What Would You Do started their second season in May of 2010. They set up scenarios about race, gender and clothing to see if there is a difference between when a person will help someone else. In this third episode the shows explores drunken drinking, sexual harassment, an out of control coach, and a pharmacy patient.
Breath analyzer
There are new punishments for drivers that have been convicted of one too many DUI’s. An ignition device can be placed in a car that requires the driver to breath into a breathalyzer before they can start their car. If the alcohol level is too high they can not drive. The device can be tricked if someone else breaths into the machine. This is the exact question that the show actress asks of complete strangers walking by. Does anybody help a drunk driver drive a car? Not a lot of people will help because they are worried about the trouble that they will get into. They are not so worried about the fact that this drunken woman wants to drive drunk. When the actress does not act drunk some people are willing to help but when she acts more ‘drunk’ less people help. However, one person was willing to help after he was paid with $7. To test the public even further they put a baby in the car to see if anyone will help. Once more if the woman did not act too drunk then strangers helped breathe into the machine. When the woman acted drunk then strangers stepped up to help with emotional support and never breathed into the device. Breathing into the breathalyzer would have been asking for trouble. I would never help someone break the law and endanger others; baby or no baby.
Hands on boss
A waitress and boss are set up to show a public display of sexual harassment. A table of businessmen step up and even offer the waitress a job at their own office. In fact, he even offers to pay her for her day so that she can leave right away. The manager pulls out a Victoria secret magazine and tells his employee that if she was ‘good’ he would buy her a ‘Christmas gift’. It seemed that men were more likely to help then women. To change some of the experiment the woman’s outfit was changed. She was a tight red dress. Wearing this outfit made most people keep quiet. Once more it was the men that stood up to the situation more often then women. There were a few women that did stand up to the boss. It was spread far apart. I think I would personally be uncomfortable, but I understand the hesitation in not wanting to cause any more trouble.
Out of control coach
In the middle of a park a coach is visibility showing abuse to his student. He was telling the young student that he does not have asthma; he has a ‘bunch of pansy in him’. He verbally abuses the young man. It takes a very long time for anyone to say anything to the coach. Many people see what is going on, but do not say anything. A coach and a teacher both help the kid. However, when the coach gets physical more people help faster. 163 people witness the event about only 14 people help. A blind man ‘sees’ a child in help and speaks up. More often it was men that helped the kid, however, one personal trainer that was a woman helps the child call his ‘mother’.
A pharmacy situation
This dilemma is close to my heart because I work in a pharmacy. I have seen many patient come in that can not afford their co-pays for their medication. I always feel very bad for these patients, but I don’t always have the means to help. What Would You Do wanted to see if someone would help the patient. In one situation a woman that was just simply sitting in the background-not even the focus of the experiment- stepped up to pay for the medication. In fact when this woman finds out that the elderly woman only has a little bit of cash on her, the woman pays for all of the medicine. To change the situation, they change the patient into a young woman. When it was a young woman only a special education teacher stepped up to help out. I can only wish that by watching this show more people will be aware of situations that are beyond our control. I hope that more strangers can help each other out. I want to often, but I do not have the means.
I view this show and ABC’s True Beauty as a way to look inside myself to make me a better person. I try to put myself in the situation to ask myself “What would you do”. These situations are hard to look at and make you wonder the truth about everyone. Watch ABC’s What Would You Do and challenge yourself. It will open your eyes.
