TV scandal in Denmark: Comedian experiences real version of the “Truman Show”

For the Danish comedian Rasmus Wallbridge, it seemed like the fulfillment of his long dream: his own film. But the alleged film project did not exist; Wallbridge was filmed primarily with a hidden camera and was thus secretly made into the main character of a series that bears his name in the title.

The “Truman Show” sends a very friendly greeting: In that 1998 feature film, Truman Burbank, played by Jim Carrey, gradually understands that his life is actually a television production populated by actors.

In today's Danish reality, 149 people were initiated into the “Everyone Loves Rasmus” project, some of whom were close confidants of the comedian. They acted according to the script, filmed him secretly - only Wallbridge himself assumed that he was in his real life.

Whether you call it a prank or a hidden camera: the broadcaster TV2 has obviously taken the old concept of deceiving people in front of cameras for the amusement of viewers to a new extreme. As a result, the project, which was classified as a comedy, has been met with massive outrage since its release on October 26th: “adult bullying”, “gaslighting” and “mental torture” were the critics’ accusations.

Broadcaster TV2 finally pulled the series on Saturday, five days after its release. He also announced an investigation. The production company Drive said in writing to Danish broadcaster DR that it had sent a “sincere apology” to Wallbridge. Media also report that several of the participating actors have now expressed remorse towards the unwilling leading actor.

The debate even reached the Danish Prime Minister: “This whole rather unfortunate affair should make you think about what you want to publish as a journalistic medium,” said Social Democrat Mette Fredriksen, according to media reports, on Tuesday in front of Parliament, where she was asked about the scandal during a regular question time.

Is it even a prank if the victim has no reason – and therefore no chance – to become suspicious? An expert told the DR that this was doubtful. Signe Søndergaard Moore is doing her doctorate in Copenhagen on the Danish stand-up scene. She believes that the involvement of close confidants and the weight of prominent participating actors created a power imbalance in “Everybody Loves Rasmus.” However, a successful prank must be based on equal conditions.

Rasmus Wallbridge himself refrains from commenting on the matter and does not give any interviews. At the weekend he simply wrote on Instagram that he was currently not ready to take part in the debate. “I fully understand that there is curiosity and questions,” he explained, “but after consulting with those closest to me, I have decided to fully concentrate on working on my upcoming show.”

According to the Danish media, Wallbridge ultimately learned the truth and gave his consent to publication - but in the ensuing debate it was doubted that he had an alternative. TV2 told the Ritzau news agency that a lot of effort had been made to make it clear that non-broadcasting was a real possibility. Media critics, however, said that after four months of work, the pressure was too great for the comedian to simply say no and oppose such a big production.

Wallbridge is now continuing to pursue its core business. At a test performance in Hanstholm on Tuesday, the stage was greeted with a standing ovation before the first joke was made, one of the guests reported to DR. The stand-up comedian then complained about a tough week: his football club had lost.