As horrific as these videos are, the camera lense does dull a lot of the horror. I witnessed a motorbike accident several years ago. Standing over the severed leg of a dead motorcyclist was a very disturbing experience. I can still smell that smell. These videos are disgusting, voyeuristic and while it is impractical. I would loved to see them banned from the internet.

You can't ban anything from the internet. Once a pirated movie or child porn gets online its linked to by hundreds of mirrored sites. Then thousands. And on and on.
Sure Facebook can throw them off as they go up and are identified. But to ban beheading videos at source would also involve banning stupid cat videos and Other Peoples Boring Holiday Snaps.

Ave Sodalis · 20-08-2014 12:41PM

Suas11 wrote: »

It's nobody's duty to watch it and you don't have to see something like that to know that to know that everything in the world is not ok.

No, but it's a lot easier to ignore, pretend it's not happening and therefore do nothing.
It's more a case of "oh poor them, that's sad" and then people forget about it. Seeing it actually happen leaves more of an impact and there's more chance of something being done.

sbsquarepants · 20-08-2014 12:43PM

Barely There wrote: »

I don't get it.

Morbid fascination?
Desensitisation to violence?

Can someone explain/justify why you would want to watch a video of a fellow human, being viciously murdered in front of a camera?

It's just human nature. If tomorrow the government restarted hanging people in stephens green, there would be thousands there craning their necks to get a better view.
They show "surgical" drone strikes on the news all the time, they're possible killing dozens of people. They're no less dead because the nice clean surgical americans killed you with their shiny hi tech drone than the big bad scruffy beardie Islamic nutjob with his rusty blade. Bit less of a gore factor for the viewer but you're still watching fellow humans killed for greed, oil, for playing with the wrong imaginary friend and all types of ill conceived nonsensical reasons.

FloatingVoter · 20-08-2014 12:44PM

Whenever this topic comes up, I'm reminded of the little old ladies bringing their knitting along to the guillotine. Back when France was interesting.

KungPao · 20-08-2014 12:46PM

This reminded me:

A while back I was on the WTF section of Reddit (when it used to be pretty much no rules - post what you want) and I clicked on something with a not-so-obvious title and what I saw was a gif of some poor guy who had just been ripped in half (pelvis down was separated) and it almost looked like the scene in Aliens

with Bishop near the end

except it was real.

He got hit by two trucks or something while on a motorcycle and he was cut in two. He was still alive trying to hold his insides in.

The gore was bad, but more so was the feeling of sadness for the poor guy.

I don't go for "risky clicks" any more. And try to stay away from that ****. It's not good for you.

buried · 20-08-2014 12:56PM

sup_dude wrote: »

No, but it's a lot easier to ignore, pretend it's not happening and therefore do nothing.
It's more a case of "oh poor them, that's sad" and then people forget about it. Seeing it actually happen leaves more of an impact and there's more chance of something being done.

But by watching one of these videos, the only thing you've actually done is witness a fullscale violent propaganda video sent out by these violent fascist Islamist scumbags to you in the west which is exactly what the fascist thrash want you to do. That's what these videos are.

sbsquarepants · 20-08-2014 12:56PM

Playboy wrote: »

I feel like a have a duty to watch it. You cant pretend everything in the world is ok if you watch something like that. We need to be confronted with the horror of what goes on because then it may force us to do something. I dont enjoy watching it, it's going to give me sleepless nights but that poor man deserves more than our disinterest.

That's fúcking idiotic.
You have no duty to watch anything, but now that you have made yourself watch, what action has it forced you into? In fact what action could you or anyone else possibly effect that could impact positively in anyway on some shower of psychotic religious fanatic fúckwits half away around the world anyway? You can't reason with these people, if you could they wouldn't be religious fanatics in the first place.
So, in short, I completely fail to see what positive benefit you think your duty bound sleepless nights could somehow achieve for anyone or anything?

Why do people want to watch videos of other people being beheaded?

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