"Primetime" opens in theaters this month. It's a critical take on "To Catch a Predator," a TV show that staged sting operations to catch men seeking sex with teens online. In this piece, Paul Kaplan and I link the show to Americans' attachment to vigilantism.
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How ‘To Catch a Predator’ indulged America’s appetite for humiliation and punishment
The show presented itself as a crusade to protect children. But its appeal may have had as much to do with the pleasures of being able to play judge, jury and executioner from your living room couch.
