expected, with the film crew eagerly tagging close behind to capture their subject struggling to operate her vehicle. While some viewers later claimed that the producers of this epi- sode should be held accountable or guilty for allowing this fragile individual to drive while under the debilitating influence of alcohol, in the eyes of the law, producers, like witnesses, are under no legal obligation to stop reckless behavior. Ironically, the regrettable incident was powerfully reminiscent of the episode of Breaking Bonaduce where an intoxicated Danny Bonaduce took his camera crew for a drive, proposing that a car crash would make for great television. Although many producers are unthinkingly willing to take such foolish risks for the sake of exalted ratings, some have found themselves inactive eyewitnesses to dangerous, illegal, and potentially life-threatening behavior with- out cogently reacting to hinder or halt the conduct. These types of rare yet increasingly common situations are not only beginning to put the lives of reality TV subjects and producers in jeopardy, they are also setting horrendous examples for what are acceptable ratings ploys. At some point in the career of every reality show producer, ethics will square off against ratings during the course of production. And although many producers have seemingly crossed the line of what is morally acceptable television content, the choice to stop tape always remains evenly on the producer's shoulders. 148 | Where Ethics and Reality Collide BAPTISM BY FIRE Unfortunately, no production class, reality TV seminar, or how-to guide can ever fully prepare a producer for dealing with these types of situations. However, one of the most important lessons to learn for producers new to the industry is to be wary of the ways in which the presence of a video crew can seemingly diminish the serious peril of some real-life situations. It is quite common, in fact, for a producer to worry less about the well-being of a reality TV subject when a camera crew is present rather than if the producer was alone with the subject being chronicled. The presence of cameras can easily lend a misleading aura of protection that is strictly a disingenuous illusion. It also fos- ters an incredibly dangerous sense of false confidence to everyone involved. For many producers, this is where the line between fantasy