While American Reality TV always occasionally crosses the line, we can be thankful that our reality is not quite as real as it is in Pakistan. In 2009 a contestant of a Pakistani reality show drowned on television during a bizarre stunt in which he attempted to swim through a lake while strapped to 7 kgs of weight.
Eyewitnesses reported that he screamed for help before going under, but remember, Reality TV producers aren’t supposed to intervene unless it makes things more dramatic. It’s part of their code of ethics, similar to that of doctors and documentarians.