RCTI goes too far

On March 29 I watched Kopaja, an afternoon "comedy" show on RCTI television. One of its features involved a mock evening hold-up on a packed public transport vehicle.

Two brawny thugs threatened the passengers and the driver, causing the bus to hit the sidewalk. A woman cried hysterically before being silenced by the robbers, who then ordered the bus to stop at a dimly lit spot.

Everybody was ordered off the bus, told to squat facing a wall, and were searched by the robbers, against a backdrop of harsh words and rough physical treatment.

Soon after that, the "robbers" lightly informed their victims that the whole thing had been staged, which was quickly followed by the appearance of the television crew. The "takings" were returned with apologies.

As a result of the so-called joke, however, one of the "victims" had fainted.

With the "robbery" lasting quite a long time, the whole thing turned out not to be not very funny, and was far from being edifying. It was, in fact, terrifying and some of the passengers were severely traumatized.

RCTI and other stations need to reconsider the content of reality shows of this kind, which disregard people's rights and infringe upon their privacy. Those subjected to such treatment should sue for psychological damage.

WAHYU TRIMASTUTI MULYANTO Bandung