# Why public beheadings get millions of views

- Institution: TED
- Department: TEDGlobalLondon
- Speaker: Frances Larson
- Year: 2015
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: History
- Source: [TED](https://www.ted.com/talks/frances_larson_why_public_beheadings_get_millions_of_views)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) (Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions.)
- Who can watch: Adult profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

In a disturbing — but fascinating — walk through history, Frances Larson examines humanity's strange relationship with public executions … and specifically beheadings. As she shows us, they have always drawn a crowd, first in the public square and now on YouTube. What makes them horrific and compelling in equal measure?

## Lectures

1. [Why public beheadings get millions of views](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/ted/frances_larson_why_public_beheadings_get_millions_of_views/c176653ec9ca), 16 min (TED's player)