Joe Schmo, BFE USA: Spike TV Punks Entire Town

Reality Blurred points us to this Spike TV press release revealing that the network tricked an entire Iowa town, overtaking it with a fake production (complete with all the attendant Hollywood wackiness) of a William Shatner movie called "Invasion Iowa." To avoid an old-fashioned hangin' and pitchfork-and-torch riot, the producers gave the punked town of Riverside (pop. 978) a check for a measly $100,000 as they owned up to the hoax yesterday. The next time you wonder why TV networks are so enamored of reality shows, think about how Spike rented an entire town for a hundred bucks a head. Here's a tip to the residents of Riverside: Don't put away those pitchforks yet. When you poke holes in people from Hollywood, money pours out. Give it a try!
