Cry for organ help
The premise for a 2007 Dutch reality show (De Grote Donorshow) was that three patients in need of a kidney compete for the organs of a terminally ill woman; the dying woman was to pick the winner, with input from viewers. The show drew huge criticism before it aired and Dutch health officials condemned it and unsuccessfully tried to block it going to air. But there was a twist. Near the end of the programme, presenters revealed that the show was a hoax to draw attention to the Netherlands' shortage of organ donors. The "terminally ill" woman was a healthy actress, and while the three contestants really did need kidneys, they were in on the stunt to help increase awareness. It may have been crass but the stunt worked: A day after the airing, 43,000 viewers requested forms to become organ donors. (Via Mental Floss's The 25 Most Powerful TV Shows of the Last 25 Years)
Picture-perfect peacock
Zoo officials are under investigation in China after keepers said they were forced to fix a mechanical tail on to a peacock. Keepers at the Beijing Wild Animal Park were ordered to attach the fake tail, which is fixed to a motor that spreads the feathers into a magnificent display. "Visitors are happy to pay to pose in front of a peacock spreading his tail but they only do it in spring when they're breeding," explained one. "The bird is obviously uncomfortable, but we'd be sacked if we said no."
