A proposed livestream of an execution has reignited debate over a disturbing historical practice in the U.S., where executions were once recorded and distributed as entertainment. The idea draws from a grim tradition of filming executions, which persisted for decades and blurred the line between justice and spectacle. Critics argue such broadcasts risk normalizing state-sanctioned killing while reviving a morally questionable era. The proposal forces a reckoning with how punishment has been weaponized for public consumption.
Hegseth’s plan to livestream an execution was not without precedent — it tapped into a dark and forgotten U.S. tradition. The post America’s Sordid History of Filming Executions as Entertainment appeared first on The Intercept.
