Convicts in Spain enjoy their share of the showbiz cake

By Rund Abdelfatah

NOWADAYS everyone appears intent on finding their 15 minutes of fame.

And with the advent of reality TV, YouTube and nonstop news coverage, there is no shortage of sensational storytelling on the airwaves.

So why shouldn’t convicts get a piece of the cake?

Of greater concern, it seems, is the audience’s obsession with this sensationalism.

The images that flood our TV and computer screens 24/7 have made people accustomed, and indeed desensitised, to tales of violence, debauchery and scandal.

So when convicts relay their crimes, the fictional world of the Godfather is brought into reality – and people love it.

In this climate, expression becomes nearly synonymous with exploitation while a prison cell becomes just another performance arena.