6 Times Louis Theroux Put Himself In Danger To Get A Story

One could say that during Theroux's encounters in the pro wrestling industry, he had been unlucky to happen across a bad apple in a business where the majority of people are good.

The same can not be said for the people that Louis met during his 2003 documentary chronicling the neo-Nazi and white supremacist movements in America.

During one particularly memorable scene, Louis is visiting the home of a skinhead named Skip. The meeting starts in a pretty cordial manner, with Louis talking to members of Skip's family about their beliefs in his typical nonconfrontational style.

However, the meeting devolves as an increasingly inebriated Skip asks Louis whether or not he is Jewish while asserting: "(If you were Jewish) I'd allow you to stay because you've got the camera, if you didn't I'd probably kick your ass and leave you in the street somewhere."

The exchange that follows encapsulates what makes Theroux such an effective presenter, by allowing the true beliefs of his subjects to come to light organically without trying to pry them out with confrontational questioning. Despite Skip's abhorrent beliefs and associations, the initial meeting could leave viewers thinking that aside from his politics Skip is a relatively normal person with his wife and children. However, by remaining entirely passive, Louis naturally allows Skip's amiable persona to disappear and his true feelings to be captured on camera.

Though Louis isn't Jewish, by not answering the question he exposes the prejudicial nature of Skip's beliefs without needing to coerce Skip into admitting them. This scene perfectly captures the duality of the subject, demonstarting the contrast between his relatively normal family life, and his extreme and divisive beliefs.