What Would You Do? Season 12 Episode 10 Job Discrimination; Supermarket Snacker

"What Would You Do?" is a hidden camera TV show that puts unsuspecting bystanders in challenging ethical dilemmas to see how they will react. In season 12 episode 10, titled "Job Discrimination; Supermarket Snacker," the show explores two different scenarios to provoke meaningful conversations around discrimination.

The first scenario takes place in a temp agency where a woman with a headscarf comes in looking for a job. The actress playing the job recruiter discriminates against her based on her religious beliefs and only offers her low-paying jobs that are menial and require no experience. While the actress playing the woman with the headscarf patiently listens to the recruiter's discrimination, an African American woman sitting nearby hears everything, prompting her to come to the woman's defense. Will other bystanders react, or will they remain silent and implicitly condone the recruiter's discriminatory practices?

The second scenario takes place in a supermarket where a woman openly eats grapes from the store's produce section without paying for them. The actress playing the shoplifter is white, while the other actors playing customers and staff are people of color. How will customers react to the shoplifter's actions? Will they treat the white shoplifter differently from how they would treat a person of color? The experiment tests whether unconscious biases that people may have will affect how they respond to the shoplifter and the staff.

Throughout the episode, host John Quiñones breaks the fourth wall to interview some of the bystanders who have intervened or remained silent. Some of the questions he asks include why they chose to act and what they would have done differently if they were put in the same situation. By reflecting on the bystanders' responses, the show encourages viewers to think about their own biases and contemplate how they would react in similar situations.

Job discrimination and shoplifting are issues that many Americans face every day. This episode of "What Would You Do?" shines a spotlight on these issues by creating thought-provoking scenarios that test the moral compass of viewers and passersby. By bringing these issues to light, the show serves as a reminder that there is still work to be done in creating a more just and equitable society.