This show is fictitious - Banged Up Abroad (2007) Discussion

[–] Northerner335 12 years ago

True, there is no way to verify a lot of what they say. But I go into the show knowing that. It is purely their recollection of events. I would say that some of the stories are exaggerated, but I would probably put it at more like 15-20%. The truth really is stranger than fiction!

reply

[–] mrs-jindrak 12 years ago

Some of these people are clearly making stuff up. Obviously the Erik Aude episode, and I just watched another one about some Chasidic drug smuggler.... among his million lies are that he never knew cocaine was illegal, and that he stabbed a guy to death in a Sao Paolo prison using his training in self-defense.
Some people just have trouble with the truth.

reply

[–] NCI-Develop 12 years ago

While it is true a lot of episodes are extreme over exaggeration, there are a few episodes that are unbelievably true. I've seen over 30 episodes and so far there are really only 3 that stand out as being 100% accurate and believable. There are loads others that probably 100% true but these top 3 for me are what really stand out.

1. The episode where the Irishman was caught smuggling drugs out of south america. He admitted to being raped by prison guards, no man on earth would ever admit that on TV so it sheds extreme credibility to his entire story, in fact no other man on any episode has even mentioned sexual abuse (apart from one who claimed to have fought it off).

2. The man who was busted in Bali, he lost his sight in his left eye, broke out of prison (was caught again), attempted breaking out 3 more times among lots of other things but he had several photographs of his injuries and during his time there, his story seemed to be 100% accurate.

3. An Australian and Canadian woman kidnapped by Somali teenagers and held for ransom. Only the guy was telling his story in the episode however after further research about the Canadian girl (I'm Canadian so I was curious) I found some interviews from her online and it seemed to corroborate everything the guy said.

Yeah Erik Aude's story sounds like a lot of pure crap, it could very well be the torture he endured (and he did endure torture) screwed up his mind so bad he honestly believes what he said in the show was what really happened. Maybe being a superstar mentally during his ordeal is how managed to survive it. He is a big guy and Pakistani men are scrawny so who knows, maybe he really did unleash Rocky-style beat downs in the prison.

reply

[–] CCRider01 12 years ago

The early seasons were better and seemed a lot more legit, some of the newer episodes are straight out of a bad Hollywood B movie.

reply

[–] mrs-jindrak 12 years ago

I totally agree. The earlier episodes were very different. When you get up to season 5... it's like these people have already seen the show.

One thing I just noticed, I was watching an epi from (I think) season 5, the one where a couple was detained in Egypt for adopting a baby illegally (aka human trafficking) and the show started off with words on the screen...
"The following is the personal account of so-and-so"
Have they always done this?
So they're basically saying, this is the story as it was presented to us...

reply

[–] bron-tay 12 years ago

Yes, they've always done this. I think it's partly a disclaimer.

~~~~~~~
Please put some dashes above your sig line so I won't think it's part of your dumb post.

reply

[–] vestdennis 12 years ago

Made up or not foreign prisons are no cake walk! Prisons in most of the Third World are extremely dirty, corrupt guards & officials, rapes are rampant, beatings are common, etc.

Just b/c some of these episodes might be hyped (I'm sure some are) don't ever get the idea that a Mexican, Iranian or Thailand prison is going to be anywhere near like American prisons (which are nothing to look forward to).

reply

[–] scorpion_sting07 12 years ago

I tend to believe most of what these people say happened in prison mainly because prison isn't the same overseas or in other countries as it is here, especially if you're American. Sure some of the stories are exaggerations, but some of that stuff could definitely be true. U.S. prisons are more "organized" & less chaotic, whereas if you're thrown in jail in South America, Thailand, Mexico, etc., good freaking luck. They don't care a single ounce about your safety, well-being, or your living conditions. They will watch you get stabbed 60 times and then turn the other way just so they don't have to move from their post. They can basically do whatever they want in some of these overseas jails.

reply

[–] aareal 12 years ago

You know a lot about overseas jails. Been to one?

reply

[–] napfeny 12 years ago

About the newest season, I've watched the first four episodes and I believe the guy in Tokyo, that seemed very real, nothing weird, and the guy in Iraq, he was on the news and I remember him on the car, saying his name, back in 2004...He could've said he was tortured, but he kept his story true and not at all over the top. I had difficulty believing the Hollywood guy in two aspects: did he really not know there was cocaine in there? He does say dogs in Turkey sniffed his suitcase, but he thought everything was alright? Weird. And then, when he says he "lost it" with the guard that asked for money and then everyone else in prison treated him like a hero...I don't know, especially in Pakistan, are they really going to treat an american like a hero? Doubtful. And the british girl in Argentina, I don't think she went to the police as soon as she got back to London. I guess she just moved on with her life. I don't pity this woman at all, she knew what she was doing but acts like she's innocent. She says she wanted to do her time in the UK, but says she went to the police once...Once! If she was really interested in doing her time, she would've gone regularly to the police station and in the meantime get a good lawyer. Stupid thought she had gotten away with it...LOL, hardly!

"There's a little bit of me in that princess castle"

reply

[–] Nikon11 12 years ago

I haven't seen anything recent, but many of the episodes contained something in the story that just didn't seem right. There's always a person who doesn't show up, who got them involved, who is never seen again.

reply

[–] thedesertfox 12 years ago

It's also another show that makes foreigners look like uncultured, immoral beasts to a western audience.

reply

[–] napfeny 12 years ago

Well, I both agree and disagree with you. I agree that perhaps people with excellent jail security systems, like the US or Germany, may get "the wrong" impression about people from asian, middle-eastern or latin american jails. Like we are all the same. I mean, those people are in there for a reason, they've commited crimes. But I disagree because what they show is not far from the truth. I live in South America, I once visited a prison as a student some years ago, plus what you hear and see on TV, and the situation is rough in there. Men fight against each other with prison-made weapons for a pack of cigarettes. I've also been to drug rehab facilities for criminals and it's the same system, although they are much taken care of.
I've watched shows about US jails and it amazes me how well-organized they are. Here they are very crowded, dirty, with not enough staff.
Although I think how a jail is maintained says a lot about a country.

"the messers become the messees!"

reply

[–] dkgambler 12 years ago

It all comes down to the credibility/ego of the people involved. The "Blind Prophet" guy clearly has some serious mental issues, his story is totally fake. The "Dude Where's My Car" actor acted to make him look like a tough guy when he surely whined like a little bitch.

reply