Who needs the Jerry Springer opera?

(link via razorjak)

This is an extremely silly video.

Requires sound. Possibly NSFW, depending where you work.

The West Wing in "facts? what facts?" shocker

So, I'm steadily ploughing through Season Six of the West Wing. I watched King Corn the other day, with its subplot about a Turkish woman who's going to be executed for adultery.

A couple of small problems with that, which a quick google easily confirms.

1. Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2002. They hadn't actually executed anyone since 1984.
2. Turkey did have an old law against adultery on the books until 1996 - when it was struck down by their constitutional court. The maximum penalty appears to have been two years, more or less in line with old US and UK adultery laws. I'm not sure when the last successful prosecution was, mind you
3. Yes, there has since been a 'family values' campaign from conservative politicians who want to reinstate the law in some form. It attracted a lot of press. It failed.
4. Oh, and Turkey's old laws were drawn from European - not Islamic - roots. It was founded as a secular state, after all.

It seems that this episode offended a lot of people in Turkey. I can't think why...