The Vice Guide to Liberia: Brothels, Drug Dens & Warlords!
One of my favorite things that Vice/VBS.TV does are their guides to various exotic locales most of us have never been or will ever go to. VBS has sent correspondents to document goings on in places like Baghdad, Tehran, and Darfur, and created a magnificent series on North Korea where Vice co-founder Shane Smith snuck his way in and videotaped his trip into the country. This time Shane Smith heads into Liberia, where he interviews former child soldiers, tours the drug dens and brothels, visits with murderous warlords, and encounters an endless stream of victims of the country’s civil war who are trying to piece their lives and region back together.
Timed nicely with the ongoing trial of former Liberian President (and accused war criminal) Charles Taylor, episode two focuses on the Liberian ex-warlords who still wield power and influence in the region. Shane Smith and his crew speak with General bin Laden (named such to inspire fear) at his compound shortly after he is sprung from jail by his supporters.
The Vice Guide to Liberia is broken up into 8 parts, with the remaining 6 episodes airing for the rest of this and the following week over at VBS.
- My Pal the Crook
January 20th, 2010 at 5:57 pm
I must have watched at least a 1/2 dozen of these earlier today. That Liberia piece got picked up on CNN too. [CNN] “We believe this unique reporting approach is worthy of sharing with our CNN.com readers.” What got me about that statement (beyond the BS ‘worthy’ statement) it that VBS IS on the ground news reporting, not watered down 20 second segments, and terribly shocking. Along with the Liberia segments check out Inside Afghanistan (interview) and their TOXIC piece is def. worth checking out too. Solid.
January 20th, 2010 at 6:06 pm
Well VBS and CNN have a partnership now, so I think that also plays into CNN picking this up.
But I’m sure had CNN not been into these or felt they were truly newsworthy journalistic exposes the two would never would have partnered up in the first place.