Do You Like to Watch?

Television rarely produces a "must see" moment these days. Gone are the days when everyone would gather 'round the water cooler and discuss whether or not they thought they naked gay guy should have won survivor, or if those wacky "Moonlighting" characters are going to get together. Those moments have been replaced by e-mail, often coming with subject lines like "Check this out" or "You've GOT to see this" or "OMFGROTFLTGIF." The internet is the new digital water cooler, and in the past month Michael Richards' tirade was replaced by SNL's "Dick in a Box," which has been replaced by the cell-phone video of Saddam's execution.

Now, I'm anti death penalty, even for a guy responsible for as much death as Saddam Hussein. Partially because I don't think the state should sanction murder, and partially because I think it's a worse penalty to have to rot behind bars for the rest of your life. But I watched the thing, and I don't really know why. Morbid curiosity, I guess. And after watching, I have to say...I felt sorry for the guy. Sure, he killed thousands of people, and he probably doesn't regret it. But by the time he died, Saddam wasn't a monster. He was broken old despot who lacked the ability to inspire fear. Had I seen a video of him being killed two seconds after ordering any of the numerous attacks for which he was found guilty, THAT would have felt more like justice. And the passage of time doesn't make his crimes any less horrendous. But I got no satisfaction from seeing a noose placed around the neck of this sad, fat old man and watching what looked like his neck being snapped as he wiggled to and fro while people danced around his body in joy.

To me, the video serves only to humanize a force of evil. He's no longer a mythical boogey man deserving of the ultimate punishment. He's a human being killed by other human beings. And I can't take any joy or satisfaction from that. I think the video is a disservice to all those who want Saddam remembered as a torturous monster.

I don't want to feel sympathy for a guy like that. But I'm human, and now I can't help myself. Call me weak, call me liberal, but I'm glad the media decided not to show it. I'm glad to see we still have some sense of decorum, that we're not all clamoring to be spectators as the gladiators rip each other to shreds. I'm not happy about the fact that I watched it, but to be honest, I'd probably do it again.

Now if I could just find that video of Dick Cheney shooting his friend in the face...that's good times.