Jonathan Mirsky grapples with an extremely popular Chinese reality show, which was taken off the air last year. In the show, a prim and often staid Ding Yu interviews prisoners on death row, sometimes minutes before their execution:
For the actual interviews, after Ding Yu has her face made up and her hair styled, her subjects are dragged before her handcuffed and manacled. She usually smiles throughout the program, occasionally reminding the condemned that they had done a terrible thing and asking them how they feel about it. All except one trembles, collapses, weeps, and apologizes. One program, about a man who killed a child kidnapped for ransom, makes Ding Yu weep—she says this happened twice in four years. During the interview she puts a finger to her moist eyes and then examine the finger. She tells him, "Everybody should hate you." He agrees.
A PBS documentary on the subject is forthcoming. Xeni Jardin recently discussed it:
Exactly how many prisoners are executed each year in China? No one seems to know, but the number is estimated to be in the thousands. According to a 2011 Amnesty International report, China is number one in kill count among nations that use capital punishment. The USA is also in the top five, but with a 2010 count of 46 executions—a long way off from the top contender. Regarding China's use of the death penalty, Amnesty reports that "Thousands are believed to be executed every year," but "Authorities remain highly secretive about its use."
(Screenshot of Ding Yu via Jardin)
The Dish 
