'The Contestant' tells the bizarre story of a Japanese man who lived a real-life 'Truman Show'
Los Angeles Times - 2024-05-02T10:00:39.798Z

In January 1998, an aspiring Japanese comedian named Tomoaki Hamatsu but better known as Nasubi — or “eggplant,” because of his long face — was chosen to star in “Susunu! Denpa Shōnen,” a hit variety show. The brainchild of producer Toshio Tsuchiya, "Denpa Shōnen" featured young people competing in extreme challenges — think "Saturday Night Live" meets "Jackass." Nasubi was selected to take part in a segment called “A Life in Prizes,” which was inspired by the magazine sweepstakes that were all... Read this story