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This man isn't laughing. No sir. Contestants on a French game show have tortured each other with electric shocks until one man cried for mercy and apparently dropped dead.

However all was not quite as it seemed, while the participants thought they were starring in the pilot of a reality TV show, it was actually a psychological experiment.

The fake show was designed to test whether being on a TV show could push people to do outrageous things. The answer... a definitive "Oui!"

In the ominously titled 'Le jeu de la mort' (The Game of Death) participants were told to inflict pain on their competition if they answered trivia questions incorrectly.

This was done by flicking a switch to administer electric shocks of various levels up to a potentially fatal 460-volts -- they would then watch the reaction of their rival (actually an actor) on a monitor.

The actor screamed in pain and begged for mercy with each wrong answer, until the contestants increased their 'shocks' to a deathly level.

Makers say 80% of those participating in the show were willing to give a potentially fatal electric shock, if show producers said they should - this they argue shows how TV shows can misuse their power and influence.

The stunt was based on the "Stanley Milgram Experiment" and will air on France 2 tonight as part of a documentary on the manipulative power of television.

Keep reading to see footage. Remember, he's actor. But they don't know it. Cripes...




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